Coconut Curry Chicken

My coconut curry chicken is a warming, Thai-style dish that's easy to prepare, bringing lots of coziness and comfort. Brimming with tender chicken, potatoes, a touch of green curry paste plus a sprinkle of yellow curry powder, this recipe is like a hug in food form, nutritious and delicious!

A warming Thai-style curry

When my hubby and I are craving a meal that's warming and brimming with aromatic ingredients, a fragrant curry dish is what I will often prepare for us.

Curry reminds me of a hug from within, and whether it's my recipe for coconut curry shrimp, my chana masala, my cauliflower curry, or my potato curry with peas, we always feel (and taste!) the love in each spoonful as it invigorates the palate.

When we recently had a hankering for some homemade curry, one similar to the chicken curry my hubby loved to order from a favorite, long-gone Thai restaurant, I did what I always do: I put on my cozy apron, and headed to the kitchen to play!

One of my passions is to recreate dishes we adore ordering out. I love to make them fun and easy to prepare at home, in the comfort of our own kitchen, and this coconut curry chicken fits the bill deliciously.

Made with tender chicken, an array of aromatics, curry paste, curry powder, and rich coconut milk, this recipe is absolutely mouthwatering spooned over rice, or even enjoyed just as it is. It's a wonderfully warming dish, and offers up some much-needed coziness and comfort anytime we need it!

My recipe for coconut curry chicken

While preparing a coconut curry recipe from scratch may seem a little daunting, it's actually very easy and relatively quick to make. With a handful of aromatic ingredients and a few pantry staples, it's surprising just how simple it is!

It's about layering flavors into the pan or pot, and allowing some time for everything to cook and the flavors to meld together.

I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. They keep the chicken juicy, succulent and tender during the simmering process. While you could use skinless, boneless chicken breasts, they tend to become dry and a bit tough during the 35 to 40 minute cooking process. The thighs are a bit richer, and do perfectly well in a curry.

Because we happen to love the heartiness and texture that potatoes provide in a curry like this, I add in a couple of cups' worth of diced russet potatoes. Russets have some natural starchiness. It helps to thicken the coconut sauce naturally, while offering some bite.

For the aromatic ingredients in this recipe, I opt for a touch of both green curry paste and yellow curry powder. They offer a little kick (without being overly spicy), and also aid in marinating the chicken prior to cooking.

Into the pan go diced onion, garlic and freshly-grated ginger as well, to offer more layers of that mouthwatering flavor we love in curry. And, of course, there's the coconut milk to create the velvety sauce, as well as some fish sauce for depth, and a touch of brown sugar for balance.

I like to finish this coconut curry chicken with a squeeze of lime juice to brighten it up, then spoon the it all over rice, or even serve just as is.

Here's a sneak peek at my recipe for coconut curry chicken:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I add a small amount of the green curry paste and the yellow curry powder to the chicken, and allow it to marinate for about 10 minutes.
2. Next, I heat oil in my deep pan or braiser (about 4 quarts) and add in my aromatics, allowing them to soften and release fragrance.
3. Then, I add to the pan the chicken, followed by the potatoes, then pour in the coconut milk, a touch of chicken stock, the fish sauce and the brown sugar, and stir to incorporate.
4. I allow the coconut curry chicken to simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the potatoes tender, and the sauce thickened a bit.
5. To finish the curry, I add a small squeeze of lime juice, then spoon the curry over rice, or enjoy as is, garnished with cilantro, sliced chilis, lime wedges, and even cashews or peanuts, if desired.

Recipe

Coconut Curry Chicken

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This warming coconut curry chicken with potatoes is prepared with a touch of green curry paste, super comforting spooned over rice!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Thai-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition info: 470 calories (per serving, curry only)

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon green curry paste, divided use
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, divided use
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 large, white onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
• 2 ½ cups diced, peeled russet potatoes (about 1 ½ medium potatoes, or 2 small potatoes)
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (full fat)
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Peanuts or cashews, optional garnish
• Lime wedges, optional garnish
• Sliced green or red chilis, optional garnish
• Cooked rice, optional accompaniment

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place the chicken thigh chunks into a bowl, and add in 1 teaspoon of green curry paste, 1 teaspoon's worth of the yellow curry powder, plus a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, and toss together with the chicken to season it. Allow the chicken to marinate for about 10 minutes.
3. Next, place a pot, deep pan, or braiser (roughly 4 quart) over medium-high heat, and add in the coconut oil. Once melted, add in the diced onion plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
4. Then, add in the garlic, grated ginger, as well as the remainder of the green curry paste and the yellow curry powder, and continue to saute for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until garlic and ginger are aromatic.
5. Add the chicken into the pan, stir to coat it in the aromatics, then stir in the diced potatoes, as well.
6. Next, add in the coconut milk, the chicken stock, the fish sauce and the brown sugar, and stir that into the chicken and potatoes just until blended together.
7. Allow the coconut curry chicken to gently simmer, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened (stir occasionally to help the potatoes to release their starches and break down just a little bit).
8. Finish the coconut curry chicken by stirring in the lime juice, then spoon atop rice, if desired, garnished with cilantro, lime, nuts, chilis, etc.

Tips & Tidbits for my coconut curry chicken recipe:

• Skinless, boneless chicken thighs for tender results: While one could certainly use chicken breasts here, I recommend skinless, boneless thighs to keep the dish succulent, flavorful, and juicy. Chicken breast meat will tend to dry out while simmering for this amount of time, but the thighs are richer and more resilient, yielding better flavor and texture.
• Full fat coconut milk: Opt for full fat coconut milk here to allow for some of the innate richness of this dish to come through. Also, take care to choose unsweetened coconut milk, or the recipe will end up sweet!
• Russet potatoes for texture and a bit of thickening power: My hubby and I love potatoes in our curry dishes, so I'm opting for those here in this recipe. Using peeled russet potatoes does the trick nicely, as they are more starchy than red or yellow potatoes. The russets also help to naturally thicken the sauce and make it velvety as they break down just a bit.
• What to serve with this coconut curry chicken: Keeping things simple, with rice, is my favorite way to go. You can make it from scratch or use par-cooked, pre-packaged rice for convenience. But you can also enjoy this curry ladled up and served just on its own. Garnishing with cilantro, sliced green chilis for heat, chopped nuts, and lime wedges is a nice way to go too.

Craving more cozy recipes like this one? Check out my recipe for Coconut Curry Shrimp, Potato Curry with Peas, Cauliflower Curry, Golden Soup, Chana Masala, Coconut Chicken Soup, or even my recipe for Mango Chicken!