This coconut curry chicken recipe has delicious chicken thighs braised in a flavorful sauce made with curry spices, Thai curry paste and coconut milk. It's an easy, spicy weeknight dinner any night of the week.
Easy Coconut Curry Chicken
I could eat Coconut Curry Chicken any night of the week. As a chilihead, it's one of those recipes that delivers in the spice department. Lots of wonderful spices adds up to LOTS of wonderful flavor.
It's super easy to make, and everything is done in one pan or pot. It's so layered with flavor, you'll think it's comfort food when, really, it's pretty healthy.
Perfect for my Low Carb friends, and fits into many diet types - Paleo, Gluten Free, Keto friendly.
Curries are inherently spicy, but they're not always "hot". Sure, there are some curries that bring a lot of heat, like a good Vindaloo, but more often curries bring only a mild level of heat. Very often none.
I've used Thai red curry paste along with yellow curry powder for this recipe. As with any such curry powders and pastes, the heat and spiciness can vary from product to product.
Feel free to adjust to your own preferences.
This particular coconut chicken curry has a little bit of heat, though you can easily adjust it up or down to your own personal preferences.
Let's talk about how to make coconut curry chicken, my friends.
Coconut Curry Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken. I'm using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Oil. 1 tablespoon olive oil - coconut oil is a good addition here.
- Vegetables. I use 1 medium onion, 2 jalapeno peppers and 3 garlic cloves. You can use milder peppers for a milder version of the recipe.
- Seasonings. Use 1 tablespoon red curry paste (I used Thai curry paste), 2 tablespoons curry powder (I used yellow curry powder), and 1 tablespoon garam masala.
- Coconut Milk. Use 14 ounce can coconut milk.
- Chicken Broth. 1 cup chicken broth (or water) to thin the sauce and allow for simmering.
- Lemongrass. 1 stalk lemongrass, or more to your personal tastes.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes, rice or rice noodles
How to Make Coconut Curry Chicken - the Recipe Method
Onions, Peppers, and Garlic. First, heat a large pan or pot to medium high heat. Add the olive oil.
Next, add the onion and peppers and cook them down for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring. The peppers, onions and garlic add a great flavor base.
Cook the Chicken. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to nicely brown the chicken.
You don't have to cook the chicken all the way through at this point, as it will cook through when you simmer it in the coconut curry sauce, developing lots of flavor.
Curry Paste and Spices. Add the curry paste, curry powder and garam masala. Stir and cook another minute.
Add the Liquids. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth or water and lemongrass. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover.
Simmer the Curry. Simmer for 10 minutes in the curry sauce, or until the chicken is cooked through. You can simmer longer if you'd like to develop more flavor.
Serve over rice or noodles, topped with fresh chopped parsley and spicy red pepper flakes. Discard the lemongrass stalk.
BOOM! DONE! Easy enough, right?
If the final curry sauce is too thin for you, work in a bit of corn starch to thicken it up. Just mix a tablespoon or so with a bit of water, swirl it in, then simmer until it thickens up.
A super quick and easy meal for sure. Winner-winner chicken dinner. Definitely one of the family favorites.
Pretty much the best curry recipe out there. At least I think so! Such a great recipe.
Recipe Notes and Variations
Bone-In Chicken Thighs. If you'd prefer to use bone-in chicken thighs for your coconut chicken curry, first season then sear the chicken in a hot pan to achieve a crispy skin.
Remove them and set aside. Proceed with the recipe, then tuck the bone-in thighs into the curry sauce and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Other Proteins. This is a great coconut curry chicken dish, but you can make it with other proteins. Try it with pork or beef. It's also great with chicken breast.
Extra Vegetables. You can always round out the dish by tossing in extra vegetables, like broccoli, sliced bell peppers, asparagus, potatoes, snow peas, or any of your favorites.
Pretty much whatever you're in the mood for. Just let them simmer in the wonderful curry sauce.
How to Serve Coconut Curry Chicken
Serve your coconut curry chicken on its own for the healthiest and lowest calorie option. I like to serve mine either over white rice, brown rice, or over cauliflower rice, which I've really been enjoying lately.
Cauliflower rice is an easy-to-make, healthy, low calorie way to enjoy many meals. I love the stuff!
Vegetarian or Vegan Coconut Curry Options
If you'd prefer to go vegetarian, make chickpeas the star instead of chicken. I love a good Chickpea Curry.
Potatoes are good, as well as sweet potatoes. I love a good sweet potato curry.
If you're feeding a hungry crowd, feel free to include any of these ingredients in addition to the chicken.
Flavor Additions
I sometimes include a few splashes of soy sauce or fish sauce to my curry recipes for a bit of saltiness and umami. Give it a try and see how you like it. Fresh ginger is a nice addition.
I also enjoy squeezing a bit of fresh lime juice over the top for a nice citrus pop.
Also, if you're seeking a touch of sweetness to the recipe, try a bit of brown sugar.
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my recipe! I absolutely loved this recipe.
Some common questions I've discovered that might help you make this recipe the best one for you.
Is Coconut Milk the Same as Coconut Cream?
No, they are not the same, though you can use either of them for this recipe. Coconut milk is more like regular cow's milk in consistency, and is called for in this recipe. Coconut cream is much thicker and higher in calories.
If you'd like to use coconut cream, I suggest adding some water or chicken stock to thin it out.
Should I Use Coconut Oil or Olive Oil?
Either olive oil or coconut oil will work for this recipe. The coconut oil will give the final dish more of that "coconut" flavor.
If you're concerned about health issues, it is known that olive oil has more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the "good fats"), than virgin coconut oil, as well as less saturated fat.
However, virgin coconut oil studies show that it contains healthy antioxidants and can reduce bad cholesterol.
Can Curry Be Made Without Coconut Milk?
Absolutely. There are many curry recipes that do not include coconut milk. Try out my Chicken Vindaloo recipe, which uses no coconut milk at all.
If calories are the real concern, use a low-calorie light coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk. Or skip it and use chicken broth instead, like the vindaloo recipe.
Try Some of My Other Popular Curry Dishes
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Spicy Beef Vindaloo
- Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
- Thai Shrimp Curry
- Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
- Chicken Korma
- Butter Chicken
- Red Curry
- Phaal Curry (the Hottest Curry in the World)
- Thai Panang Curry
- Pad Thai Recipe
- Jamaican Curry Chicken
- See all of my Curry Recipes
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. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken thighs chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder I used yellow curry powder - use 2 tablespoons for extra spicy
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped parsley, spicy chili flakes, rice or rice noodles (if desired)
Instructions
- Heat a large pan or pot to medium high heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the onion and peppers and cook them down for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring.
- Add the chopped chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Add the curry paste, curry powder and garam masala. Stir and cook another minute.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken broth or water and lemongrass. Season with salt and pepper. Stir. Reduce the heat and cover.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through and the flavor develops. You can simmer longer if you'd like.
- Serve over rice or noodles (if desired, or just serve into bowls), topped with fresh chopped parsley and spicy red pepper flakes. Discard the lemongrass stalk.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/9/22 to include new information. It was originally published on 3/15/19.
Sheila Savell says
Quick, easy, delicious! Used two, unseeded, jalapeños and the heat was perfect. Will make again!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Sheila!
Andy says
Awesome recipe! To be fair I'm not a big fan of coconut milk, but in Mike I Trust and he has totally surprised me with so many of his recipes, like Chicken Korma.
Mike is like following a composer or artist. If you love just one of his dishes then take the plunge and try the rest as the palette is so similar.
Cracking curry this Mike and power to the elbow for the site.
Us English need more curry recipes please? We don't always just eat fish and chips lol!
Andy
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Andy! So eloquently said! You should be a writer, my friend! Very happy you enjoyed it. =)
Jérémie says
I carefuly listened to the video, so I choose to use crispy bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
Great flavors here, man! thanks!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Jérémie. That was how I originally made it, then switched to this, but love it both ways!
Robert says
Hi Mike,
Thanks for this excellent recipe. I would love to make this in one of my slow cookers. Would it suffice to half the "14 ounce can coconut mlk" and "1 cup chicken broth or water"?
P.S. the "mlk" is a typo in the ingredient list. Do whatever you please with my mention.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Robert. Absolutely, you can do that. Let me know how it goes. (Weird, I didn't see the typo.)
J.A says
Looks awesome cant wait to give it a go very soon
Sani says
I made this recipe today for my wife and I and it turned out to be a delicious meal. Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Sani! Glad you enjoyed it!
Shelley says
WOW! I made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! I didn't have Jalapeno's so I threw in a couple of handfuls of frozen tri-color peppers with the onions. Other than that I followed the recipe and got to use some of the lemongrass we grow in our yard. I served it over angel hair pasta drizzled with lime juice. The chicken was very tender and juicy, and the sauce was a calliope of bold flavors. This one is a keeper! Thank you so much.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Shelley. Very happy you enjoyed the recipe!
AB says
Great taste. I’ve cooked a lot of curries over the years, and this is a pretty darned good recipe. However, this cooking method does NOT retain any crispy skin - after 30 minutes cooking in the sauce the chicken skin turns rubbery, albeit very flavorful.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, AB. I'm able to keep the skin pretty crispy by keeping it up above the cooking liquid, but yeah, it can be difficult. I appreciate the comments.
Bianca says
Recipe is so amazing
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Bianca!
Fariel says
I cannot find the recipe for coconut lime rice
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I don't have the recipe for that on this site, Fariel, but all I do is include lime juice and some lime zest and coconut shavings in with my white rice.
Becky says
I love your website. I have tried several of your recipes. I didn't have the Garam Masala so I added as many of the garam masala ingredients as I had. For my ease, I put it in the oven instead of on the top of the stove. It's not done yet but the kitchen smells amazing and I know the chicken will be wonderful. Thanks for all your recipes. Delicious recipes made with a sense of humor. You are a true flavorhound!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Becky! I appreciate it!!
Collette says
Awesome recipe! Just got done making this awesome meal for my family. I will use less pepper next time for my kids sake!
????
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Collette! I appreciate it! Yeah, it can get pretty spicy.
Mary says
This looks fabulous! I'm making it tonight can't wait
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent!!