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 You’ll Need
- Chicken – Skinless, boneless and cubed up into bite sized pieces.
- Olive oil – 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 – Just a bit of curry powder today, that’s all you need for this delicious dish!
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Onion – Chopped up and ready to be sautéed till perfectly translucent.
- Tomatoes – 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 – Just 1 can is all we need for a perfectly creamy, coconut-y curry.
- Sugar – 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 – Low sodium so as to control the sodium content of our curry!
- Seasoning – 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
- Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Skillet Chicken Satay
- Chicken Korma
- Thai Inspired Green Curry Tofu
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Coconut Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 14 ounce coconut milk 1 can
- 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes 1 can
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon 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.
This was easy to make. Added yellow, red and green peppers to make it colorful. This was not a spicy version which is I love very much.
Yummy recipe. I’ve made it 3-4 times. I followed the recipe exactly except I added ¼ tsp of crushed chili and a few cups of broccoli or mushrooms in the last 5 minutes.
Super tasty! Sauce is a little thin but the flavour is great
Would using small portobello mushrooms work instead of the chicken?
Thanks
Yes, you can use them, great for a vegetarian version.
Chicken was tender, but the sauce was very bland. The recipe needs twice as much seasoning, at least.
So good! I have made dozens of chicken coconut curries for the family, never making the same one twice…until now! I added half slices of sweet potato, zucchini and a can of chick peas to the recipe and it was fantastic! I am pinning this one as the family favorite from here forward. I am low carb so used half the sugar and I think I could even reduce it further and it would still be amazing.
Thank you for this recipe! I make it often, it’s the best curry I have tasted. To thicken, I just add 1 tsp of cornflour into a cup with a few drops of water, stir and add to pot near end of cooking….YUM!
My pleasure, glad you like it!
Love this recipe! Have made a few times now, and it’s a hit with the whole fam. I add hot pepper flakes and cayenne to spice it up a bit. It is thin, but served over rice it’s perfect.
This is SO GOOD. Like, heal your soul good.
This was delicious!!! I will make this again and again – its my new favorite meal!
This is the FIRST time I cook a meal & NOTHING is left over. So delicious. 2 thumbs up from myself, my husband & twin girls aged 5.
This looks so delish!! Is it doable with chicken thighs in the oven?
Yeah, you can use chicken thighs.
I added a few tweaks to spice this up . 1/4 tsp of Garam Masala, additional 1/2 tsp of salt and additional 1tbsp of tomato paste. I also simmered it uncovered for 45 mins or so to thicken a bit.
Make this curry often – full of flavour. Sometimes I add 1 cubed potato before simmering for 20-30 minutes. So good. Thankyou 🥰
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
Fabulous so easy and yummy. Love the tomatoe taste