Coconut Chicken Curry

This creamy, fragrant, and hearty Indian-stye coconut chicken curry recipe features chicken stewed in an Indian-spiced tomato and coconut milk-based sauce. It’s so simple to make and comes together in one pan, to be on your table in just 30 minutes.

Indian food is a beloved cuisine of mine—and my mom’s. That’s why I have a fast and easy chana masala recipe, as well as a recipe for easy chicken tandoori with vegetables, and one of my favorites—butter chicken. The aromatic flavors and fragrant spices make even the quickest dishes taste more complex than they are to make. This chicken curry is a riff on one we order at our favorite Indian restaurant. It features an aromatic, spice-infused, tomato-based sauce that is savory with just the right balance of sweetened coconut milk flavor. Hearty chunks of chicken breast poach directly in the sauce so it stays nice and tender. Many authentic Indian dishes feature whole spices, but I use ground here to simplify and save time in the kitchen. Serve it over basmati rice and with a side of naan, and you’ve got a killer weeknight 30-minute dinner.

What’s in This Coconut Chicken Curry

This coconut chicken curry is teeming with fragrant spices and bright, aromatic flavors, which lend complexity to the dish. The fresher your spices, and higher quality, the better the curry. You might be wondering, where’s the curry powder? Authentic Indian curry dishes aren’t made with curry powder—curry powder is not an Indian ingredient. Rather, curry powder was developed by the British and is not authentically Indian.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this chicken curry:

• Neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed (though you could also use ghee)
• Yellow onion
• Fresh ginger
• Garlic
• Red chili powder (even better if you can find an Indian chili powder, but do not use a spice blend).
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Garam masala
• Turmeric
• Kosher salt
• Bay leaf
• Coconut milk (Use full-fat because it’s creamier)
• Canned pureed tomatoes
• Chicken breasts (you could use thighs if you’d rather)
• Lime (for a pop of acidity)
• Cilantro, for serving

How to Make Chicken Curry

This chicken curry recipe is so simple to make. There’s no marinating or need for a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, and everything cooks in just one skillet!

Here’s how to make this chicken curry:

• Cook the onion. Sauté the onion in some neutral oil or ghee, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Toast the aromatics. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the garlic and ginger don’t burn. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and salt, and stir to coat, cooking for 2 minutes.
• Simmer the sauce then poach the chicken in the sauce. Add the bay leaf, coconut milk, and puréed tomatoes. Add the chicken, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• To serve, add a squeeze of lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and garlic naan on the side.
• *Tip: To bump up the nutrition and get more veggies, add some frozen peas or spinach during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.

What is the Secret to a Good Curry

The secret to a good curry is using quality spices (the fresher the better), and layering flavors. The order in which you add your spices matters, and you want to give them a little toast, to coax out their oils. Onion, ginger, and (sometimes garlic) are typically important ingredients used in curries.

Chicken Curry Recipe FAQs and Substitutions

• Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast? Yes, you can use the two types interchangeably.
• Do you brown the chicken before adding to the sauce? No. The chicken breast chunks poach directly in the sauce keeping them tender to the bite.
• What is garam masala? Garam masala is an Indian blend of spices made up of 8-12 different spices ranging from cinnamon to cumin and more.
• Why do you cook the spices first instead of just adding them to the sauce? Cooking the spices with the onions helps release the oils from the spices, creating a deeper, more aromatic flavored sauce.
• Can I use low-fat coconut milk? I don’t recommend it simply because low-fat will result in a thinner sauce.
• Can I use fresh diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes? Yes, you can but I do recommend blending them a bit so they melt into the coconut milk unless you prefer a more chunky sauce.

What to Serve with Coconut Chicken Curry

• Garlic naan (warm it in your oven)
• Basmati rice or white rice
• Garlic bread
• Mango smoothie (for mango lassi vibes)
• Chana Masala with Spinach

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo, and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.67 from 3 votes

Coconut Chicken Curry

This creamy, fragrant, and hearty Indian-stye coconut chicken curry recipe is so simple to make and comes together in one pan, to be on your table in just 30 minutes.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chicken curry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 477kcal

Ingredients 

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• 1 tablespoon neutral oil , such as grapeseed or avocado oil, or ghee
• 1 cup yellow onion , small diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder , (even better if you can find an Indian chili powder, but do not use a spice blend)
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 15 ounces full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup puréed tomatoes
• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into 1-inch chunks
• ½ lime
• Cilantro , for serving

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Instructions

• Add the oil to a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the garlic and ginger don’t burn. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and salt, and stir to coat, cooking for 2 more minutes. Add the bay leaf, coconut milk, and puréed tomatoes. Add the chicken and simmer for 10-15 minutes. To serve, add a squeeze of lime and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and garlic naan on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 845mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 5mg

More Indian and Indian-Inspired Dishes to Try

• Butter Chicken
• Chana Masala with Spinach
• Curried Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe
• Easy Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables
• Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

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