Easy Chicken Curry (One Pan Recipe)

Easy Chicken Curry is made in just one pan on the stove top! Dinner can be ready in as little as 30 minutes with this deliciously quick and easy chicken curry recipe. Chunks of chicken are seasoned with a blend of curry spices and then simmers in a coconut milk base. Serve over rice for a family favorite meal. 

For more Thai inspired recipes with coconut milk be sure and try my Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken and this amazing Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken.

Easy Chicken Curry Recipe

I love chicken curry recipes! I actually had never had this type of food until I started dating my husband in college. He spent a couple years in Cambodia so he taught me all about the delicious food. I will never get tired of the combination of curry + coconut. 

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to make chicken curry in a hurry because it’s ready in 30 minutes and it’s so simple to make. 

It probably is not the most authentic chicken curry, but it’s fast and simple, which makes it more approachable for anyone to make it. 

Ingredients Needed

Here are the easy ingredients you will need to make this one pan chicken curry recipe. I also share tips for the ingredients so you can have the same results in your kitchen at home. 

• Oil – I use extra virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil whenever a recipe calls for oil when cooking. For baking, I always use canola oil, so this is just for cooking on the stove top in a skillet pan. My family does not love the heavy taste of olive oil, so be sure and use extra-virgin, or at the very least, use a olive oil that is labeled as ‘light tasting’. 
• Yellow Onion – I prefer to dice the onion really small so my kids won’t complain about it 😉
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – I have never used chicken thighs in this recipe so I can’t say for sure. I much prefer the lean white meat of a chicken breast anyways. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks, about 1-inch in size, to make sure they cook quickly. 
• Curry Powder, Turmeric, Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt – These are the dried spices you will need. 
• Chicken Broth – I use full-salt chicken broth in this recipe. If you use reduced-sodium chicken broth then you may need to add some additional salt at the end. Taste first and then add a little bit at a time. 
• Coconut Milk – This is the canned coconut milk and not the cold coconut milk that comes in a milk carton type container. The canned coconut milk can solidify in the can, which is fine, just be sure to gently shake it up before opening the can and dumping it into the pan. 
• Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce – Adds lots of much needed flavor to this dish. Don’t skip it. You can feel free to add more depending on your preference. 
• Fresh Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is always better. You need 1 lime to get the amount needed.

How To Make Chicken Curry In One Pan

Learn how to make this easy chicken curry recipe that’s made in just one pan on the stove top. Be sure and read below to the recipe card for the full set of instructions, ingredients, and helpful tips.

Step One : Cook the diced onion in the olive oil, over medium-high heat, until the onions are translucent and softened. About 3 minutes. 

Step Two : Add the diced chicken. Cook, stirring frequently to rotate the chicken, until it is no longer pink in the middle and it is cooked to temperature (165 degrees F). Drain the excess juices from the pan. 

Step Three : Add all the dried spices over the chicken and stir to coat all the chicken in the spice mixture. Add the chicken broth, while stirring, and then add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and fresh lime juice. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes. 

Step Four : Serve over cooked white rice. I love to make some jasmine rice or basmati rice when I make Indian inspired dishes like curry. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few of my helpful tips that will make this recipe a success in your own kitchen!

• Coconut Milk : Please make sure you are using a can of coconut milk, usually found by the other Asian ingredients like soy sauce, and not the cold coconut milk that is by the other milk products. The canned coconut milk can solidify, so make sure you shake it before adding it into the pan. It’s also best to use the full-fat coconut milk and not lite coconut milk. 
• Chicken : To ensure that the chicken will cook quickly, cut it into bite-sized chunks, about 1-inch in size. If the chicken pieces are larger or smaller, they will obviously have to cook for more time or less. The chicken should be cooked all the way through before adding the spices and coconut milk. The simmer time will not be long enough to cook the chicken. 
• Chicken Broth : This recipe has been created and tested using regular chicken broth, and not reduced-sodium chicken broth. If you do use the lower salt chicken broth then you may need to add some additional salt at the end of the cook time. Taste first and then add a little at a time. 
• Salt : Speaking of salt, I love using kosher salt in all my cooking recipes. It adds much better, brighter flavor. If using regular table salt, you will need slightly less because the salt grains are finer, which means more can fit inside a 1/2 teaspoon measurer for example. Kosher salt flakes are larger which means less can fit into the same size measuring spoon. Another option, is to dump the kosher salt into a food processor and blend it up into small/finer salt pieces. This is what I do as it more closely resembles the size of table salt. 

Easy Chicken Curry FAQs

• How Do I Store Leftovers?
  • Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days. 
  • When ready to reheat, you can use the microwave, or pour it into a saucepan and heat it up over the stove. 
  • This recipe has plenty of sauce/liquid, so you should not have to add more. If wanted, you can add additional chicken broth if needed. 
  • I put some rice and then top it off with a serving of the chicken curry, inside a Tupperware container, with the leftovers. That way, you have a complete serving in one little dish. 
• Can I Freeze Chicken Curry?
  • Yes, you can freeze chicken curry if wanted. Coconut milk is not considered dairy, so you should have no problem freezing this. 
  • I prefer to freeze food in freezer-safe Ziploc bags, that way I can lay them flat in the freezer. 
  • Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating over the stove top for dinner. You may need to add some additional chicken broth when reheating. 
• Substitution & Variation Ideas
  • There are not many substitutions for this recipe but there are couple changes you can make. 
  • Increase the spices or add something new. If you want some heat, try adding red cayenne pepper in with the other dried seasonings. You can also add some chopped jalapeños inside the curry or garnish the curry serving with them. 
  • Use more curry powder if wanted. Or more garlic powder. The seasonings are very adaptable to switch up to whatever you prefer. Cumin and coriander are other great seasonings to add to a curry dish. 
  • This dish as is, is a mild curry dish, there is no spice to it. So change it up as wanted. 
• Serving Suggestions for Chicken Curry Recipes
  • I always serve chicken curry with Naan bread. I normally just buy it at the store (hello easy!) but you can also try making Homemade Naan Bread instead. 
  • Serve it with some egg rolls or potstickers, either frozen from the grocery store or homemade. 
  • The recipe makes plenty of that delicious curry sauce, so really all you need is some type of bread (Naan bread is preferred) to soak up that sauce with. 
  • Curry is traditionally served over white rice, like basmati rice or jasmine rice, but you can also serve it over some coconut rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, etc. 

More Easy One Pan Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

• One Pan Chicken Teriyaki
• Chicken Burrito Skillet
• Skillet Cashew Chicken
• BBQ Beef Pasta Skillet
• One Pot Taco Pasta
• One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper