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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This was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
This was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Delicious and easy to make. I’ll be making this again for sure.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you’ll make it again for sure!
Delicious and easy to make. I’ll be making this again for sure.
Ok, this was amazing!! Now, I did change some things up a bit with what I had on hand and to tailor it to our tastes a bit more.. but I followed the recipe as best as I could and it was sooo yummy! I had about 1 1/2 lbs of chicken and threw extra veggies and more quantity of them then stated in the recipe (put in some zucchini and broccoli and totally forgot the spinach. Also didn’t have onions except for green onions, so threw those in). I ended up putting an extra can of coconut milk in to make up for the extra meat and veggies and it was the perfect amount of sauce! Forgot the lemon juice too, but sprinkled a little on mine right before eating and it did add a nice brightness to the dish. I will add it into the pot next time, along with cilantro (didn’t have any on hand tonight). I went pretty conservative on the curry paste since my husband and son don’t really like spicy food, and added some Ras El Hanout seasoning as well. Served it over jasmine rice. Will definitely be making this again!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was amazing and that you could tweak it based on what you had and your taste preferences!
Ok, this was amazing!! Now, I did change some things up a bit with what I had on hand and to tailor it to our tastes a bit more.. but I followed the recipe as best as I could and it was sooo yummy! I had about 1 1/2 lbs of chicken and threw extra veggies and more quantity of them then stated in the recipe (put in some zucchini and broccoli and totally forgot the spinach. Also didn’t have onions except for green onions, so threw those in). I ended up putting an extra can of coconut milk in to make up for the extra meat and veggies and it was the perfect amount of sauce! Forgot the lemon juice too, but sprinkled a little on mine right before eating and it did add a nice brightness to the dish. I will add it into the pot next time, along with cilantro (didn’t have any on hand tonight). I went pretty conservative on the curry paste since my husband and son don’t really like spicy food, and added some Ras El Hanout seasoning as well. Served it over jasmine rice. Will definitely be making this again!!
I would like to try this, but my family likes to sop up the gravy with naan, will adding some water take away from the flavor??
This is a very saucy recipe, you don’t need to add more water, promise. Make as written and just don’t simmer as long or if you absolutely think it needs it, add an extra half of a 15 oz can of coconut milk.
I make this in a dutch oven and load up the vegetables with Poblano and red bell peppers. The carrots and brown sugar provide a nice sweetness. I like it on the spicy side so I use 3 super sized tablespoons of the Thai chili paste. Hopefully, I can get a bead of forehead perspiration and count dinner as a workout.
The veg prep is the only work and cleanup is quick with just the single dutch oven to clean.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m this is a winner for you and I hear you, one pot makes life and cleanup so much better!!
I make this in a dutch oven and load up the vegetables with Poblano and red bell peppers. The carrots and brown sugar provide a nice sweetness. I like it on the spicy side so I use 3 super sized tablespoons of the Thai chili paste. Hopefully, I can get a bead of forehead perspiration and count dinner as a workout.
The veg prep is the only work and cleanup is quick with just the single dutch oven to clean.
Made it with Masaman red curry paste about 2 1/2 tbs. I added fish sauce, because all south east asian currys should be made with fish sauce (about 2 tbs). I only did 1/2 tbs of brown sugar because I don’t like sweet curry, imo 1/2 tbs is plenty of sweetness without drowning out the other herbs and spices.
Also added bell peppers and snow peas, no spinach.
Was really great! In my opinon the most important things are the curry paste, fish sauce, and lime. I think adding the extra corriander powder was great too,
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you were able to tweak my recipe to your liking and that the final result turned out great for you!
Made it with Masaman red curry paste about 2 1/2 tbs. I added fish sauce, because all south east asian currys should be made with fish sauce (about 2 tbs). I only did 1/2 tbs of brown sugar because I don’t like sweet curry, imo 1/2 tbs is plenty of sweetness without drowning out the other herbs and spices.
Also added bell peppers and snow peas, no spinach.
Was really great! In my opinon the most important things are the curry paste, fish sauce, and lime. I think adding the extra corriander powder was great too,
Sooo good and easy. Made it the first time with curry powder and the second with the red curry paste. Both were delicious but get the curry paste. Quite a bit different. Yummy.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you have tried it with both curry powder and paste and both were yummy!
Sooo good and easy. Made it the first time with curry powder and the second with the red curry paste. Both were delicious but get the curry paste. Quite a bit different. Yummy.
The Thai Chicken Coconut Curry was an absolutely delicious dish! I did use the Thai Red Curry Paste, though only a tablespoon due to family members who prefer dishes with less “heat”, but it did add just the right flavor and just enough heat. Added plenty of freshly grated ginger but no cilantro (not a fan) and substituted a cup of cooked beet greens for the spinach (didn’t have the latter), which was fine. The big surprise in this recipe is the volumes of shredded carrot – I probably put in 2 cups. Rather than grated, I did use the smaller holes of the grater box to shred the carrots. It added healthful bulk and color and I thought it was an excellent addition.
It was hard not to get up and serve myself another helping!! Delicious. I’m excited about enjoying the leftovers.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this recipe was great and you were able to tweak it to your liking!
The Thai Chicken Coconut Curry was an absolutely delicious dish! I did use the Thai Red Curry Paste, though only a tablespoon due to family members who prefer dishes with less “heat”, but it did add just the right flavor and just enough heat. Added plenty of freshly grated ginger but no cilantro (not a fan) and substituted a cup of cooked beet greens for the spinach (didn’t have the latter), which was fine. The big surprise in this recipe is the volumes of shredded carrot – I probably put in 2 cups. Rather than grated, I did use the smaller holes of the grater box to shred the carrots. It added healthful bulk and color and I thought it was an excellent addition.
It was hard not to get up and serve myself another helping!! Delicious. I’m excited about enjoying the leftovers.
I made this for dinner and it was phenomenal! I served it with homemade roti bread. Thank you for providing such a wonderful recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was phenomenal!
Amazing recipe! My fifth time making it. First time I made it I stuck to the recipe and my best friend who detests curry now begs me to make this for him. Tonight I tweaked it to our preferred spice level using extra red curry paste, a little curry powder, 1/3 of a jalapeño and a pinch cayenne. I also try to incorporate as many veggies as possible so I added assorted peppers, broccoli, extra onion and spinach and I shoestring cut the carrots, I have a texture issue with grated carrots. I doubled up on the coconut milk and seasonings to compensate for the extra veggies. Had to leave out the cilantro as the supermarket was out of it. Once again it’s out of this world. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the 5 star review, glad it’s on repeat, and that even a curry hater has now been converted :)
Like you, I always add something to make it a bit spicier and use as many veggies as I have in my produce drawer!