Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe (2024)

Coconut Curry ChickenIngredients

• Chicken. I'm using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
• Oil. 1 tablespoon olive oil - coconut oil is a good addition here.
• Vegetables. I use 1 medium onion, 2 jalapeno peppers and 3 garlic cloves. You can use milder peppers for a milder version of the recipe.
• Seasonings. Use 1 tablespoon red curry paste (I used Thai curry paste),2 tablespoons curry powder (I used yellow curry powder), and1 tablespoon garam masala.
• Coconut Milk. Use 14 ounce can coconut milk.
• Chicken Broth. 1 cup chicken broth (or water) to thin the sauce and allow for simmering.
• Lemongrass. 1 stalk lemongrass, or more to your personal tastes.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes, rice or rice noodles

How to Make Coconut Curry Chicken- the Recipe Method

Onions, Peppers, and Garlic. First, heat a large pan or pot to medium high heat. Add the olive oil.

Next, add the onion and peppers and cook them down for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring. The peppers, onions and garlic add a great flavor base.

Cook the Chicken. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to nicely brown the chicken.

You don't have to cook the chicken all the way through at this point, as it will cook through when you simmer it in the coconut curry sauce, developing lots of flavor.

Curry Paste and Spices. Add the curry paste, curry powder and garam masala. Stir and cook another minute.

Add the Liquids. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth or water and lemongrass. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover.

Simmer the Curry. Simmer for 10 minutes in the curry sauce, or until the chicken is cooked through. You can simmer longer if you'd like to develop more flavor.

Serve over rice or noodles, topped with fresh chopped parsley and spicy red pepper flakes. Discard the lemongrass stalk.

How to Serve Coconut Curry Chicken

Serve your coconut curry chicken on its own for the healthiest and lowest calorie option. I like to serve mine either over white rice, brown rice, or over cauliflower rice, which I've really been enjoying lately.

Cauliflower rice is an easy-to-make, healthy, low calorie way to enjoy many meals. I love the stuff!

Vegetarian or Vegan Coconut Curry Options

If you'd prefer to go vegetarian, make chickpeas the star instead of chicken. I love a goodChickpea Curry.

Potatoes are good, as well as sweet potatoes. I love a good sweet potato curry.

If you're feeding a hungry crowd, feel free to include any of these ingredients in addition to the chicken.

Flavor Additions

I sometimes include a few splashes of soy sauce or fish sauce to my curry recipes for a bit of saltiness and umami. Give it a try and see how you like it. Fresh ginger is a nice addition.

I also enjoy squeezing a bit of fresh lime juice over the top for a nice citrus pop.

Also, if you're seeking a touch of sweetness to the recipe, try a bit of brown sugar.

Is Coconut Milk the Same as Coconut Cream?

No, they are not the same, though you can use either of them for this recipe. Coconut milk is more like regular cow's milk in consistency, and is called for in this recipe. Coconut cream is much thicker and higher in calories.

If you'd like to use coconut cream, I suggest adding some water or chicken stock to thin it out.

Should I Use Coconut Oil or Olive Oil?

Either olive oil or coconut oil will work for this recipe. The coconut oil will give the final dish more of that "coconut" flavor.

If you're concerned about health issues, it is known that olive oil has moremonounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the "good fats"), than virgin coconut oil, as well as less saturated fat.

However, virgin coconut oil studies show that it contains healthy antioxidants and can reduce bad cholesterol.

Can Curry Be Made Without Coconut Milk?

Absolutely. There are many curry recipes that do not include coconut milk. Try out my Chicken Vindaloo recipe, which uses no coconut milk at all.

If calories are the real concern, use a low-calorie light coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk. Or skip it and use chicken broth instead, like the vindaloo recipe.

Try Some of My Other Popular Curry Dishes

• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Spicy Beef Vindaloo
• Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Thai Shrimp Curry
• Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
• Chicken Korma
• Butter Chicken
• Red Curry
• Phaal Curry (the Hottest Curry in the World)
• Thai Panang Curry
• Pad Thai Recipe
• Jamaican Curry Chicken
• See all of my Curry Recipes

Print

Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe

Try this coconut curry chicken recipe with chicken thighs that are seared then braised in a flavorful sauce made with curry spices, Thai curry paste and coconut milk.

Save Recipe

Calories: 503kcal

Servings: 4

Tap or hover to scale

Leave a Review

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You can easily spice things up with hotter peppers, extra spicy chili flakes, and with some spicy hot sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 503kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 37gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 827mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 723IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 4mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.