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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What would be the best substitute for the peas? 🙂 Would either carrots or red belle peppers work? Thank you!!
Hi Nicole, Either one is fine; just be sure they are cooked before you add them, like the frozen peas. Enjoy!
I really liked this dish the first time I made it. The second time I added extra curry and some broccoli and I loved it.
It’s not very often I manage to cook something that looks exactly like the picture.
This was really easy to make and tasted absolutely amazing, better than my local takeaway and the best part is it’s healthy!
I’ll be making this on a regular basis, I’ve just finished eating it and I can’t wait for my next meal 😀
I am a lover of curry dishes whether they be Indian, Thai or Jamaican. So I just had to give this recipe a try and let me tell you it did not disappoint! It was scrumptious! I did deviate slightly from the recipe in that I used chicken tenderloins instead of breast, coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, coconut milk in place of yogurt and increased the amount of curry powder to 1 1/2 tsp. sprinkled over the chicken and 2 heaping tsp. when cooking. The curry powder I use is Laxmi Brand extra hot curry powder because it is spicy and that is something my family loves! Other than that I followed the recipe to a T and it was super good and super easy to make!
Thanks Jenn for another terrific recipe!
I must start by saying my family and I absolutely adore this recipe! I wanted to add a coconut aspect to the dish and was wondering what you thought would be better, subbing the chicken broth or the Greek yogurt for coconut milk?
Hi Matt, I think coconut milk would be delicious in place of the Greek yogurt. Please let me know how it turns out.
Thanks so much! I will let you know how it turns out.
your recipe calls for 2 t sugar but you don’t say in the directions when to add it…???
Hi Debbie, See the 4th paragraph in the instructions: Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together to dissolve the cornstarch, then add to the skillet along with the sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
just wondering if you figure this would freeze well?
Hi Candice, Yes, I do think it would freeze well. If possible, I would add the yogurt and cilantro after defrosting.
I made this for my fiancé this past Saturday and it was so delicious, he was so impressed and I was too! I made this with the curry carrots and Basmati rice that you have on your menu and it was so good! I can’t wait to make it again, we love Indian food and it was just like we were eating at masala bites. This is definitely a 5 star meal! Thanks Jenn!
I absolutely loved this recipe. I have a very picky husband who hardly likes anything new I make. I have been super uninspired lately and tried numerous failed recipes from other websites that my family doesn’t like.
But this recipe was soooo goood!! My husband could not stop talking about how good it was. I used chicken tenderloins since they always come out more tender than using regular breast meat and I added an extra tsp of curry just due to personal preference. Otherwise, I followed everything exactly the same.
Can you use chicken thighs instead, or does it have to be chicken breast?
Hi JB, Chicken thighs will work well.