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.
What you’ll need to make chicken curry
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
A: Curry powder is a blend of various spices, and each brand has a unique combination with different flavor profiles. For a family-friendly option that’s not too spicy, McCormick is a reliable choice readily available in many supermarkets.
A: 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.
A: 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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“Fabulous. I loved it and my husband couldn’t stop raving about it…He’s already asking when I’m going to make it again, and we just finished dinner.”
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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made this for dinner tonight, my whole family loved it, immediately put this in my personal cookbook. very easy to make,minimal ingredients, always have all the spices, everything about this recipe is fantastic
Jenn, this chicken curry is excellent as were your chicken verde enchiladas and your chicken tikka. I found you when searching for a butterscotch pecan scone recipe as I spend way too much time visiting The Salamander Market in Middleburg just to purchase a scone. I have bought the butterscotch chips and the whipping cream but have yet to make them. I also now have empanada pastry rounds in our freezer.
Yours was the third recipe for chicken enchiladas I tried. Yours is the keeper.
I am thrilled to finally have absolutely delicious and easy recipes for foods that we in the past enjoyed only when eating at ethnic restaurants.
I have purchased each of your cookbooks and I am receiving your weekly recipes.
I THANK YOU.
MY FAMILY THANKS YOU.
❣️
Jenn, I just made Chicken Curry, following all your tips and suggestions. It is a special dish I intend to make when my family comes to dinner. Flavoring is intense but not terribly spicey. I always gravitate to your emails and recipes as they are so flavorful and your suggestions make it easy to fulfill. Thank you always, Jan Horn
Most curry recipes I’ve seen use full fat coconut milk, not yogurt (or sour cream). Thoughts?
Feel free to use the same amount of coconut milk here if you’d like. Hope you enjoy!
The curry recipe sounds simple & love 1 pan meals. Can U tell me the difference between chicken stock & broth?
Hi Pamela, chicken stock is generally made from chicken bones vs broth coming from chicken meat. You can use them interchangeably. Hope you enjoy the curry if you make it!
My neighbor is lactose intolerant so I used coconut milk instead of yogurt and it was delicious
Simple and delicious recipe,didn’t have Greek Yogurt so we used full fat sour cream and it was fine.Served with the suggested Basmati Rice.What`s great is most of the ingredients we always have on hand making this do able anytime.
Made it tonight and it was amazing. Added more salt and added lime at the end. It was chefs kiss. I kept my chicken thighs whole and it was fine as well.
This is a simple and very flavorful recipe. It is my go to recipe for curry chicken.
Thank you Jen. I made the 30 minute chicken curry this past week end for my family. It was great. Everyone loved it and even my partner who is very picky liked. He thought I was brave since I hadn’t made it before and was serving it to company; I had confidence in Once Upon a Chef!! I’m looking forward to many more recipes from the Chef.
marcia
Delicious. My 5 year old told me to, “never forget this recipe!”
Hi Jen,
I made this recipe for my husband today and he loved it ! He even ate the peas lol. My husband is Egyptian, so all of your Middle Eastern recipes have been a hit for us. I’ve seriously tried like 15 of your recipes (including desserts) and every single one was amazing. Thank you so much for making my cooking skills look great, I honestly feel so much more confident when I cook now because of YOU. Thank you one million times!
Kristi
💗
yummy curry recipe! I used apples instead of peas and it worked out great! A new favorite, thank you.
Great quick and easy curry dish with a lot of flavor. I’ve tried a bunch of quick and easy recipes and this is the best one I’ve tried.
Hi Jenn, We love your Chicken Tikka Masala but, want to try this for something quicker. Can I substitute regular whole milk yogurt for the Greek?
Sure that should be fine. Enjoy!
This is my favorite website for recipes and I feel bad to leave a less-than-stellar review but this chicken curry was just not a hit in our household. Nobody liked the peas in the curry. It took a long time for our chicken to cook through despite the sizes being cut as specified and the texture ended up rubbery… probably a fault of the chicken, not the recipe… but this one was not a keeper for us. Sorry!
Loved by entire family
I prepared all of this in a Slow Cookerr before I left for work, (except the peas and Greek Yogurt). When I got home from work, I added Greek Yogurt, peas, and added some red pepper before serving over rice. As a side I served a spinach salad with cucumbers and green peppers, and with a honey mustard French style dressing.
Thank you for this wonderful resource. We regularly cook your recipes and love the flavors of all of them! This is the one recipe that I’d rate with only 4 stars, simply because the sauce did not thicken, even after I added more cornstarch. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank you!
Hi Tracy, It may just be that you didn’t simmer it for long enough to get the sauce to thicken; next time I’d simmer it a little longer or increase the heat just a bit.
This was good but took me way longer than 30 mins… maybe it was just me.
This is a family favorite! Can it be made ahead and frozen? Thanks!
Glad your family likes it! I wouldn’t recommend freezing it though — sorry!
Hi Jenn. I’m having surgery next week and will be cooking a few things to freeze and have things on hand to make it easier for my husband.
One of your fans wrote(above^^^)that she substituted coconut milk for the yogurt. I know a yogurt-based sauce wouldn’t freeze well, but how about if made with coconut milk? My husband loves curry!
Thank you, in advance, for your time and assistance!
Hi Marcie, while I think that this is not the best candidate for freezing, using coconut milk instead of the yogurt may make it a little more freezer friendly. I do have a whole section of freezable recipes if you want to check out some other options here. Best of luck with the surgery!
Hi Jenn,
I just made this tonight and family loved it! I had two heaping bowls of this. I couldn’t stop talking about how delicious it was. I could have gone for a third but saved it for tomorrow’s lunch. LOL, I made this twice before but tonight it was great as I had the peas and yoghurt! I followed your recipe as is with one addition. During the onions and garlic step, I added very small florets of cauliflower! It was delicious. I’ve made several meals/desserts from your collection and you are one of my go to websites whenever I am looking for a delish recipe!
Grateful for your wonderful recipes, thank you!
💗
So fast and yummy! Thank you!
I wasn’t sure about this recipe but wow, so glad I made it!! Creamy sauce, the peas added a different texture and the chicken was delicious! My wife and all of our guests just loved it!!
I just made this dish. Wonderful and really in 30 minutes. Thank you Jenn.
Politely….you are missing one absolutely essential ingredient. One small apple…diced and sauteed with the onions.
Is it possible to use yellow curry paste instead of curry powder in this recipe?
Marcy, I’d stick with curry powder here. Sorry!
I might have let the sauce reduce too much. (I started with one cup of stock til the onions were tender, almost like a paste. Then added the other cup with the corn starch.) It was rather sweet after I added the sugar. I’ll add one teaspoon next time and go from there.
I also used fresh galangal instead of ginger.
Overall the flavor and consistency was good. Just too sweet for my taste, as there was little acid.
Really tasty! Added some oven roasted cauliflower to make the curry go further, but otherwise made as written! The kids ate it up!
Is there a way to make this dairy free?
Sure, Chaveh, I think you could replace the regular yogurt with a dairy-free version. Hope you enjoy!
Simple and delicious!
This so so good! Also so easy and my kids love it!!
I don’t like curry, but like the simple chicken recipe. Do you have any suggestions.
Hi, maybe you’d like this recipe for cashew chicken. If not, I’d suggest browsing through all my chicken recipes here to see if something strikes your fancy.
I made this recipe exactly as written and it was delicious. So happy to see a healthy and hearty recipe on this site. The low-fat Greek yogurt was a perfect substitution for high fat heavy cream in other recipes.
We really liked this recipe! I was surprised at how delicious it was despite the fact that it used curry powder instead of a long list of spices. This is a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
The whole family liked this recipe a lot (2 adults, 2 teens). I’ve never made curried chicken before, but had leftover basmati rice from a restaurant and thought that a chicken curry would go well with it. Because I only had nonfat, Greek yogurt on hand, I used half the amount of that and used sour cream for the other half. We will make this again. Thanks, Jenn! (My search for chicken curry led me to your website and I am now becoming a subscriber.)