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Thai Red Chicken Curry
Flavorful, red curry-spiced chicken curry is way better than any restaurant and you save so much by making it at home!
We eat A LOT of curry in our home! I went through a time in my life that I was on a dairy-free and gluten-free diet and had to be creative in the kitchen. I discovered such a love for Thai food and it became one of our favorite types of food.
I have been making a Red Chicken Curry for years and my son couldn’t believe I haven’t posted it yet on Modern Honey. It is about time! This Chicken Curry is all about layers of flavor. It has a touch of spice from red chilies with a rich creaminess from coconut milk and a slight tang from fresh lime. The base of this red chicken curry is onion, garlic, jalapeno, and red curry paste.
What ingredients are in Red Curry Paste?
The ingredients in red curry paste are usually a combination of spices such as red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallot, coriander, and kaffir lime peel.
To add creaminess to this chicken curry, I suggest using full-fat canned coconut milk. This is what adds a decadent creaminess to the curry.
This homemade chicken curry can be made in less than 20 minutes and can be served with white rice or buttery naan bread. I usually top it with thai basil or cilantro to add some freshness. It is such a warm, comforting comfort food and perfect for this time of year!
How to make the Best Thai Red Chicken Curry:
- Start by sauteeing onion and jalapeno in oil until they begin to soften — about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. You want to keep from cooking the garlic too long or it can become bitter.
- Add FULL-FAT canned coconut milk. You can find this in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. Stir in red curry paste, chicken broth, fish sauce (can be omitted), brown sugar, and fresh lime zest. Reduce heat and add-in boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces. Let the chicken begin to cook in the simmering sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, feel free to add 1/4 cup more of chicken broth.
- Add either Thai basil or chopped cilantro to the sauce as it finishes cooking and thickening up. This adds so much freshness!
- Serve with white rice or buttery naan bread.
If you love Thai food, check out these popular Thai recipes:
Coconut Curry Noodle Bowls
Coconut Chickpea Curry
Coconut Cauliflower Curry
Thai Chicken Noodles
Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
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Thai Red Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1/2 large Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeno (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (finely diced)
- (1) 14-ounce can Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk
- 1/4 cup Red Curry Paste (may add 1 Tablespoon more for extra flavor)
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth*
- 1 1/2 lbs. Chicken Breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lime Zest (from one lime)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Chili Garlic Sauce (optional but adds flavor)
- 1/4 cup Thai Basil or Cilantro (chopped)
- Jasmine Rice
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeno and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add coconut milk, red curry paste, chicken broth, chicken breast, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
- Stir in lime zest, salt, pepper, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce (if adding) and basil or cilantro. Taste for seasonings. If you desired a thinner sauce, add 1/4 cup more chicken broth.
- Serve over white rice and top with more Thai basil or cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really tasty and very quick and easy to make. Next time I will add broccoli and red peppers to make it a more complete dish. I also upped the chicken to 2 1/2 lbs and there was plenty of sauce to accomodate this.
Fabulous. Easy to make. Seems like a lot of ingredients but there is only minimal prep. It was a little watery to me so I added a little cornstarch (1tsp) to the broth. I don’t like very spicy food but I used a little more of the garlic chili. GREAT.
So easy and flavorful