Coconut Curry Chicken: A Keto Low Carb Curry Recipe

Name: Chicken Coconut Curry
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Olive oil ((divided)); 1/2 large Onion ((chopped)); 1 lb Chicken breast ((cut into bite size pieces)); 1 14.5-oz can Diced tomatoes ((drained)); 7 oz Coconut cream ((the entire cream part skimmed from a 14-oz can)); 1/4 cup Chicken broth, reduced sodium; 4 cloves Garlic ((minced)); 1 1/2 tbsp Curry powder ((+1 tsp cumin if your curry powder doesn't include it)); 1 tsp Ground ginger; 1 tsp Paprika; 1/2 tsp Sea salt ((to taste))

Jump to recipeThis flavorful keto chicken curry recipe (a.k.a. coconut curry chicken) is EASY, with a secret trick! You're just 10 ingredients and 30 minutes away from low carb coconut cream curry.

By Maya Krampf

195 Comments

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

Indian restaurants can be tricky to navigate on a low carb or keto diet. There are all the sides – the rice, the naan. None of them work for us! Then it’s hard to know what is in all of the rich stews and curries. Are they low carb? Are they not? Are there potatoes or cornstarch in there?

And even if you aren’t low carb, no one wants processed ingredients in their coconut chicken curry, right?

So, we’re just going to make it ourselves! Sound good?

How To Make Coconut Curry Chicken

Coconut cream curry is one of those ethnic dishes that’s a little intimidating to make at home. At least it was for me. But then I made it and I don’t know what I waited so long! Let me show you how to make easy chicken curry with coconut cream:

First we saute the diced onions in a pan. Get them as brown as you like – I like them almost caramelized.

Next, you’ll push the onions off to the side and brown the chicken. You don’t need to worry about the chicken cooking through, it will continue cooking throughout the process.

Then you’ll add the tomatoes, coconut cream, and all of the spices and let it simmer away.

You can simmer it to your liking to make thinner or thicker coconut curry chicken. Up to you!

Can You Eat Curry On A Keto Diet?

You can eat curry on a keto diet – but it’s got to be this keto curry recipe! 😉 Because there are so many different curry recipes and styles, it definitely depends on the recipe. Many curries are made with higher carb vegetables like potatoes and peas, which are definitely not low carb or keto friendly.

How Many Carbs In Chicken Curry?

So you might be wondering, how many carbs are in chicken curry? One serving of my keto chicken curry has just 6 net carbs! Pretty great, huh? The full nutrition stats can be found below the recipe card, but here are the highlights, per serving of coconut cream curry:

251 calories
8 grams total carbs
6 grams net carbs
14 grams protein

How To Use Coconut Milk In Curry

It’s best to use coconut milk in curry dishes. Not only does it make the dish dairy-free (which is important for some!), it also means that it’s paleo and whole30 compliant, AND it imparts a delicious flavor that would be sorely missed if it wasn’t included.

PRO TIP: This is the important secret trick for making coconut curry chicken – you don’t want to miss it! The best way to use coconut milk in curry is to use only the coconut cream portion of the canned coconut milk. The curry will still taste good and be creamy, but if you want your curry to taste like it came from an Indian restaurant (which you do!), only use the cream. Thanks to my friend and team member, Emily from My Everyday Table, for this tip!

Most cans of coconut will have directions to shake the cans before using. DON’T do this. Simply open the can and scoop out the thick cream portion.

How To Make Coconut Chicken Curry Ahead Of Time

You can absolutely make low carb chicken curry ahead of time! In fact, it’s similar to soups and chilis where it gets even better after a day in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container and simply reheat on the stove or 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.

PRO TIP: Store curry in a glass container, it will stain some plastic storage containers.

How To Freeze Keto Chicken Curry

Stews like this low carb chicken curry recipe freeze quite well. Once the chicken curry with coconut cream has cooled, store it in a glass or plastic container (see note above if using plastic!) or to save room in the freezer, put it into a freezer bag and lay it flat so that it freezes flat. Once it’s solid you can stand it up, but it won’t be as bulky as a container.

What to Serve with Coconut Cream Curry

This is important… because you don’t want to lose any of the flavorful curry sauce! I love serving low carb curry with cauliflower rice – it doesn’t overpower the dish and soaks up all of the sauce from this keto curry recipe. Top it with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro if you wish!

Here are a few other low carb side dishes that will pair perfectly with keto chicken curry recipes:

For a different flavor of low carb curry, try paleo Bangalore chicken curry.

Tools To Make Coconut Curry Chicken

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Ceramic Nonstick Fry Pan – I use these pans daily, they are the best.
Food Processor – The quickest and best way to make cauliflower rice!

Keto Low Carb Curry Recipe

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195 Comments

Dawn Tracey Lewis
0 February 1, 2023Reply

Absolutely lush. Did add extra onions and a red and a green pepper. Forgot to drain the tomatoes, but it was amazing.
lisa belen
0 January 29, 2023Reply

I love this recipe, make it with cauliflower verses chicken, a great vegetarian dish!
Will be one of my favorite meals when unsure of what to cook!
Carlos Calvi
0 January 19, 2023Reply

This is by far the best recipe. Since I hate veggies. I cook the onions and garlic then add them and everything else to a blender and have the perfect creamy sauce to add back to the chicken. Try it. Trust me
Catherine
0 January 6, 2023Reply

I made this recipe tonight and it tasted absolutely amazing. Thank you for a tasty dinner.
Em
0 August 24, 2022Reply

Low-carb, easy, and flavorful! We loved this recipe. Needs a bit more salt than recommended. I prefer a lot of sauce, so I almost doubled up on everything besides the chicken. I topped mine with fresh green onion, sliced chilies, and cilantro. I will definitely make this again!
Bebe
0 June 6, 2022Reply

Does this dish freeze well? Should I do anything different in preparation for freezing? Thanks!
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 June 7, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Bebe, You can find the freezing instruction in the post.
lisa belen
0 May 10, 2022Reply

Can I substitute cauliflower for chicken? What it vegetarian cauliflower curry.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 May 11, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Lisa, Yes you could use cauliflower.
Steve
0 April 27, 2022Reply

Very very tasty. This is perfect either on a keto diet or not. So easy to make and tastes great.
Lynne
0 April 27, 2022Reply

You would have a more pleasant website experience for people to enjoy if it were not so “busy “ . Everything is messy with too many ads, and too many hyperlinks. Most of the time if my search engine suggests this site, I will scroll on by because it causes me anxiety to look thru here. Its too bad because you have wonderful ideas and recipes. It is like when the page opens, everything just hits me in the face at once. Too much and overwhelming
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 April 28, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Lynne, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
- Dawn
  0 August 22, 2022Reply
  
  Hi, Lynne,
  The business is ads to pay for all the money spent on web hosting and, undoubtedly, her testing and retesting the recipes to perfection. She has a paid option without ads that are a lot busier. The most stressful thing for many of us disabled folks is not being able to see any recipe at all. So, I am so grateful for all the ads and the free recipe! Thank you, WholesomeYum, my FAVORITE recipe site! Welcome, hope to see you make some things, Lynne!
Emmy
0 April 6, 2022Reply

I have often made coconut curry chicken but this was so much more rich and creamy than ever. It was truly delectable and super easy and fast. I used 4 fresh tomatoes rather than a can because that’s what I had. Thank you!
Gary Paine
0 March 12, 2022Reply

Can you combine the chicken with the cauliflower rice and freeze them together?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 March 14, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Gary, Yes, you can do that.
Andrea
0 February 5, 2022Reply

Can I substitute Thai curry paste for curry powder?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 February 8, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Andrea, I think that should work for you, let me know how it turn out.
Leanne Curtis
0 January 20, 2022Reply

Delicious!!! The entire family loved this! ♥️♥️♥️
Mike
0 October 24, 2021Reply

I didn’t drain the tomatoes so I just cooked it down till it was the right consistency.
Suzana
0 October 23, 2021Reply

Lovely!
Enjoyed by the whole family. Not particularly spicy but you could spice it up to your own requirements
Anne
0 October 22, 2021Reply

How do I print this recipe? It looks great
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 22, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Anne, The print button is to the right of the word “ingredients” at the top of the ingredients list.
Rose
0 October 17, 2021Reply

Made this morning in my Instant Pot using the sauté function and glass lid. Easy way to cook the curry and the keep warm function allows the flavours to develop until it’s time to eat later in the day. I used coconut oil in place of olive oil, a full 250 ml carton of coconut cream, 1 knorr chicken stock pot, added 1 tspn garam masala, 1 tspn ground cumin 1 tspn garlic granules as well as the fresh garlic, a few curry leaves and a couple of dried birds eye chillies to add extra depth of flavour. I used Costco curry powder Madras mild and the garlic granules and ground cumin were also from Costco. As others have mentioned, there’s quite a lot of sauce…I added 1/2 tspn coconut flour as a thickener. That was plenty I found and stuck with the coconut theme. Delicious, easy keto meal…smells amazing too.
- DENISE KELSEY
  0 February 24, 2022Reply
  
  So you didn’t actually make THIS recipe, then.
LizzieD
0 September 24, 2021Reply

Tried this last night and absolutely delicious!
I was a little short on chicken so added some chunky slices of mushroom to pad out and worked a treat, albeit still a bit too much sauce. Bonus is that I saved the sauce and will be frying up some chicken/onion and aubergine (love that in curries) tonight to use up. Coconut rice works a treat with this, as suggested. My husband absolutely loved it too!
I’m embracing keto and have lost over a stone in a month and this is now going to be a weekly staple/treat.
Thank you!
jill
0 August 14, 2021Reply

Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious. I used chicken thighs and used coconut oil instead of olive oil. I put the tinned tomatoes through the blender, because my hubby doesn’t like the pips. Also I added two small chopped chilies, two curry tree leaves and some chopped cabbage, mushroom and kale. I made cauliflower rice as an accompaniment.
Christina
0 August 8, 2021Reply

My 14 yr old loves to cook and wanted to try curry chicken. My husband and I eat low carb so we used your recipe and it was delish! So easy with a super depth of flavor. This will definitely go on our menu rotation.
Glad
0 August 6, 2021Reply

Oops! I was supposed to drain the diced tomatoes! Darn 🙁
Melanie Smith
0 July 9, 2021Reply

Absolutely love this dish..
- Glad
  0 August 6, 2021Reply
  
  I experienced too much sauce & not enough coconut or ginger flavouring 🙁
Anita
0 July 2, 2021Reply

I made this last night and it was fabulous! I did add some chopped red, green and yellow peppers during the simmer (& reduced the sauce a bit), and a small handful of frozen peas at the end. I also upped the stock to 1/2 cup, and didn’t drain the delicious juice from the canned tomatoes. While it was simmering, I made a couple of Indian-spiced chaffles to serve with it. For those (2 large ones), 2 eggs, 2 T. almond flour, 1.5 t. of baking powder, 1/3 C. of shredded mozzarella, curry powder and about 1/4 cup of very toasted (blackened), diced onion. The chaffles tasted like curry naan! (Not a fan of cauliflower rice.) Big-time keeper!
Prissy
0 June 11, 2021Reply

Oh my gosh this was so good & really easy! My son walked in and said it smells so good in here! Next time I’ll add some extra heat but still such a great dish! Thank you for sharing!
Theresa
0 May 23, 2021Reply

I made this recipe expecting it to taste heavy and coconut “creamy” … but it was a taste and flavour sensation. I followed the recipe and added half a chopped green pepper fried with the onions. What I will do differently next time is to add a touch more heat but it’s winner! Going to pair with cauliflower rice. Being new to keto it was a wonderful surprise! Thank you.
Jason Schick
0 May 18, 2021Reply

Thank you so much, for the detailed recipe. It turned amazing my neighbor rang my bell and told me he had to know what was smelling so good lol. Gave him a link to here. Thanks, I will have fun customizing this recipe.
Alexia
0 May 14, 2021Reply

I just read all the instructions about only using the cream in the coconut milk tin! My bad lol
Alexia
0 May 14, 2021Reply

Can you milk coconut milk with heavy cream,
or does it have to be coconut cream
Rosalie
0 May 14, 2021Reply

Hello good recipe can u make this without coconut
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 May 14, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Rosalie, You can sub heavy cream for the coconut cream, just keep in mind it will alter the overall flavor without the coconut.
Lexington
0 May 6, 2021Reply

One thing I love about Wholesome Yum is how Maya makes good on her core promise: natural gluten-free low carb recipes 10 ingredients or less. Don’t let the few ingredients in this recipe fool you. Follow Maya’s lead and you get a tasty chicken curry that is *to die for*. I’ve loved so many of her recipes on Wholesome Yum I bought her cookbook.

You have to try this! It’s so freakin’ good! Hey Maya! Guess what? Here’s another one going into my rotation! Love it!
Joann
0 April 24, 2021Reply

I did use To tel tomatoes to give an extra kick and it was very good!
Trista
0 April 23, 2021Reply

This is my favorite curry dish. It is so good.
kelle
0 April 16, 2021Reply

Easy and delicious! The boyfriend who loves curry but doesn’t do Keto loved it as well. There were no leftovers.
Alex
0 March 26, 2021Reply

Super delicious and also really easy to make! The only change (outside of substituting the meat products for their vegetarian counterparts) is that I used 1/2 cup of pasta sauce, reduced to the consistency of tomato paste. I also cannot stress the importance of only using the coconut cream part.
Carol
0 March 13, 2021Reply

Delicious, easy and just like she says, it’s better the next day. 🙂
Karen Wilson
0 March 12, 2021Reply

This was absolutely delicious- rich and warming with just the right amount of spice.
Maria
0 March 9, 2021Reply

Keto or not, this curry recipe looks really tasty! The tip about using the coconut cream part only is true indeed. I’m sure to give this a try.
Dannii
0 March 9, 2021Reply

I love anything with coconut and this chicken curry looks so creamy and delicious.
Shanna
0 March 9, 2021Reply

This is so delicious!! It is now one of my family’s favorite meals.
Beth
0 March 9, 2021Reply

I’m so excited to give this a try! My family and I are going to love this! So excited! Looks amazing and so tasty!
Jess
0 March 9, 2021Reply

Only 30 minutes for a delicious flavorful meal?! Yes, please!
Karrie Twombley
0 March 7, 2021Reply

It was so delicious and easy to make. I can’t wait to make it again! My daughter and sister even loved it. My husband hasn’t tried it but he is a picky eater so it probably won’t happen.
Jacinta Fallon
0 February 26, 2021Reply

Fabulous. Currently cooking it again for tomorrows dinner as flavour really evolves. And brownie points for me as hubby loves it too. Thank you for simple yet delicious recipe. J
Jay
0 February 22, 2021Reply

I haven’t tried it as yet but is there something I can substitute for the chicken broth? Like maybe just water?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 February 22, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Jay, You can use just water, but it may be a little lacking in flavor. The bone broth provides both flavor and nutrition, so it’s worth adding in my opinion.
Pauline
0 February 22, 2021Reply

So pleased with how this turned out .Had it yesterday for dinner. I’ve only been on Keto for a week and this was easily the best meal I had all week. Loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Kirsty Robertson
0 February 17, 2021Reply

Hi! I want to try and make this. I am from the UK and unsure on some of the measurements. For example, if I set it to 4 servings it says to use 0.6714.5 oz on tomatoes, and I have no idea what that converts too! Any help would be great thank you
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 February 17, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Kirsty, Sorry for the confusion. This recipe calls for 1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes. When you scale the recipe down, it asks for a partial can of tomatoes. .67 of a can is just over half a can of tomatoes. I hope this helps!
Jade
0 January 29, 2021Reply

This recipe was delicious , and so easy to make. It tasted amazing over cauliflower rice. I will definitely be cooking this again 🙂