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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Tried this out last night. Flavourful but I found the sauce didn’t thicken as much as I would have like.
Same here but i really liked the flavor, so ever since i have been browning flour with butter and adding it to the mixture as the chicken finishes. You can add little by ltte until you get the thickness you want. It is now 1 of my favorites
I also like it better without the Cilantro and yogurt
How much flour do I brown with what amount butter pls as substitution for cornstarch. And also do I need to brown flour in separate pan & then mix with butter before adding to chicken or add as needed whilst cooking? Thank you.
As a substitute for the cornstarch, I’d try 2 tablespoons of flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of butter into a roux. Rather than browning it, however, I’d add some of the liquid from the pan or even just hot water to the roux to thin it quite a bit, then mix that slowly into the simmering liquid in the pan, then let it cook and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes.
Overall I enjoyed it but to be perfectly honest, there wasn’t much flavour. It was kind of bland to me. Not only that but when I make beef curry, it’s usually pretty spicy but this one turned out very sweet, even sweeter than expected. (And this was after adding some spicier elements to the meat while it was cooking.)
What would be some suggestions for making it spicier? And I’m also curious, what exactly does the Greek yoghurt do? I added it to the recipe because it said to do so but what does it do flavour wise?
Hi Stacie, Sorry you felt it was bland. You can always add more heat in the form of cayenne pepper or a spicier curry. The yogurt is added to make the sauce creamy, and also adds a subtle tang to balance the sweetness.
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe. Options you could try: substitute the cornstarch with potatoes. Chicken broth is better fresh; add some bones for cooking. Also it’s good to have complementary colors in the food. Peas are awesome. I substitute them with fresh greens beans or coco beans. I add carrots for the color. Other veggies can make this recipe interesting too. Ginger and garlic should be added toward the end to keep the nutrition in these too savory spices. Sesame seeds to sprinkle, greek yogurt and parsley are a good choice at the end.
Hi! I want to make this chicken curry recipe for my husband’s family but they are all allergic to cornstarch. Is there a good substitute?? I’ve run into this issue with other similar recipes. Thanks so much! II wish I had asked sooner, I was hoping to make it tonight!!!
Thanks!!
Hi Pam, You can either leave it out (the sauce won’t be as thick) or use flour. If you use flour, combine 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of softened butter, then stir it in at the end little by little on low heat to thicken to your liking. Combining it with the butter will prevent those pesky lumps 🙂
Tapioca flour is a gluten-free/ cornstarch alternative. I used it in this recipe.
Yum! As good if not better than take out. I added carrots for some color. Needs a lot of salt but otherwise very tasty.
I don’t cook. At all. But I was looking for chicken curry and I found yours. Now I cook. Your chicken curry. Often. 😀 I love it. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe.
Hi Jen, delicious! I made your with 3 1/2 chicken and multiplied all the ingredients by three. It came with wonderful flavor, however ,was soupy. Do you think I should not have put six cups of broth? Thanks, wonderful recipie!!
Hi Kathleen, It’s always a little tricky when you multiply recipes by that much. Yes, next time, try less broth.
Just not something I’d try again.
I am a man and cant cook but suddenly though of taking it up. This will be my first dish, i have the ingredients on my phone and off to the supermarket. 🙂
For some reason this recipe just didn’t taste right to me. I did not taste anything like the curry I have eaten in restaurants before. I was really hoping it would turn out tasting as good as it looked, but unfortunately it did not.
That is because restaurants will not use curry powder, which is not an suthentic ingredient.