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!!
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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 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.
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:
- Add the oil and chopped onion to a large skillet and sauté until softened.
- Add the diced chicken and cook until done, then add the garlic, ginger, and coriander.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
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.
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.
Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Thai Curry Recipes:
Favorite CHICKEN RECIPES HERE, CURRY RECIPES HERE, and RECIPES USING COCONUT MILK HERE.
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Amazing flavors! I ended up doing curry powder instead of thai chili since i also fed it to our toddler and the family loved it. Super easy to follow and put together. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Clau, and I’m glad that curry powder worked well for you given your needs and that it turned out amazing!
Love this recipe! Didn’t use spinach but used green beans and it was just amazing!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Karen, and I’m glad you loved this and that it worked great with green beans!
I omitted spinach and added a few ingredients i had on hand. It was outstanding and i can’t wait to make it again!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Randi! I’m glad you were able to mix-and-match the ingredients and that it was outstanding and you’re going to make it again!
My favorite recipe! It has such a nice flavor and it’s easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Nicole, and I’m glad to hear this is your favorite recipe! That’s such an amazing thing for me to hear!
Yummy! Absolutely perfect and tastes just like the restaurant!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Calvina, and I’m glad it tastes just like the restaurant for you!
We love this recipe! We’re about to be without the use of our stove as our kitchen is being rewired and I’m wondering if this recipe could be prepared in a crockpot or instant pot. Thoughts?
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you love the recipe!
I think you could definitely do it in either. Whatever you’re more comfortable with or is easier for you. Obviously one is quicker and one is not as quick. I would just put the chicken along with all of the liquid type ingredients in at first and then towards the end, you can add the spinach. And then seasoned to taste. Good luck with your kitchen project!
So easy and delicious. I added extra red curry and other vegetables.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am so glad it was easy and delish and love that you added extra veggies, too!
Delicious and my picky family loved it. While searching recipes I saw one that had red peppers too so I added it to yours and delish. Thank you
Thanks for the 5 star review, Shannon, and I’m glad this was picky eater approved and loved by your family! Red peppers are a great addition here, too!
Hands down! the best Thai curry recipe. Super easy to make, definitely one pot done. I didn’t follow the measurements I just adjusted the spices accordingly. And my friends were like, “wow! this is great!” So, thank you Averie for this wonderful recipe, I will definitely use your recipes to cook food for my friends and family!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Shannon, and for sharing your photo! Great to hear this is the best curry recipe ever for you and that adjusted the seasonings, to taste, and your friends were impressed!
I hope you continue to use my recipes and come back and leave comments (with a photo if you’d like too) on anything in the future you end up making!
Hey so I dunno if I’m just blind but I can’t find how much of each ingredient is supposed to be added? Am I supposed to just guess it, looks delicious though!
You just need to scroll down to the full recipe card section, not the in-post overview area.
Delicious
Thank you!
This is such a comfort food I’m so glad I found the recipe again, I remember on nights when my mom didn’t have much energy she would make this and it was always a hit. Thank you so much! It is super flavorful but not too spicy and we always added extra spinach and less carrots. Keep it up!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Doryan, and it’s great you found the recipe again and that it’s always a hit!
Wonderful new dish we added to the rotation! I’ve got two teenage boys and need to double the recipe. We used chicken tonight but can’t wait to try it with shrimp, octopus and other proteins. Added red pepper and no sugar and it was a solid hit! Will be making again (and again!).
Thanks for the five star review and I’m so glad to hear this is a new favorite and you’ll be making it again!
I absolutely love this recipe. I use cauliflower, shredded carrots and a handful of tomatoes (any i have on hand). It always turns out delicious and my family devours it.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that you love this curry! And that you toss in extra veggies that you may have on hand, great thinking!
Delicious! I substituted salt for fish sauce and a little soy sauce, spinach for green onions an a small zucchini, and added a little red pepper. That is what I found in my fridge. It worked well! I recommend coconutmilk dishes, most people love it. Thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Doris, and I’m glad to hear this turned out great and you were able to use what you had on hand!
I made this bc I’m dairy free and coconut milk in here is still so tasty. I’ve made coconut curry from a jar before and my husband never eats it so when I made this I assumed he still wouldn’t. I came to the kitchen to clean up and he had eaten the entire rest I had left! The next day for lunch I was really looking forward to leftovers and had none now haha. So I just made it again! It’s that quick to make and the ingredients all can be found at Walmart (I live in the country). It’s so tasty, we can’t get enough of it!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Alex, and I’m glad to hear this is such a winner for you and you can find all the ingredients at Walmart (I always try to create recipes with easy-to-access ingredients no matter where someone lives) and that you both really enjoy this dish!