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.
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.
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.
Top Tip
Don't worry if your chicken is not completely cooked during the stir-fry stage. As the dish continues to cook, the chicken will finish off, leaving you with perfectly done chicken pieces.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator once they have cooled to room temperature.
How Long Will This Food Last in the Refrigerator?
Properly stored in an airtight container, this recipe will last five days in the refrigerator.
Can This Recipe be Made in Advance?
Yes, in fact, making it ahead of time will help the flavours to meld together, making the dish even more delicious.
Other Curry Recipes You'll Love
- Lamb massaman curry - this mild curry is made with lamb and warm spices such as nutmeg and star anise, a unique curry flavour profile
- Mixed vegetable curry - get your fill of veggies in this mixed vegetable curry that doesn't lack and flavour in the absence of meat
- Monkfish curry - this curry is made with meaty monkfish and loads of spices
- Sweet potato curry with mushrooms and spinach - full of West African spices, this easy vegetable curry is filled with healthy ingredients and lots of deliciousness
- Coconut fish curry - this Keralan dish takes a unique blend of flavours such as green mango, ginger, and chilies and puts them in a creamy coconut sauce over sea bass.
📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Curry
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Easy Chicken Curry is full of tasty flavours. Taking less than an hour to make this recipe is super straightforward to follow.
Ingredients
- 30ml (2 tbsp) oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2.5cm (1in) fresh ginger root, grated
- 900g (10) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 140g (4 tbsp) curry paste
- 400g (1 carton) passata
- 125ml (½ cup) double cream
- 12g (1 tbsp) brown sugar [optional]
- coriander leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan.Â
- Gently fry the onion over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until softened and turning golden.
- Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Turn up the heat and tip in the chicken. Stir fry for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the curry paste and let the contents sizzle for 5 minutes while stirring every now and then. Ensure that the aromas are released from the paste. A good sign to look out for is oil being released during cooking.
- Pour in the passata and sugar [optional], give it a stir and let it bubble away for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and let it bubble for another 2 minutes.
- Season to taste, sprinkle with coriander and serve immediately with pilau rice, naan and your favourite chutney. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use chicken breast instead of thighs, if you prefer.
- For best results, use the highest quality curry paste you can find. I’m a fan of Patak’s Curry Pots . It’s a good idea to read the packaging first to ensure you use the correct amount of paste in relation to the meat and other ingredients. I.e. adjust the quantity of paste as you see fit.
- If you would like a lower fat version of this recipe, use plain yogurt instead of double cream.Â
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Curry
- Method: Pan fry
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 815.4 mg
- Fat: 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 32.7 g
- Cholesterol: 152.3 mg
Anita
when do I add the base sauce? Or, are the ingredients in this recipe everything that one would need for the base and curry together if you didn't have a base sauce already?
Michelle Minnaar
Anita, there is no need for base sauce. The ingredients listed are all you need.
Renil M. George
I do love this curry with the cinammon and all those spices!
Fiver Feeds
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I like how easy to make it looks 🙂
May
I usually use my le creuset too but just got one of these pots too. Will be testing it out this weekend.
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes
That is a very delicious looking curry, I'm a big fan of cooking curries with cinnamon, it adds such a wonderful flavour.
I love my Le Creuset casserole, I only have one of the smaller ones but I'll have to have a look at Chasseur because I've been wanting to buy a bigger pot for a while.
Katie Bryson
What a beautiful looking curry - especially the pop of red from the chillies!!!! I'm addicted to your food photography Michelle... I'd love a masterclass sometime 🙂
Kate @ Veggie Desserts
What a lovely recipe and pictures. I hope the future is bright for you.
Kavey
Sounds like the last year has seen much upheaval, but selling down for you now. A good curry is such a great comfort food!
Kavey
Sounds like the last year has seen much upheaval, but selling down for you now. A good curry is such a great comfort food!
Elizabeth
That is one lovely looking curry, and one lovely looking pot! I was divorced years ago too and I remember it well. It's quite refreshing to start anew especially if things haven't been pleasant. Best of luck!
Camilla @FabFood4All
Oh I do love this curry with the cinammon and all those spices - a veritable treat for the taste buds! I too prefer cider and can't actually drink wine anymore as it just makes me have the worst hangover in history after just 1 glass - so I too am a cheap date! Thank you for featuring my slow cooked Chicken Curry:-)