Thai Red Curry Chicken
Thai Red Curry Chicken made easily with curry paste, chicken, and your favorite vegetables. A one pot meal that’s easy and ready in 30 minutes.
Once a week I have a curry dinner on rotation since they are easy to make and you can customize the curry with any protein or vegetable you have available.
If you prefer just meat, try this Beef Panang Curry for a hearty meal.
What are the Different Types of Curry Paste?
Store bought curry paste can differ pretty significantly in flavor, so I’ll go over a few common ones and my favorite ones to use.
Thai Kitchen Brand– This curry paste is widely found in most local grocery stores. It’s also one of the mild curry pastes in terms of flavor and spice. I would use this brand as a last resort if you can’t get to an Asian market or order on Amazon.
My 2 preferred brands, in terms of authentic Thai curry flavors, are Mae Ploy and Maesri Brand.
Fair warning, both of these brands are spicy. So start with 1 tablespoon of curry paste and add more later if you need it to be spicer.
Store leftover curry paste in a zip top bag in the freezer, it will last longer frozen. I like to portion it out into 2 Tbs portions in a snack size bag, that way I don’t have to measure it out when I need to make curry.
How to Make Red Curry Chicken
Now that we know what kind of curry paste to use, let’s go over the coconut milk. I prefer to use canned full fat coconut milk. It’s creamier and doesn’t make the curry taste watery.
To make red curry with chicken, start by adding some oil to a large pot or saute pan with lid. Then add the curry paste and start breaking it up into the oil.
Add sliced chicken breast or sliced beef or pork. If the pan gets too dry while the meat is cooking then add a splash of coconut milk.
Once the meat is cooked, add in your veggies, then coconut milk. Place the lid on and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
At this point you want to taste the curry and see if more curry paste is needed or you can add fish sauce to make it saltier. If it needs to be sweeter, add coconut sugar or white sugar.
If it’s too spicy you can try adding a little bit of water or more coconut milk to dilute the spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curry is a great make ahead type of meal and leftovers can be store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Curry can also be frozen in freezer safe bags or containers for up to 2 months.
Shake the can well, then empty the coconut milk into a glass measuring cup. If it is clumpy, microwave it for 30 seconds then stir to break up the clumps. When adding the coconut milk to the curry, keep the heat on medium low and slowly add it in while stirring at the same time.
When making the curry, don’t leave it cooking on the stove too long, to where the vegetables get soggy. This way when you re-heat the curry it will still have some crunch to them.
I like to portion the curry out into small containers, and then reheat throughout the week for a quick lunch.
Check out these other Curry Recipes:
Red Curry Cod, Yellow Curry, Green Curry Shrimp, Pad Prik Khing
Thai Red Curry Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Coconut oil or avocado, vegetable oil.
- 1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry paste If using Mae Ploy or Maesri Curry pastes, start with 1. If using the Thai Kitchen Brand, you'll need more for a stronger flavor.
- 1 pound Chicken Breast Sliced into small pieces
- 1 cup Broccoli Florets
- 1 cup Baby Carrots Sliced them or leave them whole
- 8 ounce Can Sliced Bamboo Drained and Rinsed
- 2 13.5 oz Cans of Coconut Milk I always use full fat
- 1-2 teaspoon Thai Fish sauce Start with one and taste, then add more if needed
- 1-2 Thai Chili’s Taste curry first, if more spice is desired then add chili’s
- Thai lime leaves and Thai basil for garnish Optional
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large pot with a lid over medium high heat. Add curry paste and stir in oil until it becomes fragrant. About 1 minute.
- Add chicken breast and coat with curry paste, cook thoroughly. If it's getting too dry, add a splash of coconut milk and continue cooking.
- After chicken is cooked, add broccoli, baby carrots, and bamboo shoots. Stir to coat all veggies in the curry paste.
- Add both cans of coconut milk and give it a good stir. Close lid and bring to a light boil, then stir and reduce heat to simmer until veggies become tender. About 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat, taste, and see if it needs more fish sauce, chili peppers, or more curry paste. Garnish with Thai lime leaves (cut into thin strips) and Thai Basil if available.
- Serve hot with rice, noodles, cauliflower rice, or zoodles for low carb option.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
