Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk (and Potatoes)
This Chicken Curry with Coconut milk and Potatoes is creamy and comforting yet light and so flavorful. All you need is one pot and 40 minutes to make this easy, healthy, family-friendly recipe. Use potatoes, bell peppers, or whatever veggies you’ve got on hand. No curry paste required!
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“We are IN LOVE with this recipe! It is such a delectable and warm blend of flavours; pure comfort food for me! Thank you Izzah for this simple and delicious addition to our menu!”
Naba
Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
This Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk is less Thai and more South Asian in that the spices and method are similar to a Pakistani and North Indian Chicken Curry. There’s no curry paste, just an onion-tomato base and a handful of spices.
But, the bit of browning the onions and scouring the spice cabinet will be worth it because this curry is deeply flavorful and spicy (not Thai-hot spicy but the more muted, South Asian-style spicy) while still being light and bright.
The coconut milk and yogurt add a layer of creaminess, giving it an almost korma-like vibe.
Ingredient Notes
- Refined coconut oil – For its flavor, aroma, and ability to withstand a higher cooking temperature. Substitute with any neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
- Spices – A few whole spices & the rest are commonly used ground spices such as coriander and cumin. Omit any you don’t have on hand.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger – The mirepoix of South Asian curries. Fresh is best but you can substitute garlic or ginger paste.
- Green chili pepper – I use Serrano or Thai/bird’s eye green chili peppers. Adds subtle heat and aroma.
- Red or green bell pepper – Optional. Try peas, snow peas, carrots, or whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- Boneless chicken – Because the chicken needs to simmer with the potatoes, it helps to use chicken thighs, which can simmer for longer without drying out. Chicken breast will also be fine. Just be sure to cut the potatoes in small cubes!
- Unsweetened full-fat coconut milk – For essential creamy, coconutty flavor.
- Yogurt – Adds dimension and a gentle tang but not 100% necessary. I’ve heard from many who’ve skipped to make it dairy-free and still loved it.
- Cilantro (coriander leaves) – Gotta love an herbaceous finish.
- Lime or lemon – Optional. Lately I’ve loved a squeeze of lemon or lime to brighten it the curry.
How to Make Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
- Infuse the oil with whole spices and sauté the onion until it’s lightly browned.
- Cook off some rawness from the garlic and ginger, then throw in the green chili pepper and tomatoes. Sauté until the tomatoes soften.
- Add the potatoes and bell pepper (or veggies of choice), all the ground spices, and salt.
- Stir well before adding the chicken.
- Increase the heat and sauté the chicken until no longer pink.
- Pour in the coconut milk and yogurt, then cover and simmer the curry for about 20 minutes. Everything will cook through in the warming, coconutty flavors.
- Finish off with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lime or lemon, if desired.
- Serve hot with white basmati rice, which serves as the perfect blank canvas to soak up the sauce and absorb its flavors.
Variations
This recipe can take well to many adaptations (just read the comments!).
- To thicken – Either use less coconut milk (~1 cup), cook partially covered, or sauté down the coconut milk at the end.
- Extra spicy – My favorite memory of this dish is from before my kids would dictate the spice-level of my recipes. I loved it with a full teaspoon of chili flakes.
- For stronger tomato flavor – Use a bit of tomato paste or tomato sauce along with the tomato.
- Add body – Use a variety of veggies or even chickpeas!
Leftover idea: Use leftover curry as the liquid to cook rice for a gently spiced coconut flavored pulao (rice).
More Chicken Curry Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Tandoori Chicken Curry
- Authentic Chicken Curry (Chicken Salan)
- Authentic Chicken Korma
- Butter Chicken
- 20-Minute Coconut Lime Chicken Curry
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment and/or a photo and telling me how it was! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk and Potatoes
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, or any neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 small (~2 inch) cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom pods, optional
- 1 medium (~220 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 inch (~1/2 tbsp) piece ginger, crushed
- 1 green chili pepper, slit in half lengthwise
- 1 medium Vine or Roma tomato, chopped
- 1 medium to large (~280 g) russet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes (See Note 1)
- 1 green or red bell pepper, cubed into 1" squares (optional)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 – 1 tsp red chilli flakes, See Note 2
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1″cubes
- 1 14-oz can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt, omit for dairy-free
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
- lime or lemon slices, optional, for serving
Equipment
- Large sauté pan or nonstick pan with lid
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods, if using. Let these spices sizzle and immediately add the onions. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned. If needed, deglaze the pan with 1-2 tbsp of water and allow the water to evaporate.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds or until the raw smell disappears. Add the green chili pepper and tomato and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the tomatoes become soft. Add the potato, bell pepper (if using), spice powders (coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and red chili flakes), and salt and stir to mix.
- Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken changes color. Add the coconut milk and yogurt and bring the mixture to a light boil.
- Lower the heat to low-medium, cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Uncover and raise the heat to allow the sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes, if desired.
- Taste and adjust salt and seasoning. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with white basmati rice and lime or lemon, if desired.
61 Comments on “Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk (and Potatoes)”
This was great! I couldn’t get boneless chicken thigh for another recipe at the regular grocery store, so I ended up with several portions of frozen thighs from Costco. I was looking for something to do with them, other than the one recipe I have. I generally have all the needed spices on hand (although my whole cardamoms did require digging out), so I used everything, although on the lower end of heat. Hubby said it really reminded him of a massaman curry without the peanuts, so it will definitely go in the meal rotation.
Thank you for sharing Heidi! Glad to hear you were able to make the curry work with the ingredients you had 🙂
Tasty and easy. I also liked making the curry spice mix, as opposed to buying it.
Thank you for sharing! So happy to hear you enjoyed the Chicken Curry 🙂
Hi, Izzah! Would this meal be just as flavorful using regular spices in place of the whole spices? Like increase the ground cardamom and ground cumin and add ground cinnamon?
Hi Michelle! Great question – Increasing ground cumin is a sure greenlight. I’d keep ground cinnamon and cardamom at bare minimum here, if not omit altogether. I’m not sure how those two would play with the other spices in this context.
So delicious! The underlying recipe and approach is so good, and even better because it is adaptable. I used carrots and peas because I had them on hand, and added a little garam masala and fenugreek leaves at the end and served over farro. Yum! Thank you – I’m so glad I discovered your site!
Another fantastic recipe from Tea For Turmeric!! My family absolutely loved this curry. Warmly spiced and nourishing – this is a hit! I kept the cover off for the entire cook time to achieve a slightly thicker result. Perfect.
That’s wonderful to hear Greg! Thank you for sharing 🙂
In your Coconut chicken curry recipe you recommend: 3 14-oz can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk. Is it 3 and 1/4 oz coconut milk OR 3 – 14 oz cans?
Hi Bernard, The original recipe used ONE 14 oz can of coconut milk. Are you trying to triple the recipe? I think perhaps that is were you are seeing the ‘3’. In that case, if tripling the recipe you would need three cans of 14 oz coconut milk. Hope that makes it more clear.
Yet another beautifully explained recipe! Your recipes make me …..want to……cook.. Before, it was a chore… Thank You Izzah!
Your comment truly means so much to me, Francis..that I can in some small way enhance lives. Thank you for taking the time to share.♥️
I swapped out the potatoes and green pepper for taro and edamame, and it was SO good. Thank you for the recipe! I’m looking forward to the rest of the week so I can eat the rest of the yummy leftovers.
Hi Jess, Love the changes you made! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I really enjoyed making this dish. This was the first time I ever used green peppers. The dish came out really well and impressed my wife’s family. This dish is I’ll definitely be on my repeat and comfort food list. Best part was that it’s so easy to prepare and make. Exquisite!!!
Thrilled to hear that, Sahil. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t know what to say without repeating myself from other comments I’ve made. We did this recipe two nights ago and it was superb. Your recipes occupy 2 spots on the calendar every week.
Another 5 star and a heart!
Truly honored! Thank you so much!!!