This coconut chicken curry recipe is crazy delicious! The coconut milk and subtle heat of the curry make the perfect combination.

This meal? It was crazy delicious. Not only did it taste incredible but as it was cooking, my house smelled like curry heaven (actually it smelled like that for days after – potent ingredients!).

Honest to goodness, I hoarded the leftovers and sent my husband to work with PB&J and ate this for lunch for three days and I still wasn’t tired of it.

Brown rice top with cubed chicken and coconut curry sauce.

The flavors are utterly amazing – the sweet coconut milk and subtle heat of the curry made the perfect combination.

I omitted the cayenne and used paprika, which was perfect for my family since we like the low-end of spiciness. Initially, I was skeptical about the potatoes, but oh my, I think their velvety goodness was my favorite part of the dish.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this meal could easily make it in a weekly meal rotation and I would love it every time.

If you have never made curry or swear you don’t like it, give this one a try – I can almost guarantee it will make you a fan.

What to Serve With This

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Coconut Chicken Curry

4.65 stars (34 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat
  • ½ onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, Italian style
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • Hot cooked Jasmine rice or brown rice

Instructions 

  • Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don’t let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook 7-9 minutes more or until onions are very clear.
  • Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through or nearly cooked through (it will continue to simmer in the next step).
  • Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine.
  • Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes. The sauce thickens slightly upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner), too.
  • Serve with Jasmine rice (or your favorite rice) and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Crockpot: often, I make this dish right up to the step where you are supposed to let it simmer for 40 minutes. At that point, I pour it all in my crockpot and let it sit at low heat for 4-5 hours to finish up cooking. This means I can make it earlier in the day and have a fuss-free dinnertime when the kids are running around trying to beat each other up with wooden spoons while I get dinner on the table.
Frozen Chicken: in a serious pinch, I have also put all of the ingredients in the crockpot with frozen chicken breasts and let it cook on low for 8-9 hours. An hour before serving I pull out the chicken and shred it, then add it back in. This method also works really well.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 497kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 948mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g

Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Favorite Family Recipes