This creamy chicken curry is so easy and quick to make, perfect for “under 30-minute meals.” When looking for a healthy, nutrient-dense meal that’s potentially quite filling, this coconut chicken curry fits the bill. Accompany it with some rice, and you are good to go.
I am a full-time working mum but still, love to offer excellent quality and healthy meals to my family. I can’t remember how many times this recipe has saved me. The chicken breast is so tender and moist, and the sauce is so creamy and flavorful. It is a guaranteed explosion in your mouth.
Healthy Coconut Chicken Curry recipe
This recipe is also dairy-free and gluten-free, perfect for all with gluten and lactose intolerance. How cool is that? By the way, you don’t need those unhealthy store-bought powders to make this creamy goodness, and I will show you how.
Is Chicken Curry Healthy For You?
This chicken curry is made with lean chicken, and simmered in flavorful coconut milk making it super healthy.
Chicken breast is lean, healthy, and versatile, plus it contains vitamins, minerals, and protein that boost the nutritional value of your meals. Protein helps your body to maintain muscle mass and also helps you to build muscle if you are participating in a strength program. Chicken breast is also a very good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, and niacin.
Coconuts are especially high in manganese, which is essential for bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol. They’re also rich in copper and iron, which help form red blood cells, as well as selenium, an important antioxidant that protects your cells.
I always have some coconut milk at home to incorporate into my day-to-day cooking. Just make sure that the brand you are using has all natural ingredients or make your own at home.
Bell peppers are a rich source of vitamin C, containing 97% of the daily requirement. Most noteworthy are red bell peppers which have more vitamin C content than green or yellow bell peppers.
Chicken Breast For A Quick Chicken Curry Recipe
Skinless chicken breast is fantastic. It guarantees a quick and healthy meal on those busy days and that is where this creamy coconut chicken curry comes in.
Cooking Chicken Breast For Chicken Curry
As mentioned above, chicken breast is very lean which means that it will dry fast if cooked the wrong way.
Therefore the best way to cook chicken for chicken curry is to first season, then sear it in oil in a hot pan until browned and cooked through.
Also, it is important to drain it from the pot and add it back when the sauce has fully cooked. This way, the chicken remains soft, tender, and juicy.
Be careful not to overcrowd your pan; if you add too much chicken at once, the chicken will steam instead of brown.
What Goes In Coconut Chicken Curry
- Chicken breast or skinless boneless chicken thighs
- Coconut milk
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Paprika
- Salt to taste
- Coriander powder
- Paprika powder
- Curry powder
- Chili powder OR Chili flakes
- Cumin powder
- Cooking oil
- Garlic-ginger paste
- Chopped coriander (substitute with parsley leaves)
Making Coconut Chicken Curry
FIRST: Wash the chicken thoroughly under running water and pat-dry with disposable kitchen towels. Cut the chicken breast in bite-size pieces.
SECOND: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes and season with salt to taste. After that, drain the chicken breast from the pot onto a plate and set aside.
THIRD: In the same pot, saute onions till golden brown. Add garlic-ginger paste and saute till fragrant.
FOURTH: Add chopped tomatoes AND seasoning and fry till nicely broken down and cooked; about 10 minutes.
FIFTH: Add the coconut milk and bell peppers, cover the skillet and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. After that, add back the cooked chicken, and simmer for 1 minute.
How To Serve Chicken Curry
Serve this coconut chickenccurry with rice or even chapati but you can use any accompaniment of your choice.
How To Store and Freeze Leftovers
To Refrigerate, transfer chicken curry to an air-tight container and store immediately in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze, transfer to a freezer-suitable air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Use Glass Containers For Leftovers
It is healthier to use glass containers to keep leftovers since they give no residues to food. If using a glass container, make sure it is freezer-suitable as other glass containers my crack when frozen.
Reheating Leftovers
To Microwave: Transfer the chicken curry to a microwave safe plate. Warm it in the microwave for 5 minutes and make sure it is piping hot.
To Reheat in Saucepan: Transfer chicken curry in a sauce pan. Cover tightly and heat on medium-low till piping hot; about 5 minutes.
Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g skinless chicken breast (diced in bite-size pieces)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 2 ripe plum tomatoes (finely diced)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/4 tsp chili powder OR chili flakes (add more if you like the heat)
- 1 tsp garlic-ginger paste
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 bell peppers (cut in strips)
Instructions
- Wash the chicken thoroughly under running water and pat-dry with disposable kitchen towels. Cut the chicken breast in bite-size pieces.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for about 5 minutes and season with salt to taste. After that, drain the chicken breast from the pot onto a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, saute onions till golden brown. Add garlic-ginger paste and saute till fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes AND seasoning and fry till nicely broken down and cooked; about 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and bell peppers, cover the skillet and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. After that, add back the cooked chicken, and simmer for 1 minute.
Notes
If you love this coconut chicken curry recipe, leave me a comment and STAR rating and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you 🙂
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Looks so yummy.
Thank you Victoria.
Hi Jayne. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it last night and my family swept it off the table….soo yummy. Nice to have come across your blog.
Thanks for taking your time out to give me a feedback. I am glad your family loved it. Try my other recipes and let me know what you think. Nice day 🙂