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 looking to shake up your weeknight dinner routine, this chicken curry is a great place to start. It’s made with thinly sliced chicken breasts that are quickly sautéed, then simmered in a rich, flavorful curry sauce. A handful of frozen peas goes in at the end for a pop of color and a little extra goodness. Best of all, this one-skillet meal comes together in just 30 minutes—perfect for busy nights when you have to hit the kitchen running.
Keep in mind, the flavor and heat level will vary depending on the curry powder you use. I use McCormick, which is easy to find in most supermarkets and makes a mild, kid-friendly curry. Feel free to use your favorite brand—just taste and adjust as needed. Serve the chicken curry with fluffy basmati rice or naan for a weeknight meal everyone will love.
“Delicious. My 5 year old told me ‘Never forget this recipe!’”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Curry
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Lean and quick-cooking, they soak up the curry flavors beautifully and stay tender when cooked properly.
- Curry powder – A blend of spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander, and others that gives the curry its distinctive warm, aromatic flavor.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger – The trio that forms the flavorful base of the dish, adding savory depth, a little sweetness, and a gentle kick.
- Chicken broth and cornstarch – The broth gives the sauce its savory backbone, while the cornstarch thickens it into a smooth, silky curry.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Adds creaminess and a subtle tang that balances the spices and gives the sauce a rich finish. I recommend using yogurt with at least 2% fat—it adds more depth and body to the sauce. If you’re ever out of yogurt, sour cream makes a good substitute.
- Frozen peas – Stirred in at the end, they bring a pop of color and a touch of natural sweetness that rounds everything out.
- Cilantro – A handful on top just before serving adds freshness and a bright herbal note that brings the whole dish to life. Feel free to leave it out or substitute parsley if you’re not a fan.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep and season the chicken. Cut the chicken into ¼-inch slices. The easiest way is to cut each breast in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal. No need to be exact, but try to keep the pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Once sliced, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of curry powder.
Step 2: Sauté the chicken. 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.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft and translucent, then add the ginger, garlic, and more curry powder and sauté until fragrant.
Step 4: Add the liquid. Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the skillet along with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer until the sauce thickens up nicely, about 5 minutes.
Pro tip: Always mix cornstarch with a cold or room temperature liquid—if you add it straight to something hot, it’ll clump.
Step 5: Add the chicken and peas. Return the chicken to the pan along with the frozen peas, and simmer just until the chicken is cooked through.
Pro tip: If you want to add more veggies, feel free—just cook them separately first, then stir them in with the peas. And if you’re adding a lot, consider bumping up the sauce by about 25% to keep things nicely coated.
Step 6: Finish the dish. Add the Greek yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro and stir until combined. Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-in (6-mm) strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder, divided
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, 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-in (30-cm) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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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.