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A plate of white rice and chicken curry garnished with cilantro, lime wedges, and a dollop of yogurt, served on a round wooden board with a fork.
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Indian Chicken Curry

🍛🥥🌶️ An easy curry with pieces of juicy chicken, peppers, and onions that are simmered together in a creamy coconut milk broth that's rich, fragrant, and so satisfying! This Indian-inspired, one-skillet curry recipe is simple, ready in 30 minutes, and uses easy-to-find ingredients!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: 30-Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: Indian chicken coconut curry, Indian chicken curry, Indian cocnut chicken curry
Servings: 4
Calories: 357cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or substitute with avocado oil or olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion diced small (or more to taste if desired)
  • ½ cup red bell pepper diced small (or more to taste if desired; yellow or orange bell peppers may be substituted)
  • 1 shallot finely minced
  • 1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into 1-inch pieces (boneless chicken thighs may be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus more to taste or as desired
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 2-3 garlic cloves finely minced; or to taste
  • 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger)
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 13.5 ounces canned unsweetened coconut milk (full fat recommended rather than lite; do not use refrigerated coconut milk nor coconut cream)
  • ½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth as needed (or water)
  • ½ lime juiced (or use about 2 tablespoons prepared lime juice)
  • 1-3 teaspoons brown sugar, or as desired optional and to taste (honey may be substituted)
  • Red pepper flakes as desired for heat, to taste (or cayenne pepper)
  • ¼ cup finely minced fresh cilantro or to taste for garnishing

Instructions

  • To a large skillet, add the oil, onions, bell peppers, shallots, and saute over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are beginning to soften; stir frequently.
    A stainless steel pan with chopped onions, shallots, and red bell peppers being sautéed, seen from above on a white wooden surface.
  • Add the chicken, evenly season with salt, pepper, and saute for about 4 -5 minutes; stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking.
    It may not be fully done at this point, that's okay because it simmers in coconut milk for a bit.
    Chunks of cooked chicken breast, diced red bell pepper, and chopped onion in a stainless steel skillet on a white wooden surface.
  • Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute; stir constantly.
  • Ad the tomato paste, curry powder* (see next step), ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables evenly.
    Chunks of chicken, diced red bell pepper, onions, and various spices cook in a stainless steel skillet; a hand pours liquid into the pan.
  • Mixture will be thick and pasty, this is normal and expected; reduce the heat to medium if necessary. Stir continuously for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
    *Curry Powder Tips - Curry powder comes in many colors and spice levels. Some are very mild and some are very spicy. If you're unsure, I'd go with a mild to medium yellow curry powder. Since it's also a blend of various spices, they all have slightly different flavors.
    A stainless steel pan filled with cooked, cubed chicken pieces, sautéed with spices and small tomato chunks, sits on a white wooden surface.
  • Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, add the coconut milk slowly, and stir. If the liquid level is lower than you'd like or things are looking a bit dry, add chicken broth or water, a few tablespoons at a time, to bring up the volume of liquid.
    Tip - For extra fiber, protein, bulk, and to stretch this dish you can add a 14-ounce can of rinsed and drained chickpeas now.
    A stainless steel pan with pieces of cooked marinated chicken simmering in a creamy white sauce, set on a white wooden surface with ginger, garlic, tomato, and cilantro nearby.
  • Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
    Tip - Chicken is fully cooked at 165F. It's not generally something to worry about when working with bite-sized pieces of chicken since they cook through very quickly.
    Stainless steel pan filled with orange curry containing chunks of meat, placed on a white surface with ginger, tomato, garlic, and cilantro nearby.
  • Turn the heat off, add the lime juice, stir, and taste.
    Flavor Tip - I never skip the lime juice because it adds a bright note to the curry I love.
    A bowl of curry with chicken, white rice, cilantro, a dollop of yogurt, and lime slices, served on a wooden plate with naan bread and ginger nearby.
  • If desired, add a bit of brown sugar to balance the acidity.
    Flavor Tips - I always add a bit of brown sugar because between the various spices, the tomato paste, and the lime juice, the dish can read acidity and sharp. A bit of brown sugar really balances it and gives depth of flavor.
    If the curry tastes at all flat or boring, it needs more salt so don't be afraid to add it. I usually add another 1-2 teaspoons at this point so the flavor is balanced.
    If you like a bit of heat and your curry powder wasn't very spicy, red pepper flakes added to taste will boost the heat. And/or a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. I actually use cayenne in most curries because in small amounts it doesn't really add "heat" but adds flavor although be careful 1/8th to 1/4 teaspoon is all you need.
    Plate of chicken curry with white rice, garnished with cilantro and a lemon wedge, and a spoon lifting a portion of the curry.
  • Add the cilantro either on top like a garnish or I like to stir it in to combine, make any final flavor tweaks, and serve with naan, coconut rice, jasmine rice, a dollop of thick plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, or as desired.
    A bowl of white rice and chicken curry garnished with cilantro, lime wedges, and a dollop of yogurt, placed on a wooden board with ingredients around.

Notes

Storage: Curry will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave as desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 357cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 867IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
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