There’s something about coconut chicken curry that feels like it should take all afternoon — layers of spice, creamy sauce, depth of flavor. But it doesn’t have to.
This version keeps things practical. Garlic and ginger bloom in warm coconut oil. Curry paste and spices toast just enough to wake everything up. Then coconut milk rolls in and smooths it all out. The result? A rich, balanced sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours — but didn’t.
Velveting the chicken gives it that restaurant-style tenderness, but even without the full Chinese water-velveting step, you’ll still get incredible texture. It’s weeknight-friendly, but it eats like something special.
Serve it over rice, spoon it into a bowl, and finish with lime and herbs. If you like bold, comforting flavors, you’ll also love:
Different flavor profiles. Same calm, confident cooking.
Savor the process, and thanks for cooking with us. Check out our other recipes. Visit us on Pinterest
Coconut Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- ½ medium yellow onion diced (½ cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1½ teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste Reduce or increase based on desired spice level
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (not lite)
- 1 lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce optional
- ¼ cup cilantro and/or basil diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts or cashews optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt omit if using soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons water-based liquid, such as shaoxing wine, marin, sake, soy sauce, broth. I normally use marin
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix all velvet marinade ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth and lump-free.
- Place the meat in a bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain well through a strainer, pressing out excess water. Add the meat to the marinade and stir vigorously for 30 seconds. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- To velvet the Chinese way, there is another step. You can velvet in water or oil. I normally don't do that because going this far provides excellent results. We'll cover that in a future post.
- Prep the ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic and ginger, and slice the red bell pepper into thin strips, then cut them in half.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, add the curry powder, red curry paste, and coriander, and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and the bell pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes, until the chicken is browned but not fully cooked.
- Stir in the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and brown sugar (start with 1 tablespoon). Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in fish sauce, if using, and adjust seasoning to taste.
