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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
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??
I was wondering if you recommend a good substitute for the coconut milk? My daughter is allergic to coconuts but I’d really love to make this for dinner one night.
Unfortunately coconut is one of the main flavors of this dish and I don’t think it would be good to substitute it.
This recipe is absolutely divine. It was my first time ever making a thai curry, and I am so glad I went to the trouble of finding the fish sauce (the major grocery chain in my town stopped carrying it). I made it for a dinner party and it was just fantastically delicious. Today I am trying your thai curry veggie soup, because I liked this recipe so much!
We all liked it, spice is very mild so we’ll probably kick up the curry paste a bit next time. The biggest pain was grating the ginger, next time I will freeze it first because it gets juicy & messy. Otherwise very simple to make!
I made this last week, followed the directions as stated. VERY delicious! Chicken was tender and the sauce was not too hot/spicy. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made this a few days ago and wow! I loved it and plan to make it next week. My 7 year old even liked the broth. :) Thanks for another great recipe. I have made a lot of your recipes and never had a disappointing meal.
Quick question, what is the difference between regular and lite coconut milk? Would using lite affect the outcome?
I made this last night. I’m not sure where I went wrong. It came out flavorless and bland. The sauce was watery and didn’t cling to the rice at all. It had no heat or spice. I ate the chicken and threw out the rest. I plan on making this again, but I plan to leave out the chicken broth and maybe add some cardamom, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, and cumin.
What type of Thai curry paste did you use? Perhaps the brand you used was not as potent as mine, so maybe try adding a bit more. I also find that coconut milk varies from brand to brand and some are more watery. And you used canned coconut milk, not the type that is sold as a dairy milk substitute, correct? The dairy milk substitute “coconut milk” is very watery.
Followed the recipe to a “T” and I had the same experience last night making it. Used the brand chili sauce you recommended too. The flavors were “almost” there but felt like it needed a little more kick. Maybe next time I’ll had (6) tablespoons of the paste instead of (4). And yes, I made 10 servings! Big family at home. :)
We had a taco bar for Easter, so I used leftover chicken, cilantro, onions and jalapeños. The rest I had in my cupboard! Amazing!!!
This is the 3rd item I’ve made from discovering this site in a week!!!
Family enjoyed this meal. I used chicken thighs with bone. You have to cook longer than 30 min.
This was SO good! Can’t believe I didn’t try it sooner, especially because it’s really easy. I added some bok choy, a sliced red pepper, and some snow peas to add veggies – sauteed them with the garlic, ginger, and curry paste and then let them simmer with the chicken. I also used 4 bone-in chicken thighs because they were on sale, and let them simmer for 25 minutes instead of 15. Maybe that was overkill, but it worked out fine. I used full-fat coconut milk this time, but might try “light” next time because this was really rich. Deliciously rich, but I think using light coconut milk might be best for me since I plan on making this A LOT in the future :)
Great recipe! We have made this many times.
Any suggested modifications for using bone-in thighs and drumsticks??? All I have on hand at the moment, and this looks fabulous!!!
The only modification needed is that you may need to simmer slightly longer to allow them to cook all the way through. :)
This is meant to be more of a soup than a sauce though, right? Maybe you thought it tasted bland because you expected a more concentrated flavour?
Oops, I replied under the wrong comment :)
Tastes exactly like my favorite dish at the Thai restaurant I always go to. It was very easy to make and tastes like it took hours. I will definitely be making more!
This is amazing!!! And comes together really easily and quickly. I’ve made it twice, the second time with bone in thighs. I simmered them a little longer and it worked perfectly. I love the hit of lime at the end!
Once again, a real winner! Added cooked sliced carrots to the pot to make a complete meal. Thanks Beth! 👍
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. My boyfriend does not like a spicy curry and this was perfect. I used green curry paste instead. Turned out great also!