Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is one of the most delicious one-pot meals you could make! You’re going to be obsessed.
Today it’s all about Thai Chicken Coconut Curry because I’ve become obsessed with cooking something once or twice a week and then having access to it for leftovers all week long. This Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is PERFECT for that.
I serve it up over a bed of rice or quinoa (which I also make in bulk) and extra limes because that really just amps up the flavor! Make it! You won’t be disappointed.
And because this Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is so versatile, let's talk about a few different variations before we start cooking! If you love this dish, or are vegetarian check out the curry coconut noodle soup.
What's the different between coconut milk and coconut cream?
Coconut cream is thicker than coconut milk and both would work in this recipe. Be sure NOT to use Cream of Coconut though because that's typically sweetened and we don't need sugar in this dish!
What can I use in curry besides rice?
I love serving curry over a bed of white or brown rice, but if that's not your jam you could use farro, quinoa, kamut or just serve it like a soup with some naan bread on the side.
What's the best curry powder to use?
Curry powder is the star ingredient in this dish so it's important to use a great spice blend. I like the McCormick Curry blend and Penzey's. Both are great. The thing to keep in mind for spices is that they don't last forever so make sure you're going through them quickly!
Can I use curry paste in Thai Chicken Coconut Curry?
Depends who you ask but I've always used them interchangeably. You might want to go easy on the curry paste and start with half of the amount than if you were using a curry powder.
Can I add vegetables to a curry?
Absolutely! I've thrown in some cubed potatoes and broccoli florets before. It's great with asparagus during the spring season as well. Any vegetable you add to this dish will take on the curry flavor so you're safe!
Can I use Chicken Breasts instead of Chicken Thighs?
You can if you absolutely must! Here's why... chicken thigh are way more flavorful than chicken breasts. They also have a high fat content so they are more tender. It's easier to overcook chicken breasts which makes them not as forgiving as chicken thighs. But bottom line is yes, you can use breasts instead of thighs if you prefer!
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 onion, small dice
- 1 red belle pepper, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Lime juice to taste
- Green Onions to garnish
- Cilantro to garnish
- White Rice for serving
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium high heat with the coconut oil.
- Add the onion and red pepper sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds more.
- Add the chicken and curry powder and sauté until the chicken starts to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, coconut milk, tomato paste and salt and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer to continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked and the liquid thickens up.
- Taste, adjust seasoning as needed, add lime juice to season and serve over rice with cilantro and green onions and extra lime wedges.
Notes
Can I add vegetables to a curry?
Absolutely! I’ve thrown in some cubed potatoes and broccoli florets before. It’s great with asparagus during the spring season as well. Any vegetable you add to this dish will take on the curry flavor so you’re safe!Can I use Chicken Breasts instead of Chicken Thighs?
You can if you absolutely must! Here’s why… chicken thigh are way more flavorful than chicken breasts. They also have a high fat content so they are more tender. It’s easier to overcook chicken breasts which makes them not as forgiving as chicken thighs. But bottom line is yes, you can use breasts instead of thighs if you prefer!Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Loved it! Sneaky butter chicken vibes, added potatoes and broccoli, served over rice and threw in a lonely green pepper that needed used on top of the red.
Great weeknight timing and will make again for sure!
Overall my family enjoyed this. I’m not sure about the diced tomatoes in this recipe, I will leave them out in the future. It was easy to make and made enough for dinner and left overs for lunch the next day.
This is hands down one of the best curry recipes! I love how customizable it is. I didn't have a bell pepper, but to make it veggie packed I added broccolini, a yukon gold potato, some green beens, and a couple carrots! I added two cans of coconut milk for more creamy sauce and it was delicious. Thank you so much, Gaby!
Yum!! So good. Skipped the chicken stock because I wanted a thicker sauce. Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely be a regular one for us now.
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was absolutely delicious! Super easy and great for meal prepping future meals.
Do you think I could make this with shrimp instead of chicken? Would I have to change anything about the recipe? thank you so so much!
yes totally! just no need to cook the protein as long!
Hi Gaby Making this tonight and it smells so good! What is the easiest way to grate ginger. I just kept getting mush lol
Thank you
Janet
I use a microplane!
I freeze fresh ginger. Wash it really well and break it apart to get into the crevices if it’s not a straight piece. Then I pop in a bag and freeze. When you want to use it, scrape the skin off with a spoon (Or don’t if that’s your jam), and grate with microplane.
When I’ve tried to grate fresh ginger, I end up with a mushy mess so I always have some 1-2 in pieces in the freezer.
I made this tonight using the recipe from Gaby’s “Mindful Eating”magazine and it tastes delicious but I couldn’t figure out why mine turned out so soupy. I just checked the recipe online and it looks like there is a variance in the chicken stock measurements .. the magazine uses 3/4 cup and the recipe online uses 1/4. If you are using the magazine, you may want to use 1/4 cup.
Tried this recipe with shrimp and it was delicious! Curious if I can also substitute w/ chickpeas instead of meat?
sure thing!
I made this for dinner last night and it was INCREDIBLE! I added sliced carrots at the same time as the onions & bell peppers, and I added broccoli florets at the same time as the stock, coconut milk, tomato paste, etc. It got rave reviews from everyone and I will absolutely be making this again!!
This was excellent! We both had seconds. So enjoy your recipes, Gaby!