Thai Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors!! Low-cal, low-carb, and HEALTHY but tastes like comfort food!!
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Thai Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
This is an easy Thai chicken curry that’s made in one skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and is naturally gluten-free. According to the computer-generated nutrition stats, there’s only 141 calories and 4 carbs per serving — no rice or naan included.
With cold weather upon us, nothing is better than diving into a bowl of this hearty yet healthy comfort food that’s layered with flavors. I could just drink the coconut milk-based sauce.
The Thai red curry is savory, salty, there’s natural sweetness from the sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, and coconut milk. There’s perfect acid balance from lime juice and a very gentle heat from the Thai red curry paste.
Since sharing this recipe in 2017, I’ve received almost 600 comments and 240+ five-star reviews on it. To say it’s a reader favorite is an understatement!
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Ingredients
To make the easy Thai red curry recipe, you’ll need:
- Coconut oil
- Sweet Vidalia onion
- Chicken breasts
- Garlic
- Ground or fresh ginger
- Ground coriander
- Canned coconut milk
- Shredded carrots
- Thai red curry paste
- Fresh spinach
- Lime juice
- Brown sugar
- Fresh cilantro
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Using Curry Powder vs Curry Paste
Thai red curry paste adds a richer and smoother flavor profile than curry powder (Indian) does, but if all you have is curry powder, go for it knowing that the flavor of Thai versus Indian curry products is vastly different and your dish won’t taste like mine.
How to Make Thai Red Curry
This is a very easy Thai curry recipe to make! Here’s how the coconut milk curry comes together:
- Add the oil and chopped onion to a large skillet and sauté until softened.
- Add the diced chicken and cook until done, then add the garlic, ginger, and coriander.
- Coconut milk, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt, and pepper are stirred in next, and then the mixture should be left to bubble away for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach, lime juice, and optional brown sugar last.
I like to serve this coconut milk curry with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro to make the flavors pop.
Recipe Tips
Curry paste: As with all curry pastes and powders, they vary in intensity and everyone’s preferences for spice and heat vary, so adjust to taste. I used 2 rounded tablespoons and I wouldn’t call it spicy at all but very flavorful. My 10-year-old wasn’t at all phased by it but we like spicy food.
Veggies: If you have extra veggies you want to incorporate such as cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, or edamame, add them when you add the coconut milk and carrots.
Meal Prep: Something I love about this Thai curry recipe is that the flavors deepen as the leftovers sit in the fridge. So feel free to make a big batch of curry before a busy work week to enjoy later on!
Storage Instructions
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this coconut milk curry will last up to five days.
Can You Freeze Red Curry?
Absolutely! I like to store smaller quantities in freezer bags to reheat at a moment’s notice. Frozen curry will last up to three months.
Ingredient Substitutions and Shortcuts
This is a very flexible chicken coconut curry recipe, so feel free to tweak the ingredients list as needed to use up what you have on hand.
- Coconut oil: May be substituted with olive oil.
- Chicken: Use shredded rotisserie chicken or meal prepped chicken instead to save time. Or, use a can of chickpeas to keep this dish vegetarian.
- Veggies: Mix and match the veggies to use up whatever is in your produce drawer.
- Ground coriander: Omit if you don’t have it on hand, but note that the curry won’t have quite the same depth of flavor.
What to Serve with Thai Chicken Curry
We like to serve this Thai chicken curry with naan bread, rice (brown, basmati, or white), or quinoa.
There are so many veggies in the curry itself that a vegetable side isn’t really needed, in my opinion. However, curry pairs nicely with steamed veggies or a crisp green salad.
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Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil may be substituted
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- one 13-ounce can coconut milk, I used lite; full-fat will deliver a richer/thicker result
- 1 to 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or to taste (curry powder may be substituted, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- about 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional and to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
- rice, quinoa, or naan, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done; flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the coconut milk, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly.
- Add the spinach, lime juice, and stir to combine. Cook until spinach has wilted and is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and optionally add brown sugar, additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
- Evenly sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately. Curry is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Thai Curry Recipes:
Favorite CHICKEN RECIPES HERE, CURRY RECIPES HERE, and RECIPES USING COCONUT MILK HERE.
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Made the Thai Chicken Coconut Curry for my girls tonight. Excellent! They are vegan, so I substituted tofu baked in a vegan chicken marinade for the chicken. Absolutely awesome!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was great as vegan tofu dish! Thanks for letting me know it worked great for them like that!
Also this this one, naturally vegan https://www.averiecooks.com/sweet-potato-chickpea-coconut-curry/
Made the Thai Chicken Coconut Curry for my girls tonight. Excellent! They are vegan, so I substituted tofu baked in a vegan chicken marinade for the chicken. Absolutely awesome!
I’ve tried other thai curry recipes but this has definitely trumped them for me. It must be the the fact that there are fewer ingredients/spices and perhaps the lack of fish sauce? Next time I may use less red curry paste to reduce the heat. Anyhoo, the addition of carrot and spinach works well. Thanks Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad my recipes trumped the others you’ve tried! I know not many people keep fish sauce on hand so typically don’t call for it, or oyster sauce, etc. in my Asian/Thai-inspired recipes. Glad you preferred it without it as well as with fewer spices overall than in other recipes.
I’ve tried other thai curry recipes but this has definitely trumped them for me. It must be the the fact that there are fewer ingredients/spices and perhaps the lack of fish sauce? Next time I may use less red curry paste to reduce the heat. Anyhoo, the addition of carrot and spinach works well. Thanks Averie!
Made this recipe with the high end (~3 Tablespoons) measure of the Thai Red Chili Paste, and skipped the optional brown sugar. It had a perfect level of spiciness and was delicious. Served it with rice. If you’re a spinach fan like I am, you could add a little more spinach, but it wasn’t necessary. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I love that it is all in one pan, too. I grated the carrots the day before, which made prep and cleanup pretty quick.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out great and that it’s a keeper for you!
Made this recipe with the high end (~3 Tablespoons) measure of the Thai Red Chili Paste, and skipped the optional brown sugar. It had a perfect level of spiciness and was delicious. Served it with rice. If you’re a spinach fan like I am, you could add a little more spinach, but it wasn’t necessary. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I love that it is all in one pan, too. I grated the carrots the day before, which made prep and cleanup pretty quick.
Amazing! I thought it would be ok or not turn out how I wanted it to taste but it surpassed expectations and my parents loved it. Dad went back to the pot a couple times. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it surpassed your expectations and that your parents loved it too! What a nice thing to cook for them on Valentine’s evening!
Instant favorite!! And so easy to make. Thank you!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was an instant favorite and easy for you to make!
Amazing! I thought it would be ok or not turn out how I wanted it to taste but it surpassed expectations and my parents loved it. Dad went back to the pot a couple times. Thank you!
Instant favorite!! And so easy to make. Thank you!!
Fabulous, easy recipe my family loved. I served it with glass noodles – highly recommend!!!! The brand is Miracle Noodle, Angel hair style, (made from Konjac flour). These noodles are non GMO, gluten-free, grain and soy free, keto, vegan AND zero calories. :-) I recommend one bag per person for very generous servings.
YUM!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad your family loved it and it was fabulous and easy!
Fabulous, easy recipe my family loved. I served it with glass noodles – highly recommend!!!! The brand is Miracle Noodle, Angel hair style, (made from Konjac flour). These noodles are non GMO, gluten-free, grain and soy free, keto, vegan AND zero calories. :-) I recommend one bag per person for very generous servings.
YUM!!
I am not the greatest cook nor do I leave reviews, but this recipe was so good that I just had to come on here! It is such an easy and delicious meal!
Thank you!! For the 5 star review and for being honest about your cooking skills and that you don’t leave reviews, but that this was good enough to come back to leave one, love hearing that. Thank you :)
I am not the greatest cook nor do I leave reviews, but this recipe was so good that I just had to come on here! It is such an easy and delicious meal!
Chicken should have been seasoned first while cooking. I used green beans, broccoli, carrot chips and Bell peppers, also came out good
Great – I used Thai Kitchen red curry if you are looking for a brand. I like ginger so used lots. We enjoyed a lot!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was great! I use the Thai Kitchen brand as well.