Easy Thai Red Curry Chicken
Thai red curry chicken is always one of the first dishes that comes to mind when I think about Thai food. It’s bold, rich, creamy, a little spicy, and packed with flavor. You can easily switch up the protein and vegetables depending on what you have, which makes it such a great weeknight meal. 🙂
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I rarely order Thai red curry anymore because it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. With a good store-bought Thai red curry paste, it comes together in about 30 minutes and tastes just like something you’d order at your favorite Thai restaurant. Serve it over hot jasmine rice so the rice can soak up all that delicious creamy red curry sauce.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. You can use chicken, shrimp, tofu, or fish, change the vegetables depending on what’s in season, and adjust the spice level to suit your family.
What Thai Red Curry Paste Should I Use?
This Thai red curry recipe is made with red curry paste. The paste typically contains red chilies along with aromatics and spices such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and makrut lime.
The curry paste gives the dish its deep flavor and signature red-orange color. While freshly made curry paste is amazing, but realistically, I don’t always have all of those ingredients at home. A good store-bought Thai red curry paste is one of my pantry staples and makes this recipe incredibly easy.
Different brands can vary quite a bit in both saltiness and spice level. The brands I buy most often are Maesri and Aroy-D. If you prefer a milder curry, start with 2 tablespoons of curry paste and add more to taste.
Since both curry paste and fish sauce are salty, it’s always a good idea to taste the curry toward the end before adding any extra fish sauce or salt.
Ingredients in Thai Red Curry Chicken
This Thai red curry is also a great fridge-cleaning meal for me. Use whatever protein you have on hand, add any vegetables that need to be used up, and even frozen veggies work well. Most of the flavor comes from simple pantry staples, so it’s easy to make without a special grocery trip.
- Chicken: I love using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for curry because they stay tender and juicy, even after simmering in the sauce. Chicken breast also works perfectly well if you prefer a leaner option.
- Other proteins: You can also substitute other mild proteins, because they let the coconut, chili, and aromatic flavors of the red curry remain the star of the dish. The best ones are:
- Shrimp
- White fish
- Tofu
- Thai Red Curry Paste: I used a store-bought curry paste for this recipe. Different brands can vary quite a bit in spice level, so start with 2 tablespoons for a milder curry and add more to taste.
- Coconut Milk: full-fat coconut milk gives the curry a rich, creamy consistency and helps balance the heat from the curry paste.
- Garlic and Ginger: fresh garlic and ginger create an extra aromatic base for the curry. Many Thai red curry pastes already contain garlic and other aromatics, but I still love sautéing fresh garlic and ginger first for an extra layer of flavor.
- Fish Sauce: Fish sauce adds saltiness, savory depth, and umami to the curry. Taste the finished curry and add more if needed, especially if you’re using less curry paste.
- Brown Sugar: Thai red curry is traditionally made with palm sugar, but brown sugar is a more accessible substitute and works really well here. A small amount helps balance the spice, saltiness, and richness of the curry.
- Makrut Lime Leaves: Makrut lime leaves, sometimes sold as kaffir lime leaves, add a bright, citrusy aroma that makes the curry especially fragrant. Optional, but highly recommended!
- Thai Basil: it has a slightly peppery, almost anise-like flavor that works beautifully with coconut curry. If you can’t find it, regular basil works too, or you can simply leave it out.
- Vegetables: I’m using: red bell pepper, snow peas, and bamboo shoots. Other great options include:
- Green beans
- Snap peas
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Baby corn
- Thai eggplant
- Carrots
How to Make Thai Red Curry Chicken
1. Sauté the Garlic and Ginger: Over medium heat, heat coconut oil (or neutral oil) in a large skillet. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic brown too much.
2. Bloom the Red Curry Paste: Add the Thai red curry paste to the pan. Use a spatula to break up the paste and cook it with the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes.
Cooking, or “blooming,” the curry paste in oil before adding the coconut milk helps release its aromatics and gives the finished curry a deeper, more developed flavor.
3. Make the Coconut Curry Sauce: Pour in the coconut milk and ¼ cup water. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, and makrut lime leaves. Stir everything together and bring the curry to a gentle simmer.
4. Add the Chicken: Spread the sliced chicken out in an even layer, making sure it’s fully submerged in the sauce. Turn to low heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is almost fully cooked.
5. Adjust the Seasoning: Taste the curry sauce and add more fish sauce or salt to your desired saltiness. If the sauce has reduced too much, add a splash of water.
6. Add the Vegetables: Add the red bell pepper, snow peas, and cooked bamboo shoots. Continue simmering for about 2 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still have a little bite.
6. Finish With Thai Basil: Stir in the fresh Thai basil and turn off the heat. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.
Thai Red Curry Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs or chicken breast, boneless skinless, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- ¼ cup Thai red curry paste or 2 tbsp for a milder curry
- 1 can coconut milk 13.5 oz / 400 ml, preferably full-fat
- ¼ cup water plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
- 2 tsp fish sauce plus more to taste
- 6 makrut lime leaves optional
- ½ red bell pepper sliced
- 4 oz snow peas trimmed
- 4 oz bamboo shoots cooked or canned, drained and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves loosely packed, optional; substitute with regular basil leaves
- Steamed jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the Garlic and Ginger: Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic brown.
- Bloom the Red Curry Paste: Add the Thai red curry paste. Use a spatula to break it up and cook with the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes.
- Make the Coconut Curry Sauce: Pour in the coconut milk and ¼ cup water. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, and makrut lime leaves. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the Chicken: Spread the sliced chicken into an even layer, making sure it is fully submerged in the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is almost fully cooked.
- Adjust the Seasoning: Taste the curry sauce and add more fish sauce or salt to your desired saltiness. If the sauce has reduced too much, add a splash of water.
- Add the Vegetables: Add the red bell pepper, snow peas, and bamboo shoots. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp.
- Finish With Thai Basil: Stir in the Thai basil and turn off the heat. Serve immediately with hot steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- Adjust the curry paste: Start with 2 tbsp for a milder curry, or use up to ¼ cup for more heat and flavor.
- Bloom the curry paste: Cooking it in oil before adding coconut milk helps deepen the flavor.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables: Add them near the end so they stay colorful and slightly crisp.
- Add Thai basil last: Stir it in after cooking to preserve its fresh aroma.
- Taste before salting: Curry paste and fish sauce are already salty, so adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Substitutions: Shrimp, tofu, or mild white fish can replace the chicken. You can also use green beans, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, or frozen vegetables.
