Coconut Chicken Curry is so good you'll lick your plate! This easy and flavorful chicken dinner recipe will be on the table in 30 minutes. Skip take out for this craveable dish instead.
One of my very favorite dishes to order at Thai restaurants is curry. Thick, creamy, saucy, and craveable — curry = comfort food.
I’m thrilled to tell you that yes, you CAN make curry at home! Coconut Chicken Curry is saucy, incredibly delicious, and – most importantly – EASY. Made using 1 skillet in 30 minutes with everyday ingredients, it’s truly so delicious that you’ll lick your bowl clean.
It is ALL about the coconut curry sauce, which definitely falls into “spoon drink-worthy” category. Serve with Gluten Free Flatbread to sop it all up!
Main Ingredients Needed
Raid the fridge and pantry for the items needed to make homemade coconut curry. Here are the main ingredients:
- Chicken breast: chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Curry powder: no need to make your own curry blend. I love McCormick Curry Powder.
- Fresh ginger, shallot, and garlic: bring big, bold, restaurant-flavor to your curry. Use a microplane to finely grate the ginger.
- Full fat coconut milk: full fat coconut milk vs lite is needed for a supremely creamy and flavorful curry.
- Coconut sugar: use white sugar or honey if you don’t have coconut sugar on hand.
- Ground turmeric: lends a bright yellow color to the curry.
- Broccoli florets: I always order curry at restaurants with extra vegetables so feel free to add carrots, chopped peppers, snap peas, mushrooms, etc.
- Cooked white rice: for soaking up all that luscious coconut curry sauce.
Try Chicken Pad Thai
How to Make This Recipe
Start by melting coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped chicken breasts then season with curry powder, salt, and white pepper then saute until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate then set it aside.
Turn the heat down to medium then add more coconut oil. Once the coconut oil has melted, add chopped shallot then saute until tender, 2-3 minutes. Next add freshly grated ginger and garlic then saute until very fragrant, 1 minute.
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Pin ItAdd full-fat coconut milk, more curry powder, coconut sugar, ground turmeric, salt, and white pepper then whisk to combine.
Turn the heat up to high to bring the sauce to a simmer then add broccoli florets, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium, and steam the broccoli for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid then add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and continue simmering until the broccoli is crisp-tender, and the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced, 1-2 more minutes. Add a drizzle of fresh lime juice then stir to combine.
Scoop the luscious mixture over cooked white rice then serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro. Grab your fork then dive in (and seriously no judgment if — make that WHEN — you lick you plate clean!) Enjoy!
More Easy Thai-Inspired Recipes
- Thai Sweet Potato Curry
- Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Sesame Peanut Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and white pepper
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon curry powder, divided
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, from a 1” piece of fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar, or white sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- chopped fresh cilantro
- cooked white rice, for serving
Directions
- Melt 1 Tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken then season with salt, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Saute the chicken until cooked through then remove to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium then melt remaining 1 Tablespoon coconut oil in skillet. Add the shallot then saute until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic then saute until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, turmeric powder, remaining Tablespoon curry powder, salt, and white pepper then whisk until smooth.
- Turn the heat up to high to bring the coconut milk to a simmer then add the broccoli florets. Cover the skillet with a lid then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the lid then add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and continue to simmer until the broccoli is crisp-tender and the sauce has slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Squeeze in a bit of fresh lime juice then taste and add more salt and/or white pepper if necessary. Serve over cooked rice with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Looks delicious!! Is it spicy??
Nope, not at all! You could saute chopped jalapenos if you want to add some spice.
GREAT!
Fantastic to hear, Melissa!!
Made this tonight and LOVED it. Used sugar snap peas instead of broccoli and it was great. (I’m a little broccoli’d out!). Thanks for another great recipe!
Totally get it, and I love snap peas in my curry too!
Third time cooking this great recipe. So delish. Serve with chutney, raisins, black olives shredded coconut or whatever. Over rice or noodles.
Love the chutney idea!! I’ll definitely be borrowing that. ;) So glad you enjoy the dish so much!
My family loves this! I had a sneaking suspicion that coconut rice would push it over the edge. I was right. It’s the perfect addition if you’re wanting a bit more of the coconut punch! I used jasmine rice, a bit of salt, sugar, and full fat coconut milk.
YUM! Love that idea, Heather!!
I love this recipe, delicious and easy. I like to add various other veggies I have on hand too, like cauliflower and raw green beans. This recipe reminds me so much of my favorite dish at my favorite resort in Jamaica. Great job!
Oh I LOVE hearing this, Rebecca! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I made this tonight but subbed bell pepper and peas for the broccoli. Delicious and so quick and easy! This would be a great clean out the fridge kind of meal!
Yes, totally! SO glad you enjoyed it, Hilary! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I’ve made this about 5 times in the last 2 weeks. :-) I’m going to try to double it this weekend for some easy, prepped lunches! Sooooo good.
I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear this!! So glad you love the recipe, Kelsey!
I love this recipe! So glad I found you. I was diagnosed with Celiac in Oct 2016 and was needing some new inspiration in the kitchen. I love love curry so I added a LOT to this recipe – also subbed the broccoli for peas, a variety of bell peppers and an onion because it makes it a copy cat recipe for a restaurant’s version I love :) Excited to try more of your GF recipes – thank you for having this blog!
Thank you so much for your review of the recipe, Rachel! So, so glad you liked it and that this site can be a resource for you. :) Let me know if you ever have a recipe request!
I made this last week and served it to my adult daughter. We both really loved it. I messed up and didn’t put the tablespoon of curry powder, so I added it at the end. Eat it all up as the broccoli wasn’t so great after being reheated the next day.
Thanks for your feedback, Janet!
How would you recommend adapting this for a freezer meal?
Is that one lb of chicken
Anywhere from 12-16oz is just fine in this recipe.
Did you use frozen broccoli or fresh? What works best?
I used and prefer fresh to frozen!