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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.
“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 little tang. Use plain 2% or whole-milk Greek yogurt rather than nonfat. Sour cream also works if that’s what you have.
- 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
Adding Vegetables
Want a few more vegetables in the pan? Cook broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or green beans separately until just tender, then stir them into the curry with the peas. This keeps you from overcooking the chicken while waiting for the vegetables to soften.
Start with a modest amount so there’s still plenty of sauce to go around. For a more vegetable-heavy dish, consider bumping up the sauce by about 25% to keep things nicely coated, or serve extra veggies alongside.
How To Make Chicken Curry
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.
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.
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.
Add the liquid: Whisk the cornstarch into cold or room-temperature chicken broth until dissolved, then pour it into the skillet with the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sauce thickens.
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.
Finish the dish: Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the Greek yogurt and cilantro. Adding the yogurt off the heat helps keep the sauce smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Make-Ahead & Storage
For a head start, slice the chicken and chop the onion, garlic, and ginger earlier in the day. Refrigerate the chicken separately from the aromatics, then cook the curry when you’re ready to eat.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until hot throughout. Avoid a hard boil, which can cause the yogurt to separate, and add a splash of broth or water if the sauce needs loosening.
Video Tutorial
Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1¼ lb 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
- 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.
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 To Serve With Chicken Curry
Serve the curry over basmati rice, with warm naan for scooping up the sauce. If you’d like another vegetable alongside, the curried roasted carrots are a natural fit, and you can get them into the oven before starting the chicken.
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Fast and great
I added Cauliflower
Can this be frozen then reheated?
Unfortunately, Terry, I don’t think this will freeze very well – sorry!
Sauce comes out too watery. Ruined the entire dinner. Needs potatoes or more starch. It was too late to save once I realized this. Terrible recipe.
adding a tablespoon of additional cornstarch would have fixed the issue that you experienced. I used flour instead of cornstarch and milk instead of chicken broth as I had no cornstarch and no chicken broth. sometimes a substation is necessary easier than running off to the store.
Can I use curry paste instead of powder?
Hi Kim, I’d recommend sticking with curry powder; I think it works best in this recipe.
We found this tasted oddly bland for curry until I added some cumin. That seemed to be the missing spice, but I also added a small squeeze of lime to add a sense of freshness, and chopped in a fresh Thai chili pepper because we like our curry hot. I think I’ll try adding a bit of tumeric next time too, to try to dial in the flavor a bit more.
We’re on a post-holiday season Weight Watchers routine right now and unlike some other curries, this recipe makes a flavourful low-point dinner that works well under their plan. I cut the sugar by half, reduced the amount of chicken and added some cauliflower for crunch and red bell pepper strips for color. The recipe as published provided a good base for experimentation.
Made this dish for my kids, and they can be pretty picky eaters. They loved it! I didn’t even have any leftovers for lunch the next day. Didn’t have any fresh ginger, so I used powdered. Still turned out delicious, but I’m sure fresh ginger would have made it better. I’ll make sure to have some on hand next time.
This is a solid recipe. I think it just needs a little something more like coconut milk.
Love all your recipes! Made this last night and came out great. Thank you for adding a new chicken dish to our lineup. I did not use the yogurt but was still delicious
I made this tonight. I added a little cinnamon and a bay leaf and more Greek yogourt than in the recipe and it was delicious! My family loved it!
I made this today. I had to substitute a few things a cream cheese instead of Greek yogurt and bouillon in warm water for chicken broth. I did add a little more cornstarch to thicken. Mine is lighter in color. We loved it though the taste was just wonderful. I didn’t know when to add the sugar and almost didn’t until I saw that it was mentioned below the pics. Thank you for sharing. It was nice to cook something without having to go to store on a snowy day