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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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I love every one of your recipes I’ve made! For this Penang curry, could it be frozen?
So glad you liked the recipes! For this one, technically (based on what’s in the recipe), I think it could be frozen, but I don’t think it’s the best candidate.
Very good. I’m a little afraid of fish sauce, so I only used half the amount. Added zucchini chunks and subbed Thai basil for the cilantro. This hit the spot!
The Penang Chicken is delicious!! I doubled the recipe because I was using a package of Costco chicken breast and it is 2+lbs. I added three Trader Joes cubes of ginger (by mistake but it added a nice flavor). At the end I added broccoli and carrots as suggested by another commenter. Wow it was a huge hit in our house!!!
This was delicious! I made it with shrimp as that is what I had. I will make it again with chicken and perhaps add another veggie. My husband is not a big curry fan but had 2 helpings. Just the right amount of flavour. Very easy and satisfying. Thank you.
Made this tonight and added in some sliced carrots to the peppers and broccoli in towards the end of simmering — it was a hit with my six-year-old, four-year-old, and one-year-old (what a miracle!) Thanks so much for your recipes, Jenn, and for regularly helping me earn the title of “best chef in the world”.
Cooked this twice now. Twice the family gave it 5 stars (each with a different Thai chili sauce and fish sauce.) The recipe worked well in spite of the different brands of ingredients. I hope to enjoy it many more times.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Bendiciones,
BobB
Good baseline recipe. I think it’s way too much fish sauce id go down to one tablespoon, or possibly 1-2 teaspoons. I’ve made it both with and without fish sauce and with fish sauce it’s overpowering. Comparing to other recipes they use less fish sauce. Otherwise it’s good.
Another great recipe, Jen! Once everything is prepped, cook time is quick although it tastes like the flavors have simmered for a while! Served it over rice. Next time I’d add a bit more heat, and maybe even some freshly grated ginger. I also might experiment with doubling the sauce and adding a bunch of veggies, like carrots and broccoli. Will be making this again!
I’m a minor league cook on a good day but I just made this dish and it came out great! I sincerely appreciate the simple ingredients and straightforward directions. I was able to get everything from my Kroger’s chain grocery store. I’m still shocked at how nice it turned out.
I made this last night exactly as written but did not add peanuts and it was absolutely delicious! Super easy and incredibly tasty. I used chicken tenderloins because I like the texture better than breasts and they cooked perfectly in the sauce when sliced thin. I will be making this again without a doubt! Thanks for another great one, Jenn!