This Coconut Chicken Curry tastes like your favorite take-out and is easy to make at home. No heavy cream is required!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This one-pot recipe features tender chicken cooked in a dairy-free sauce. It cooks fastest when you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you would rather use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, that will work, too, but you may need to cook them a little longer.
Paired with yellow onion and sliced carrots, this coconut curry chicken dish is pretty family-friendly. (My daughter always runs into the kitchen and asks what that *amazing* smell is when I’m making this.)
If you would rather use bell peppers, sweet potato, or broccoli, feel free to add any other veggies you love.
How to Make Coconut Chicken Curry
Drizzle olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Saute 1 cup of yellow onion and two carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces. (I like half-moon shapes, but diced will work, too.)
Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion looks translucent. Next, add 3 cloves of finely minced garlic and 1-inch of fresh ginger. Mince both of these using a microplane to evenly distribute the flavor.
Add 4 teaspoons of curry powder (I use Simply Organic brand) and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Stir briefly to toast the spices, about 1 minute.
Next, add one 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, one 15-ounce can of coconut milk, and one teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir well, then place the chicken thighs in the pan. The chicken should be about halfway submerged in the sauce.
Chicken Tip
Feel free to use chicken breasts if you prefer. Cook them whole, as directed here, or cut them into 1-inch pieces for faster cooking.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pot with a lid and cook until the chicken is tender about 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll know the chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reaches 165ºF in the thickest part of the thigh.
When the chicken is cooked, use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board. Shred it with two forks, or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the sauce and add chopped cilantro, a tablespoon of maple syrup, and fresh lime juice.
Tomato notes
If you can’t find a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, use diced tomatoes with the juices, instead. In this case, there will be visible chunks of tomatoes in the sauce. (Alternatively, you can pour the whole can of diced tomatoes into a blender and quickly pulverize them for a thicker sauce.)
Season with additional salt, if needed. Then, serve this coconut chicken curry warm over a bed of cooked basmati rice or cauliflower rice. It’s also perfect for dipping with naan bread.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Looking for more curry recipes? Try Salmon Curry, Chicken Curry Soup, Sweet Potato Lentil Curry, or Thai Chickpea Curry.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 2 carrots , peeled and sliced ¼-inch thin
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
- 4 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup fresh cilantro , roughly chopped & large stems removed
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Preheat a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Once the surface is hot, add the olive oil and cook the onion and carrots until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and cumin and stir for one more minute, just until they smell fragrant.
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Pour the can of crushed tomatoes with the juices and the can of coconut milk into the pan. Season with one teaspoon of salt, then stir until the coconut solids have melted. Place the chicken thighs in the liquid, sprinkle another teaspoon of salt over the tops, and bring the mixture to a boil.
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Once the liquid is bubbling, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until each chicken thigh reaches 165ºF in the thickest part according to an instant-read thermometer.
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Use tongs to carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then return it to the pot. Season the sauce with lime juice, maple syrup, cilantro, and additional salt if needed. (I usually start with another ½ teaspoon, but this will vary based on the type of salt you use and your taste buds.)
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Serve this coconut chicken curry over a bed of cooked rice and garnish with extra cilantro, if you like.
Chicken Note: I use chicken thighs for faster cooking, but you can swap chicken breasts if you prefer. Cooking whole chicken breasts may take longer, but you can cut them into 1-inch pieces to speed up the cooking time.
Crushed Tomatoes Note: I use crushed tomatoes that are not salted. If the can you have is salted, start with less salt than this recipe calls for and season to taste. If you can’t find a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, use diced tomatoes instead. (Pour them into a blender along with their juices and quickly pulverize for a blended texture.)
Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 1098mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5521IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 7mg
If you try this Coconut Curry Chicken recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.
