Coconut Chicken Curry
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This Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry is delicious, healthy, made in one pot and best of all ready in only 30 minutes! Forget take-out, this is about to become your new family favorite.
Do you have some ingredients taking up space in your pantry that you just want to use up? I had that the other day with some diced tomatoes and some coconut milk, I knew I could get a scrumptious curry out of it when the time came – and the time came quickly. So here we are, a nice little creamy coconut milk based curry studded with tender chicken and some perfectly intense seasoning.
I love curries because they’re quick, full of flavor, and taste just as good the next day. They’re also very beginner friendly, especially this recipe – it’s as easy as a curry can get!
Never cooked curry?
Well don’t fear – it can be simple, quick, and completely delicious! Originating in India, curry describes a variety of dishes, typically sauces, that contain a variety of exciting and complex spices. My favorite curries by far are coconut milk based because they’re so creamy and delicious.
Ingredients
- Chicken –Â Skinless, boneless and cubed up into bite sized pieces.
- Olive oil –Â We want an oil to saute our sauteables in, I love the flavor from olive oil in a recipe like this but you can always also use something light like canola.
- Spices –Â Just a bit of curry powder today, that’s all you need for this delicious dish!
- Garlic –Â Use as much or little as you like.
- Onion – Chopped up and ready to be sautéed till perfectly translucent.
- Tomatoes –Â We want a can of diced tomatoes and some tomato paste to get some of that perfect acidic flavor. I used fire roasted tomatoes because I just love, so if you’ve got them, use them.
- Coconut milk –Â Just 1 can is all we need for a perfectly creamy, coconut-y curry.
- Sugar –Â We need a hit of sweetness to combat all the acidic savory flavor we have going on. I just used some granulated white sugar.
- Chicken broth –Â Low sodium so as to control the sodium content of our curry!
- Seasoning –Â Salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Coconut Chicken Curry
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Finish the dish: Add the onion, garlic, curry powder and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes then add the chicken broth, coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir everything together, bring to a boil then cover with a lid. Turn the heat down and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley and serve over rice.
What else can I add to my curry?
Curry is such a perfect blank canvas! You can incorporate so many amazing flavors, textures, and ingredients to achieve whatever it is you want to plate for yourself or your loved ones. So let’s use up some of whatever is taking up valuable space in your pantry.
Veggies
- Peas
- Bell pepper
- Butternut squash
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Chickpeas
- Potato
Meat
- Shrimp
- White fish
- Lamb
- Beef
Instant Pot
Rather than using the stovetop and saucepan method, this curry can be prepared in an instant pot in a matter of minutes. Turn the instant pot to the sauté setting and add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant the other ingredients can be added. Turn the manual setting on high and set the timer for 2 minutes.
Always wait a further 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally before opening. For more information on preparing an instant pot curry, refer to this recipe.
Leftovers
Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 days. If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.
How to serve
- Any kind of rice you like. I like to make some fluffy jasmine rice to spoon this delicious mixture over or coconut rice.
- Naan Bread
- Spoon this curry over french fries for a British classic
- A light, simple salad like this Cucumber Salad
- These Roast Potatoes With Indian Spices
More Must Try Curry Recipes:
- Coconut Shrimp Curry
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Indian Salmon Curry With Saffron Rice
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Skillet Chicken Satay
- Chicken Korma
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Coconut Chicken Curry
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 6
This Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry is delicious, healthy, made in one pot and best of all ready in only 30 minutes! Forget take-out, this is about to become your new family favorite.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 14 oz coconut milk 1 can
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Finish the dish: Add the onion, garlic, curry powder and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes then add the chicken broth, coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir everything together, bring to a boil then cover with a lid. Turn the heat down and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley and serve over rice.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 days.
- If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 396kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 13g (4%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Cholesterol: 97mg (32%)Sodium: 532mg (23%)Potassium: 977mg (28%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 228IU (5%)Vitamin C: 12mg (15%)Calcium: 58mg (6%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Laura Ford says
this was sooo delicious. i had all the ingredients even though i hadn’t been to the grocery store in about 2 weeks. I always keep frozen shrimp on hand.
Steve WILLIAMSON says
Indians never cook a dish with olive oil. It’s always ghee or a neutral oil. Otherwise the dish is good.
Madiha Tahir says
Second time making it, both times I’ve added chopped up bell peppers in there, otherwise stuck to the recipe and oh my god its DIVINE!! I’m often making indian curries and this is now going to become a staple at ours!!! Thank you Jo!
jo says
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
Jane Hofmeyr says
This was a great recipe. Thank you. I had some brinjal I needed to use so chopped that up and added to the onion and garlic in the beginning. Two days later I added sliced courgettes to bulk it up. It tasted even better after two days in the fridge. I didnt add sugar because the canned tomatoes came with sugar.
Melissa Taylor says
So so so delicious!! My family gave rave reviews and I couldn’t stop eating it either!! Thank you so much! I followed the recipe and added some potatoes and chick peas. I think I understand the comment about it being too sweet but my kids liked it so didn’t bother me hahaha! Might just use 1 tbsp next time though, otherwise it was fantastic!
Chelsea parker says
Made this recipe today with chicken and done a separate one with king prawns for my mother in law who is pescatarian. Super tasty and super easy. A quick meal and pretty healthy too! One I will be keeping and have already passed on. Thank you!
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
So glad you liked it!
V. Olson says
Looks good! How would the adjustment go if you used passatta instead of canned tomatoes?
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
It would be very similar! Use your best judgement and taste as you go to make sure you have the right consistency and flavor 🙂
Jenny says
Good flavor but it is too sweet unfortunately. Next time I would do 1 T of sugar.
Jenny says
I just made a comment that the recipe was too sweet but I believe it was because of the cream de coconut I used already had sugar in it. Had I realized that, I would have eliminated the sugar altogether. I added a bunch of cream to it to create more sauce and to tone down the sugar. It’s ok but I know it will be great next time!
Carroll Schwab says
I am in the process of making. Looks good, but 5 minutes prep time? No.
Zara says
Great recipe! Totally unrelated question: love the serving bowl! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while. Where did you get it from?
Jo Cooks Team says
We actually found it on Amazon! They have great dishware.
S. S. says
Absolutely delicious and simple to prepare! I did decrease the chicken broth to 3/4 cup, and drained the tomatoes well (I used fire-roasted). I also thickened the sauce a wee bit using a slurry. Garnished with cilantro. My taste buds are still happy. Thanks for a great recipe! And I’m sure to try some of your others now.
Jo Cooks Team says
Yum that sounds so delicious! We’re glad you loved it 🙂
MG says
I would add salt and decrease the amount of chicken broth. The sauce ends up being quite watery so you are left with more of a soup than a sauce. Also added some bell pepper and cashews.
Lucy Castellon says
I loved the recipe! It’s easy to cook and my daughter loved it.
Emily says
This was SO GOOD and super easy, even on the first try. Now that I know how to do it, I bet I can get it done in 30 minutes! Good curry flavor without being hot/spicy — my 22 month old even enjoyed the sauce and rice! I also look forward to trying it with cauli-rice on my low carb days. I see this becoming a monthly staple in our home.
Jo Cooks Team says
It’s one of our favorite easy dinners! We’re so glad everyone loved it 😊
Emily says
I made this tonight! Fabulous flavor combinations!
Heidi L Clark-Ladd says
Thank you, Jo, for another amazing recipe! Loved it!!!