Thai-Style Red Chicken Curry
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
OMG! This was so easy, delicious and definitely a keeper. Only change for us was on he heat. I used half of the pepper, everything else the same. I now keep coconut milk in my pantry. Thanks Jen for another winner.
This is one of my favorite recipes! You can make this so quickly and it tastes like restaurant quality! Don’t be afraid to make something a little off the beaten path!
To be honest, I’ve become a bit obsessed with Jenn’s recipes. One of my passions is cooking and discovering new recipes and flavors. Since I found Jenn’s blog, I feel bad for all the other great cooks out there with their own blogs, because unless Jenn doesn’t have a particular recipe on her blog or in her cookbook, I don’t even give them a second glance. I haven’t left reviews on the many recipes I’ve tried and loved, but thought it was time I corrected that. Thai food in general is my favorite type of food to eat. This particular Red Curry Thai Chicken is amazing. The chicken comes out very tender every time and the flavors are outstanding. The first time I made it my husband commented it needed to go on our regular rotation…and it has! Thanks Jenn!
I agree Nicole. I too find Jenn’s Recipes are my “go to” ones. I can’t count how many times I’ve talked to friends about her recipes and don’t bother with any others unless it’s absolutely necessary. I can count on Jenn’s to be good
🙂
I agree! I don’t think I’ve found another site that has as many great recipes! I also really like that many of Jenn’s recipes are 4 servings. I live alone and 4 servings are just about right for dinner and leftovers.
Just made this for dinner. My husband said it’s the best curry I’ve ever made! Thank you!!
So good
So good and so easy! Made exactly as written:)
Easy and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight cooking. Delicious and flavourful!
Incredibly good! Better than Thai takeout, that’s for sure 🙂 Thanks for another winning dinner. The whole family ate this and quickly!!
This is an absolutely delicious dish that I’ve made several times and it always tastes magnificent. Gently poaching ensures the most tender chicken imaginable. The only change I’ve recently made is leaving the jalapeño out. The red curry still gives you enough heat but either way you can’t go wrong. Enjoy!
Fabulous easy recipe and the sauce is delicious!! Used shrimp instead of chicken and added tofu and some steamed green beans. A keeper!!
This recipe was amazing! I added red pepper and zucchini raw after I cooked the chicken for a couple minutes and that didn’t seem to have any negative effects. I also used a different brand of red curry paste, mae anong, and found it a lot more flavorful than the thai kitchen. Overall, great, easy recipe.
Hi Jen,
What veggies would you use to make it a vegetarian plate? Broccoli, carrots, red pepper, zucchini, etc…? They should all work right?
Hi Janelle, Yes, I think all those veggies should work (and if you like mushrooms, they would be a good addition too). I’d love to hear how it turns out! 🙂
Second time I have made this. The sauce (even without jalapeños and fish sauce to make it kid friendly) is delicious. The chicken itself is pretty bland. Any suggestion for how to marinade for more flavor?
Hi JoAnn, while the sauce has plenty of salty flavor due to the fish sauce, you could amp up the flavor of the chicken by sprinkling it with some salt and freshly ground pepper before adding it to the pan to cook. 🙂