Green Thai Curry with Chicken — An EASY, one-skillet green curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than from a Thai restaurant!! It’s healthy comfort food that tastes AMAZING!!
Table of Contents
- Easy Thai Green Curry Recipe
- Ingredients for Green Thai Curry
- How to Make Green Thai Curry
- Love Thai Food?
- Is This Green Curry Spicy?
- What to Serve with Green Chicken Curry
- Can This Green Curry Recipe Be Made Vegetarian?
- Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
- Tips for Making Thai Green Curry
- More Easy Curry Recipes:
- Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Recipe
Easy Thai Green Curry Recipe
This green chicken curry is ready faster than you can call for takeout and tastes just as good – or better – than you’d find in a Thai restaurant. It’s a spinoff of this Thai Chicken Coconut Curry, which has been in the top 5 most popular recipes on my entire website for the past 6+ months. This is just a green version rather than red.
I am a huge Thai curry fan and was craving something with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, and veggies. This easy, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes was absolutely perfect.
There’s chicken along with sweet Vidalia onions, zucchini, and carrots. Everything simmers in creamy coconut milk that’s spiced with garlic, ginger, coriander, and Thai green curry paste before adding lime lime juice and cilantro.
It’s hearty yet healthy comfort food that’s layered with Thai-inspired flavors and is naturally gluten-free.
There’s natural sweetness from the sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, and the coconut milk, the lime juice add the perfect acidic notes to balance the flavors. I love all the textures and flavors in every bite from the tender (but not mushy in the least) zucchini and carrots, the juicy chicken, along with fresh cilantro.
Ingredients for Green Thai Curry
To make this Thai green curry with chicken, you’ll need:
- Coconut oil
- Sweet Vidalia onion
- Chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)
- Cloves garlic
- Ginger
- Ground coriander
- Coconut milk
- Shredded carrots
- Zucchini
- Thai green curry paste
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Lime juice
- Fresh cilantro (bonus if you have kaffir lime leaves or Thai basil leaves as garnishes)
- Sugar
How to Make Green Thai Curry
This recipe for Thai green chicken curry comes together quickly and easily, but tastes like it simmered for hours on the stovetop! It’s one of my favorite authentic Thai green curry recipes!
Here’s how the Thai green curry is made:
- Sauté the onion over medium-high heat in a large skillet until softened.
- Add the diced chicken to the skillet and cook until done.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and coriander and cook until fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk, carrots, zucchini, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and reduce the heat.
- Allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes over medium heat or medium-low before adding the remaining ingredients and serving up a big bowl of it!
Love Thai Food?
If you love Thai food and want to experiment with dishes besides curry, I also recommend making homemade chicken pad Thai yourself!
Is This Green Curry Spicy?
In my opinion, there is very little heat from the Thai green curry paste in this Thai green curry chicken. For this green curry I used the entire (small) jar, 4 ounces of the store-bought paste. I realize this may be too much for some people so start with 1 to 2 tablespoons, and work up from there.
But it’s not spicy and in order to get the robust curry flavor profile I was looking for, I needed the whole jar. Other brands may be more concentrated and robust but I haven’t experimented yet.
If you have made other of my curry recipes which all use Thai red curry paste, the green seems much mellower and less spicy than the red which is why I used the whole jar.
What to Serve with Green Chicken Curry
We enjoy this Thai green chicken curry served over jasmine rice and were thrilled to be devouring and slurping down our curry at home and in the peace of our own kitchen. Basmati rice or naan would be my other serving suggestion.
I also like to serve my green chicken curry with a lime wedge and fresh cilantro for added flavor.
Can This Green Curry Recipe Be Made Vegetarian?
Very easily! Simply omit the chicken and substitute a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained well. Or you can saute extra-firm pressed tofu in place of the chicken.
Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely! In fact, curries are one of the few dishes I actually prefer making in advance because the flavors mingle as the leftovers sit in the fridge.
Tips for Making Thai Green Curry
The great thing about curries, which is totally different in this context than ‘curry powder’ and here I mean of mixture of vegetables and protein in a sauce, is that you can add whatever vegetables or legumes you like.
For example, feel free to add cauliflower, broccoli, snow peas, stewed tomatoes, red bell pepper or any bell peppers, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, (make sure to check out my Sweet Potato and Chickpea Coconut Curry) edamame, frozen peas, fresh spinach, kale, or whatever you have lurking in your produce drawer or freezer.
I think of curries as a stir-fry-meets-soup, and there no rules with what to add to either those in my book. Enjoy all the wonderful flavors and dig in.
I could drink the coconut milk broth or prepare it as a soup – it’s so good and it keeps the chicken so juicy and moist. I used full-fat coconut milk but have used lite in previous curry recipes and it may not be quite as rich, but it’s still great.
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Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
An EASY, one-skillet green curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than from a Thai restaurant!! It's healthy comfort food that tastes AMAZING!!
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil (olive oil may be substituted)
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 to 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- one 14-ounce can coconut milk (use full-fat for a richer/thicker result but lite may be substituted)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 large zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 to 8 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, or to taste (I used the whole jar for this recipe, but prefer bolder flavors)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh cilantro or to taste, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, optional and to taste
- rice (jasmine or basmati) or naan, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done; flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the coconut milk, carrots, zucchini, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly.
- Add the lime juice, cilantro, and stir to combine. Taste and optionally add sugar, additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
Notes
- Curry is best warm and fresh serves over rice or naan but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Adapted from Thai Chicken Coconut Curry.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 511Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1196mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 34g
More Easy Curry Recipes:
My Favorite Curry Recipes!
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors!! Low-cal, low-carb, and HEALTHY but tastes like comfort food!!
Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken — Better-than-takeout yellow curry is EASY and ready in 25 minutes!! Healthy comfort food with the PERFECT amount of heat and lots of textures and flavors in every bite! Impress your friends and family and make this DELICIOUS curry at home!
Coconut Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry – An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than a restaurant!! Juicy chicken and tender sweet potatoes simmer in a lime-scented coconut milk sauce that tastes AMAZING! Healthy comfort food!!
Yellow Chicken Coconut Curry (Chicken Korma) – An EASY Indian recipe you can make at home in 25 minutes that tastes like it’s from a restaurant!! Chicken, cashews, and spices are simmered in coconut milk for the WIN!!
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Coconut Curry – An easy one-skillet curry that’s ready in 30 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors! Healthy comfort food that tastes amazing!
Chickpea and Kale Thai Coconut Curry – An easy one-skillet vegan curry that’s ready in 15 minutes and has amazing Thai-inspired flavors! Low-cal, low-carb, and healthy but tastes like hearty comfort food!
Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Chicken Coconut Curry – An EASY, one-skillet curry that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes BETTER than a restaurant!! The Thai-inspired coconut milk broth makes this healthy comfort food taste AMAZING!!
Originally posted June 12, 2019 and reposted March 18, 2021 and September 15, 2023 with updated text.
Does it make 6 servings? Can you freeze the leftovers? There are just 2 of us :)
It depends how big your appetites are. It makes a decent skillet of food, great for leftovers, and yes you can freeze it, noting the texture of the vegetables upon thawing will be mushier as is the case with all frozen and then thawed vegetables.
We just had the green curry for dinner, and will definitely be adding this recipe to my collection. This is the best green curry recipe I’ve made. I added green and red bell peppers, and will add bamboo shoots next time as someone suggested in the comments. I didn’t add sugar, used the full jar of green curry and used basil instead or cilantro. Thank you for a great meal.
Thanks for the 5 star review and that’s wonderful it’s the the best green curry recipe you’ve made! And sounds like your tweaks turned out perfectly and great it’s in your collection for another time!
Fabulous! The only (tiny) negative thing I’d say is the 5-minute prep time is extremely optimistic. Cutting up the chicken, veggies, and the general “mise en place” is more like 15 minutes. Still the flavor is amazing. The only alteration I made was I added the chicken at the end when simmering and slightly reducing the sauce. The zucchini is an excellent substitute for the traditional Thai eggplant; in fact, I think I prefer it. Can’t wait to see what else you have on here!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was great for you! And you’re right, 5 mins is pretty optimistic for the average home cook. This recipe is a few years older and with current recipes I am more “realistic” on my estimates.
This is great!!! Definitely as good or better than my favorite Thai restaurant. I added bamboo shoots. And used a rotisserie chicken. This will be a new family favorite in the rotation. Thank you!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it’s as good or better than from your favorite Thai restaurant, awesome to hear and that it’ll be in your family faves rotation!
We found this recipe and we tried it tonight! Oh boy we’re so glad. We added green bean and red bell pepper. I didn’t have the green curry paste but had a green curry spice blend. It worked like a charm. I boiled the fresh green beans in chicken broth for 10 min to help soften them. Great great dinner!!! Thank you
I am glad you found the recipe too! Your green curry spice blend and then fresh green beans both sound like they worked great and so glad this was a great dinner!
Me and my girlfriend both agree this is one of the best meals we’ve ever had! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am genuinely glad to hear two people say it was one of the best meals you’ve ever had – thank you!!
Yummy yummy! Made this without chicken and added extra zucchini and it was delicious!Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was delish even without the chicken and with extra zucchini!
I made this tonight, it was delicious!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious!
This was fabulous! Incredible flavors. Made exactly as written above. Will make again! Full fat coconut milk made it rich and luscious. Â Used 4 tbsp. of the green curry paste. Thank u for this great recipe. It was the best meal I had this month.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was the best meal you’ve had all month!
OMG! This is one of my favorite dishes to make since I found this recipe. It’s so good!!Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is one of your favorites and so good for you!
My entire family loved the Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry. It was so easy to prepare and was so delicious! Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try another recipe of yours!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad your whole family loved this! And that it was easy to prepare for you!
I made the curry exactly as the recipe. It turned out excellent. It is my favorite Thai recipe until now. I loved the fresh ginger, garlic and coriander taste. It was also very easy to make and was done very fast. My husband said that the veggies tasted delicious because they were not overcooked. I served it over basmati rice but jasmine rice might have been better. I used 3 tbsp of the green curry paste. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out excellent and is your favorite Thai recipe to date!
This was very tasty! I substituted red curry sauce and next time will try green! I also added a few kaffir lime leaves.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it worked out well with the red curry sauce. I have lots of red curry recipe variations in the Related Recipes too.
This more than satisfied my longing for Thai food amidst the shelter-in-place direction. Â I took the suggestion to add (with the zucchini) inch-long thinly sliced fresh red bell pepper. Â Set a jar of fresh red chili paste on the table for those who like to adjust the heat up. Â I served it over thin Organic edamame noodles. Â Yum.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this hit the spot with your Thai food craving!
This is a too delicious dish! I woke up in the middle of the night and went directly to the leftovers. I did however find it to be a bit sweet which I fixed with some soy sauce and chicken broth. It is amazing!!!
I am glad you were able to enjoy a midnight snack, so to speak, and that it was amazing!
All your curry recipes look amazing. Made green Thai coconut chicken one yesterday. So delicious! Definitely will make again! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make this yesterday and will be making it again!
This was absolutely wonderful! I would not have ever used green curry, but I found your site because as we “shelter in place,” the curry craving hit me, and all I had was green curry .. a small problem I know! But I was delighted to find your recipe, and love the photos, how you explain the difference between green and red curry, and “surprise” us by suggesting the entire jar of green curry. It was excellent. I did have to substitute with vegetables on hand but that what makes a recipe so great – it’s adaptable! I will make it again, and again …and also check out your other recipes.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make use of what you had on hand during this incredibly bizarre time in the world!
Glad that you appreciated my photos, descriptions, and yes, to go ahead and use the whole jar of green curry :) Good job on making due with the veggies you had on hand and you’ll make this again and again. Please keep me posted what other recipes you try!
I added chickpeas and frozen spinach….omg….crazy good!! Loved it so much!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved it! I bet the chickpeas and the spinach were both great additions!
I made this dish last night for dinner and it was delicious. I omitted the sugar and used an entire jar of green curry paste (Thai kitchen brand…it was a 112 g jar so it was perfect for this recipe). As green curry has little to no spice, I will be adding a bit of heat to this dish the next time a make it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will be making it again!
I agree, green curry is much milder (very mild) in comparison to red curry so definitely add more spice next time. I love my curries spicy too :)
Oh so good–and I like the green curry paste too! I spent the weekend with a box of kleenex but this helped and the worst is over. Jon had to help me guage how much curry to use because of my stuffy head but I did end up using almost the whole jar–it is milder than the red for sure!
Thanks for the 5 star review and sorry to hear you were sick but glad you’re on the mend. Yes, I definitely agree, the green curry paste is much milder for me too than the red. Get well soon!
This looks amazing!! Thank you for sharing your creativity!
Thanks and you’re welcome!
I love your curry recipes –they are so easy and flavorful! I’m afraid feel a head cold coming on so I will probably need some bold flavors and a little comfort food overy the next couple of days…..going to have to try this!
I hope you don’t get a cold, I hate getting sick, especially summer colds. It was a little later in the season/summer to post this type of recipe but I had made it awhile ago and almost forgot about it but at least people can use their summer zucchini up in this one :) and it’s good comfort food regardless of the season.