Easy Thai chicken curry
This Thai Green Chicken Curry recipe is from my bestselling cookbook, Everyday Delicious. You’ll impress the pants off yourself (and your diners) with this knockout – and I’ve created the recipe using ingredients that are easy to find. The main thing with Thai food is getting a nice balance of hot (chillies), salty (fish sauce), sweet (sugar) and sour (lime juice). I’ve put measurements in there for those things to use as a guide, but it’s up to you how much of each you put in; have a play until you’re happy with the way it tastes because there are no hard and fast rules. Also, I never use lite coconut cream, it makes the curry thin and sad – I use Kara or Ayam coconut cream.
Serves 4
Prep time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 30 minutes
Ingredients
Curry paste
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
3 cloves garlic
2 shallots (or ½ a large onion), roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander (including stalks and roots), washed
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (optional)
3 tsp ground cumin
3 big green chillies*
Curry
1 tbsp peanut oil (or grape seed)
800g boneless chicken thighs (free-range is good)
400ml coconut cream (not light)
500ml chicken stock (reduced salt – choose a gluten-free brand if necessary)
1 kaffir lime leaf (or use the zest of 2 limes)
Vegetables of your choice – green beans, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, baby corn, tinned bamboo, spinach, mushrooms
1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
Big handful basil leaves (Thai or regular)
Cooked rice, to serve
Coriander leaves, chopped peanuts, chopped red or green chillies, to garnish
Method
In a processor, mortar & pestle or stick wand blender, mix the curry paste, coriander, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, cumin and chillies with ½ cup of the coconut cream to make smooth thick paste. If you don’t have a mortar & pestle or food processor, just to chop/mince the ingredients until as ‘mushy’ as possible.
Heat the oil a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes to release the aromas, stirring continuously (you should see little beads of oil come to the top by the end). Add stock, kaffir lime leaf or zest, the remaining coconut cream and simmer gently for around 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for another 15 minutes until just cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Add the vegetables and simmer for a few more minutes until just tender. Add the brown sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine and taste it – then, add more sour, sweet or salty to taste. If you like it hot, you can throw in some chilli flakes or chopped red chillies. Lastly stir through the basil leaves.
Serve with rice and pile up with loads of coriander, peanuts and chillies.
Tips
- Big green chillies are usually milder than red chillies. Watch out for small red chillies – they can really pack a wallop and may blow your head off. If you hate spicy food, just use one green chilli (and you can scrape out the seeds/membrane out as well for less heat).
- If you can find lemongrass sticks, finely mince one instead of using paste.
Hi Chelsea, I’ve just been browsing your website, saving many recipes to try and making myself feel incredibly hungry! I’m also getting very distracted by all your beautiful serveware. Any chance you remember where the bowls in this pic are from? Thanks!
Hi Chelsea,
I have only skinless chicken thighs but the bone in… will this still work ok and cooking time the same? Sorry I am a terrible cook!
Yep maybe just simmer an extra 10 mins!
Hey Chelsea when you say a bunch of coriander? How much exactly is that don’t want to use too much!
A 40g bunch :)
Hi there Chelsea,
I cannot handle spicy food at all. I love the Flavour of curries but the spice ruins it for me. If I make this recipe and only use a little of the paste will it still be curry-ie ☺ thanks!
Yes, and just make sure you use a mild one. Maybe halve the amount of chillies too and scrape the seeds and membranes out first :)
Thank you Chelsea for this lovely recipe. I just made it and it is delicious, just like the one from Thai restaurants.
Hi Chelsea, I used Ceres organic coconut cream (not light) and mine didn’t thicken up!
Just keep simmering it next time – the longer you simmer it, the thicker it gets – promise!
Hi. I see you suggested that this could be made without the garlic and by swaping onions with shallots. Any ideas for substitutes for these? I’m allergic to anything in the allium family.
Hi there… I see you suggested you could leave out the garlic and swap the onion with shallot. Any ideas on substitutes? I’m allergic to anything in the allium family!
Thank you Chelsea,
For making this wonder recipe available on line, tried it last night and it was fantastic, and a lot easier to do than I expected. Will pop out today to buy one of your books to show my support.
Looking forward to trying more of your work and sure they will be as fantastic as this.
Cheers Rob
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YUM YUM YUM! Made this tonight and it was EXCELLENT! Beautiful flavours. I only used one green chilli and it still had a nice kick. Will definitely make this again. THANKS!
Hi Chelsea,
This recipe looks great. Could I make it one day, to eat the next? I have friends coming for dinner on a Monday night after work and thought perhaps I could make it in the weekend.
Hi chelsea! What an amazing recipe, yum! This was my first ever curry and i am stoked! You have coriander in the paste recipe but not in the method? I added it anyway :)
Have made this a few times now and everyone loves it,also made the land & chickpea curry ! Very well received also by the family! Great recipes ! Thanks
OMG Chelsea, I made this last night but used red curry paste instead of green + chilli paste instead of fresh chilli’s & the curry was amazing! Totally tasted like a restaurant meal, so quick and easy, thank you so much. My daughter and I are really enjoying your recipes .. thanks again :)
Chelsea what type of fish would you use in this dish please ive got a few vegi mates. That will eat fish. cheers
Hi Chelsea.
I have a severe Fish allergy. Is there another option for fish sauce/stock? or can i just leave it out. thanu for your wonderful recipes. Also would you know about recipes that require oyster sauce… a lot of lovely asian recipes seem to have some sort of seafood sauce/stock.Thank you, and many thanks for your wonderful recipes
Kelly
Hi Chelsea
If using snapper would you still use chicken stock or would you use fish stock. Any other changes if using fish instead of chicken
Fish stock, all others the same :)
Hi Chelsea, what are your thoughts on making the curry paste in a big batch and freezing it in smaller portions to have on hand. Sounds good to this busy Mama, but do you think the paste deteriorate at all? Thanks, Julie
Sounds great to me!
Hi Chelsea, whipped up this tasty dish for dinner and Ohhhh My!!!! Probably the tastiest Thai curry recipe I’ve come across. My son even said “I would pay for that” lol. Made it with fish although I don’t think a protein is even needed. Added spinach, green beans, snow peas and yellow cherry tomatoes. This is our new fav dinner. Thanks so much!!
Made this for dinner. Had to sub a few ingredients but had the most already in my pantry which made it so appealing. Felt proud making this from And the result – perfect. Thanks so much
Hi Chelsea,
I have used full cream coconut cream and it just doesn’t want to thicken up. Also, the oil seems to have split. What have I done wrong please? Thanks, Janeen
I like the one common Thai curry vege you neglected to include – tinned water chestnuts give a lovely crunchy texture to what can be and otherwise texturally lacking curry :)
Great suggestion, thanks Ando!
Hi Chelsea, have made this and it was delicious! Just wondering if there is anything significantly different between a red and a green curry, i.e. use red paste and fresh red chillis instead of the green paste and chillis? thanks Julie
Yes, pretty much exactly that!
Hi Chelsea
So, is red curry paste hotter than green curry paste? Thanks.
Hi Chelsea, you are really a gem. I made this curry last night and it was THE most beautiful green Thai curry I have ever tasted. The flavour just filled your mouth and you just wanted more. I can’t wait to make it again. Do you have any more like that up your sleeve?
Chelsea, I’ve put three green chillies in without seeds but it’s packing a punch and my family have milder tastes..what can I do to tone down heat?
Hi Chelsea, I’m looking for yummy recipes that I can freeze. Would this be suitable or would the coconut cream separate when reheated?
I wouldn’t freeze it, yes it will split. Try the chicken lasagne :)
Hi Chelsea, this recipe was recommended by a friend, but as I’m vegetarian I was wondering if you can use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock, and what could I use to replace the fish sauce with?
You could indeed! You could also replace the fish sauce with light soy sauce.
How can you tell if it’s good quality paste?
Hi Chelsea
Sorry for the silly question, but you say “Vegetables of your choice – green beans, snow peas, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, baby corn, carrot, tinned bamboo, spinach, eggplant, mushrooms”. How many? Two cups of chopped vegetables? Three cups? Help! Giggles.
Hi Chelsea, this sounds Delish. Is this on one of your books? I’m dying to buy your book! If this is in there then I’m sold!
It’s in the one coming out in October!
Used light coconut cream – sad face didn’t thicken – flavour was delicious though!!
I never use lite coconut cream for that exact reason!
Hi Chelsea, I am a recent convert to your recipes and I just love them! Thank you for sharing them. I was making this chicken curry today and found I had no lime or lemons in the house. I was wondering what I could use a substitute? with thanks.
Hi Lisa, the cirtus adds the acidity you need to balance the other flavours… something like rice wine vinegar might be okay in a pinch, but limes really are the best taste result!
Made this last weekend, was absolutely fantastic!! Thanks Chelsea!
Hi Chelsea, Valcom produce Kaffir Lime Leaves in a jar – is this ok or do you use fresh leaves? Looking forward to trying this recipe! Thanks
I use fresh leaves but you can use the jar ones in a pinch.
Hi Chelsea I read somewhere that you can pop fresh kaffir lime leaves in the freezer and get them out as you need them – It works really well and tastes a lot nicer than the jar ones if you can’t find them fresh at certain times of the year.
If you live in Rotirua I have heaps!
Hi Chelsea
My mouth is watering – I plan to make this curry for a pot luck dinner in Saturday, one of my friends is allergic to fish, can you suggest a substitute for the fish sauce. Thanks fiona
You can just use salt!
Hi Chelsea I can’t get that sauce to thicken up, no matter how gently or violently I simmer! I love the thick thai sauce; I’m using reduced fat coconut cream and it doesn’t have any of the ‘solid stuff’ in it, could that be the reason?
Yes that’s the reason – I would never use lite coconut cream! Not as tasty and it doesn’t thicken up.
Hi chelsea- is there any other option you would recommend instead of using onion and garlic plse?
You can leave out the garlic and replace the onion with shallots?
Awesome, thanks you!
You’re welcome!
HI Chelsea,
Can you use Yellow Thai curry instead of green?
Thanks
Yes you can.
Hi Chelsea,
Is it possible to substitute dried coriander for the fresh coriander in the curry paste? I have everything else in the cupboard except that!
You can just leave it out altogether :)
Hi Chelsea, can I use red curry paste rather than green, if I do that would i need to use red chillies and will using the red paste make the dish hotter?
Hi Chelsea, I’m looking at using your recipe for 40-50 people. What is your advice on this?? Quantity wise do I times it by 10?? Can I do it in one hit or will it be better in batches? Thanking you.
Hi Chelsea for the green chillies, I have never used them before, do I just put them all seeds and core and all into the processor? I had this notion that the seeds are poisonous but I don’t know where I got that from!
They aren’t poisonous but they can be a little hot – so take them out if you prefer it very very mild.
Hey chelsea. Just making this dish now. What happens if it doesn’t thicken up? It is still very much liquid. What have I done wrong?
Hi Liese, you just need to keep simmering until it thickens – it might take a while depending on how hard it is simmering :)
My kids and I all loved it. Easy to make and delicious.
We have really enjoyed your Thai food recipe around here.It’s so inevitable and easy to make. Thanks for share this.
Hey, are you able to replace the chicken with fish?
Absolutely, just add it in about 5 minutes to go and poach it lightly.
Hi Chelsea. Thanks so much for posting this – it looks very yummy! I’m just cooking for two so I was wondering if I could make up the full amount of curry paste, use half this time and freeze the rest for another day? Thanks Ange :-)
Hi Ange, the paste keeps in the fridge for a few weeks or you can freeze it – so maybe just make a double batch and then you have another lot ready when you need it! Great idea.
Chelsea this sounds delicious – I was wondering if you might recommend a brand of curry paste or tell us which ones you like please? It’s hard to know which ones are good quality!
Hi Samantha, I used Valcom for this one – but all you need to do is looks for the one with the most authentic ingredients (lemongrass, galangal, coriander root etc), and the least amount of oil and unnecessary additives. Hope that helps!
Thanks Chelsea!