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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

    Published: Jan 28, 2019 · Modified: Jun 26, 2020 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

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    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. The creamy coconut sauce is mild, but heavenly flavourful, and the chicken is tender and cooked to perfection. The perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family.
    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Boneless chicken breast simmed in a rich and flavourful tomato and coconut sauce, with mild spices that give it an earthy touch, this chicken curry is a perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family. Nothing beats a homemade curry, and my recipe is simple anf failproof, that anyone can cook it to perfection. #chickencurry, #coconutmilk, #indiancurry, #comfortfood, #dinnerrecipe, #30minutemeals

    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Boneless chicken breast simmered in a rich and flavourful tomato and coconut sauce, with mild spices that give it an earthy touch, this chicken curry is a perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family. Nothing beats a homemade curry, and my recipe is simple and failproof, that anyone can cook it to perfection.

    A white plate with chicken curry, rice and parsely leaves

    Coconut milk features heavily in Asian cuisines. From desserts, to appetizers, mains or sides, there are so many delicious ways of using a good can of coconut milk. Although coconut curries are mostly associated with the Thai cuisine, and less with the Indian food, that does not mean that we can't prepare an awesome Indian curry with coconut milk.

    I think the combination of the Indian spices and coconut milk is particularly nice. The sweetness of the coconut contrasts beautifully with the heat coming from the spices. And then you get a whole range of flavours and textures that make this chicken curry with coconut milk a fabulous meal.

    I used coconut milk in my Chicken Korma, and it was a huge hit with everybody in my family, so I knew that another recipe had to make its way to our table soon.

    Collage of 6 photos to show how to make indian chicken curry with coconut milk

    How TO make chicken curry with coconut milk

    This is by no means an authentic recipe, but mostly made up with the ingredients I had around. That's what I love about cooking, that I can be as creative as I want, and cook delicious meals without effort.

    • Searing the chicken beforehand is optional, but I think it adds to the flavour, so I highly recommend it.
    • Once the chicken is lightly brown, remove from the pan, and fry the onion. This will soak up all the chicken juices left, and the onion will caramelize nicely.
    • When you add the spices, stir gently for about one minute. The spices will release their full flavour without burning.
    • Add the chicken back to the pan together with the chopped onions and coconut milk, stir, and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.

    The coconut milk makes the sauce pretty sticky, so I recommend you stir gently now and then, to make sure the sauce does not stick to the pan.

    Overhead shoot of a white plate with chicken curry, rice and parsley leaves

    Can I freeze the chicken curry?

    Yes, if you have leftovers, just leave the curry to cool completely first, then transfer it to a tupperware, and freeze. To defrost, you can pop it in the microwave and reheat until bubbly hot. Do not refreeze any food that has already been frozen previously though.

    Can I use leftover chicken for this curry?

    Absolutely! Since the chicken is already cooked, you can just add it at the same time you add the coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, and cook in the same way. Or, if you cook the sauce beforehand, just add the chicken at the end, and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes with the sauce, so it can soak up all the flavours.

    What can you serve with coconut chicken curry ?

    Basmati rice is particularly nice, but wholegrain or long grain rice can also be used. Flatbread, wraps, or any other plain bread are a good choice too. You can have any vegetable on the side as well, since this recipe does not use much vegetables.

    A white plate with chicken curry, rice and parsely leaves

    If you’ve tried this INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    4.19 from 49 votes
    Print
    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
    Prep Time
    5 mins
    Cook Time
    25 mins
    Total Time
    30 mins
     

    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, a quick and easy recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Boneless chicken breast simmered in a rich and flavourful tomato and coconut sauce, with mild spices that give it an earthy touch, this chicken curry is a perfect midweek dinner recipe for the whole family. Nothing beats a homemade curry, and my recipe is simple and failproof, that anyone can cook it to perfection. Use full-fat coconut milk for a rich and creamy sauce.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: chicken curry recipes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 1801 kcal
    Author: Daniela Apostol
    Ingredients
    • 3 chicken breasts
    • 1 onion
    • 2 cloves of garlic
    • 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon curry powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups coconut milk
    • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (1 ½ cups)
    • chopped coriander (chilantro) to garnish
    Metric - US Customary
    Instructions
    1. Cup the chicken breasts into pieces, add a teaspoon of oil to a pan, and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes or until lightly brown.

    2. Remove from the pan and set aside.

    3. Peel and chop the onion, add the remaining oil to the same pan, and gently fry the onion until soft.

    4. Add the chopped garlic, spices, and cook for a further 1 minute, stiring occasionally.

    5. Add the chicken back to the pan together with the coconut milk and chopped tomatoes, and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.

    6. Season with salt to taste, and garnish with fresh coriander.

    Recipe Video

    Nutrition Facts
    Indian Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 1801 Calories from Fat 1098
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 122g188%
    Saturated Fat 96g480%
    Cholesterol 433mg144%
    Sodium 2017mg84%
    Potassium 3663mg105%
    Carbohydrates 26g9%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 155g310%
    Vitamin A 205IU4%
    Vitamin C 22.7mg28%
    Calcium 152mg15%
    Iron 18.6mg103%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wendy

      June 15, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      Hi how can I spice it up if it’s not spicy enough?

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        June 15, 2020 at 8:18 pm

        Hi! If you have any red or green chilli peppers, they always work very well. Otherwise cayenne pepper or powdered chilli can be added to taste. For a more spiced taste, you can also double the amount of spices used. I hope it helps!

        Reply
    2. lewis

      July 10, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      Good recipe....I added 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste for heat.

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        July 11, 2020 at 10:49 pm

        It sound yummy!

        Reply
    3. Barbara

      May 06, 2021 at 6:59 am

      Can I use prawns or fish in this dish

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        May 06, 2021 at 8:22 am

        Yes, absolutely! I have a fish curry on the blog very similar to this one, and it worked very well.

        Reply
    4. Rosa

      July 29, 2021 at 7:29 pm

      Hi. For the tomatoes, is that a can of whole tomatoes (then you chop them?) or can I use fresh tomatoes instead? Thank you! Looking forward to making it!

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        July 29, 2021 at 7:44 pm

        Hi! I used chopped tomatoes in a tin, if you use fresh tomatoes, let them cook for a few minutes to become mushy, then add the coconut milk and cook as normal.

        Reply
    5. Nigel Butkowsky

      November 09, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      Could I add potatoes and carrots to this recipe if so would the spices need to be increased also can chicken thighs or drumsticks be used instead of diced chicken.

      Don't get me wrong I love the recipe Daniela

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        November 09, 2021 at 2:27 pm

        Of course, any veggies can be added to the recipe. As for the spices, it’s entirely up to you how mild or hot you like it. The veggies might soak up the heat, so perhaps add a bit more spices, even for a mild version.

        Reply
        • Uday

          December 05, 2021 at 11:01 am

          Looks like a great and simple recipe..I want to try it with chicken on the bone and experiment a bit. Can it be done?

          Reply
          • Daniela Apostol

            December 05, 2021 at 4:30 pm

            Yes, absolutely. It can work that way too.

            Reply
    6. Lex

      March 28, 2022 at 3:18 am

      Instructions missing.

      So, there are NO mentions of cooking temperature anywhere. I guessed - not the best way to ensure the recipe gets made right.

      I started with searing the chicken, but the chicken sort of just boiled and stayed mostly white. Then I dumped a lot of the juice to help it sear (to little success) and I wondered if wasting the juice was a bad idea. Then I come back to read this and find only in the paragraphs does it mention soaking this juice up with the onions, so opportunity wasted there.

      Still no mention about the temperature range to cook in for the final sauce reduction. People are going to try this and then wonder how they can be expected to guess what temperature to cook this at for 20 minutes and still get the desired result.

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        March 30, 2022 at 8:20 pm

        Thank you for your comment! Generally, if the cooking temperature is missing, it is assumed that it is on a medium heat - everybody cooks on a different kind of hob, so it will be impossible to say exactly what temperature. For example, on my hob, the highest temperature is 9, so I always cook everything on 7, which is a medium one. Anything under is low, anything above is high and everything cooks too quickly.
        Before this I was using a gas cooker, and I had to make sure the flame was kind of right, rather than too low or too high. So the point is it's really hard to say anything else than medium heat.
        As for searing the chicken, if this boiled and stayed white must be because the pan was overcrowded - if they chicken pieces were arranged in one layer, there is no way it stayed white, but it would have seared nicely. There should not be any searing juices left at all- cook the chicken in batches if necessary.
        Again for the sauce, medium temperature.

        Reply

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