Chicken vindaloo is a popular Indian curry known for its spicy and tangy flavor combination, a quick and easy kitchen staple. My version is wonderfully fiery, though you can easily adjust the heat and spice to your preference.
Chicken Vindaloo Recipe
If you are a spicy food lover like I am, you need to give your taste buds a treat and try this amazing Chicken Vindaloo Recipe. It has everything a fiery food lover could want - Flavor, Heat, Spiciness, Pure Satisfaction.
It is most definitely one of my favorite recipes and it is super easy to whip together in the kitchen with very little effort and cooking time.
That's a HUGE PLUS for a slow cook like me!
What is Vindaloo?
"Vindaloo" is a highly spiced curry dish that originated in the Goa region of India. It is known for its fiery and tangy flavors, and is often made with meat, typically pork, beef, goat, or chicken, marinated in a spiced vinegar-based sauce. You can also make it with potato for a vegetarian version.
The word "vindaloo" comes from the Portuguese dish "carne de vinha d'alhos," a dish of meat marinated in wine vinegar and garlic. Historically, when the Portuguese colonized Goa, they brought this dish with them, which was adapted to local Indian ingredients and flavors to create Goan vindaloo.
The dish is known for its intense heat, which comes from the use of red chilies, and pleasant tanginess from vinegar.
I love it with chicken, particularly chicken thighs, which I've included here for this recipe.
Let's talk about how to make Chicken Vindaloo, shall we?
Chicken Vindaloo Ingredients
The full list of ingredients with measurements and printable cooking instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken. Use chicken thighs or chicken breast, or a combination.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Onion.
- Serrano Peppers. Or use Indian peppers, like Kashmiri chilies.
- Tomato Paste. You can also use fresh tomatoes.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
- FOR THE VINDALOO MARINADE
- White Vinegar.
- Garlic and Ginger.
- Spicy Red Chili Flakes. I enjoy using ghost pepper flakes for some extra heat, though you can use dried red chilies or flakes to your heat preference.
- Other Spices. Paprika, coriander, turmeric, mustard powder, cumin cinnamon. Freshly ground coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds make for extra fresh flavor.
- For Serving. Cooked rice, fresh herbs, extra chili flakes.
How to Make Chicken Vindaloo - Recipe Method
Marinate the Chicken. The vindaloo marinade is the most important part of this dish, as it imparts an immense amount of flavor that all of us spicy food lovers crave.
Vinegar is a MUST, as is garlic. From there, we're adding in a number of pungent spices to make this amazing, including paprika, ginger, coriander, turmeric, mustard powder, cumin, cinnamon, and a healthy dose of spicy red chili flakes, and salt and pepper, of course.
Try this Homemade Vindaloo Seasoning Blend.
You can also include a bit of sugar if you'd like, either white or brown sugar. I didn't use them this time.
Whisk all of the seasonings together with the vinegar, then pour it over the skinless chicken in a bowl. Or, use a plastic bag that you can seal. This is your curry paste. The chicken should be cut into bite sized pieces.
Refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour, though you'll get better results if you let it marinate overnight.
More marinade time = more flavor.
Cook the Onion and Peppers. Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat.
Next, cook your onion and chili pepper a few minutes to soften them up. I used spicy serrano peppers here, though you can use milder peppers for a version with less heat.
Cook the Chicken. Next, add the chicken (along with the marinade) and stir. Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Next, add in the tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and cook stirring a bit, along with about 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth to form a sauce. Fresh diced tomatoes are also a nice addition here.
Simmer the Vindaloo. Reduce the heat an let the whole pan simmer for 15 minutes to 20 minutes, until the chicken cooks through and the flavors develop. You can let it simmer longer if you'd like.
If the vindaloo sauce becomes too thick, just stir in a bit more water or broth until it reaches the consistency you prefer. It will thicken in the pan. It should be the consistency of a good gravy.
BOOM! DONE! Your chicken vindaloo curry is ready to serve! Better than any Indian restaurant. It's so deliciously fragrant. I love it. Such a great recipe. Indian food is filled with so much amazing spice and flavor.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Marinate Ahead
I like to whip this recipe together the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until dinner time the next evening. It makes for a super quick and easy meal, though yeah, it does require a little bit of forethought.
Heat and Spice Factor
For the wild chiliheads like ME, you can use ghost pepper chili flakes like I did. If ghost peppers are too hot for you, use the typical red chili flakes or cayenne pepper that you find in the store, which are perfectly GREAT for this recipe.
You'll definitely get plenty of heat with them, and I want this dish to please your personal palate, not mine! So go with a heat level you're comfortable with.
Serving Chicken Vindaloo
Serve chicken vindaloo over steamed rice and garnish with fresh herbs and extra spicy chili flakes. Basmati rice is a nice choice, as is a side of naan bread.
If it is too spicy, serve it alongside this Indian Raita recipe, which is made from spiced yogurt. It has a nice cooling effect.
Storage and Leftovers
Chicken vindaloo will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. To enjoy it again, simply warm it in a pot on the stove over gentle heat. Or, warm it in the microwave.
You can also freeze it for 3 months in vacuum sealed bags or freezer containers.
It really is an amazing dish. Give it a try and let me know how you like this curry recipe. How spicy did you make yours? Send pics! I'd love to see them. Till next time!!! -- Mike H.
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 156.
Try Some of My Popular Curry Dish Recipes
- Lamb Vindaloo
- Ghost Pepper Chicken Curry
- Chicken Biryani
- Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
- Homemade Vindaloo Curry Powder
- Khao Soi - Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
- Chicken Korma
- Phaal Curry (the Hottest Curry in the World)
- Massaman Curry
- Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)
- Pav Bhaji (Spicy Vegetable Curry)
Try Some of My Other Popular Chicken Dishes
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations.
Chicken Vindaloo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 serrano peppers chopped (or use Indian peppers if you can obtain them)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE MARINADE
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon spicy red chili flakes I used ghost pepper flakes for an EXTRA kick
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
FOR SERVING: Cooked rice, fresh herbs, extra chili flakes
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a large bowl.
- Mix your marinade by whisking together the vinegar and all of the seasonings. Pour it over the chicken and rub it into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Longer is better, such as overnight.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook about 4-5 minutes, until they soften up.
- Add the chicken along with the marinade and cook another 5 minutes to nicely brown up the pieces.
- Add the tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another minute, stirring.
- Add ½ cup of water (or chicken broth for extra flavor) and stir until the mixture thins out and becomes a sauce. You can add more water if needed. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve as is or over rice with fresh herbs and sprinkled chili flakes. Make it rain!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe is gluten free.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 4/21/23 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 4/20/18.
Heather H says
I found the flavor to be out of balance, very acidic and hot. Too much vinegar, or maybe I'll use a milder flavored vinegar next time. I like heat but this was a bit much, I'll use half the red peppers. Otherwise, great spice blend, fast and easy recipe. I added garam masala instead of cinnamon, and tried to cut the acidity with some honey and cream.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sorry to hear it was too acidic, Heather. It could be the vinegar you used. A good quality vinegar is very important in cooking. Maybe next time you can cut that in half for the marinade or let it simmer longer with extra water or broth to mellow that out. Thanks for your comments.
Mackenzie says
Seems like there won’t be much of the sauce with only 1/2 cup of water. Am I missing something?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mackenzie, you will have some liquid from the marinade, plus the water. This is a slightly thicker sauce for chicken vindaloo. If you'd like it thinner/saucier, you can add in more water or stock to thin it out. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy!
Lionel says
Just made that recipe tonight!
I am not a baker so that quantities and volumes were 100% rule of thumb based. Loved it!
I am commenting just to share that I have made it pepper / Chili free (except a normal black pepper pinch) to accommodate the 2 toddlers of the house!
Was a Total success!
Of course, wife and myself - 2 chili / pepper fanatics - seasoned it greatly after the cooking - using finely chopped fresh red chili and chili flakes.
Thanks a lot for the spice mix recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Lionel! I love that you were able to adapt it as needed. Super happy you enjoyed it! Thanks!
Peter says
I recently got my hands on some reaper peppers. How many do you recommend using.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Peter, reapers are extremely hot, so I would suggest using only 1 or even 1/2 of one to start to make sure they aren't too hot for you. Let me know how it goes, my friend!
Pat Bennett says
Hi Mike
Absolutely sensational. Mine ended up a little bit runny so I added a little bit of flour to thicken it up. Beautiful.
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely make it again and again.
Regards
Pat
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Pat! Super happy you enjoyed it!
David says
Absolutely delicious...Learning to make Indian dishes has been as fun as learning to bake bread...but my hands look like I have kidney failure...and gloves are hard to come by these days... 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, David. Super happy you enjoyed it! Keep on cooking!
Jay says
The spice level was on point. I used 1tbsp Cayenne, 1tbsp red pepper flakes and 1tsp of chili powder along with a healthy dose of black pepper. Also added a little salt to the marinade. This was very good. My only complaint is that there was some sort of acidic/tang flavor that threw this dish off a little. Maybe cutting the vinegar down a little could be the solution or possibly the mustard powder? Thoughts?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jay, it could be the vinegar, which is common to many curries. You could omit it next time, see if you like it better. Let me know if you wind up making it again with the vinegar.
Joe says
Ok I'm going to try this but... You really used 2 TABLESPOONS of ghost pepper flakes? I really love hot and I have a high tolerance but that sounds crazy?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Joe, I usually do a mix, often some ghost with cayenne flakes, sometimes mid-level heat flakes from peppers from my garden. You can definitely mix and match and use to your own heat and spice level preferences. Let me know how it turns out for you.
John says
Making this tonight for the second time in 2 weeks, great delicious recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! This one is on regular rotation in our kitchen. LOVE it.
Angelica says
Hey! I want to try this recipe - if I do it with potatoes and peas instead, how do you advise cooking?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Angelica, absolutely, this would be great with potatoes. I would sautee the potatoes first to soften them up a bit, then let them simmer in the sauce to complete cooking and absorb all those wonderful flavors. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Cara says
Great recipe overall - I marinated the chicken as instructed, but also added canned chickpeas in the last 10 minutes of simmering. I used ghee instead of olive oil. Really delicious, but I will cut down on the vinegar slightly next time I make this.
I paired with a spiced basmati rice (this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/72349/indian-style-basmati-rice/).
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Cara. Yes, you can easily adjust to your own taste preferences. Glad you enjoyed it overall.
René Cozens says
Absolutely delish!! Great to find another chili fanatic! Thank you so much for sharing!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thank you, Rene! I appreciate the comments. Have a great day!
Sarah says
Amazing!! I have made your chicken and beef versions of this recipe along with your raita recipe and they turned out absolutely amazing. Best indian recipe I've ever made...just as good (if not better) as anything I've ordered at my favorite restaurants. Thank you so much!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thank you, Sarah! Super happy you like it! One of my favorite recipes for sure.