Thai Coconut Chicken Curry
Fragrant coconut curry with tender chicken thighs and crisp green vegetables. Weeknight-friendly, restaurant-good.
This curry leans on fragrant, comforting flavor and a cook time of about half an hour, making it an easy weeknight default. A good jar of Thai curry paste does most of the heavy lifting, turning the dish into more assembly than actual cooking.
Chicken thighs are the better choice here since they stay tender simmered in the sauce. Chicken breast can work too, but it needs closer attention to avoid overcooking.
Ingredients
- 600g (1⅓ lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2cm piece ginger, grated
- 3 tablespoons Thai red or green curry paste
- 1 × 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
- 200ml (¾ cup) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 200g green beans, trimmed
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- Juice of ½ lime
- Fresh basil or coriander, to serve
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large deep pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and sear in a single layer for 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove to a plate.
- Lower the heat, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then the curry paste for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then return the chicken and add the fish sauce and sugar.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the beans and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Squeeze in the lime, scatter with basil, and serve over jasmine rice.
Cooking tips
- Full-fat coconut milk is non-negotiable. Light versions split and taste watery.
- Fry the curry paste for a full minute in the oil — that's what wakes up the spices.
- Any firm vegetable works: broccoli florets, snap peas, baby corn. Add tender greens like spinach only at the very end.
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