This chicken saag recipe is Indian curry at its finest, made with spinach or other greens, lots of chicken and the perfect seasoning blend simmered in a creamy sauce. Quick and easy to make!
Chicken Saag Recipe
It's curry time again in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends! You know we love curry around here. As a spicy food lover, curry is one of the "absolute musts" when it comes to recipe selection, as curry has it all - Big flavor, lots of spices and boldness.
The wonderful thing about curry is that there are so many different ways to make it! There are Indian curries, Thai curries, Americanized curries, red curries, yellow curries, spicy curries and mild curries.
But! Did you know there is a curry made with greens? Yes! There is!
We're talking about Chicken Saag Curry, and I think you're going to love it. If you love greens, this is the curry for you. Print this one and add it to your recipe folder, my friends. It just might be your new favorite.
What is Chicken Saag?
Chicken Saag is a curry dish with leafy greens hailing from northern India. You may have heard of the dish Saag Paneer, which is a leafy green dish with Indian cheese, and this is a chicken curry version of the dish. Saag typically refers to a combination of spinach and mustard greens, which is similar to another common dish, "palak", which uses only spinach.
You'll find chicken saag (aka sag or saga) in Indian restaurants or anywhere where Indian food is served. It's such a wonderful dish, and now you can make it at home. It's very easy!
Let's talk about how to make chicken saag, shall we?
Chicken Saag Ingredients
- The Chicken: 1 pound chicken thighs. You can also use chicken breast, or a combination of boneless chicken.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- The Vegetables: 1 medium onion, 1 jalapeno pepper, 1 serrano pepper (optional, for more heat), 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger. You can use milder or hotter peppers to your own heat preference.
- The Greens: 1 pound fresh spinach, chopped. You can also use other greens, like collard greens, fenugreek or others. See the recipe notes below.
- The Seasonings: 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, salt and pepper to taste. Chili powder is a nice addition, too, if you'd like to sneak some in, maybe a teaspoon or so.
- The Dairy: 1/2 cup milk (or use heavy cream)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- Additional: 1 tablespoon butter, for added richness. This is swirled into the curry at the end.
How to Make Chicken Saag - the Recipe Method
First, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add the oil in a large pan heat to medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, or until they soften.
Add the chopped chicken and cook, stirring a bit, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is lightly browned and cooks mostly through.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the spinach leaves a handful at a time and cook it down, stirring as you go. Cook for 5 minutes. The spinach will break down considerably.
Stir in the seasonings and the milk. Stir to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Bring the curry to a quick boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the yogurt until it is fully incorporated. This gives you a creamier chicken curry and lightens up the meal a bit.
Swirl in 1 tablespoon butter for added richness.
Garnish and serve!
Boom! Done! Chicken saag in the house! I hope you enjoy it. This is a chicken curry like no other. Or spinach curry!
Serving Indian Chicken Saag Curry
I like to serve mine with white rice. Basmati rice is great here. You don't have to season the rice outside of a bit of salt, but coconut rice is a nice addition. I also like to serve mine with torn naan or pita bread to sop up all of that wonderful creamy curry sauce. It's so good! Such a great recipe.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken saag in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. To enjoy it again, you can warm it in a small pot or pan on the stovetop.
You can also freeze it in vacuum sealed containers for 3 months or longer.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Greens. Most recipes call for fresh spinach with chicken saag, but you can realistically use any types of edible greens with this recipe. The greens are what define this dish. I have made it with spinach, dandelion greens, collard greens and kale. Use your favorite greens, or a combination of. You will need to use a bit more liquid and simmer longer if you use more fibrous greens, so plan accordingly. Spinach cooks up very quickly.
- The Chicken. I usually use boneless chicken thighs for this dish, though chopped chicken breast is great, too. Or use a combination. You can make this with bone-in chicken, though if keeping the skins on, sear them first to brown them up, then up your simmer time to allow the chicken to cook through. You may need to add more liquid to the curry.
- Other Proteins. The name of this dish is "chicken saag", but it's great with other proteins, too. Try it out with chopped pork, lamb, beef or seafood.
- Go Vegetarian. Skip the chicken entirely for a vegetarian chicken saag. Toss in some chickpeas as a filler. Try it with tofu. You can also easily skip the milk and use vegetable stock instead. Delicious! Same great curry flavor.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Indian chicken saag recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Serve it up with my spicy chilli pickle recipe for extra spiciness!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Chicken Saag Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs chopped, or use chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 1 serrano pepper chopped (optional, for more heat)
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped
- 1 pound spinach chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup milk or use heavy cream
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, or until they soften.
- Add the chopped chicken and cook, stirring a bit, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken cooks mostly through.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the spinach a handful at a time and cook it down, stirring as you go. Cook for 5 minutes. The spinach will break down considerably.
- Stir in the seasonings and the milk. Stir to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Bring the curry to a quick boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the yogurt until it is fully incorporated.
- Swirl in 1 tablespoon butter for added richness.
- Garnish and serve! I like to serve mine with rice and some pita bread to sop up the creamy curry sauce.
Nutrition Information
Sam says
Delicious. I used the curried rice recipe with the chicken saag. And had roti on the side. Perfect spicy level. Thanks.
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you enjoyed them, Sam! I appreciate your comments!
Nita K says
This was really good but very similar to a dish I make where I just use sour cream (light) instead of milk or cream and the yogurt.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds great, Nita!
Paul says
This was delicious! I used hot Kashmiri chili so didn't need the additional heat from the jalapeno (though I used them the second time for comparison). Pureed the spinach so my kids didn't see green leafy vegetables - they loved it! Highly recommended!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Paul!
bill savage says
hi Mike , just made and eaten your chicken saag. my wife loved it .although she still said it was a bit hot.I used chopped jalapeños out of a jar because we cant get the fresh ones in UK yet.best saag I have ever had,thank you .
Mike Hultquist says
Thank so much, Bill. Very happy you and your wife enjoyed it! I appreciate it!
Belinda says
delicious, pureed some of the spinach and it released a lot of flavor. thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Great!! Glad you enjoyed it, Belinda!
Jamie says
This was fabulous!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jamie!
Irolag says
loved this recipe!! 5 stars for sure . thank you for sharing!!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks!!
John F Power says
One of the best Saag recipes i've found in 30 years of cooking. I used 2tbs of Korean Taekyung Red Chili powder for my heat, and hit it out of the ball park. I also added 1 extra cup of light cream, as I wanted my Saag to be a bit creamier. In addition, frozen chopped spinach worked just fine. Thanks for the spice mix Mike!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Dang, John. That is some high praise. Super happy you enjoyed it.
Susan Jones says
The recipe was fabulous. I did however put the seasonings in the oil with onions, garlic, pepper and ginger. The
Seasonings need to fry in the oil to extract the oils in the seasonings giving a much more fragrant flavor. If you truly love indian food, double the seasonings.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Thanks, Susan.
gakumonman says
To be honest I was a little wary of this recipe at first because I've never seen a chicken saag recipe where it was was yellow in the pictures, but I like that it called for jalapenos and cayenne. I had a great sweat going eating this version, haha! This is my "go to" recipe for this dish from now on.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Super happy you enjoyed it!
Jazz says
This was really good the night I made it, but it was OUTSTANDING the next day! I didn't have any yogurt, so I used sour cream, and I used whipping cream instead of milk. My husband, who is not a big chicken fan, absolutely raved about the leftovers he took for lunch. Thank you for another winner!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I love it! Thanks so much, Jazz. Glad it was enjoyed!
Traci says
I am so happy to have stumbled upon this recipe. I add golden raisins and sliced almonds for texture. It is simply delicious.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Golden raisins! What a perfect addition, Traci! I love it. Glad you enjoyed it.
Leigh says
Hi Mike.
Just made this tonight using my dad's home grown jalapenos. Shame he won't get to try any as the kids and I polished the lot off!!
Delicious. Thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, oops! Glad you enjoyed it, Leigh. I guess you'll have to make another batch for Dad! =)
Dave the foodie from Parksville, B.C. says
I like that you use individual spices to build your curry flavor base rather than simply a couple tablespoons of a shelf curry mix. Me being a Foodie I have all the ingredients on shelf, which reminds me, I need to use them more often. Thanks for the contribution.
Dave the Foodie, Canadian, eh?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Dave! Yes, it is so much better to build your own flavor profiles with individual seasonings, I believe. I love making my own blends. I appreciate the comments! Thanks!!
Robert Ryan says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. We are vegan and greatly appreciate it when you make suggestions for vegetarians. I used Tofu for the protein and homemade plain soy milk in place of the milk in the recipe. Delicious! 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, Robert! Super happy you enjoyed it! I enjoy it with tofu as well. Thanks!