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??
This was FANTASTIC!!! I have tried to make thai food at home before with no luck. Not only was this delicious but it was easy!! Thank you for sharing such great recipes.
I made this last night and loved it! I added some sambal oelek on top – will definitely be making it again, it was super easy!
Hi! I have some bone in skin on chicken thighs. This is my first time trying them out! Do you know how that substitution should work in this? Thank you!
Those will work, although you may want to simmer them just a bit longer because of the bone to make sure they’re cooked through. You can leave the skin on or remove it. I’d probably remove it so that it doesn’t get soggy when the chicken is simmered.
Thanks very much!! :) I think you are right about the skin, too.
Wanted to drop by and say that I made this this last weekend and it was great! Even the husband who has a meat and potatoes appetite was all over it! The only request was to add something more to it like a veggie or something. I told him that I would look into it for the next time! Also might try chicken breasts since we seem to have more of those at our house!
If you check out the Thai Curry Vegetable Soup, you can kind of do a cross between the two recipes to get more vegetables in there. :)
I love Indian and Thai food and we try to seek out restaurants that serve good food from these countries when ever possible but after cooking this recipe we will be eating at home. WOW this is a great recipe and will be a family favorite from now on. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to more great recipes.
I’ve made many of your recipes over the last few years and so many have been easy to make and delicious. But this one is my absolute favorite!! Love all the extra tips left in the comments section as well.
My 8 year old took one look (and whiff) of her bowl and said, “Mmmm. It’s too hot, but I’m so eager to eat!” This was definitely a huge hit that we’ll keep in the rotation!
Again, this is such a good recipe. First the soup and now the chicken. I made this last night for my family of six. Oh, I should say that I’ve made the soup at least a half dozen times since you posted the recipe and it is my FAVORITE. The chicken from last night was made using the soup recipe but I browned the chicken first then added the rest of the soup ingredients. I have always just dumped one ramen noodle bag with the seasoning packet into the simmering soup and I use sliced cabbage and pureed butternut squash to the soup as my variations. We love it and pretty much fought over the leftover chicken in the pan. I also used skinless bone-in chicken thighs. I wish I could find a large bottle of the red curry paste. I go through that so fast. I’ve had to add a sliced jalapeno to add a bit more spice since I keep running out of the red curry paste.
Alice
I’ve never cooked with coconut milk, nor have I used chili paste before…but…now I want to use both for everything!!This, my dear, is AMAZING! I added ginger in a tube, because I don’t cook with a lot of ginger, and couldn’t justify buying a whole thing just to pitch it. BUT! This is amazing. Tasted sooooo good. Wanted more heat (I added a tablespoon of chili paste), so I might add chili peppers in a tube to it too. This is amazing, I cannot wait to make just the sauce, and add veggies and noodles to it. Added to the weekly rotation.
Would it taste different with boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up?
The boneless, skinless breasts will not change the flavor much, but the meat will probably not be as tender as the thighs. :)
I did it with chicken breast and they were so tender! I didn’t completely cook them initially and sliced them up when I added them back to the curry. Cooking them in the curry for 15-30 mins made them so tender! Yum!
Just a quick hint re. fresh ginger. I buy nice fresh roots and freeze them. When I need some in a recipe, I simply use my fine grater and rasp off whatever amount needed and put the remainder back in the freezer. No waste! Cheap!
Thanks for the tip! I’m in the same boat with ginger, I don’t use it enough to go through it fresh. Had no idea you could just freeze it and use as needed. I’ll get some on my next grocery trip, thanks again!
We had this for lunch. Excellent. As two members of the family cannot eat cilantro (to them, it tastes like soap) I provided minced basil and mint leaves. I added Huy Fong Chile Garlic Sauce (Tuong Ot Toi Viet-Nam) to my portion for some added heat.
Will make this again.
Do you use the full coconut milk or light coconut milk?
Full fat. :)
I made this last night with red peppers–soo yummy! I’m watching my calories though, do you think you could sub light coconut milk or would it throw off the taste/texture?
It might work. It will definitely be less creamy, but it might be okay! :)
Not a low fat version, but a low carb version (yep, I’m one of those people haha): since I don’t use rice to sop up the sauce, I thicken it with a bit of xantham gum. I have coconut flour at home but it is grainy as a thickener. So I just used lower carb veggies, full fat coconut milk (the joy of low carb is you can up your fat consumption) and towards the end I take out the chicken and use a little xanthate gum to thicken the sauce. So it’s served with a thick sauce, chicken and veggies, no need for rice.
Does anyone know if either green or red curry paste has cinnamon in it? I read the ingredients and “spices” are listed, not specifically cinnamon. I have allergies and would love to make this, just don’t want to get all the stuff and find the curry paste to be unusable for me.
I have Dean and Jacobs Red Coconut Curry dry seasoning here at home, and while they don’t specify the always-secret “spice blend”, I am sure there is cinnamon in here to some degree. The paste isn’t exactly the same as the dry mix, but they must be similar as they achieve the same flavor. I’d say you could try to put together a spice blend of this type on your own, choosing every ingredient yourself and thus omitting any cinnamon, then use it as you would paste.
I was a little afraid to try coconut oil for cooking but now cant live without it. It gives such a nice flavour to any dish. I must try your chicken! xx
If I was going to substitute red onion for the green onions, how much do you think I should use?
Also, this looks amazing! I’m definitely making it for dinner this week!
I’d just slice it super thin then sprinkle a few slices over each bowl. :)
Only 1/4 teaspoon of fish sauce?
I started with 1/4 tsp, then tasted it, and it seemed just right to me. You can always add more to meet your flavor preferences. :) I used less than in my Thai Curry Vegetable soup because there is a lot less broth.