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
This savory chicken curry is full of flavor, family-friendly, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder, divided
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, 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-inch 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.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 361
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Sodium: 830mg
- Cholesterol: 93mg
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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Perfect recipe. This can be used as is or you can tweak it to your taste. We used shelled edamame and would have added hot curry for a bit more kick. The family loved it and raved about it.
Hi Jen–so excited to find your website and can’t wait to try so many of these recipes. First up, the Chicken Curry. Here is my question: I have 3 kids and I know that 1.25 lbs. of chicken will not be enough for the 5 of us. Can you help me adjust this recipe for 5 people? Thank you! P.S. Loved your arcticle on Huff Post!
Hi Michelle, Thank you! I think 1.5 pounds should be enough, especially if you serve with rice. Here goes:
Ingredients:
*1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon curry powder, divided
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
* 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
* 2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1-1/4 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
* 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/3 cup plain low fat (2%) or whole Greek yogurt (do not use nonfat)
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch 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.
3. Add the remaining 2 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 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute more.
4. 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. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. 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 and season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Serve with basmati rice.
Hi Jenny
I really want to cook this for my hubby but would like to know how to make a decent mild curry powder to use with this recipe please can you help with this?
Hi Nikki, Here are a few recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-powder-blend-recipe.html or http://allrecipes.com/recipe/46767/mild-curry-powder/
Excellent, I did not have all the ingredients, but I improvise I just added greek yogurt to the chicken, curry, onion, garlic salt.
We ate it with white rice
Delicious
A lot of people commented that they don’t like peas. Try adding corn instead! It adds a little bit to the sweetness of the dish. I highly recommend!
Really yummy! I would add maybe half an onion instead of a whole one, personal preference. And maybe more (hot) curry because I like a more spicy dish. I also added 1/2 a pineapple cut up at the end of step 3, and let them sit a little (a minute or two) in the pan before adding the chicken for step 4
I make something similar with a lot of Indian spices, Thai red curry and coconut milk.
It’s delish.
How are you Jenn? Long time since we met. All being well I’ll have grandchild number 7 sometime next month. 🙂
Just cooked this tonight for the family. Winner all round. Fabulous fresh taste with the ginger coming through. Loved it. Thanks.
I am so gonna make this tonight…I have some chicken breasts sitting in my fridge, was wondering what to do with them. Well, I just found the answer: I don’t even need to go to the shop, I have everything I need!
I am sure gonna try this!
Very easy to prepare and looks yummy…
This is so delicious! This is the 2nd time I made it and this time I used half mild curry powder and half hot curry powder….just the right amount of heat!! Also, do not skip out on the fresh cilantro!! Thanks for the recipe:)