Thai Red Chicken Curry
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Craving Thai food? This red chicken curry is a one-pan wonder with tender chicken in a rich coconut curry sauce that’s ready in just 30 minutes—no fuss, just deliciousness!
I love cooking Thai-style food at home because there are so many recipes that you can create with just a few staples from the Asian food aisle of your neighborhood supermarket. This red chicken curry is a perfect example: a one-pan dish of tender chicken simmered in a rich, red curry-infused coconut milk sauce, it comes together quickly with minimal prep work.
In developing the recipe, the biggest challenge was determining the best way to cook the chicken. Most recipes call for sautéing the chicken first and then warming it in the finished sauce. But the problem with that method, if you’re using white meat, is that the chicken tends to dry out quickly. I found that gently poaching the chicken in the coconut sauce is not only easier but also foolproof. You’ll be so pleased with how tender the chicken turns out when cooked this way!
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Vegetable oil: Used to sauté the scallions, garlic, and jalapeño, helping to release their flavors.
- Scallions, garlic, and jalapeño: The scallions bring a mild, fresh onion flavor, garlic adds a savory base, and the jalapeño provides a touch of heat and spice.
- Coconut milk: Creates a creamy, rich base that balances the spice and adds a hint of sweetness. Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk for best results; the sauce won’t have the same smooth, thick consistency with the reduced-fat variety.
- Thai red curry paste: A blend of lemongrass, galangal (Thai ginger), fresh red chilis, and fragrant spices, this ingredient brings the essential depth of flavor and vibrant color to the sauce. The spice level will vary depending on the brand of curry paste you use. The Thai Kitchen brand is readily available and makes for a mild, family-friendly dish. For more heat, you can always add a drizzle of Sriracha, some of the seeds of the jalapeño, or some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Fish sauce: Adds that signature umami flavor, giving the curry a salty, savory kick.
- Dark brown sugar: Sweetens and balances the heat from the curry paste and jalapeño.
- Chicken tenderloins: Soaks up all the flavors of the curry while staying tender and juicy. Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be substituted, but they will dry out more easily if overcooked.
- Lime juice: Adds a fresh, tangy zing that cuts through the richness of the coconut milk.
- Fresh cilantro: A bright, fresh herb that adds color and flavor; feel free to leave it out if you’re not a cilantro person.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the light parts of the scallions, garlic, and jalapeño. (Save the dark green parts of the scallions for garnish—they’re mild in flavor and look pretty on top!) Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened, but be careful not to brown them.
Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar to the pan. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens up.
Add the chicken pieces to the simmering sauce.
Simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking, until the chicken is cooked through—it will take 5 to 6 minutes.
Before serving, add the lime juice, dark scallion greens, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime or heat, if you’d like.
Serve the dish with jasmine rice and enjoy!
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced, light and dark green parts divided
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (see note)
- 1 (14-oz) can coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2½ tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1½ pounds chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, from 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the light scallions, garlic, and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar and whisk together. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, a few minutes. Add the chicken and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally to promote even cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. (Do not let the sauce boil; the idea is to cook the chicken gently so that it's tender.) Stir in the lime juice, dark scallion greens, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime, if necessary. Serve with jasmine rice.
- Note: As always, take care when working with jalapeño peppers. If you touch the seeds or ribs, be sure to wash your hands well and avoid touching your eyes.
- Note: It's important to wait until you're ready to eat to cook the chicken. If you want to get a head start, prepare the sauce up until the point when the chicken is added. Take it off the heat and then poach the chicken right before serving. If the chicken sits in the hot curry sauce for too long before serving, it will overcook.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 649
- Fat: 51 g
- Saturated fat: 26 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 886 mg
- Cholesterol: 128 mg
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 a nice change from the usual chicken dishes I make. Used only one jalapeño so flavor was a bit bland. Will try again using an additional jalapeño. Certainly an easy recipe that doesn’t require an enormous amount of ingredients.
This was delicious, and easy. The only thing I did differently was to add more vegetables; mushrooms, carrots and sweet peppers. I will make this again. I had all ingredients on hand. It’s also easy to customize with the vegetables you have.
Jenn, This recipe looks great and I have all the ingredients except fish sauce. Wondering if I could use anchovy paste instead? Same amount, less?
Thanks for all your recipes-love the cookbook, too!
So glad you like the recipes! Instead of anchovies, I’d use an equal amount of soy sauce. Enjoy!
Can you use light brown sugar instead of dark?
Sure 😊
This was absolutely delicious. I added red pepper and just a few green peas for color. I also used very low fat coconut milk and it was still outstanding, although I had to use a little cornstarch to thicken. Will be on our regular dinner rotation!
Also, I wanted to ask if the leftovers can be frozen.
I’ve never frozen this before, but I think it should work.