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
This was great! I loved it, only complaint was it wasn’t spicy, so we kicked it up a bit!
Congrats on poppy!
Hands down one of the best dishes I have ever tasted!!! Everyone in my family loved it, and it was a very straight forward and easy recipe to follow. For the curry I used 2 tsp. of Thai red curry paste and a heaping tbsp of Vindaloo curry. There are so many curries in the world, I'm sure you can make this with a slightly different taste each time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This was delicious!! The only changes we made were to add 1 tsp of red thai curry paste and a couple of handfuls of chopped kale. Such a tasty meal that even my 5 yo enjoyed. Thank you
Love your curries!!! I could eat them all week long❤️ Thanks for the awesome recipes!!!
Will be adding this one to the rotation...SO GOOD!!
Thrilled to hear it!
love all thai food
no place to print?
Would it be odd to make this with fish instead of chicken (e.g. do you think the flavors wouldn't mesh well)?
would be incredible but fish doesn't take as long to cook just maybe just add it in chunks 10 minutes before the curry is going to be done and let it poach
How much chicken stock? It doesn’t say. Thank you! Love your recipes!
it says! 1/2 cup
Delicious!
Hey Gaby! Made this tonight for my fam during this crazy isolation time. It was delicious and ingredients were readily available! Yum
Just perfect! I had never used curry at home before and this was so easy and delish.
Thank you so much, Gaby!
Any thoughts on subbing out Tofu for Chicken?
I'm personally not a tofu person so I can't say with any sort of certainty the best method for substitution!
What side dishes, bread, etc would you recommend serving with the coconut curry?
I've made my fresh naan recipe!! And just roasted veg!
Hi! Can this recipe be made in an Instant Pot?
it sure can!
This was Absolutely delicious!! I'll be making this again! Thank you!