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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Perfect recipe. This can be used as is or you can tweak it to your taste. We used shelled edamame and would have added hot curry for a bit more kick. The family loved it and raved about it.
Hi Jen–so excited to find your website and can’t wait to try so many of these recipes. First up, the Chicken Curry. Here is my question: I have 3 kids and I know that 1.25 lbs. of chicken will not be enough for the 5 of us. Can you help me adjust this recipe for 5 people? Thank you! P.S. Loved your arcticle on Huff Post!
Hi Michelle, Thank you! I think 1.5 pounds should be enough, especially if you serve with rice. Here goes:
Ingredients:
*1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon curry powder, divided
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
* 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
* 2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1-1/4 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
* 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar
* 1/3 cup plain low fat (2%) or whole Greek yogurt (do not use nonfat)
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder.
2. Heat 2 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.
3. Add the remaining 2 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 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute more.
4. Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together to dissolve the cornstarch, then add to the skillet along with the sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. 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 and season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Serve with basmati rice.
Hi Jenny
I really want to cook this for my hubby but would like to know how to make a decent mild curry powder to use with this recipe please can you help with this?
Hi Nikki, Here are a few recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-powder-blend-recipe.html or http://allrecipes.com/recipe/46767/mild-curry-powder/
Excellent, I did not have all the ingredients, but I improvise I just added greek yogurt to the chicken, curry, onion, garlic salt.
We ate it with white rice
Delicious
A lot of people commented that they don’t like peas. Try adding corn instead! It adds a little bit to the sweetness of the dish. I highly recommend!
Really yummy! I would add maybe half an onion instead of a whole one, personal preference. And maybe more (hot) curry because I like a more spicy dish. I also added 1/2 a pineapple cut up at the end of step 3, and let them sit a little (a minute or two) in the pan before adding the chicken for step 4
I make something similar with a lot of Indian spices, Thai red curry and coconut milk.
It’s delish.
How are you Jenn? Long time since we met. All being well I’ll have grandchild number 7 sometime next month. 🙂
Just cooked this tonight for the family. Winner all round. Fabulous fresh taste with the ginger coming through. Loved it. Thanks.
I am so gonna make this tonight…I have some chicken breasts sitting in my fridge, was wondering what to do with them. Well, I just found the answer: I don’t even need to go to the shop, I have everything I need!
I am sure gonna try this!
Very easy to prepare and looks yummy…
This is so delicious! This is the 2nd time I made it and this time I used half mild curry powder and half hot curry powder….just the right amount of heat!! Also, do not skip out on the fresh cilantro!! Thanks for the recipe:)