Chicken Curry
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Whip up a one-skillet chicken curry, brimming with vibrant peas and rich flavors, all in just 30 minutes—a weeknight winner!
If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for new recipes to spice up weeknight family dinners. Well, I’ve got just the dish for you to try: chicken curry in a hurry. Start with thinly sliced chicken breasts, give them a quick sauté, then as they simmer in a rich curry sauce, toss in some frozen peas for a pop of color and wholesome goodness. The best part? This one-skillet dish is ready in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you have to hit the kitchen running.
Keep in mind, the flavor and spice profile of the finished dish will vary depending on the brand of curry powder you select. I use McCormick curry powder, which is readily available in most supermarkets and produces a mild, kid-friendly curry. Opt for your preferred curry powder and pair the dish with fluffy basmati rice or naan for a meal that’s sure to become a weeknight family favorite.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Curry
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: A lean protein option that absorbs the curry flavors well.
- Curry Powder: A complex blend of spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander, and others that gives the curry its distinctive warm, aromatic flavor.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger: This trio adds depth and forms the foundational flavor of the curry.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the savory base of the curry sauce.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce.
- Frozen Peas: Add color, texture, and sweetness to the dish, offering a nice contrast to the savory and spicy elements of the curry.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and a slight tang to the curry sauce, balancing the spices and enriching the texture.
- Cilantro: Brings a fresh flavor that complements the rich and spicy notes of the curry beautifully.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by cutting the chicken into 1/4-inch slices. The best way is to cut each breast in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal. Don’t make yourself crazy over it, but try to make each piece about the same size; this ensures that they cook evenly. Next, season the chicken with salt, pepper and curry powder.
Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet, then briefly sauté the chicken until it is lightly browned but still pink in spots.
Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the ginger, garlic, and more curry powder and sauté until fragrant.
Add the chicken stock and cornstarch to the vegetables.
Cook until the sauce is thickened, then add the chicken back to the pan, along with the frozen peas and simmer until the chicken is just cooked.
Add the Greek yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro.
Stir until combined.
Serve with basmati rice and/or naan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curry powder is a blend of various spices, and each brand has a unique combination with different flavor profiles and levels of heat. For a family-friendly option that’s not too spicy, McCormick is a reliable choice readily available in many supermarkets.
While nonfat yogurt can technically be used, a yogurt with at least 2% fat content is preferable as it adds richness and depth to the sauce. If you’re ever in a pinch and out of yogurt, sour cream can be a great substitute, ensuring the curry maintains its creamy texture and taste.
Absolutely! Just ensure any additional vegetables are pre-cooked before they’re added with the peas. If you’re substantially increasing the veggies, consider also increasing the sauce by about 25% to keep the dish balanced.
Video Tutorial
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Chicken Curry
Whip up a one-skillet chicken curry, brimming with vibrant peas and rich flavors, all in just 30 minutes—a weeknight winner!
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2½ teaspoons curry powder, divided
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (see note)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
- ¼ cup plain low fat (2%) or whole Greek yogurt (do not use nonfat)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken evenly with ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon curry powder.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but still pink in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the skillet and set heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and remaining 1½ teaspoons curry powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute more.
- Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together to dissolve the cornstarch, then add to the skillet along with the sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peas and partially cooked chicken to the skillet, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, a few minutes. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cilantro; then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with basmati rice.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 361
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Sodium: 830mg
- Cholesterol: 93mg
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.
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Comments
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First time making this and it was delicious! I substituted fresh green beans for the peas. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hey ! So this was my first attempt to curry and it came out delicious ! I think that this recipe serves as a base for your likings.
My notes ..
– don’t use too much ginger
– i used coconut milk instead of yogurt
– added carrots and potatoes and let it simmer
– I added some turmeric and more curry power
Delicious ! I’m going to keep making this my own.
How should I make this dairy free and still have a rich and flavorful sauce? I’m sure I could use a nut milk (unsweetened? amount?) and how about thickeners? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (especially if they are tried and true).
Hi MK, you could use a non-dairy yogurt; that would give you a similar consistency. Nut milk will also work and, if you want the finished dish to be a little thicker, just simmer it for a little longer. Hope you enjoy!
The standard indian way is to first throw into the pan finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger. When that starts changing colour, add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until the oil separates from the tomatoes and you’ve got a thick paste like mixture (adding a tablespoon of water at a time to make sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, with fresh tomatoes, their own natural juices usually dry up before they’ve reached your desired consistency). At this point you add your curry powder and then uncooked chicken. Cook until the juice that comes out of the chicken evaporates and the oil separates and then add about a cup of water and cook semi covered on a medium low flame till chicken is fork tender and your curry is of the desired consistency. Add more water, a little at a time if you’d like more gravy. Salt and pepper to taste.
This is a delicious and simple recipe as is, but I couldn’t help myself. I added more vegetables (carrots, beans and broccoli) and coconut milk (for texture and flavour) and turmeric for colour. Next time I think I’ll omit the cornflour and sugar.
This is by far the easiest and delicious curry chicken to make. I personally prefer boneless chicken thighs cut in thin strips and instead of cornstarch I used cubed baby potatoes as the thickener. Yummy! !!
And instead of yogurt or sugar I used about 1 tbsp of sweetened coconut flakes and also some dried chili peppers 2 crushed pods of cardamom and half stick of cinnamon. I love this basic recipe because you can adjust to your liking. Love it thank you.
An unfortunate example of how we have no desire to experience tastes outside of the typical ordinary flavors of the standard American diet. Let’s go to McDonald’s for a quality tasting burger while we’re at it. Honestly, bland yellow, off-the-shelf curry powder? Perhaps I am not the intended audience for this recipe or this site.
Or just maybe, Chris, you’re a self-important, egomaniacal pompous ass.
AGREED!!
Chris,
I agree you are not the intended recipe for this or any other recipe on this site. How arrogant and rude. Obviously, you are in the minority here. Not a place for snarky comments.
This was soooo good! Even the four year olds liked it…Thank YOU
This was the most delicious curry I’ve had in a long time. I love how the flavors blended together and especially the addition of fresh grated ginger.
Why not non-fat yogurt? That happens to be all I have in the fridge and I want to know if it’s going to ruin my curry if I use it. Speedy response would be appreciated… It’s on the stove now. Lol.
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Doreen, It will work; the dish just won’t be as rich. Hope you enjoy it!
Great recipe! I’m just curious. Why do you go through the extra step of removing the cooked chicken from the pan in order to cook the onions, garlic etc… and then put back the chicken in the pan?
Hi David, Glad you enjoyed it. I remove the chicken so it doesn’t overcook.