Coconut Chicken Curry
This coconut chicken curry is a rich, flavorful one-pot meal that comes together quickly without sacrificing depth. Aromatics like garlic and ginger are gently toasted with curry spices, then simmered with coconut milk to create a creamy, balanced sauce. Tender chicken and red bell peppers soak up the flavors, while a squeeze of lime and optional fish sauce add brightness and savory depth. Ready in about 30 minutes, this curry is perfect for busy weeknights when you still want something comforting and homemade.
Servings 4 people
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
Basic Velveting
For every pound of meat, you will need
- 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
Velvet The Chicken
- 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.
Instructions
- 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.