Thai-Style Red Chicken Curry
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This fragrant Thai chicken curry is a one-pan dish that comes together in just 30 minutes.
I love cooking Thai-style food at home because there are so many recipes that you can create with just a few staples from the Asian food aisle of your neighborhood supermarket. This red chicken curry is case in point: a one-pan dish of tender chicken simmered in a rich, red curry-infused coconut milk sauce, it comes together in just 30 minutes with minimal prep work.
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!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Thai-Style Red Chicken Curry
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few words about the ingredients:
- Red curry paste is a blend of lemongrass, galangal (Thai ginger), fresh red chilis, and fragrant spices. The spice level will vary depending on the brand of curry paste you use. The brand I use above (Thai Kitchen) makes for a mild, family-friendly dish. For more heat, you can always add a drizzle of Sriracha, some of the seeds of the jalapeño, or some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk. The sauce won’t have the same smooth, thick consistency with the reduced-fat variety.
- Fish sauce is a salty, savory condiment often used in East Asian cuisine. It adds a rich umami flavor to sauces, marinades, and salad dressings.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the light scallions, garlic, and jalapeño. (The dark green scallions are used as a garnish at the end, as they are mild in flavor and pretty, too.)
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until thickened, a few minutes.
Add the chicken pieces.
Simmer, stirring occasionally to promote even cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice, dark scallion greens, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime, if necessary.
Serve with jasmine rice.
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Thai Red Curry Chicken
This fragrant Thai chicken curry is a one-pan dish that comes together in just 30 minutes.
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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Is there an alternate ingredient list to reduce the sodium content?
Hi Mike, almost all the sodium comes from the fish sauce. While you could replace the fish sauce with reduced-sodium soy sauce, the fish sauce is really what gives the dish that authentic Thai taste so I’d recommend sticking with it if possible.
Just made this tonight and it was fantastic. I was very skeptical, as the poaching method is not traditional for this dish (as you mentioned). It was absolutely perfect! Added steamed green beans at the end. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is our favorite dish ever. We make it so often and it NEVER gets old!! The perfect amount of everything.. Love it
Is there anything you can substitute well for the fish sauce?
The fish sauce adds a wonderfully authentic Thai flavor to the dish so I would recommend it. You can use soy sauce instead — it will still be good, but it will lack that traditional Thai flavor. Hope you enjoy!
What is a good substitute for fish sauce? My son has a fish allergy so I do not make many Asian recipes, but would like to!
Hi Staci, You can use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce — the dish will still be good, it will just lack that traditional Thai flavor. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is as good or better than any I’ve had in any restaurant. I made a few changes – I omitted the Scallions, Jalapeno, and Lime Juice. I added Red and Orange Bell Peppers with the Chicken – though I could see why you would steam them separately – its just more work and it didn’t seem to take anything away from the sauce.
I’ve been looking for this recipe for years and I am excited by it. Thanks so much.
First curry I’ve made and it was phenomenal
This was one of the easiest and tastiest recipes on your blog Jenn! My husband loved it and drank the sauce that the chicken was cooked in like soup.
I didn’t have any jalepeno, or cilantro, so I used red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.
Hubby and I love Thai food, but takeout can get pricey! Made this recipe a few months ago and going back to old faithful tonight. Going to mix it up with beef this time though, and with a bell pepper and onion for veggies! Always love your recipes, Jenn!
I made this for the first time for a dinner party (which included people who have told me over the years they “don’t like curry”). Everyone raved. I kept hearing: “Oh, I love the sauce! The sauce is so good! Oh, I love this! This is so delicious!” And when I asked how the chicken was cooked they said it was super moist, tender and flavorful. I got an email from one of the guests a week later saying they were still thinking about how delicious the food was. I’m grateful for the make-ahead tips and the details on how to cook the chicken–masterful, as always! Thank you for another winner, Jenn!
Amazing. So many Thai recipes are complicated. This was super easy and delicious. I only used one Tbsp of Fish Sauce and used more lime. Used avocado, cilantro and green onion as the garnish. My husband is eating the leftovers for breakfast.
🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
Hi Jenn, loved this dish! Just wondering if the calorie count includes the jasmine rice, or if that stands alone. Thanks!
Hi Shelby, Glad you enjoyed! The calorie count does not include the rice. 🙂