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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I just found your recipe and it sounds great. I am about to go to the grocery store to pick up the ginger and cilantro, but I already have lowfat plain Greek yogurt. Why don’t you recommend lowfat Greek yogurt?
Hi Carol, Whole milk Greek yogurt makes a richer sauce, but lowfat will work in a pinch.
This looks amazing! If I wanted to add some cauliflower in addition to the peas, do you think I would need more liquid?
Hi Richele, Yes, you might. I’d probably increase the sauce ingredients by about 25%.
Was looking for a good idea for dinner with little more than some drumsticks (not breasts), yogurt (not Greek), oldish galangal and a little ginger, but with plenty of Madras curry, fresh cilantro, chicken stock, basmati, etc., and looked at Jenn’s technique. Worked just fine! Thanks!
Wow!!! This may be my favorite recipe! I made this tonight and my husband and I both think it’s incredible– and our home smells divine. I wish I could give this 10 stars. I used “muchi curry” powder, which has more of a hot spice kick, but isn’t overpoweringly hot. I also substituted asparagus for the peas. I lightly steamed (undercooked) the asparagus before adding. I was going to ask you if tofu could be used instead of chicken, then I noticed another reviewer had done that. Do you buy the extra firm tofu and cook exactly as you would with the chicken in this recipe?
Hi Jane, Glad you and your husband enjoyed the curry. For the tofu, yes, extra firm is good and cook it just as you would the chicken. Please come back and let me know how it turns out. I have been getting a lot of requests for tofu recipes recently.
Jenn, Made the tofu version tonight and it was out of this world! I fed my husband and my daughter, who prefers vegetarian meals. I was a little insecure about cooking tofu, but read instructions online (got the extra firm, then drained it on paper towels, then pressed with a weight on top, and drained again). I cooked it as for the chicken, and it kept its firmness and had a nice almost crusty texture to the outside of the tofu as I’ve had in some great restaurants. In addition to the peas, I added asparagus and snow peas. Deelish. I don’t know which I prefer, the chicken version or this tofu one, but both are great and it’s nice to know I have a wonderful vegetarian option in my cooking repertoire now. My daughter even asked for the recipe, a great compliment, since she’s an awesome cook. Another exceptional meal that got raves, thanks to you!
I made this last evening with tofu and it was a hit! The kids said it was the best curry I have made 🙂 I wasn’t certain about the cilantro but have to say it adds something extra to the flavor and would add again next time. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thanks Jen for another winner! Absolutely delish and so easy. For those of you who don’t like peas, neither do I, but please try it in this dish. It really does add something and the dish also benefits from some color from the peas. Don’t forget the cilantro either! I like spicy, so I added just a bit of cayenne pepper to suit our palate. If you have a Trader Joe’s, they have naan that is quite good if you don’t have time to make your own.
Thanks for supplying us with so many good (and easy) recipes!
Do you have a recipe for peta (flat bread)? Is naan somewhat like it?
Hi Terry, I have a homemade naan recipe that is wonderful. Here’s the link: https://www.onceuponachef.com/2015/01/homemade-naan.html
Hi
This is neither a review nor a question.
I discovered your site when searching for a recipe for cooking Duck for Christmas. Although I did not find what I was looking for, was very impressed by your site – neat, orderly and calming. I subscribed right away going against my policy of not giving away the E-mail address at random.
Got the first e-mail today, with recipe for Naan Bread and Chicken Curry. Read through most of the reviews especially the chicken curry and thought I should write some praise and some of my suggestions for the ladies who have asked questions on adding yogurt and peas etc.,
For clarity should state that Naan bread is a staple food of North India ( Mumbai, Delhi, etc.,), while Curry and “Masala” are south Indian origin most notably Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhara and Karnataka.
As you know curry has spread all over the world.
As a person who grew up eating curry from early life, would like to throw some suggestions. You are using chicken broth in the recipe. You can use any liquid depending on circumstances and taste. We used water or coconut milk. In north America, we can use sour cream, canned coconut milk/ coconut water etc.,
People have asked about \greek yogurt. If you are allowed to eat high fat food by your doctor there is no harm in it.
Food patterns are changing rapidly in the modern world due to many factors. Coconut products were bad mouthed by the Soy lobby and people got away from it even in countries where that is in plenty. Now coconut oil and products are panacea for all ills.
getting back to my suggestions on curry, you could add cumin powder for taste and health. Can add turmeric powder, which cuts down the bacteria on chicken as it is bactericidal (kills bacteria) and it is scientifically demonstrated, helps our stomach health. It also gives a nice color. Adding peas make the dish looks nice. You can use coriander/cilantro, parsley or Italian parsley to some green color.
Think, I have said to much for first communication!
Wish you well.
Karu
The amount of salt in this recipe is very high. Can it be reduced significantly?
Hi Marcia, Yes, it’s fine to season to taste.
Do you think this could be made with tofu for a vegetarian version?
Hi Jen, Yes, absolutely!