Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

PinSaveJUMP to RECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links.

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 Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

This is an easy Thai chicken curry that’s made in one skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and is naturally gluten-free. According to the computer-generated nutrition stats, there’s only 141 calories and 4 carbs per serving — no rice or naan included.

With cold weather upon us, nothing is better than diving into a bowl of this hearty yet healthy comfort food that’s layered with flavors. I could just drink the coconut milk-based sauce.

The Thai red curry is savory, salty, there’s natural sweetness from the sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, and coconut milk. There’s perfect acid balance from lime juice and a very gentle heat from the Thai red curry paste.

Since sharing this recipe in 2017, I’ve received almost 600 comments and 240+ five-star reviews on it. To say it’s a reader favorite is an understatement! 

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 Ingredients 

To make the easy Thai red curry recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Coconut oil
  • Sweet Vidalia onion
  • Chicken breasts 
  • Garlic
  • Ground or fresh ginger 
  • Ground coriander 
  • Canned coconut milk
  • Shredded carrots
  • Thai red curry paste 
  • Fresh spinach
  • Lime juice
  • Brown sugar
  • Fresh cilantro 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Using Curry Powder vs Curry Paste

Thai red curry paste adds a richer and smoother flavor profile than curry powder (Indian) does, but if all you have is curry powder, go for it knowing that the flavor of Thai versus Indian curry products is vastly different and your dish won’t taste like mine.

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!!

How to Make Thai Red Curry

This is a very easy Thai curry recipe to make! Here’s how the coconut milk curry comes together: 

  1. Add the oil and chopped onion to a large skillet and sauté until softened. 
  2. Add the diced chicken and cook until done, then add the garlic, ginger, and coriander.
  3. Coconut milk, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt, and pepper are stirred in next, and then the mixture should be left to bubble away for about 5 minutes. 
  4. Stir in the spinach, lime juice, and optional brown sugar last.

I like to serve this coconut milk curry with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro to make the flavors pop. 

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!!

Recipe Tips

Curry paste: As with all curry pastes and powders, they vary in intensity and everyone’s preferences for spice and heat vary, so adjust to taste. I used 2 rounded tablespoons and I wouldn’t call it spicy at all but very flavorful. My 10-year-old wasn’t at all phased by it but we like spicy food.

Veggies: If you have extra veggies you want to incorporate such as cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, or edamame, add them when you add the coconut milk and carrots.

Meal Prep: Something I love about this Thai curry recipe is that the flavors deepen as the leftovers sit in the fridge. So feel free to make a big batch of curry before a busy work week to enjoy later on! 

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!!

Storage Instructions

If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this coconut milk curry will last up to five days.

Can You Freeze Red Curry? 

Absolutely! I like to store smaller quantities in freezer bags to reheat at a moment’s notice. Frozen curry will last up to three months. 

Ingredient Substitutions and Shortcuts 

This is a very flexible chicken coconut curry recipe, so feel free to tweak the ingredients list as needed to use up what you have on hand. 

  • Coconut oil: May be substituted with olive oil. 
  • Chicken: Use shredded rotisserie chicken or meal prepped chicken instead to save time. Or, use a can of chickpeas to keep this dish vegetarian. 
  • Veggies: Mix and match the veggies to use up whatever is in your produce drawer. 
  • Ground coriander: Omit if you don’t have it on hand, but note that the curry won’t have quite the same depth of flavor. 
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!!

What to Serve with Thai Chicken Curry 

We like to serve this Thai chicken curry with naan bread, rice (brown, basmati, or white), or quinoa.

There are so many veggies in the curry itself that a vegetable side isn’t really needed, in my opinion. However, curry pairs nicely with steamed veggies or a crisp green salad. 

Pin This Recipe

Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free

4.75 from 1402 votes

Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

By Averie Sunshine
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!!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Save this recipe to your email
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients  

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil may be substituted
  • 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 pound 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 13-ounce can coconut milk, I used lite; full-fat will deliver a richer/thicker result
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or to taste (curry powder may be substituted, to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • about 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional and to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
  • rice, quinoa, 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, 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 spinach, lime juice, and stir to combine. Cook until spinach has wilted and is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and optionally add brown sugar, additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
  • Evenly sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately. Curry is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Storage: Curry is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 474kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 445mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g

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

More Easy Thai Curry Recipes: 

Favorite CHICKEN RECIPES HERE, CURRY RECIPES HERE, and RECIPES USING COCONUT MILK HERE

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!!

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!!

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 Thai Chicken Coconut Curry — 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! 

Yellow Thai Chicken Coconut Curry - 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 Pumpkin Chickpea Coconut Curry — An EASY curry that’s ready in 30 minutes! Tender fresh pumpkin, chickpeas, bell peppers, spinach, and more all bathed in the most aromatic Thai-inspired coconut milk broth! If you love Thai food, skip the restaurant and make this better-than-takeout curry at home!

Thai Pumpkin Chickpea Coconut Curry - An EASY curry that's ready in 30 minutes! Tender fresh pumpkin, chickpeas, bell peppers, spinach, and more all bathed in the most aromatic Thai-inspired coconut milk broth! If you love Thai food, skip the restaurant and make this better-than-takeout curry at home!

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!!

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!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

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.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This Stuff if Addictive! I absolutely love this recipe! I had made it once before when I combined the chicken one with the sweet potato one and I did not like the sweet potatoes in it, yuck! So, this time I made it as written and we just can’t get enough of it! The only change I made was to add a finely diced tomato close to the end , when I added the spinach. This added some freshness and acidity. The fresh ginger and garlic as well as the brown sugar and lime juice really make this dish special! Only thing is that I suppose that the taste of the dish will really vary depending on the red curry paste that you use. I actually couldn’t find anything called ‘red curry paste” at the store, so used Patak’s Tikka Masala paste. Will try others but I will be making this a lot! Easy, quick, yummy!

  2. 5 stars
    This Stuff if Addictive! I absolutely love this recipe! I had made it once before when I combined the chicken one with the sweet potato one and I did not like the sweet potatoes in it, yuck! So, this time I made it as written and we just can’t get enough of it! The only change I made was to add a finely diced tomato close to the end , when I added the spinach. This added some freshness and acidity. The fresh ginger and garlic as well as the brown sugar and lime juice really make this dish special! Only thing is that I suppose that the taste of the dish will really vary depending on the red curry paste that you use. I actually couldn’t find anything called ‘red curry paste” at the store, so used Patak’s Tikka Masala paste. Will try others but I will be making this a lot! Easy, quick, yummy!

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe was wonderful and so easy! Added sweet potatoes with the carrots and it was a huge hit with my family! Will be making again

    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you loved it! I’ve also linked in the blog post to similar curry recipes to this one that use both sweet potatoes and carrots. Glad you will make it again

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe was wonderful and so easy! Added sweet potatoes with the carrots and it was a huge hit with my family! Will be making again

  5. I would like to serve this Christmas Day…how many days can I make it ahead of time and how long will it keep in the fridge? Can it be frozen? If so, for how long?

    1. I would say 3 or so in the fridge. Since this is for a special occasion I would not freeze it and would keep it in the fridge only.

    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you made it again! I love this recipe too – anything with coconut and curry actually, haha!

  6. 5 stars
    Made this the other night and used shrimp instead of chicken….oh my, YUM! It is such an easy dish to make and I usually have most of the ingredients in my kitchen. It’s a new keeper for my meal rotation! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you were able to make it with shrimp and with ingredients you typically keep on hand!

  7. 5 stars
    Made this the other night and used shrimp instead of chicken….oh my, YUM! It is such an easy dish to make and I usually have most of the ingredients in my kitchen. It’s a new keeper for my meal rotation! Thanks for sharing!

  8. 5 stars
    Hi Avery! I discovered you while googling coconut curry recipes. This was the first recipe of yours that I tried and it was AMAZING! (Who knew I was such a fantastic cook). I followed the recipe exactly and I’ve made it twice in two weeks – along with several more of your recipes. Your website has made me love to cook again. Everything has been delicious.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you found my site and that I’ve been helping you want to cook again! Glad to hear everything has been delicious!

  9. 3 stars
    I needed a quick week-night dinner idea and had some ground chicken. I made this recipe and added a little more curry and cooked orzo. We all really liked it

  10. 5 stars
    Hi Avery! I discovered you while googling coconut curry recipes. This was the first recipe of yours that I tried and it was AMAZING! (Who knew I was such a fantastic cook). I followed the recipe exactly and I’ve made it twice in two weeks – along with several more of your recipes. Your website has made me love to cook again. Everything has been delicious.