Thai Red Curry Chicken
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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 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
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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!