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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Highly recommend Averie’s curry recipe. My teenager devoured it. So hearty and healthy. I did NOT use optional sugar. Try it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that your teenager devoured it!
The Recipe sounds great. My husband and I are on a low calorie diet and I was so excited to see at the beginning of your blog, you say computer generated calories were 141 which is fantastic! Then at the end of the recipe you show that the dis is 474 calories! Quite the difference. Which calorie count is correct?
I switched nutritional data providers. I would go with what’s at the bottom of the card. A meal for less than 500 calories is still low cal IMO.
Stats are provided as a courtesy only. Always consult a professional if you think you should.
This recipe is alright, but there’s far too much room for improvement to call it good.
The chicken should be browned first to create a fond, then the onions, then deglaze before reducing.
Chicken thighs and full fat coconut milk will produce a superior dish.
I’ve never heard of wilted leaves in Thai curry, and I question whether it belongs.
Hi Averie,
This recipe was fantastic. It’s one of the best curries I’ve made at home. I added a teaspoon of curry powder in addition to the other spices and red curry paste you mentioned. I served it with Jasmine rice and Naan. Naan is the socially acceptable solution to licking your plate because it’s so good. I’m saving the recipe because I will most definitely be making this one again.
Hi Averie,
This recipe was fantastic. It’s one of the best curries I’ve made at home. I added a teaspoon of curry powder in addition to the other spices and red curry paste you mentioned. I served it with Jasmine rice and Naan. Naan is the socially acceptable solution to licking your plate because it’s so good. I’m saving the recipe because I will most definitely be making this one again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it’s one of the best curries you’ve made at home and that you’ll most definitely be making it again!
Love it! Made it tonight and my husband ate two big bowls. Added a tbsp of fish sauce and a couple Thai chilies and served with basmati rice. Will definitely be making this again!
Love it! Made it tonight and my husband ate two big bowls. Added a tbsp of fish sauce and a couple Thai chilies and served with basmati rice. Will definitely be making this again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you loved it and that you’ll make it again and hubby ate two big bowls!
No curdle coconut milk: add 1 teaspoon of corn starch to the can of coconut milk. Mix well and continue mixing when you add it to the pot
No curdle coconut milk: add 1 teaspoon of corn starch to the can of coconut milk. Mix well and continue mixing when you add it to the pot
Thanks for the tips!
Delicious!! So tasty and quite easy to make. I added roasted sweet potatoes which really blended well with the flavours. My husband, who is not a curry fan, absolutely loved this!! Will definitely make this again ! Thanks!
Delicious!! So tasty and quite easy to make. I added roasted sweet potatoes which really blended well with the flavours. My husband, who is not a curry fan, absolutely loved this!! Will definitely make this again ! Thanks!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that you both loved it – even he who doesn’t normally like curries!
This recipe is a sweet potato based curry which you may enjoy too. Very similar to the chicken one but vegetarian.
https://www.averiecooks.com/sweet-potato-chickpea-coconut-curry.html
So so yummy! I actually first made this recipe a few years ago when I did a quick google search for red chicken curry. I was craving curry again yesterday and this recipe popped up once again. I knew it was the same one I’d made a few years ago, and sure enough it was as good as I remembered! I made no modifications and it turned out perfect. Highly recommend this recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you made this a couple years ago and that you remembered it and Google was kind enough to show it to you again! Glad you didn’t even need to modify it and it has turned out perfectly for you!
Holy moly…. Slamming recipe. I used premium beef steak tips instead of chicken and I added a habanero pepper diced with the carrots and coconut milk. Really really good stuff, I couldn’t believe it ! So highly recommend !!!
Holy moly…. Slamming recipe. I used premium beef steak tips instead of chicken and I added a habanero pepper diced with the carrots and coconut milk. Really really good stuff, I couldn’t believe it ! So highly recommend !!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad this turned out amazing and that beef tips worked great. I am all about some habanero too and that sounds like a great addition!
Just made this recipe and it was delicious!! I’ve been searching for a good Thai recipe dish to make. Pretty much followed to the T (minus the optional sugar part). May add some bell peppers next time. Made jasmine rice to go with the curry. Definitely making this again soon as I have some left over Thai red curry paste. Thank you so much!
Just made this recipe and it was delicious!! I’ve been searching for a good Thai recipe dish to make. Pretty much followed to the T (minus the optional sugar part). May add some bell peppers next time. Made jasmine rice to go with the curry. Definitely making this again soon as I have some left over Thai red curry paste. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was delicious and that you are definitely making it again!
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.