Thai-Style Red Chicken Curry
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This fragrant Thai chicken curry is a one-pan dish that comes together in just 30 minutes.
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 case in point: a one-pan dish of tender chicken simmered in a rich, red curry-infused coconut milk sauce, it comes together in just 30 minutes 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!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Thai-Style Red Chicken Curry
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few words about the ingredients:
- Red curry paste is a blend of lemongrass, galangal (Thai ginger), fresh red chilis, and fragrant spices. The spice level will vary depending on the brand of curry paste you use. The brand I use above (Thai Kitchen) 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.
- Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk. The sauce won’t have the same smooth, thick consistency with the reduced-fat variety.
- Fish sauce is a salty, savory condiment often used in East Asian cuisine. It adds a rich umami flavor to sauces, marinades, and salad dressings.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the light scallions, garlic, and jalapeño. (The dark green scallions are used as a garnish at the end, as they are mild in flavor and pretty, too.)
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until thickened, a few minutes.
Add the chicken pieces.
Simmer, stirring occasionally to promote even cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice, dark scallion greens, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime, if necessary.
Serve with jasmine rice.
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Thai Red Curry Chicken
This fragrant Thai chicken curry is a one-pan dish that comes together in just 30 minutes.
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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SO delicious. I added steamed broccoli and peppers at the end. My husband can’t stand fish sauce and can detect tiny amounts, so I subbed a tablespoon of soy sauce for umami, plus some extra salt. Red curry is my favorite Thai dish and this was awesome, even without the fish sauce–and better than takeout in some ways because the chicken wasn’t dry. My almost 2-year-old loved the sauce–she used the broccoli to sop it up, sucked it all off, and re-dipped it. Repeat x20. I have convinced myself that maybe she got a few molecules of broccoli in there 🙂
Wow!!! Made sauce following recipe exactly and so delicious.
I did go crazy with extra vegetables though. Handful of mushrooms, some green beans a red bell pepper and one zucchini!! I sauteed these ahead of time and then added to the sauce when chicken was about done!!! There was still lots of sauce to add to rice when we ate it for dinner. This was my first time making any type of curry and so happy to have found this recipe!!!
I made this red Thai curry chicken for my husband the other night and he loved it! I added chopped red peppers with the onions and steamed broccoli at the end, and it was amazing. Such an easy recipe and it gave us leftovers for the next day that tasted just as good. Poaching the chicken in the sauce made it super tender. Definitely a repeat recipe!
Hello Jenn,
Thank you so much for writing such easy-making but delicious recipe! I love this recipe so much. I cooked for myself for the first time and cooked it for a group of 20 people today. I used 2 cans of coconut milk, almost 5 pounds of chicken breast and almost 1/2 cup red curry paste (this is a really flexible amount). They tasted so nice and I served it with fried rice in place of white rice. Everyone in my group loved it!
Thank you again!
Hope you have a good day
Xia from Columbus, OH
I’m not normally a curry fan, but it’s recipe looked so tantalizing that I had to make it. Everything turned out perfectly. It’s a perfect blend of umami, tangy and slightly peppery flavor that makes it really hard to stop at just one serving. Though I am a huge fan of fish and seafood flavors, I will say the fish-sauce taste was quite prominent and if you’re sensitive to that, perhaps use slightly less of it to start, and adjust to taste. Also, I do like more heat and added more got peppers, and the other flavors still came through beautifully. A truly simple and delicious recipe.
Can you add vegetables to this curry dish?
Definitely, but I suggest steaming them separately and adding them at the very end, so they don’t soak up all the delicious curry sauce. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic!!
I liked the suggestion to simmer the chicken in the coconut milk, but this recipe was waaaaaaaaaay too sweet for my taste, even after I added tons more lime juice and fish sauce 🙁
Same for me! Wayyyy too sweet. All I tasted was the brown sugar! I tried to counter with lime juice, but couldn’t get it right. Next time less than half the recommended amount!
Made this with extra firm tofu and it was fantastic!
A-MAAAA-ZING flavor. Made as directed. Per the directions on the bottom, … made the sauce in advance…when ready to eat, I just reheated it and cooked the chicken for 5-6 minutes.
Hi Jenn, Greetings from Canada !
Great recipe. What is the difference between red and green Thai curry paste?
Thank You.
Hi Yvonne, I’ve provided a link that outlines the differences. One thing to keep in mind is that often times green curry paste is a bit spicier than the red variety. Hope you enjoy the chicken if you make it!
WOW! This was DELISH! We are a ‘saucy’ family and like juicy dishes so we doubled the sauce and it was PERFECT. I would give this 10 stars, company-worthy, easy, and so satisfying! I used a little less curry to accommodate my elderly Mom, and gluten-free fish sauce (by Red Boat) and it’s now in my ‘regular’ menu rotation. Thank you so, so much for sharing yet another winner recipe! I really appreciate any recipe I can convert to gluten and milk free. And I love your cookbook! It’s inspiring and getting spattered by use as all great cookbooks should!
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
This is amazing! I love this recipe. I would like to add potatoes to it. Do you think that would work? Or would it simmer too long and reduce too much?
Hi Penelope, glad you like this! If you wanted to add potatoes to this, I would cook them almost all the way through in a separate pot and then add them to the curry for just the last few minutes of cooking so they are hot.
Made it tonight…just excellent!
Perfect! Delicious! Amazing! Thanks, Jenn!
Love this recipe! So easy yet so flavorful!!! Thanks for the great recipes!!!!
I used green curry paste and added cauliflower. Delicious and easy!
Great flavor. Added julienned onions, zucchini and carrots. Served over brown rice with a bit of Sriacha for heat.
I used green curry paste and added snap peas during the last two minutes. Delicious. This is a keeper.
This is seriously one of the best dishes I have ever made. It is so good. Like restaurant quality. Definitely making again and again. We like heat so I used 5 small red chilis and it was perfect for us. Think next time I will add some veggies. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe
Delicious! Even my 16 year old who thinks he doesn’t like curry liked it. And the chicken was so tender! My only complaint is it took me longer than written to poach the chicken but it was worth it. Oh and I did end up adding steamed broccoli to it at the end because I wanted a one dish meal but that worked out great.
This dish was very good and it came together easily once everything was prepped. We like a little more heat, so I’ll experiment with the jalapeño seeds next time. My husband added sriracha to his plate and was happy. Very satisfying over rice. Keeper.
BTW, for those who don’t do fish sauce for whatever reason, you can make a substitute with water, salt, soy sauce, and dried shiitake mushrooms. America’s Test Kitchen was my source although I prefer actual fish sauce.
Sounds delicious. Is there an alternative to cilantro?
I sometimes use basil as a substitute
Vietnamese Basil ( it’s purple and spicey, different than regular basil) is a good sub
Jenn:
I always know I can count on your recipes. I have never made one that wasn’t amazingly good and the Thai Red Curry Chicken recipe is amazing. I loved that I could prep everything ahead of time and cook in just a few minutes. I followed your recipe exactly, but served over cauliflower rice. LOVED IT!
This is lovely, very easy and great flavour. Used coconut oil, coconut palm sugar (instead of brown) and added 1/2 cup fresh pineapple. Served with cauliflower rice. I love your recipes!
Hi Jenn, I made this recipe tonight just as written and my husband and I thought it was great, warm but not too hot (I didn’t use the jalapeno seeds) and very tasty. We will definitely make it again! I might add chopped baby bok choy next time to give it more veggies. Your website is my first go to when looking for a new recipe. Thanks and keep up the good cooking
I cannot do fish sauce! I’ve tried, I really have. Anything you can use to substitute or just do without? How much will it impact the flavor?
Hi Diane, I really recommend the fish sauce; it adds a lot of flavor and all of the salt. You could try adding half as much and then salt to taste. Hope that helps!
Jenn – forgot to ask, if adding vegetables, what would you recommend?
Mark
Hi Mark, I’ve added steamed broccoli to this. You can also add a finely diced red bell pepper along with the jalapeño.
Jenn
Just made the recipe, tastes amazing and was so simple to cook. Looking forward to packaging this up for some nice lunches this week. Love your site, bought your cookbook – Thanks for making us all happier and healthier!
😊
Lol. I thought I bought coconut milk but bought coconut cream. I did know there was such a product. It was a little too watery so I thickened at the end. The flavor is sweet, tart, spices. Can’t wait to have my kids try it (grown kids). .
Hi Jen, would it be ok to substitute thai yellow curry paste? Thanks!
Hi Jane, Yes, I think you could use yellow or green curry paste here in place of the red. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, Luisa again. I didn’t find the Asian coconut milk. Can I use regular canned coconut milk?
Sure, Luisa — enjoy!
Excellent flavor, although my husband and I thought it was a bit too hot. The sauce was runny so I’m wondering if I did not allow it to gently boil long enough prior to adding the chicken.
Hi Kathy, Yes, next time let it simmer a bit longer before adding the chicken – it will thicken up.
Hi! I love your recipes and this looks delicious. I have a question – we have some shrimp in the fridge that we need to use soon. Could the chicken in this recipe be subbed with shrimp?
Thank you!
Hi Kim, You could, but I also have shrimp version here. Either way. 🙂
Thank you! We made this recipe with shrimp and green curry paste and it came out wonderfully. My bf was iffy on curry but he admitted it was the best meal he’d had in a very long time. Thank you!!
Good-bye, stir-fry! Poaching the chicken at the end is genius. It turned out succulent and loaded with flavor. And what flavor! With a blend of sweet, hot, salt, spice, citrus, and pure magic, this may be the perfect recipe.
Made this last night for dinner and my family loved it. My teenage son even said, “Mom this sauce is the boss!” And the best part is that is was SO easy. Will definitely make again and add some veggies.
Can you omit the fish sauce?
I don’t recommend it, Rose – it really adds a lot of flavor and all of the salt. Sorry!
Hi Jenn, My husband dislikes eating anything with a hint of coconut. Is the coconut flavor from the coconut milk masked by all the other ingredients? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Rhonda, I would say that the coconut flavor is pretty prominent here (in a good way 😊). Sorry!
Delicious! Whole family loved it and it will be added to the regular rotation for how delicious and quick it came together! It was easy to pull the chicken out for my sauce-adverse 4 year old, mild enough for the 20 month old, and plenty of flavor for the rest of us!
This is seriously delicious. I made it exactly as directed…I would consider adding a bit of the jalapeno seeds next time for a little more heat. So, so good.
Is there anything I can use in place of fish sauce? I do not like the taste and I can usually taste it in foods.
Hi Jen, Fish sauce is important here — it adds a lot of flavor and all of the salt. You could try adding half as much and then salt to taste. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
Look forward to making this one soon! Regarding the coconut milk. Thoughts on Sweetened or Unsweetened?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, Definitely unsweetened. Enjoy!
I was watching some recipe videos on YouTube (Hot Thai Kitchen) and she made the comment that boxed coconut milk is what they have in Thailand and that it tastes much better than canned due to the temperature ranges and processing time for each method. I managed to find a box of coconut milk at an Asian market and tried it for myself. I was FLOORED… it is so much more flavorful coming from the box! I highly recommend trying it if you have access to an Asian market.
It’s also cheaper than using canned, at least where I shop. I’ve found it at Bulk Barn and Walmart.
I use it all the time to make Jenn’s Thai Chicken & Rice Noodle soup. That soup is delicious BTW.
Jenn,
Is there a substitute for the fish sauce? I tried another Thai recipe that called for Fish sauce and the odor was almost more than I could handle. Maybe if I hadn’t smelled the fish sauce first and just used it – but after smelling it, it was the only thing I could smell/taste after that.
Hi Stephanie, I understand that fish sauce does NOT smell appealing! 🙂 That said, it really is important here — it adds a lot of flavor and all of the salt. You could try adding half as much and then salt to taste. Hope that helps!
Hi Jennifer,
I love your blog of recipes each week and recently purchased your new cookbook.
Thank you for making cooking fun!
Question: On the Curry Chicken recipe many of the ingredients are not included.
Thank you, Jill! Looks like there was a glitch with the recipe – it has been fixed. Sorry about that!
Hi, love you recipes! Just a quick question, what part of the chicken is the tenderloin?
Thank you
Giselle in NB, Canada
Hi Giselle, Chicken tenderloins are the little strips of meat that are attached to the underside of each breast (they are about 1-1/2 inches wide and 5 inches long). They are usually sold separately from the breasts. They are tender and easy to work with but if you can’t find them, it’s perfectly fine to use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Why do some recipes have conversions into metric and not others.
Being on the other side of the world (Australia) we are metric and it’s annoying to have to stop and go look up the change over.
Is it possible to have metric and the other on all recipes.
Thanks for listening to my whining and love the book.
Look forward to next one.
D.H.
Lake Macquarie. Australia.
So sorry, Dianne! All of my newer recipes have metric; I just forgot to add them on this one. It’s fixed now. 🙂
Hello Jenn, I would like to make this recipe this weekend. Sounds delicious. Not able to but the tenderloins separately from the breasts, I will have to use breasts instead. Should I cut them in strips or chicks ?
Thank you so much.
Yvonne Adams
Hi Yvonne, Either is perfectly fine – whichever you prefer.
I think I would prefer to use boneless chicken thighs. If I did would the cooking method be the same.
Hi Marjory, I’ve made this with chicken thighs and it’s wonderful. Since they take longer to cook, you’d go about it a bit differently: Sauté the chicken pieces in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat first for 6 to 8 minutes (they will be almost cooked but not fully), then transfer them to a plate while you make the sauce. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce once it’s thickened, and then simmer until cooked through, a few minutes more. Please let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Could I substitute basil for the cilantro? My basil is plentiful right now!
Sure, Tonya – I’d love to know how it turns out.
Hi Jen, will it be alright to not put in the jalapeno? I have a 2.5 year old so I’d like to make it kid-friendly.
Thanks so much for your recipes!!
Sure Beatrice – then if you’d like a little heat, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to individual servings. Hope you enjoy!