Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

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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!!

overhead view of green chicken curry in a large skillet

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.

overhead view of skillet full of thai green curry

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
skillet of thai green curry with spoon resting on the side

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: 

  1. Sauté the onion over medium-high heat in a large skillet until softened.
  2. Add the diced chicken to the skillet and cook until done.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, and coriander and cook until fragrant.
  4. Add the coconut milk, carrots, zucchini, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and reduce the heat.
  5. 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!

https://www.averiecooks.com/green-thai-chicken-coconut-curry/

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.

Thai Green 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!!

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. 

Thai Green 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!!

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.

Thai Green 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!!

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4.57 from 286 votes

Green Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

By Averie Sunshine
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!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
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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 ½ 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
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • ¼ to ⅓ 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 511kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 1196mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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 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!

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!!

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!!

Yellow Chicken Coconut Curry (Chicken Korma) in pot with spoon

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!

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!

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!!

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.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    All your curry recipes look amazing. Made green Thai coconut chicken one yesterday. So delicious! Definitely will make again! Thank you!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make this yesterday and will be making it again!

  2. 5 stars
    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.

  3. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved it! I bet the chickpeas and the spinach were both great additions!

  4. 5 stars
    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.

  5. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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 :)

  6. 5 stars
    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!

  7. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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!

  8. 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!

    1. 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.