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    Home » Chicken

    Healthy Coconut Curry Chicken

    Published on Sep 8, 2020 · Modified on Sep 8, 2020 by Kathryn - Leave a comment · 25 Comments

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    Using one skillet, this healthy coconut curry chicken is full of earthy and savory flavors best served over a bed of steaming hot jasmine rice. It's a weeknight dinner keeper!

    There's definitely a correlation between the number of crisp, cool mornings and the amount of times I crave chicken curry for dinner. Curry is one of the most comforting meals -- whether it's a traditional Thai chicken curry (which I leave to the experts at Sisters Thai), Indian curry (thanks to Ohm), or this Southerner's hybrid of the two using ingredients I have on hand at any given time.

    aerial picture of hand scooping up curry with a spoon ready to place on white plate with rice.

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    A Thai Coconut Curry Recipe?

    Nope. This is my own version that is a blend of a Thai curry with a more traditionally Indian curry. I'm using both red curry paste and yellow curry powder and am not using all of the traditional ingredients you'd typically find in either of these cuisines.

    I don't know a ton about Thai cooking except from my high school friend's mom (I can still taste her pad see ew), so if you're looking for a more authentic Thai red curry recipe, this isn't going to be it...and I don't want to even pretend this Southern girl can tell you about a traditional Thai meal. From what I've gathered through my research, Thai curries often use a combination of sugar, lemongrass, or fish sauce (none of which are in this version).

    Think of this curry as a Southerner's take on Thai-ish/Indian-ish chicken curry take-out using as many every day ingredients in your pantry as possible.

    Why I Love This Curry

    I have experimented with this recipe for awhile, trying a variety of other's people's curry recipes, and I must say -- I've gotten this recipe to the "in love" status. Here's what I love about this one:

    • Chicken cooks with the rest of the curry, so this meal requires only one skillet.
    • No sugar. So many curry recipes call for brown sugar, and while it certainly does the job at making the dish sweet, it's just really unnecessary. I'll save the sugar for some chocolate almond torte.
    • No special ingredients. Yes, if this was authentic Thai or Indian cuisine, I would need to buy more authentic ingredients like kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, but this is comfort food using what you've got at home.
    close up side view of curry being stirred by red spatula

    Ingredients

    Speaking of no special ingredients, here are the basics of what you need. Not so bad, right?

    • chicken thighs (or breasts)
    • onion
    • garlic
    • fresh ginger
    • yellow curry powder
    • red curry paste
    • coriander
    • red bell pepper
    • coconut milk
    • lime
    • spinach
    aerial view of ingredients: bowl of onions and red peppers, yellow curry, coriander, red curry paste, coconut milk, bowl of chopped chicken, garlic, ginger, limes, olive oil, and spinach

    Tips for Making Chicken Curry

    • Chop in advance. There aren't a ton of ingredients, but there is a decent amount of chopping (garlic, ginger, red peppers, onions). Consider prepping the vegetables the night before so this becomes an even more do-able weeknight dinner.
    • Spice it up. I use Thai Kitchen's red curry paste, which is a mild combination of spices in paste form. If you want to crank up the heat, try adding red pepper flakes, jalapeños, or sriracha.
    • Get full fat coconut milk. Don't use lite coconut milk. The full fat kind allows you to have a silky, rich sauce.
    • Buy full fat coconut milk, which is not the same as coconut cream or cream of coconut. Coconut cream is much thicker and cream of coconut is super sweet and used in piña coladas.
    aerial shot of curry in pan next to white plate with curry and rice. cilantro sprigs all around.

    Choose Your Protein

    While I prefer chicken thighs for this curry recipe because of the moistness of dark meat, shrimp is a close second. Shrimp only need to simmer in the sauce for a couple of minutes until they're cooked through, so make sure you adapt the cook time accordingly.

    You could also use chicken breasts if you prefer all white meat.

    close up picture of white plate with curry on one side and rice on the other with sprig of cilantro

    Wishing you all the warmth of this curry!

    xox,

    kathryn

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    Healthy Coconut Curry Chicken

    Using one skillet, this healthy coconut curry chicken is full of earthy and savory flavors best served over a bed of steaming hot jasmine rice. It's a weeknight dinner keeper!
    4.92 from 34 votes
    Print Pin Rate Share by Text
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
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    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced (from a 1 and ½ inch piece)
    • 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
    • 3 tablespoons red curry paste
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into ½" strips
    • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 can full fat coconut milk don't use lite
    • 1 lime, squeezed
    • 3 cups spinach

    Instructions

    • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until they become translucent and tender. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Add in curry powder, red curry paste, and coriander until vegetables are covered.
    • Add red pepper, chicken, and salt and pepper. Add more olive if pan looks too dry. Cook, stirring often for about 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on both sides, but not cooked through.
    • Pour in the coconut milk and squeeze the lime. Stir until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear and cooked to 165˚ F). The curry sauce should be slightly thickened at this point. Fold in spinach and then remove from heat.
    • Serve curry over jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro or basil if desired. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Storage: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors are even more delicious as the sauce has time to settle! 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!
    aerial shot of coconut curry chicken in black cast iron skillet with red dish towel draped under and cilantro next to pan

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.92 from 34 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jessica

      October 13, 2020 at 10:17 am

      Just found your site via Pinterest. Thank you for sharing.
      Do you think this would freeze well?

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        October 13, 2020 at 11:27 am

        I do think it would freeze really well! I'd put it in a plastic freezer-safe bag, take air out and lay it flat in the freezer!

        Reply
    2. Karishma

      December 22, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love Thai curry and have always been looking for an easy healthy recipe. This recipe is delicious! I add some eggplant, carrots, and zucchini to sneak some more vegetables in.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        December 24, 2020 at 4:08 pm

        Thanks so much for the feedback! I love that you've added these vegetables in! That sounds amazing.

        Reply
    3. MGD

      January 07, 2021 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy and easy curry recipe! Added zucchini and carrots to the veggie mix because I was out of spinach. Looking forward to making it again soon 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        January 08, 2021 at 10:54 am

        I love it! I bet your variations were delicious -- and one of the beauties of a curry. You can add whatever you have on hand that appeals!

        Reply
    4. VC

      March 08, 2022 at 10:33 pm

      So good! I literally didn't change a thing. Very fresh and super easy to make, especially if you have all your veggies pre-cut.

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        March 10, 2022 at 5:25 pm

        Thanks, VC! We love this curry so much -- no matter the season. Thanks for coming back to leave feedback!

        Reply
    5. Toni

      October 16, 2022 at 10:27 am

      Do you have the nutritional info for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        October 26, 2022 at 10:43 pm

        Hi Toni. You remind me I need to look into adding nutritional info to all of my recipes. I hope to have this in the next couple of weeks!

        Reply
        • Lauren

          January 11, 2023 at 7:40 pm

          Can’t wait to try this recipe out! I am also looking for the nutritional information if you have it.

    6. Lee

      July 27, 2023 at 12:50 pm

      Love this curry! As a vegetarian i put quorn chicken style pieces ( meat alternative) and went down an absolute treat!!, I read you can put prawn( shrimp) in it too, it’s a brilliant versatile curry you have come up with it’s brilliant 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        July 31, 2023 at 3:11 pm

        Thanks, Lee! It's so great to use whatever veggies and/or protein you have on hand!

        Reply
    7. Whitney Walker

      August 07, 2023 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      This all looks great! Do you know how many calories are in it per serving? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        August 18, 2023 at 2:01 pm

        Just plugged the ingredients into a nutrition calculator, and it came up with 285 calories per serving! Hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Amanda Werner

      December 11, 2023 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Like a warm hug! Easy and delicious recipe. I made it as is and it was great.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        December 26, 2023 at 5:25 pm

        Thanks, Amanda. Such a great way to describe this dinner! <3

        Reply
    9. Jasmine

      April 02, 2024 at 2:05 am

      5 stars
      I made this 2 nights in a row! Sooo good

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        April 02, 2024 at 6:39 pm

        Yay! Love to hear this, Jasmine! This is one of our family favorites!

        Reply
    10. CMD

      January 03, 2025 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      Subbed chicken for fresh maitake mushrooms, added some green beans and lemongrass paste and a little Momofuku extra spicy chili crunch - outstanding!!!

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        January 06, 2025 at 12:50 pm

        So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for coming back to leave feedback!
        <3,
        Kathryn

        Reply
    11. Roxanne

      January 16, 2025 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      I doubled the recipe thinking we four would have leftovers but we ate almost all of it. So good!

      Extra delicious with sriracha as a finishing sauce because it was a tiny bit on the bland/mild side for me (but I love to be punched in the face with flavour). If you're like me you should add some extra spices but this is perfect for the average person and can easily be made spicier with hot sauce when plated.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        January 18, 2025 at 3:46 pm

        Glad you loved it and you added extra spice, Roxanne!
        ❤️ Kathryn

        Reply
    12. Hailey Larsen

      February 28, 2025 at 9:15 pm

      Can you add all ingredients to a crock pot and do it that way?

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        March 04, 2025 at 8:51 am

        I haven't tried this yet, Hailey, because I don't use my crockpot much but it should work. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kathryn!

    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


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