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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First time making this and it was delicious! I substituted fresh green beans for the peas. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hey ! So this was my first attempt to curry and it came out delicious ! I think that this recipe serves as a base for your likings.
My notes ..
– don’t use too much ginger
– i used coconut milk instead of yogurt
– added carrots and potatoes and let it simmer
– I added some turmeric and more curry power
Delicious ! I’m going to keep making this my own.
How should I make this dairy free and still have a rich and flavorful sauce? I’m sure I could use a nut milk (unsweetened? amount?) and how about thickeners? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (especially if they are tried and true).
Hi MK, you could use a non-dairy yogurt; that would give you a similar consistency. Nut milk will also work and, if you want the finished dish to be a little thicker, just simmer it for a little longer. Hope you enjoy!
The standard indian way is to first throw into the pan finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger. When that starts changing colour, add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until the oil separates from the tomatoes and you’ve got a thick paste like mixture (adding a tablespoon of water at a time to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, with fresh tomatoes, their own natural juices usually dry up before they’ve reached your desired consistency). At this point you add your curry powder and then uncooked chicken. Cook until the juice that comes out of the chicken evaporates and the oil separates and then add about a cup of water and cook semi covered on a medium low flame till chicken is fork tender and your curry is of the desired consistency. Add more water, a little at a time if you’d like more gravy. Salt and pepper to taste.
This is a delicious and simple recipe as is, but I couldn’t help myself. I added more vegetables (carrots, beans and broccoli) and coconut milk (for texture and flavour) and turmeric for colour. Next time I think I’ll omit the cornflour and sugar.
This is by far the easiest and delicious curry chicken to make. I personally prefer boneless chicken thighs cut in thin strips and instead of cornstarch I used cubed baby potatoes as the thickener. Yummy! !!
And instead of yogurt or sugar I used about 1 tbsp of sweetened coconut flakes and also some dried chili peppers 2 crushed pods of cardamom and half stick of cinnamon. I love this basic recipe because you can adjust to your liking. Love it thank you.
An unfortunate example of how we have no desire to experience tastes outside of the typical ordinary flavors of the standard American diet. Let’s go to McDonald’s for a quality tasting burger while we’re at it. Honestly, bland yellow, off-the-shelf curry powder? Perhaps I am not the intended audience for this recipe or this site.
Or just maybe, Chris, you’re a self-important, egomaniacal pompous ass.
AGREED!!
Chris,
I agree you are not the intended recipe for this or any other recipe on this site. How arrogant and rude. Obviously, you are in the minority here. Not a place for snarky comments.
This was soooo good! Even the four year olds liked it…Thank YOU
This was the most delicious curry I’ve had in a long time. I love how the flavors blended together and especially the addition of fresh grated ginger.
Why not non-fat yogurt? That happens to be all I have in the fridge and I want to know if it’s going to ruin my curry if I use it. Speedy response would be appreciated… It’s on the stove now. Lol.
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Doreen, It will work; the dish just won’t be as rich. Hope you enjoy it!
Great recipe! I’m just curious. Why do you go through the extra step of removing the cooked chicken from the pan in order to cook the onions, garlic etc… and then put back the chicken in the pan?
Hi David, Glad you enjoyed it. I remove the chicken so it doesn’t overcook.