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This easy Panang curry recipe combines tender chicken and vegetables in a rich coconut curry sauce with peanuts and a touch of lime.
Panang curry is a Thai curry known for its slightly sweet, nutty flavor and relatively mild heat. Compared with many other Thai curries, the sauce is thicker, making it especially good spooned over jasmine rice. My Panang curry recipe captures those signature flavors in a version that’s easy to make at home.
Traditional recipes often call for Panang curry paste and ingredients such as makrut lime leaves, which can be hard to find at a regular supermarket. My version takes a shortcut with readily available Thai red curry paste and builds on it with a few pantry staples. It comes together in about 40 minutes and uses ingredients you can find at most well-stocked supermarkets.
“So much flavour for so little effort. Your recipes never disappoint, but this one is a real winner.”
What You’ll Need To Make Panang Curry
- Bell Pepper, Scallions & Garlic: The bell pepper adds sweetness and texture, while scallions and garlic add savory flavor. Red, orange, or yellow bell pepper all work well.
- Coconut Milk: Use unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and consistency. Brands vary in consistency, and some may separate as the curry cooks—that’s perfectly fine and won’t affect the flavor. I usually use Thai Kitchen because it tends to stay smooth.
- Thai Red Curry Paste: I use red curry paste as an easy-to-find substitute for Panang curry paste. Brands vary quite a bit in heat, so keep that in mind. I use the Thai Kitchen brand.
- Fish Sauce & Dark Brown Sugar: Fish sauce adds salty, savory depth (for the best flavor, look for brands imported from Thailand or Vietnam), while dark brown sugar provides the sweetness characteristic of Panang curry and balances the heat of the curry paste.
- Chicken: Chicken breasts or tenderloins both work well. Slice the chicken thinly into bite-size pieces so it cooks quickly and evenly in the sauce.
- Lime, Cilantro & Peanuts: Stirred in at the end, lime juice adds acidity, cilantro adds freshness, and finely chopped peanuts give the curry its characteristic nuttiness and a little texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Panang Curry
Cook the vegetables: Sauté the bell pepper until softened and starting to brown, then add the scallions. Stir in the garlic last and cook briefly, taking care not to let it brown.
Make the curry sauce: Add the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar and whisk until combined. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Cook the chicken: Add the chicken and simmer gently until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the sauce boil vigorously; gentle cooking keeps the chicken tender.
Finish the curry: Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and peanuts. Taste and add more lime if needed, then serve with jasmine rice.
Make-Ahead & Reheating Instructions
Panang curry may be made ahead of time, but take care not to overcook the chicken. After you’ve prepared the dish, let it cool down to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to enjoy it, gently reheat the curry either on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s heated through.
Video Tutorial
Panang Curry
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small bunch scallions, light and dark green parts, sliced diagonally into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (see note)
- 2½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2½ tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1¼ lb chicken breast or tenderloins, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (you'll need 2 limes)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more; do not brown.
- Add the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar and whisk together. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to promote even cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not let the sauce vigorously boil; the idea is to cook the chicken gently so that it's tender.)
- Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and peanuts. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime, if necessary. Serve with jasmine rice.
Notes
- The consistency of canned coconut varies by brand. Some might be a bit watery, while others might separate in sauces. I’ve consistently had great results with the Thai Kitchen brand.
Pair with
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.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This was delicious!!! Will make for friends next time!! Yum!
I have finally found a great curry recipe! The entire family loved it. I have been struggling so thank you for sharing this. I am wondering if I could also make this with yellow curry so I have 2 recipes? Thank you
Yep!
Love your recipes! I would like to make this but we have recently switched to a vegan lifestyle and we don’t like tofu. Could we substitute roasted cauliflower for the chicken?
Sure, Anne – I think that would work well!
I don’t like “heat” but want good flavor. If I can get the type of curry paste you recommend, how much do you suggest I use? Should I do anything else to amp flavor while cutting back on curry paste?
Hi Nancy, The curry paste I use is not at all spicy so I don’t think you’ll need to cut back. Hope that helps!
would like to use shrimp. When do I add it?
Hi Carol, Depending on the size of the shrimp, it will only take 2 to 3 minutes to cook through, so I would add it at the end.
Vegetarian version– definitely use the Thai Kitchen brand red curry. Traditionally Panang Curry (“red curry”) is made with curry paste that contains shrimp paste. Thai Kitchen brand is the only red curry paste I know of that is vegetarian. Good to know for those with a shellfish allergy. I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce, and tofu instead of chicken. The “firm” tofu from Costco works well. Jenn, thank you for another excellent recipe!
So quick and easy to make and bursting full of flavor! Sweet from the brown sugar, tangy from the lime juice, vegetal from the red bell pepper, coconutty and red curry-tastic all at once 😀 Hubby and I immediately deemed this recipe “a keeper” and then he followed that up with “what other recipes does she have”? Thank you for keeping our tummies happy and full!
Delicious. Chicken was really tender. There was a lot of sauce so I added a can of chickpeas to ensure we had some leftovers for the next day. Would definitely make again.
Warming and comforting! I used Maesri kaeng pak curry paste purchased at a Thai market, providing a good punch of heat. I also loaded it up with frozen mixed veggies in addition to the chicken. I agree with other commenters and will likely use a little less fish sauce next time. But there definitely will be a next time. Thank you for another winning dinner!
Fantastic and nutritious meal! I substituted boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that’s what I had. I needed to sear and cook thighs prior to proceeding with rest of recipe to ensure thighs will cook completely. I also added sriracha sauce at the table for added heat. Thank you for another dinner winner!
Hello Jenn,
When I received the recent email that focused on this recipe, I went immediately to the store to shop for ingredients. I made it twice before the holidays, and last Monday, I thawed the last of the second attempt (turkey burnout). It was so so good. In both attempts, I used a slow cooker so that there was no hurry but allow the smells to linger. And in the second attempt, I found a coconut milk called Chaokoh in a local Indian store. It was a bit sweeter, but both versions were amazing: filled with rich peanutty taste finish. It was kind of “the more I ate, the more I wanted.”
I made this curry recipe a night ago in an attempt to cheer up a cold rainy evening. It went over so well that I now have standing orders from my family to always double the recipe. Thank you!