Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe for Weeknight Dinners

Coconut Curry Chicken is a quick, easy dinner that’s creamy, comforting, and perfect for spooning over rice. It comes together in about 30 minutes and pairs well with rice, pasta, crusty bread or your favorite sides.

This recipe has been a hit with family—my daughters and friends all loved the sauce. It’s reliable, flavorful, and simple enough for weekday dinners.

Ingredients For Coconut Curry Chicken

• Chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless thighs are recommended for their flavor and juiciness; chicken breasts can be used if preferred.
• Coconut milk. Use a good-quality, unsweetened full-fat coconut milk for a rich, creamy sauce.
• Onion. About 1 cup chopped onion to build the base flavor.
• Garlic. Several cloves, minced, to deepen the savory flavor.
• Ginger. Freshly grated is ideal, but ground ginger works in a pinch.
• Tomato paste. Adds color and a touch of umami.
• Curry powder. Use a quality curry powder for the best flavor.
• Chicken bouillon powder. Optional but adds extra depth.
• White pepper. Preferred for its milder, cleaner heat and to avoid black specks in the sauce; black pepper may be substituted.
• Vegetables. Bell peppers and carrots are recommended for color and texture, though any vegetables you like—or none—work well.

How to Make Coconut Curry Chicken

1. Season the chicken with curry powder, grated ginger, salt and white pepper.

2. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink. Remove the chicken and set aside.

3. In the same pot, sauté the chopped onion for about a minute. Stir in tomato paste, minced garlic and grated ginger. Add water, more curry powder, salt and chicken bouillon powder, then return the chicken to the pot.

4. Pour in the coconut milk, add white pepper, and bring everything to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors meld and the sauce thickens slightly.

5. Add chopped vegetables (bell peppers and carrots) and chopped basil leaves, then turn off the heat. Serve warm.

What to Serve With Coconut Curry Chicken

• White rice — jasmine rice is particularly good for soaking up the sauce.
• Pasta — any short or long pasta will work if you prefer it to rice.
• Bread — crusty bread is great for dipping and mopping up the curry.

Watch How To Make Chicken Curry

Watch a quick video demonstration to see the technique and timing in action. The visual guide makes this easy to follow and is perfect if you’re new to making curry.

Recipe

Notes

• Use a full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk for the creamiest result; a richer brand will give more coconut flavor.
• White pepper helps balance the natural sweetness of coconut milk. If unavailable, black pepper works fine.
• Taste and adjust seasoning at the end. Add water or more coconut milk if the sauce is too salty, or a pinch of salt if it needs more seasoning.
• Other vegetables like zucchini or eggplant can be substituted or added.
• If you don’t have chicken bouillon powder, replace the water with low-sodium chicken broth and adjust salt to taste.

This post contains affiliate links.