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.
Jesse Lyman says
Wow, this is great! I had to settle for jalapeños as that was what I had. Definitely going to do this again! And often!
Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful! Thanks, Jesse! Glad you enjoyed it.
Angela Win says
yum! I made it with a whole chicken in dutch oven in oven. Added shredded cabbage and sliced capsicum.
I used 1tbsp of my own hot chunky chilli mix plus 1/2tsp of my ground serrano and onion chilli mix.
Will be maki g it again!
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks, Angela!
Kathleen Miller says
Chicken vindaloo looks fabulous I will make this and will post once I do
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy!
Michael says
Such a good recipe, vindaloo is probably my favorite curry and this one has the best balance of spices I've found. I have a couple modifications I like: fresh ginger instead of (or honestly, even in addition to) ground for the marinade, and ground kashmiri pepper as my "red pepper base" of choice. A couple stores online sell huge 2lb things of ground kashmiri so it's pretty obtainable. Also can't beat throwing some potatoes in with the fresh peppers!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Michael. Super happy you enjoy it. This is one of our favorites as well.
Neil says
Mike,
Thank you so much for the recipes. Everything I have made from your site has been out of this world. Birria, vindalay, ceviche, dan dan noodles and chicken tinga have been amazing! Thank you and best wishes!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear, Neil! Wow, I appreciate it! Glad you're enjoying the recipes!
Alan says
Thanks again Mike for another great recipe. I cut back a bit on the vinegar, but next time, and there will be a next time, I will use the full 1/2 cup. I also threw in a tablespoon of Indian chili powder and a diced red potato. I served this killer curry with cucumber yogurt and mango chutney. Fantastic! Thanks again.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome!! Glad you enjoyed it, Alan! Thanks for sharing!
Maura says
AH-MAZING!!!! Made exactly from your recipe (only issue I had was I didn't have a Jalapeno, but threw some marinated jalapeno slices in with the the onions while sautéing).
I did add the 2 tablespoons of the dried chili peppers. This is so amazing! Thank you SO much or posting this recipe -- you never disappoint!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Maura! Super happy you enjoyed it! We love this so much! =) Thanks for sharing.
Christine says
I made this several nights ago & I have to say it was awesome! I have never tried Indian cuisine. I have to say however it was not hot spicy as I anticipated. But no problema . I added about 8 chili arbols & scotch bonnet sauce to it . Prepping was time consuming at first but now that I made it next time won’t take as long . I definitely will be making this once a week !
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Yay! This is one of our favorites. Thanks!
Kelly Mclellan says
Hi , how much of the spice blend do I use for the chicken vindeloo ? I can’t find measurements on the recipe page . Wondered about the vinegar also .
Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
Kelly, all of the measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Please let me know if you can't find it.
Jeff Bradford says
I substituted habanero for the serranos. It is awesome! Great recipe. Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Great sub, Jeff! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Bryce Johnston says
very easy to prepare and very good,my wife was impressed.Thank you so much.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Bryce. Thanks!
Banks says
Another great recipe, Mike! We used mostly red chili pepper flakes but added some red habanero powder. We have a high spice tolerance and it packed a punch in a nice way. We like our sauce a bit thicker so we added some corn starch slurry. Also, and we can't recommend this enough, have a side of lemon yogurt sauce for dipping. Great stuff!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Banks! Glad you enjoyed it! I definitely love this dish. SO good.
Dave says
Made my mouth water just thinking about it. I love a well made vindaloo, although lamb is definitely my favorite, with added potato chunks. It´s better starting with fresh spices (coriander, cumin, pepper etc) and grinding them in a spice grinder - freshly ground spices have a much better depth of flavor. I also like a combination of white and black pepper corns.
Keep posting these great recipes Mike, some of them are awesome!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this, Dave! Very happy you enjoyed it! I agree, freshly ground spices are the best.