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Delicious coconut curry chicken is packed with flavor! Serve with rice or bread for a perfect chicken curry meal.
Try pairing this curry chicken with Easy Crock Pot Rice or Cauliflower Rice.
We Love a Good Curry!
Coconut curry chicken is always in our monthly meal rotation.
Some of our favorites include Massaman curry and this yellow coconut curry chicken. They’re all easy dishes to prep/make. Plus curry is a great way to get our kids to try new veggies and bold Asian flavors.
Why we love it:
- Quick. This coconut curry chicken recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make!
- Delicious. It’s simple, delicious, and a meal the entire family enjoys (it’s even gluten-free!)
- Variety. To shake things up try cauliflower, squash, sweet potatoes, and celery root, or add chickpeas or chopped nuts for added protein.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- yellow onion
- minced garlic
- chicken breasts – (you can also use chicken thighs) the best way to cut even to 1-inch cubes is to partially freeze the chicken before cutting.
- carrots
- russet potatoes
- yellow curry powder
- red curry paste
- full-fat coconut milk – Use full-fat coconut milk, it really adds so much flavor to the coconut curry sauce! Some coconut cream can rise to the top of the can, just mix it back in with the milk before using.
- low-sodium chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- brown sugar – or coconut sugar
- fish sauce
Add flavor. Try pairing curry with cumin, red or green chilies, ginger, coriander, mustard, salt, pepper, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and nutmeg.
Quick + Simple!
- VEGGIES. Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant, cook the chicken until browned, then stir in potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle the seasonings over top and add the red curry paste along with the yellow curry powder.
- SAUCE. Pour in the coconut milk (full-fat is recommended) along with the chicken broth, brown sugar, and fish sauce.
- SIMMER. Let the curry simmer for 20 minutes or until it thickens up and the vegetables and chicken are cooked through.
Recipe Tips
- Thicker sauce. For a nice thick sauce:
- Reduce the amount of broth to 2 cups.
- Simmer the sauce for up to an hour on medium-high heat allowing more moisture to evaporate and achieve the texture you desire.
- Add a cornstarch slurry. In a separate bowl combine 2-3 teaspoons of cold water with an equal amount of cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the curry and simmer.
- Spiciness. The red curry paste and the more mild yellow curry powder add so much flavor and spice to the dish. If you are not accustomed to spicy curry you can use ¾ to 1 tablespoon of tomato paste which adds more sweetness to the dish and about ½ tablespoon of red curry paste.
- Serving suggestions. Most veggies, rice, and noodles are great with this easy chicken curry recipe as well as Naan Bread, Chapati bread, Paratha bread, or salad.
Storing Info
- STORE in airtight containers and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, cook easy coconut curry chicken in a saucepan or wok on medium heat until heated through. You can also microwave until heated through.
- FREEZE. Leftover coconut curry chicken can be frozen and thawed without any major problems. Allow the dish to cool completely before adding it to freezer-safe containers. It is best when used within 3 months. Thaw and reheat slowly over medium-low heat.
For More Asian Chicken:
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
40 mins
Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
3 hrs 6 mins
Baked Teriyaki Chicken
35 mins
Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic minced
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 carrots cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1½ tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add carrots and potatoes, cook until lightly browned. Stir in curry powder and curry pastes. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Whisk in coconut milk, broth, sugar, and fish sauce. Gently simmer (covered or uncovered) for 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
- Remove from heat and serve with rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really good. Only used two cups of broth and thought it was a tad sweet with the brown sugar so added a bit more yellow curry powder and red curry paste. Simmered for over 1/2 hour and added a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Turned out great; will make again.
I followed the recipe & definitely needed to simmer for an hour before the sauce reduced….but OMG so delicious. I added some bok choy & steamed corn (cut off the cob), as well as added 3x the red curry paste for some extra heat.
This coconut curry chicken recipe is full of flavor. Super delicious served with rice and veggies! My family loved this recipe so much. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So glad to hear that! You’re welcome!
Delicious! I added some more potatoes because my kids love them. Great recipe, so hearty!
So flavorful and hearty. My whole family loved it. Will defeinitely make again.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Does this freeze well?
Not bad, but calling for 3 cups of chicken broth plus a can of coconut milk made it a soup!! I think she made a mistake! I cut the broth back to 1/2 c the second time I tried it.
You could cut back on the broth if it was too soupy for your liking. Make sure to use all of the potatoes… the starch will thicken it. You can simmer for longer too, which may help it thicken more as well.
I agree. Too much liquid- and I cut back on it by 1 cup based on this comment. I used all the potatoes and summered for over 30 min. It’s more like a soup.
Agreed to much broth. Just half a cup makes it a much better consistency. Otherwise great dish oh I also used half a tablespoon red curry paste to make it less spicy. Made it for Valentine’s Day and she loves it. Thanks
Glad to hear the recipe was a hit. Thanks for sharing what you did.
I made this dish tonight and it came out perfectly topping some cauliflower rice. My husband and the kids loved it and begged me to make it again.