• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
20 minutes
4.59 from 186 votes
94 Comments

Thai Red Chicken Curry

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 1593
by: Joanna Cismaru

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


This Thai Red Chicken Curry is incredibly delicious, so easy to make with bite size chicken pieces, snow peas and simmered in a red curry and coconut milk sauce. Thai cooking in under 30 minutes and all in one pot!

Thai Red Chicken Curry over rice on a plate

My love for Thai food knows no bounds. It’s a love affair that started over 20 years ago and have never looked back since. My biggest challenge has always been to make it myself at home, but I’ve discovered a few years ago that Thai food really isn’t very complicated.

I especially love all coconut curries and with a few ingredients you can have quality Thai restaurant meals right in your home, made by you nonetheless.

Thai Red Chicken Curry Ingredients

There are a few ingredients you’ll need to ensure you get the most flavor out of this curry; coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. I can find them all at my local grocery store, but I’ve provided you with links on the ingredients to get the products on amazon if you cannot find any of these items. I also find the kaffir lime leaves at the farmer’s market.

process shots of making thai red chicken curry

What Are Kaffir Lime Leaves

Kaffir lime leaves are a member of the citrus family and they give off a lime-lemon aroma and flavor. They really are an indispensable part of Thai cooking, as well as Indonesian cooking.

There’s a little Indonesian kiosk at my local farmer’s market and I eat there almost every chance I get. Their food is so nicely fragrant and delicious. One day I asked them what gives off that nice lemony flavor and they told me all about these Kaffir lime leaves. They’re amazing, however, if you cannot find them anywhere just go ahead and skip them in the recipe. The lemongrass stalks also have a citrus flavor and again they are often used in curries.

How to Make Thai Red Chicken Curry

This dish is so great, you literally only need about 20 minutes to make and you will be so happy you made this.

Start by cooking the chicken first with the garlic and ginger first in a large skillet. Once the chicken is cooked, all you have to do is add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Simply simmer for another 10 minutes and you’re ready to eat.

The flavors are out of this world, a creamy sauce which packs some heat from the curry paste, the more curry paste the better, it’s really not that spicy. I used 4 tbsp in this recipe and it flavored the dish nicely giving it just a bit of a spicy kick.

For 20 minutes of total time you cannot beat this dish, delicious Thai flavors, not to mention your house will smell incredible.

Thai Red Chicken Curry in a pot

Looking for More Thai Dishes? Try These:

  • Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • Easy Thai Steak Salad
  • Skinny Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
  • Pad Thai Zoodles
  • Spicy Thai Chicken and Veggie Noodles
  • Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps
  • Pad Thai

Looking for more recipes? Follow on... My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

overhead shot of a bowl of thai red chicken curry with a side of rice

Thai Red Chicken Curry

4.59 from 186 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate
This Thai Red Chicken Curry is incredibly delicious, so easy to make with bite size chicken pieces, snow peas and simmered in a red curry and coconut milk sauce. Thai cooking in under 30 minutes and all in one pot!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root peeled and finely grated
  • 1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless and cut into bite size pieces, about 3
  • 13.5 ounce coconut milk (1 can)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth low sodium
  • 5 ounce snow peas roughly chopped
  • 4 leaves kaffir lime
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 stalks lemongrass bruised *
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or a large wok or skillet until hot. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds over high heat, until it gets aromatic.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
  • Stir in the coconut milk, curry paste, chicken broth, snow peas, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and lemon grass. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove the kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass from the pot. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh cilantro.
  • Serve immediately over cooked rice.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. *To bruise the lemongrass, use a meat mallet or the back of a knife to lightly crush it. This will ensure you get the most flavor into your curry.
  2. You can leave the kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass stalks in the dish, and just push them to the side of your plate when eating, since they are too tough to eat.
  3. You can store remaining kaffir lime leaves in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. You can also freeze them in a sealed ziploc bag or airtight container.
  4. Nutritional information does not include cooked rice.
  5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 362kcal (18%)Carbohydrates: 8.7g (3%)Protein: 24.9g (50%)Fat: 25.8g (40%)Saturated Fat: 16.7g (104%)Cholesterol: 67mg (22%)Sodium: 432mg (19%)Fiber: 2.2g (9%)Sugar: 4.6g (5%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Thai
Keyword:chicken, red curry, thai
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 1593

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

close up shot of an apple coffee cake muffin
Previous Post
Apple Coffee Cake Muffins
a pile of cheddar bay biscuits on a plate
Next Post
Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. G Man says

    March 24, 2021 at 7:55 pm

    5 stars
    The flavors of this recipe are spot on BUT, there are two problems. 3/4 broth and a can of coconut milk are the only liquids so you will get about 2 cups of sauce from this…its delicious and you will definitely want more sauce! I would plan for 1/2 cup of sauce per person. This calls for 4 tbsp of red curry paste which is quite a bit considering the small amount of liquid. So if you make it with say 4 cups of broth then 4 tbsp of curry paste is totally fine. 1 can of coconut milk should be ok but if you want it creamier do 2. Also substitute coconut oil for olive oil. I just now read some comments before posting…too watery???? LOL
    I doubled the chicken broth and thought it should be doubled again! Add more coconut milk if you want it creamy but agree it’s typically more soupy.

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team AMJ says

      March 25, 2021 at 9:25 am

      Yes, the sauce is EVERYTHING to this delicious dish! Thanks for sharing your input with doubling the recipe for this sauce. We can’t have enough of it either 😀

      Reply
  2. CDS says

    January 26, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was EXCELLENT! The only thing I did differently was slice the Kaffir leaves very, very thinly and added well-drained and cubed firm tofu during the last 5 minutes of the simmer.
    ***FYI, for those of you that cannot find Kaffir lime leaves, offer to buy some from your local Thai restaurant. They generally don’t charge for them and can even suggest where to find them.
    Thanks for the outstanding recipe Jo!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      January 26, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      So glad you liked it!! Awesome tip on the Kaffir lime leaves 🙂

      Reply
  3. Peter Green says

    October 27, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    I’ve made this recipe numerous times and have always had excellent feed back, saying how much everyone enjoyed it. To all the ones saying it was too watery, that’s how all thai sauces are, they are more a soup than a sauce. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!

    Reply
  4. Valerie rahr says

    July 23, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    Thank you for this recipe , I have been craving Thai food for month . Could not find kaffir lime leaves ( I live in a small town) so just substituted with lime zest . Turn out very good.
    So fast and easy and SO GOOD

    Reply
  5. Wendy says

    May 21, 2020 at 9:35 pm

    Way too watery, sorry! The chicken broth is too much. Maybe a chicken bouillon would fair better to stay true to texture. I’ll try it next time. It’s not supposed to be watery :/

    Reply
    • Wendy says

      May 21, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      But on a positive note, the flavor is on point! So I do appreciate this recipe for the lemon grass, ginger, garlic, and cilantro!! This recipe thickened would literally be perfection! 🙂

      Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      May 22, 2020 at 9:53 am

      If you’ve been to a Thai restaurant, the curries are quite liquid. If you search it up you’ll see what I mean! Feel free to thicken it up if that’s your preference.

      Reply
  6. Mary Lundquist says

    May 19, 2020 at 11:36 am

    I am obsessed with the red curry chicken at my chinese/thai place, and this recipe sounds amazing so I will try it in the near future. They also include summer squash but the one thing that makes it for me is the pineapple! MMmmmm so good! Adds a nice sweetness to the heat!

    Reply
  7. Steve says

    May 11, 2020 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    This was a great and easy recipe! I’ve tried many and this one will be my go to in the future.

    I used light coconut milk, substituted red bell pepper for peas, used 3 tablespoons of red curry paste. I like a runnier consistency which this recipe offers but I did need to thicken it up just a hair and added 1 tsp (about) of cornstarch. My 11 year old daughter loved it but said it was a little spicy. Next time, I may use 2 tablespoons of of curry paste. I’ve tried many red curry recipes – this one is the keeper!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      May 11, 2020 at 11:42 am

      Light coconut milk is much more watery than regular coconut milk so adding cornstarch is a great idea! We’re so happy you love the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  8. Ruth says

    May 9, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    This curry is so good and it does not take long to put together. Used ginger paste and also lemongrass paste as that is what I had in my fridge. Did not have snow peas so used some red, orange and yellow peppers plus some onion. I used 4 tablespoons of the curry paste and next time will add a shake of red pepper flakes for more heat! Highly recommend this recipe even without the lime leaves which I didn’t have but wIll try to get next time. Excellent!

    Reply
  9. Jordyn says

    April 17, 2020 at 3:23 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing!! I am a…..”throw every vegetable in the bottom drawer in” kind of girl and it always turns out amazing!!! I ALWAYS add potatoes cause I love how they taste in Currys. This is definitely a favourite! Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  10. Henry says

    December 29, 2019 at 7:53 am

    This sounds amazing. Would it work with beef stew meat, do you think?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      December 30, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      Beef stew meat requires low and slow style cooking! Otherwise it comes out very tough. Id try ground beef or cubed up steak instead.

      Reply
  11. Scott says

    November 18, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    LOVED IT!! I cant get lemongrass or Kafir lime leaves so substituted lime and lemon zest. As good or better than Indian restaurants! Simple one pan cooking!

    Reply
    • jo says

      November 18, 2019 at 4:58 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  12. Craig Brasher says

    September 22, 2019 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and chock full of flavor. I made my rice in the Instant Pot along with chicken stock and a good amount (~ 1 tbsp) of red pepper flakes and I also increased the amount of curry paste to 6 tbsps. It was spicy, but not hot. This is now in my arsenal

    Reply
  13. Dan Lewis says

    September 21, 2019 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made the recipe probably 10 times in the past 2 months, it’s absolutely fantastic. Thank you!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
asian green beans in a wok.

Asian

overhead shot of a spoon taking a bite of italian meatball soup

Italian

freshly made pozole rojo in a dutch oven.

Mexican

mititei on a plate with mustard and french fries.

Romanian

a stack of roti wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!