Remember that Thai Curry Vegetable Soup that I made a while back that was like, “GAH! THIS IS SO GOOD!”? Well, yesterday I had a craving for those flavors again, but decided to do them up a little differently. I used the same concept to make these tender and juicy Braised Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs. I made the coconut curry broth a little more concentrated and and braised the chicken thighs, then served the whole lot over a scoop of jasmine rice. The flavors are bold, rich, and complex, yet the dish is ridiculously simple to make. Just my style.
What Thai Curry Paste Did You Use?
The red Thai curry paste that I used is a store bought mix purchased in a small jar (see photos below). The brand is Thai Kitchen, which can be found in most major grocery stores in the U.S. I’ve even seen it in Walmart. They also make a green curry paste, which I think would be just as awesome.
Are Curry Paste and Curry Powder the Same?
Take note: Thai curry paste is not at all the same as the curry powder used in Indian cuisine. Totally different set of ingredients, despite the fact that they are both called curry. That being said, Indian curry goes great with coconut milk and chicken, too, so I bet it wouldn’t be so bad in this dish! Totally different, but still good. :)
Is this Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Spicy?
This dish is only somewhat spicy. Thai curry paste can vary quite a bit in heat level from brand to brand, so you may get a different result if using a different brand.
Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs
Servings 5Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ($5.30)
- 2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste ($0.62)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger ($0.05)
- 1 13oz. can coconut milk ($2.17)
- 1 cup chicken broth* ($0.13)
- 1/4 tsp fish sauce ($0.02)
- 5 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice ($1.10)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.20)
- 2-3 green onions** ($0.17)
- 1 lime ($0.33)
Instructions
- Heat a large deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat. Add the cooking oil, then swirl to cover the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until browned on each side (about 3-5 minutes each side). Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add the Thai curry paste, minced garlic, and grated ginger to the skillet. Stir and sauté the aromatics for about one minute.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and fish sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken back to the skillet, place a lid on top, and allow the skillet come to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low or medium-low and let the thighs simmer in the coconut sauce for 15 minutes.
- To serve, scoop about 1 cup of cooked rice into the bottom of each bowl. Add one of the braised chicken thighs, then top with a ladle or two of the coconut broth. Add fresh cilantro leaves, sliced green onion, and a wedge or two of fresh lime to each bowl.
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Notes
**I usually use red onion for these curries, but I already had green onion on hand.
Nutrition
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How to Make Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
Start by heating a large deep skillet, or soup pot, over a medium flame. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil (or coconut oil, if you prefer). Tilt the skillet to distribute the oil over the surface, then add five boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs.). Cook the thighs on each side until browned (about 3-5 minutes each side), then remove them from the skillet. They won’t be cook through at this point. They will finish cooking when they simmer in the coconut curry broth.
Add 2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and about 1 Tbsp grated ginger to the skillet.
Sauté these aromatics for about a minute.
BTW, this is the curry paste I’m using. It can be found in most major grocery stores in the U.S. They also make a green curry paste, which would probably also be awesome in this.
Add a 13oz. can of coconut milk, 1 cup chicken broth, and 1/4 tsp fish sauce. Stir to combine and dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Now add the partially cooked chicken thighs back to the skillet and place a lid on top. Let it come up to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low or medium-low and let the chicken simmer in the coconut broth for 15 minutes.
And then you’ll have this deliciousness! Squeeze a little lime juice over top and add a few fresh cilantro leaves and sliced green onion.
Serve the Thai Coconut Curry Braised Chicken Thighs over a scoop of cooked jasmine or basmati rice, with a little more fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, and a wedge or two of lime. Does it get any better than this??
Hi Beth,
How spicy is this? Thanks!
I don’t find it to be too spicy at all (I actually add sriracha to my bowl). The coconut milk dampens the heat of the curry paste some. But, my tolerance for spice and yours might differ. :)
Turned out great
Very tasty
For Thai curries, I use a brand of curry paste called Maesri which I buy at an Asian market in B.R. You may try one of the markets on the West Bank. They have all flavors, Massaman, red, green, yellow and Panang. I make Panang curry shrimp which is crazy good. Much like your chicken thighs , I use shrimp for the meat with the same aromatics and add in coconut milk, lemongrass, and pineapple fresh or canned. YUM!
Made this tonight for dinner and it’s fantastic! Love, LOVE, LOVE this blog! Thank you Beth!
do you have a substitute for fish sauce? I am allergic and it’s in several of the recipes I would like to try! Thank you.
You can add a splash of soy sauce to make up for the salt.
I have a friend who is obsessed with Bloody Mary’s and has used fish sauce in place of the Worcestershire sauce with success. I’m guessing you could reverse that and use Worcestershire in place of fish sauce. That’s my plan for this recipe since I don’t feel like buying a bottle of fish sauce and I already have the Worcestershire sauce on hand. I’ll report back once I know how it goes! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks killer.
I have a coconut allergy, can I substitute another milk for the coconut milk?
You really need coconut milk for this recipe, unfortunately. It’s one of the main flavors and is classic to this dish.
HOLY MOLY!!! I loved that tai curry vegetable soup! My husband and I still talk about how delicious it was! I can’t wait to try this one!!!!!
This looks amazing. I was wondering…I always see sweetened and unsweetened coconut milk in the stores. Which did you use for this? Thanks.
You’re going to want to use unsweetened
Yes, definitely unsweetened. Sweetened is for pina coladas, desserts, stuff like that.
Unsweetened. The sweetened stuff is usually called “coconut cream” and is used for cocktails. Also, make sure you’re getting the stuff in a can, not the cartons near the dairy milk/almond milk/soy milk area. That kind of “coconut milk” is a very thin dairy milk substitute, while the stuff in the can is a really rich and thick substance. You can usually find it in the international foods aisle and sometimes the baking aisle.
What’s the difference between red and green curry paste? Is one spicier than the other?
Not necessarily spicier, just a different spice mix, but either can be quite warm. Red curry is my fave, but green has a lovely tart and, to me, fresher flavor. If you see yellow curry paste in your store, it tends to be milder and is sometimes nicknamed a”beginner” Thai flavor.
This was a lovely fast dish which we very much enjoyed. I did up the fish sauce a bit and added sauteed veggies (diced onion, red bell pepper, some snow peas)
If you have access to a Chinese or other Asian grocery store, I strongly recommend getting your curry paste there. It is so much cheaper, there are several more flavors (Panang, massaman, green, red, etc), and the brands are much tastier than Thai Kitchen.
Also 1/4 tsp of fish sauce? Really?
I’m a big fan of your Thai Coconut Curry soup and have added chicken to that sometimes. The overall flavor is amazing. How can it taste that good? I know that the lime and enough salt really make this dish one I crave. I have added kale and spinach with great sucess…..putting them in at the end and simmering for a minute. It’s anot excellent way for me to add vegetables to my menu without minding.
I LOVED the Thai curry soup. I’ve made it twice now. Last week I made huge batch and divided it up for lunches to bring to work. One day last week, I had an unexpected business lunch so had one container of soup leftover. I offered it to my co-worker and he said it was the best soup he has ever eaten.
Hey Beth! Nice recipe. My wife always adds a spoonful of brown sugar as well when she’s making Thai curry. Also, check out the maesri curry pastes! They have like several different kinds and they are all really tasty. You can usually find them in an asian supermarket in little cans. We normally only use a couple of teaspoons at a time and store the rest in a jar in the fridge (it lasts forever).
Is there anyway that this could be adapted to a slow cooker? As a stay at home dad to a 2 year old I have very little time to cook. I really rely on my slow cooker but end up with less diverse foods.
I think I’ve seen similar recipes for the slow cooker, although I’ve never tried using coconut milk in a slow cooker, so I’m not sure if it would need to be adjusted.
The prep would be the same for both and that’s what takes the time for me. It repeats well so while you’re at it, double the recipe and make it once on the stove top, only because I can’t see the slow cooker helping for this one.
You should try prepping the ingredients in the morning. The recipe is fast to come together. Maybe you could cook it during nap time and reheat for dinner.