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Have you been missing your favorite Indian takeout meal? Then this easy chicken curry recipe is for you! It’s surprisingly simple to make at home. Chicken coconut curry is rich and warming, with a little spice and a whole lot of coconut cream curry flavor. Serve it over rice for a classic taste, but it would also be fantastic over cauliflower rice.

Why This Is My Best Chicken Curry Recipe

Creamy coconut sauce with spicy curry flavor
Juicy, tender chicken
Natural, common ingredients found in any grocery store
Made in one pan or pot, for easy cleanup
Done in 30 minutes
Naturally gluten-free and healthy

Coconut chicken curry over rice on a two plates.

Chicken Curry Ingredients

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this Indian chicken curry recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Olive Oil – Used for sauteing. Any heat-safe cooking oil, such as avocado oil, also works.
Onion – Traditional chicken curry recipes typically use red onions, but I used a white onion. Feel free to use red or yellow if that’s what you have on hand.
Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but boneless skinless chicken thighs also work if you prefer dark meat. Cut into bite-sized pieces. If you only have bone-in chicken, you can cook it whole without cutting into pieces, but it will take longer to cook through.
Canned Diced Tomatoes – To prevent the curry coconut chicken from getting too watery, be sure to drain the diced tomatoes before adding them to the coconut chicken curry.
Coconut Milk – You won’t need the entire can of coconut milk, just the cream part. Place the can in the fridge overnight — this will separate the coconut cream from the coconut water and you’ll be able to skim the cream from the top. Alternatively, you can just buy canned coconut cream, or Greek yogurt should also work.
Chicken Broth – I use reduced sodium chicken broth. You could also use chicken bone broth as well.
Garlic – Fresh garlic adds the best flavor, but you could use jarred minced garlic for convenience. If you don’t have any of either, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Curry Powder – This spice blend of turmeric, chili powder, coriander, cayenne pepper, and other spices is a must for this dish! If yours doesn’t have cumin in it, add 1 teaspoon of cumin to the recipe.
Other Spices – Ground ginger, paprika, and sea salt.

Some curry chicken recipes add sugar as well, but I don’t find this necessary. The tomatoes and coconut milk add a little natural sweetness on their own.

How To Make Curry Chicken

This section shows how to make chicken curry with coconut milk, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Saute the onion. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent and browned.
Sear the chicken. Push onion to the side. Increase to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon oil and add chicken in a single layer. Saute the chicken only to brown the outside.

Make the chicken curry sauce. Add diced tomatoes, coconut cream (skimmed from the top of canned coconut milk), chicken broth, garlic, curry powder, ground ginger, paprika, and sea salt. Stir everything together.

TIP: Only use the cream portion of your canned coconut milk.

This is the important secret trick! If you want your curry to taste like it came from an Indian restaurant (which you do!), only use the cream. Most cans of coconut cream will have directions to shake the can before using. DON’T do this. Simply open the can and scoop out the thick cream portion. Thanks to my friend, Emily from My Everyday Table, for this tip!

Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, sauce is thick, and flavors develop to your liking. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Curry sauce added to chicken and liquid simmered off.

Storage Instructions

Store: Allow coconut curry chicken to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Curry will stain some plastic storage containers — beware!)
Meal prep: Chicken coconut curry is similar to soups and chilis where it gets even better after a day in the fridge. Simply make the full recipe ahead of time and store.
Reheat: Warm on the stove or in microwave until hot. If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of water or broth, or even a bit more coconut cream.
Freeze: Chicken curry recipes freeze quite well. Once it has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Or, to save space, store in a freezer bag and lay it flat so that it freezes flat. Once it’s solid, you can stand it up.

Two plates with chicken curry and rice with naan.

What To Serve With Chicken Curry Recipes

This is important… because you don’t want to lose any of the flavorful curry sauce! Here’s what I like to pair with this dish:

Rice – Serve chicken curry over a bowl of basmati rice, or for lighter options, try cauliflower rice (shown in the photos above) or shirataki rice.
Naan – Classic Indian curry dishes include a side of naan. For a lighter option, try my low carb naan.
Vegetables – A side of roasted cauliflower, sauteed broccoli, or garlic roasted bok choy pair well with Indian cuisines. You can also add Indian spices, such as curry powder, to roasted potatoes.

More Indian Chicken Recipes

If you like dishes with a little kick, try these other spicy Indian-inspired favorites:

Tools To Make Chicken Coconut Curry

Large Saute Pan – To make the best chicken curry recipe, be sure to use a nonstick saute pan. This will prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan while it cooks.