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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Simple and easy to make. Thank you. Love the tip on poaching the tenderloin. I tend to prefer chicken thighs for their moistness and fat content, so I might try this with boneless chicken thighs sometime. I’ve really enjoyed your recipes–thanks so much for sharing them! Just made the spicy maple candied bacon for a holiday gathering–people were totally taken with it. Me, too!
Do you think this would work with salmon?
I haven’t tried this with fish, but I think it would work. Please LMK how it turns out!
This turned out just perfect! Specially the tip that you gave about cooking chicken at low heat. Thanks Jen! I am biggest fan of your recipes.
Dish was very tasty! Made exactly as recipe called for. I definitely Will make this again. 😋
Delicious recipe! The best part is that it is fairly quick to make and requires ingredients I usually have on hand. I follow the recipe exactly, although sometimes I don’t have cilantro. It still tastes great. This recipe is on regular rotation on the dinner menu at my house.
Hi Jenn,
Can I replace the chicken with turkey breast?
Thanks!
Anne
Hi Anne, I am not a big fan of turkey breast – it tends to be so dry – but yes, it should work. Hope that helps!
Awesome!
Kids and friends loved it.
Fabulous recipe! Easy, quick and delicious, what more do you need 🙂
I’m making it again tonight
This dish has great flavors and was easy to prepare and cook. I should have paid closer attention to the note about adding red pepper flakes or sriracha to spice it up, because even though I used four (small) jalapeños it didn’t have any kick. Next time I’ll add a big dollop of sambal. Two other notes: With all the liquid you don’t need a non-stick pan. I used a stainless-steel skillet and clean-up was a breeze. I also used boneless chicken thighs because that’s what I had. They took closer to 10 minutes to cook through. Thanks for a great recipe that we will definitely make again.
I just tried this recipe, and it tastes amazing. Thank you for your contribution!
Greetings from the Netherlands.