This Coconut Chicken Curry features warm, rich spices and is perfect for a weeknight dinner!
If there is one thing I love to do, it is sample international cuisine. Testing out new flavors and cooking techniques is the best way I know to explore new cultures. But after a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is prepare and cook an elaborate meal.
Fortunately, this coconut chicken curry recipe is the perfect antidote to a busy workday. Easy to prepare and ready in only 40 minutes, this curry dish is a tasty option for a weeknight meal.
Bursting with spices like curry, cumin, and turmeric, this recipe brings Indian-inspired cuisine right to your kitchen. For an international dining experience in the comfort of your own home, give this coconut chicken curry a try!
Is This Coconut Chicken Curry Healthy?
This coconut chicken curry dish is a good source of protein and of minerals like potassium. It also contains plenty of fresh and nutritious ingredients like red peppers, onions, and tomatoes. For low-carb diets, you can opt to use cauliflower rice as a substitute for standard rice. To reduce the fat content of this curry, you can also replace the full-fat coconut milk with a low-fat version. If you’re looking to reduce your sodium intake, be sure to select crushed tomatoes with no added salt while shopping for this dish.
How Do You Milk A Coconut?
I have always found the term coconut milk a bit misleading. Obviously, you cannot milk a coconut. But if you’ve ever found yourself curious about how coconut milk is made, you’ve come to the right place. To make coconut milk, you first have to remove and shred the coconut pulp—that’s the white, fleshy part of the coconut. After the coconut pulp is shredded, it’s mixed with hot water until you get your final product. You can actually make your own coconut milk at home if you have a blender handy. However you get it, coconut milk is a creamy concoction with a wide range of uses. You can use coconut milk in stews, smoothies, pasta dishes, marinades, and—of course—curries.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
If you happen to have any leftover coconut chicken curry, place your leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. You can also store your leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Curry freezes and thaws very well, so it is a fabulous meal to store for those busy days!
Serving Suggestions
If you choose to add rice to your curry, there are a number of different options that would pair well with this dish. You could try Indian Rice, Jasmine Rice, or even this Purple Rice for a colorful addition. For another side dish option, this Naan Recipe or this Yogurt Flatbread would make tasty add-ons. Potato dishes and chickpeas are also popular sides for curry recipes. Consider trying these Air-Fryer Fingerling Potatoes, Air-Fryer Chickpeas, or Roasted Chickpeas with your coconut chicken curry.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 4 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (14 ounces)
- 1/2 cup cilantro minced
- 2 cup cauliflower rice or rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large, high-sided frying pan on medium-high heat. Add in the chicken thighs and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until seared and golden brown, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining oil and turn the heat to medium. Add the red pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, and garam masala and cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the cilantro and cauliflower rice, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks, then stir it back into the curry along with the cilantro.
- Serve with rice of choice.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
I didn’t have peppers so I made it with broccoli instead. I would have loved the red color, for looks, but I don’t think a different vegetable changes the taste. I cut the chicken to cubes before cooking them to reduce browning time. Overall it’s very easy recipe and It came out delicious!
I also LOVE broccoli in my curries! Glad it came out delicious 🙂
How many Calories per serving is this meal?
This recipe doesn’t specify the number of servings, so to get you a semi-accurate number, I’ll have to make some assumptions.
If we assume this recipe serves 4 people with the main ingredients, then add a few more calories for the other elements of the recipe, such as the red pepper, onion, crushed tomatoes, and the spices, we land at around 2,400 calories for the entire dish or 600 calories per serving, excluding rice or cauliflower rice. Please note that these are rough estimations and will vary depending on portion sizes, the accuracy of ingredient measurements, and specific products used in your dish.
I made this for about 15 people and they loved it! Great recipe- totally forgot to add cilantro, and still tasted good!!
That’s GREAT to read Becca, I am so glad you all liked it!
Me again…. I made this recipe last night. I tweaked a few things and it turned out amazing. I used skin on, bone in chicken thighs which I browned on both sides and then set them aside. I used a shallot instead of an onion and I also added some medium diced sweet potato which I softened in the microwave before adding them to the onion and garlic. Once that was all translucent I used a small amount of potato water to deglaze the pan. I added the browned chicken back to the pan once all ingredients were in and I let it cook through. I served it on some wilted spinach. It was fantastic!
That SO great to read! Thanks Meadow
Hey 🙂 This looks amazing!!! Do you have the macros by chance?
Hey – it is all at the bottom of thpage in the nutrition info.
What is the yellow curry powder brand you use? Can we substitute with anything else?Thanks for this recipe. Looking for a healthy indian chicken curry and this might hit the spot.
You can substitute yellow curry powder with a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, and dried mustard. Enjoy!
What can I substitute the tomato for or can I omit the diced tomato? I react to canned tomato.
You can use pumpkin puree or roasted red pepper puree for a different flavor. You can also increase the coconut milk and spices if skipping the tomato. Enjoy!
You said this could be made in a crockpot. How do I do that?
Hi Candace, you can sear the chicken and sauté the veggies as instructed, then transfer everything to a crockpot, cook on low for 4-6 hours. Don’t forget to add the cilantro before serving.
Very tasty, 4 year old said it was the tastiest he’d ever had.
Took a lot of thickening so might add some rice flour to thicken next time.
Bit confused why it’s classed as “American” cuisine though.
So glad we got his stamp of approval! Thanks for trying our recipe.
This was delicious! Everyone devoured it. I made my own garam masala. Next time, I will add carrots and potatoes.
Amazing! Glad that you enjoyed. Thanks for reading.