Easy Chicken Curry

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Exotic flavours of curry, chicken, and spices make this one-pot easy chicken curry recipe a sure bet for an easy weeknight dinner. If you love curry but fear that you won't be able to find all of the ingredients, this great recipe is for you!

This is a great chicken curry recipe for beginners, it's super straightforward and not intimidating, like some chicken curry recipes can be to make. With basic ingredients, this flavoursome old fashioned chicken curry recipe is impressive and great for meals throughout the week with one easy prep, cooking, and clean up.

Ginger, onions, and garlic combine with curry paste and tomato passata to make a luscious restaurant-quality sauce for your chicken. A bit of double cream or creamy coconut milk seals the deal on this excellent chicken curry recipe.

This chicken curry recipe is inspired by my leftover turkey curry, which you can find on my site as well. Chicken curry pairs great with this pilau rice dish that is far better than plain old rice.

As I said, this is a great meal to prepare and enjoy throughout the week, like these other batchcooking recipes. You can also make this creamy chicken curry recipe for the holidays or a potluck for a big group. No matter what, this dish is sure to please everyone!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's easy to make
The whole family will love it
The ingredients are simple to find
It's creamy and rich but still healthy

Equipment Needed to Make This Recipe

Large frying pan - use a large, slightly deep frying pan to make your chicken curry, this will allow plenty of room to avoid crowding your ingredients and giving plenty of space for stirring everything together
Chef's knife - dicing your onions, chicken breasts or thighs, and fresh cilantro is a breeze with a proper sharp chef's knife
Plastic cutting board -use a plastic cutting board to cut your ingredients up. Plastic is easier to clean and remove bacteria from, especially after handling chicken.
Wooden spoon - use a wooden spoon to stir your aromatics as they fry, and then to combine the rest of your ingredients together

Ingredients You Need For This Recipe

Curry paste - use a high-quality curry paste and follow the directions on the packaging for the proper amount to use for your recipe. I like to use a medium spice level curry paste for this recipe so that the curry sauce is still kid friendly.
Passata - use passata for a pure tomato puree without the skins and seeds. You can use tinned tomatoes instead, but the texture will be slightly different than using the passata.

Top Tip

Be careful not to cook the curry for longer than two minutes once the cream has been added. If the cream is heated for too long, the fat may begin to separate from the other hot liquid in the recipe, leaving you with an unpleasant appearance and texture.

How to Make This Recipe

Gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger in oil until soft and translucent.

browning chicken thighs in a frying pan.

Turn up the heat, add the chicken and brown the meat.

Stir in the curry paste and let it sizzle away.

Pour in the passata and cook for 10 minutes.

Drizzle in the cream and cook for 2 minutes. Serve with pilau rice and peshwari naan.

What to Serve with Your Chicken Curry Recipe

This chicken curry recipe has lots of flavour from spices and aromatics, lending itself to pairing with other foods. Finish off the meal with a delicious dessert to cleanse the palette, and you have a beautiful meal.

Salads

A cold salad will pair nicely with this slightly spicy chicken curry dish

Edamame salad - with some crunch from the edamame, this salad is an ideal appetizer for this creamy dish
Cucumber ribbon salad - cucumber ribbon salad not only looks beautiful, but it tastes great. The cooling dressing is a great balance for this Indian chicken curry recipe
Rocket salad - avocados, nuts, and blue cheese pair with rocket leaves for a slightly peppery and cheesy salad that you'll love

Sides

Pair your curry with a nice side dish or chutney to balance out the flavours and make your meal

Quince chutney - this slightly tart and sweet chutney is excellent with this easy chicken curry recipe
Papaya chutney - make this papaya chutney ahead of time and spoon some onto the dish with your chicken curry for an unforgettably flavourful combo
Peshwari naan - soak up that extra curry sauce with some freshly made naan, arguably almost better than the chicken curry!
Sous vide asparagus - if you want a veggie side dish that is super simple, try this sous vide asparagus recipe. Perfectly cooked asparagus that's crunchy, yum!
Sweet potato rice - for a little added nutrition, make this sweet potato rice to go along with this flavoursome curry
Spinach pakora - a popular vegan snack, these spinach fritters can be deep fried or air fried

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Desserts

A sweet ending to a great meal is always in order. Try one of these recipes to enjoy after you've cleaned your plate

Marrow cake - this warmly spiced dessert has a healthy twist with the addition of marrow.
Orange tart - nothing cleanses the palate like a citrusy dessert. This amazing recipe for an orange tart is straightforward with a few surprises like Angostura bitters mixed in.
No bake rhubarb cheesecake - this no-bake summertime cheesecake is easy and a little tangy.
Pineapple ice cream - everyone will scream for this delicious pineapple ice cream, its tropical taste will follow your Indian chicken curry recipe flawlessly.

Curry Paste vs Curry Powder

A quick note about the difference between curry paste and curry powder. Curry powder and curry paste may share a name, but their flavors and uses are different.

Curry paste is made with fresh chilies that are ground up into a paste, creating a spicy flavor. Curry paste is often used in Thai-style dishes and needs to be combined with another liquid in order to loosen up and for the flavor to be "activated".

Dry curry powder isn't spicy and is, instead, more flavorful, with lots of different spices. Curry powder is generally used in Indian curries and is added to sauces or put on meats, but it actually originated in the UK. Don't confuse curry powder for garam masala, another Indian spice blend. Garam masala has similar spices but is much stronger than curry powder.

easy chicken curry served with rice on a white plate.

Popular Substitutions for This Recipe

Cream

Instead of double cream, use coconut milk for a complimentary flavor profile. Coconut milk can be extra creamy or light, but I suggest using creamy coconut milk for the best results in this easy chicken curry. Coconut milk is a good replacement for anyone who is dairy-free or lactose intolerant and is a common ingredient in lots of Indian chicken curry dishes.

Instead of coconut milk or double cream, you can substitute chicken stock for added flavor without the creamy element.

Variations to This Recipe

Add vegetables

Add a vegetable like broccoli or green beans to your Indian chicken curry at the same point as you add tomatoes for some extra veggies

Slow Cooker

You can make this recipe in the slow cooker to make it even easier. Slow-cooked chicken is tender and will melt in your mouth. You may want to brown the chicken in a pan first, along with the aromatics and curry paste, to really release the flavours before adding everything else and slow cooking it all together.