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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Great recipe, thanks! Easy, quick and delicious. I made it vegetarian with added chickpeas and green peas, and cooked the chicken on the side for the carnivores. Served on basmati rice with coconut, raisins, and sliced almonds + naan bread.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was great, quick, and delish for you!
I saw your post and was very surprised that such posts are also written, considering its content very beautifully and the design is also very simple and very attractive, I was fortunate to see such a post and I was very Glad to see this post and read it.
What country of origin would you say this recipe comes from?
I put Thai in the title, so Thailand, but it’s an Americanized interpretation of what I eat when I go to Thai restaurants in the US. I cannot say if it is “authentic” in Thailand since I have never been to Thailand.
Why do you ask?
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This recipe came out amazing, I added red bell pepper, cauliflower, and pineapple. Then to spice it up added a diced Thai chili.
Makes a great meal prep for the week
This recipe came out amazing, I added red bell pepper, cauliflower, and pineapple. Then to spice it up added a diced Thai chili.
Makes a great meal prep for the week
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that it was amazing and that you added some extra veggies and the pineapple sounds fantastic, too!
Every person I have shared this with has asked me for the recipe. I make it almost every week now.
The brand of Thai red curry paste you get completely changes it. My favorite is Double Golden Fish brand. The inclusion of brown sugar should depend on if your curry paste has sugar as a top ingredient (my favorite ones do so I don’t add more sugar).
It’s also excellent with lightly fried tofu instead of chicken, making it a showstopper vegan dish for your friends with dietary restrictions.
Every person I have shared this with has asked me for the recipe. I make it almost every week now.
The brand of Thai red curry paste you get completely changes it. My favorite is Double Golden Fish brand. The inclusion of brown sugar should depend on if your curry paste has sugar as a top ingredient (my favorite ones do so I don’t add more sugar).
It’s also excellent with lightly fried tofu instead of chicken, making it a showstopper vegan dish for your friends with dietary restrictions.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that everyone asks for the recipe and that you make it nearly weekly! And yes curry paste varies so, so much so it’s nice to experiment to find your personal fave.
This is so good. I love curry. I added yellow and red peppers, and it was amazing. I also had Jasmine rice with it as well. I think next time I may make it with pineapple as a pineapple curry. My husband even loves it, and he never eats curry. Thank you so much for the recipe.
This is so good. I love curry. I added yellow and red peppers, and it was amazing. I also had Jasmine rice with it as well. I think next time I may make it with pineapple as a pineapple curry. My husband even loves it, and he never eats curry. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m so glad that you loved it, and the even your husband never eats curry. Loved it! The pineapple sounds amazing! I’m a huge fan of pineapple in anything!
This was delicious! I did not add the brown sugar, as the carrots gave it plenty of sweetness. I used 2tbs of red curry paste and would use a 3rd one next time. A keeper.
This was delicious! I did not add the brown sugar, as the carrots gave it plenty of sweetness. I used 2tbs of red curry paste and would use a 3rd one next time. A keeper.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that this was delicious and that you didn’t need the brown sugar and yes, I always use that third tablespoon of the curry paste as well just for the extra oomph!
Better than restaurant coconut curry!!
(We used chicken thighs ..)
We made the sauce 1hr before serving time.
Added the spinach, sugar and additional seasoning before serving.
Over rice with a side of naan!
Thank you for this ;)
Better than restaurant coconut curry!!
(We used chicken thighs ..)
We made the sauce 1hr before serving time.
Added the spinach, sugar and additional seasoning before serving.
Over rice with a side of naan!
Thank you for this ;)
Glad it’s better than a restaurant for you and that you have good luck using thighs!
I made this when I started dating my girlfriend and she loved it! I’ve made it a handful of times since because it’s so good! From a guy just trying to please his girl, thank you very much for sharing this dish :)