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This Coconut Curry Chicken recipe is one you can make easily in one pot with minimal ingredients and effort and it’s loaded with so much flavor. The sauce comes out lusciously creamy from the coconut milk, and the curry powder gives it all a sweet and spicy taste.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making curry. I’ll break it down for you easily with this modernized quick and healthy version. It makes for a quick one-pot dinner and you only need one spice – curry powder! You can serve over rice or eat on its own – perfect for a busy weeknight meal!
How to make coconut curry chicken
- Heat oil in a skillet and stir in the curry powder until dissolves into the oil.
- Add the onions and garlic.
- Cook until soft and wonderfully fragrant.
- Add in the cubed chicken.
- Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. It may release some juices, which is very normal.
- Pour in the coconut milk and tomatoes, stir to combine. Cover and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Tips for making coconut curry chicken
- Bloom the curry. If you’ve never heard of this idea, it basically means to let the curry powder cook in the oil for a couple minutes before adding the vegetables. This is such a great way to develop the flavor of the curry; hence the term bloom 🙂
- Finely chop the onions. Tomatoes and onions are the main thickening agent in a curry, so it’s important that they are small or finely diced. That’s the reason many cooks actually use a blender to chop the onions and tomatoes for the base.
- Cook the onions until they are soft. This will help them to release the best flavors. Be care not to overcook them or it will alter the final taste of the curry.
- Remove lid when cooking if the sauce looks watery. The broth will reduce while cooking, but if you notice that it is too thin towards the end of cooking, removing the lid will help to thicken the sauce without needed to add any thickening agent.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! This is a great dish for meal prep. If you don’t plan on eating it straight away, let it cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. It can be reheated on the stovetop, but be careful to only reheat the chicken once.
This curry is great for freezer meals. Once it has cooled, freeze it in a safe container and it will keep well for 3 months. Thaw the curry in the fridge overnight before reheating.
I like to use chicken breast, but you can absolutley make this with cubed chicken thighs. They may require slightly longer to cook through in the pan, but the recipe remains the same.
This isn’t your grandma’s chicken curry recipe. However, it’s a great “curry in a hurry” as I call it because it has all the elements of a curry recipe in a simplified more practical easy weeknight dinner.
More similar dinner recipes
If you make this healthy-ish feel good Coconut Curry Chicken recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Coconut Curry Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic clove crushed
- 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Rice for serving
Instructions
- Season chicken cubes with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the curry powder and stir until well blended. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions become soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the chicken cubes and cook with the curry and onion mixture until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Pour coconut milk and diced tomatoes into the pan, and stir to combine with the chicken. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
- Serve over white rice and/or naan, and garnish with any herbs, if desired
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I made this with a few crushed cardamom pods and half the quantity of coconut milk to save on calories a bit and it turned out amazing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I tried it many times already and the whole family loves it, even the in laws lol! Do you think replacing chicken with chickpeas would work?
LOL so happy to hear that, Sabina! Yes, chickpeas are so good in it!
Very runny even though I cooked it without lid on most of the time. Maybe I was supposed to drain the diced tomatoes?
Delicious! I left my a bit liquid-y towards the end as we love some liquid when eating curries with rice. I also added potatoes! We Guyanese love potatoes in curries and stews. Thanks Yumna!
Thank you! I love that. You’re so welcome!
I followed every step but my dish is the curry powder color more of a greenish tint. Not sure how yours is brown? Did I miss a step?
Hmmm, I’m not sure why that happened. It could’ve been the particular ingredients you used?
This looks so good! I’m interested in trying this with unsweetened coconut milk. Any thoughts on this?
Thank you! I think that will still work!
What a great dinner…loved it.
Thank you so much!
I dont know what happened. Followed the directions and it was way too runny. Didn’t look anything like the picture.
It’s important to remove the lid when cooking if the sauce looks watery. The broth will reduce while cooking, but if you notice that it is too thin towards the end of cooking, removing the lid will help to thicken the sauce without needed to add any thickening agent.
Great recipe! I have never made curry myself before so I honestly had no idea where to start! This recipe was simple and delicious, and gives me a great point-of-reference to put whatever spin on my future curries that I want! This curry is fail-proof, delicious, and so hearty!! 🙂
Thank you so much! Hope you continue to enjoy the different future curries.
I made this dish for the first time tonight and loved it. It was so easy to make and turned out great. Yumna’s directions are easy to follow and make such great meals. I love curry and I have a feeling this is going to become a staple recipe. I live in Atlanta but grew up in West Michigan so all of Yumna’s recipes feel a little like home. Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Aww, glad you’re enjoying all of the recipes! You’re so welcome.
I tried this recipe yesterday (actually my mom did lol)! Creamy, super yummyy, and easy to make; the curry’s taste is awesome! It was the first time we use coconut milk in cooking (cz its not very famous is Lebanon) so I really encourage you to try it. Love you Youmna keep inspiring us with feel-good recipes
Thank you so much, Zaher!! Glad you enjoyed it and could experiment cooking with a new ingredient!
One of the best! Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for such a lovely recipe, Yumna. I tried it last night for me and my girls(aged 1 and 6). I adapted it a bit for my little one, and we all loved it! So easy, healthy and delicious! I’m sure to cook it again 🙂
Very very nice recipe. Thank you! I tried it with quinoa and I almost licked the pan ahah
Yay! So glad to hear it. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and always turns out amazing. I’m wondering if I can switch the olive oil for coconut oil instead?
Thank you! That’s incredible. I’m sure you could!