Chicken Curry
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Whip up a one-skillet chicken curry, brimming with vibrant peas and rich flavors, all in just 30 minutes—a weeknight winner!
If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for new recipes to spice up weeknight family dinners. Well, I’ve got just the dish for you to try: chicken curry in a hurry. Start with thinly sliced chicken breasts, give them a quick sauté, then as they simmer in a rich curry sauce, toss in some frozen peas for a pop of color and wholesome goodness. The best part? This one-skillet dish is ready in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you have to hit the kitchen running.
Keep in mind, the flavor and spice profile of the finished dish will vary depending on the brand of curry powder you select. I use McCormick curry powder, which is readily available in most supermarkets and produces a mild, kid-friendly curry. Opt for your preferred curry powder and pair the dish with fluffy basmati rice or naan for a meal that’s sure to become a weeknight family favorite.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Curry
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: A lean protein option that absorbs the curry flavors well.
- Curry Powder: A complex blend of spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander, and others that gives the curry its distinctive warm, aromatic flavor.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger: This trio adds depth and forms the foundational flavor of the curry.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the savory base of the curry sauce.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce.
- Frozen Peas: Add color, texture, and sweetness to the dish, offering a nice contrast to the savory and spicy elements of the curry.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and a slight tang to the curry sauce, balancing the spices and enriching the texture.
- Cilantro: Brings a fresh flavor that complements the rich and spicy notes of the curry beautifully.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by cutting the chicken into 1/4-inch slices. The best way is to cut each breast in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal. Don’t make yourself crazy over it, but try to make each piece about the same size; this ensures that they cook evenly. Next, season the chicken with salt, pepper and curry powder.
Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet, then briefly sauté the chicken until it is lightly browned but still pink in spots.
Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the ginger, garlic, and more curry powder and sauté until fragrant.
Add the chicken stock and cornstarch to the vegetables.
Cook until the sauce is thickened, then add the chicken back to the pan, along with the frozen peas and simmer until the chicken is just cooked.
Add the Greek yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro.
Stir until combined.
Serve with basmati rice and/or naan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curry powder is a blend of various spices, and each brand has a unique combination with different flavor profiles and levels of heat. For a family-friendly option that’s not too spicy, McCormick is a reliable choice readily available in many supermarkets.
While nonfat yogurt can technically be used, a yogurt with at least 2% fat content is preferable as it adds richness and depth to the sauce. If you’re ever in a pinch and out of yogurt, sour cream can be a great substitute, ensuring the curry maintains its creamy texture and taste.
Absolutely! Just ensure any additional vegetables are pre-cooked before they’re added with the peas. If you’re substantially increasing the veggies, consider also increasing the sauce by about 25% to keep the dish balanced.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Curry
Whip up a one-skillet chicken curry, brimming with vibrant peas and rich flavors, all in just 30 minutes—a weeknight winner!
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder, divided
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (see note)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- ¼ cup plain low fat (2%) or whole Greek yogurt (do not use nonfat)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken evenly with ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon curry powder.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but still pink in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the skillet and set heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and remaining 1½ teaspoons curry powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute more.
- Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together to dissolve the cornstarch, then add to the skillet along with the sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peas and partially cooked chicken to the skillet, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cilantro; then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with basmati rice.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 361
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Sodium: 830mg
- Cholesterol: 93mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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What’s with no nonfat greek yogurt?? All I have in the fridge, will it ruin the dish?? Thanks!! Excited to try this tonight!
Hi Jocelyn, I think it will probably be fine. I’ve just never tried it with nonfat so that’s why I specify the other kinds. Hope that helps.
Thanks Jenn!! I’m really excited to try the recipe! I’ve been dying to find a good chicken curry!! I’ll let you know how it comes out with the nonfat! 🙂
My fav chicken dish!! great recipe!
Delicious!!
Looks great. Can’t wait to try it.
I can’t wait to try this
Looks great. might leave out the peas.
Terrific, delicious recipe!
I just bought the ingredients for this recipe! Can’t wait to eat it!!
Love curry, this looks great
Love Curry… and this is a delicious simple recipe…. i will be making it again…thank you
Wonderful! Fast and delicious.
Delicious! Was very popular with my husband and me. Now to try it our on guests:)
i just discovered your website last week and have already made three recipes. we had everything on hand to make this dish, it was really good, even the first day when my husband forgot to stir in the yogurt! we had it for leftovers the next day and it was even better with the yogurt and having sat in the sauce overnight. we used a sweet curry, i think next time i will try it with a spicy curry. i think this will become a weeknight go to recipe!
This recipe inspired me to break out all of my curry spices and make a big steaming pot for the hubby. Thinking I had chicken breast in the freezer I made my plan for dinner only to find out I did not. Ever the pioneer I looked around a few other recipes online and found chicken MEATBALLS were common curry! Who knew? So I came back to this one with my ground chicken in hand. I did add some carrots and ginger since I had them on hand but this turned out great and Hubbs took it for lunch for three days with no complaints! It was really easy, but like you I have my favorite ‘go to’ simple curry jar. Patak’s concentrated curry sauce with coriander and cumin. I add it to stuffed peppers and make a plate sauce of yougurt and this paste thinning as nec with chicken broth. Thanks again for the inspiration. How about some Vietnamese or Korean????
Delicious! I added some potatoes and cauliflower because I had it in my fridge. I really enjoyed it with the greek yogurt as I had normally made curry with coconut milk
The recipe looks delicious. I am eager to give it a whirl! Thanks for posting!
My Mom always made chicken curry when we were kids – and now I can too !! I will serve this with traditional accompaniments, mango chutney, flaked coconut and currants ( or raisins)
I love a new curry recipe – this looks great!
Am always looking for a new curry recipe. also, and feel this one would be great – even if you use leftover cooked chicken and add it at the time you add the peas
This looks so tasty. By the way, that is the biggest hunk of ginger I have ever seen. I can’t wait to try this!
No exotic ingredients; great !
Our family has recently developed a taste for curry dishes 🙂 This is a wonderful addition to our recipe file. It’s a great weeknight meal too! Thanx for sharing all your great recipes!
I make my own version of chicken curry, butbwillmhave to give this one a try. Looks wondful.
We made this for dinner the same night you posted and we devoured it – delicious! Thanks so much for sharing:)
I can’t wait to try this. It looks delicious!
Thank you for the step by step instructions and pictures! Can’t wait to make it!
This is so much faster and easier than my traditional Indian recipe!
Never been a huge fan of Curry, but love Indian and Thai food, soooo, I decided to give this simple recipe a try. My husband and I loved it!!! Thank you for giving me back a flavor I’ve neglected for years. I’m a convert : )
I love Indian food but when making it at home it never really seems the same. Wow! I thought this recipe was terrific and really easy. It is definitely a keeper. My crew loved it and I will be making it again. Thanks.
Ez recipe that is quick to fix at night. Will certainly cook again.
This looks great. I am having guests this weekend who are curry lovers and can’t have gluten. This dish will be perfect to serve.
Thanks for the clear, illustrated instructions!
Sandra
I have searched & tried to configure this taste for so long! I had a true “ah ha” moment as I added a can of coconut milk & Thai red curry chili paste to give it a kick! WOW! Did it turn out amazing!
Thanks for the inspiration! :). Monica
I made this Sunday night and have been eating the leftovers all week. I didn’t have full fat greek yogurt so I used sour cream. even without cilantro and ginger, the recipe came out delicious! I will definitely make again. So yummy!
This recipe is awesome- very easy and looks and tastes like you spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Plus, the ingredients needed are ones I usually have on hand!
I am making this for friends this weekend. It looks perfect!
I made this recipe over the weekend and loved it. It was easy to make, and my husband and I enjoyed it very much. (This was the first time I made an Indian dish.) The only thing I would recommend is to chop and prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking. This will save you time and clean up. Will definitely make again. Delicious.
I’m always looking for a new curry recipe to try. Thanks for sharing this!
This is great. I had most of the ingredients on hand as well. Will make again for sure!
Made this the other night for my hubby and I. We used sour cream instead of yogurt (not in the fridge at the time) and Parsley rather than cilantro
Absolutely fantastic! This will become a family fave and regular recipe on the monthly list.
Thanks so much, this was delish!
OMG!!! Never tried curry in my life but this sounded pretty good. Wow what a taste treat! Thank you for this addition to my meager repertoire of menus.
Thank you. I love Indian food and was anxiously awaiting for a “jenn indian recipe.” Can’t wait to try.
I know this is a silly question, but, I like the other ingredients in this recipe but I don’t have curry powder is there another spice I could use instead?
Sherri, The only other spice I can think of that would work is Garam Masala, which is similar to curry.
I love your recipes! I hate the share button attached to the site! It has frozen my computer twice when I accidently brush across it. Needs to be in a different place on the page
Miki, So sorry about that…I am working on it. Thanks for the feedback.
Here in Florida, we get vegetables from our CSA from November – April. These last 2 months we have had kale, spinach, carrots, lettuces, beets and so many more cool weather crops. Would you mind if I shared some of your recipes with other of our CSA members? We always share recipes and creative ways we use the wonderful vegetables we get. Several of your salads are delicious ways to use the vegetables. Your carrot salad post today on Serious Eats looks great and tomorrow’s CSA pick up has more carrots. Can’t wait to try it. By the way, your Asparagus and Peas with Honey recipe is fabulous – I ate what was left over for my lunch – cold.
Hi Jane, Of course, please feel free to share my recipes with your CSA.
My family does not care for Greek yogurt, so I don’t keep it around. Okay to omit?
Hi Lisa, You’ll need something to thicken the sauce. Sour cream would work well as a substitute.
I would like to know if this could be used for fish curry? A lady from India gave me some one time & I can’t find a recipe for it. I didn’t think I would like it but it was pretty good. Thank you for any help you could give.
Roberta
Hi Roberta, Unfortunately this recipe won’t work well with fish because fish is just too delicate to stir-fry.
I always want to make chicken curry with potatoes…how would I add the potatoes to this yummy recipe? Cook them first then add? Would i have to increase the broth/liquid to account for the potato? Sorry to mess with your recipe, I can never find a chicken curry recipe with potato though!
Hi Erin, Yes cook the potatoes first, then add them along with the peas. You might also cut the peas back to 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
Yes, this helps so much. Thank you! How much potato would you use? I was thinking 1/2 lb, just a few small potatoes.
That should work fine, Erin. The only issue is that the potatoes will absorb a lot of the sauce, so just add little by little until the ratio of meat and vegetables to sauce looks good to you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Same here! I had an exchange student visit my home when I was in high school. She made the most amazing chicken curry I have ever had. It seemed so basic but so flavorful. Can’t wait to give this one a try!
This looks great!!
This was a delish quick meal. I used hot curry powder and added some more sweet curry powder. The chicken was very tender. Will definitely make again.
Oooh. This looks really good. A definite cure for the mid-winter cooking blahs. Thanks, Jenn!
Fine if you have all the other ingredients like the yogurt, fresh cilantro and ginger at hand… It’s not in everyones cupboard/pantry… and I love cooking from scratch…
But I usually have a jar of Tikka Masala, Rogan Josh sauces etc at hand… Pour and simmer…LoL
I find the bottled and packaged Indian products to be too salty. You can control the salt and the spices with this recipe.