Thai Red Curry Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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 you can make so many flavorful dishes with just a few staples from the Asian aisle at the grocery store. This red curry chicken is a perfect example: a one-pan dinner of tender chicken simmered in a rich, curry-infused coconut milk sauce. Like most Thai curries, it’s cozy, quick to make, and so satisfying—you won’t even think about take-out.
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!
“Fantastic! My whole family loves it – even my picky five-year-old. We usually add veggies like mushrooms and snow peas, but it’s also wonderful as is.”
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Oil, Scallions, garlic & jalapeño: Sautéed together at the start to build a savory, slightly spicy base. The scallions add a mellow onion flavor, garlic gives depth, and jalapeño brings just a hint of heat. (For more spice, leave in the seeds of the pepper or add a pinch of red pepper flakes later.)
- Thai red curry paste: This is where all the flavor happens. Made with red chiles, lemongrass, galangal, and spices, it gives the dish its signature warmth and color. Thai Kitchen brand is easy to find and on the mild side—great for families. Want more kick? Add Sriracha, jalapeño seeds, or crushed red pepper.
- Coconut milk: Adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness; use full-fat for the best texture—light versions can be watery.
- Fish sauce & dark brown sugar: A classic Thai combo—the fish sauce adds salty umami, while the brown sugar balances the spice.
- Chicken tenderloins (or breasts): Tender and quick-cooking; just cut into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly and stay juicy.
- Fresh lime juice & cilantro: Lime brightens the dish and balances the richness; cilantro adds color and freshness (totally optional if you’re not a fan).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the light scallion parts, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened—don’t let them brown. Keeping the heat moderate allows the aromatics to gently soften and release their flavor without browning (which can make the curry taste bitter).
Step 2: Add the curry sauce ingredients. Stir in the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
Step 3: Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces and simmer, stirring now and then, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 4: Finish and serve. Stir in the lime juice, dark scallion greens, and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with jasmine rice and enjoy!
More Asian Dishes You may Like
Thai Red Curry Chicken
This Thai curry chicken is rich, cozy, and full of bold flavor—perfect over jasmine rice for an easy weeknight dinner.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My son went to Thailand two years ago as a new high school grad who enjoyed cooking and stayed with relatives who are definite foodies. He traveled with them and sampled all kinds of Thai food as well as had cooking lessons from professional chefs in their gourmet kitchen. I made this tonight and he looked up from his bowl to ask if it was difficult to make (to which I responded no) and said it was his new favorite, that I should make it a lot. I had made it with shrimp so I commented that I would likely make it with chicken next time as it would be more cost effective, ‘I’ll pay you $10 to not do that’ he said. That speaks volumes coming from a broke college student.
🙂
Glad he enjoyed it!
Loved this. Wonderful sauce. Has anyone substituted shrimp for the chicken? Anne
Hi Anne, I have a shrimp version here if you want to check it out. 🙂
We really enjoyed this, so easy, however I have to give this recipe 4 stars because there was no salt nor pepper. The chicken should have been seasoned. I also sprinkled some red chili flakes on my serving.
Thanks Jenn.
I loved it! I added some sweet/ white potatoes and added the whole small jar of curry paste. Delicious!!
We loved it! I added chopped peanuts and some steamed veggies and it was perfect!
This is addictive. Probably my favorite dinner at the moment!
LOVE! This Thai red curry sauce is so delicious. This recipe is now a family favorite. I have this one memorized.
I’m a pretty good cook, so we eat some tasty meals. But still, my husband raved about this! He gave it a 10 and told me to make sure not to lose the recipe! I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I did cook the chili paste a minute with the oil before adding the jalapeño, onion and garlic. And I added one sliced green pepper along with the chicken because I love it in a curry sauce. The chicken was super tender, and in fact I’m going to stop trying to brown the chicken pieces in all my recipes that use boneless white meat. Great tip!
Super delicious and easy curry! We both loved it. Thanks again, Jenn, for another keeper!
I have made your recipe many times to family accolades (my adult son just made it last week and sent mouth watering pictures as well). I recently came across another curry chicken recipe from another major blogger and decided to try that as well as it had ingredients I happened to have on hand that differs from yours. And the results are in – your recipe was the clear winner! The aromatics blend in, the coconut milk adds smoothness and sweetness, and the fish sauce adds tang – wonderful!
I made this with chicken, red pepper, and zucchini, and it is delicious! Comes together pretty quickly too. I use mae anong red curry paste off of amazon because I don’t mind a little spice and find it to be amazingly flavorful compared to thai kitchen. I followed most of the instructions, except I do put the raw vegetables in with the chicken because I don’t want to precook them. I haven’t found it to have a noticeably bad effect, but the paste I use is stronger so that may help. I also typically add extra cilantro just to use it all up. One of my go-to dishes for college cooking. 🙂
Outstanding!! First time I made this I followed the recipe exactly. This time I made tiny, minor changes: Used a combo of red and panang curry paste, but same amount. Added a few mushrooms, red bell pepper and frozen carrots & peas (our favorite Thai restaurant’ s red curry always had mushrooms, peas & carrots – not many, just a few). None of the vegs affected the flavor. As far as the flavor profile goes, I wouldn’t change a thing!!