The Red Curry Chicken Recipe I Wish I’d Had Years Ago
Thai red curry has been my standing takeout order for nearly 20 years. Which is exactly why it’s so frustrating that every time I try to recreate it at home, something’s always slightly off. 😫
Stir-frying never gives the chicken that tender, sauce-soaked quality I crave, and no matter what, the veggies always edge into mushy territory. My history with slow cooker versions is even worse: dry chicken, watery sauce, flat flavor – sometimes all at once…😵💫
But I finally figured it out.
The breakthrough came from actually studying my favorite takeout. The chicken isn’t seared or browned at all – it’s almost as if it’s gently simmered right in the sauce until impossibly tender and drenched through with flavor. The veggies stay right at that perfect line between tender and crisp, almost certainly for the same reason.
The other piece of the puzzle came from my friend Ann Ahmed, a James Beard-nominated Southeast Asian chef. Ann’s take is that you don’t need to grind curry paste from scratch to make restaurant-quality flavor – you just need a really good store-bought paste and the right technique to bring it to life.
Putting those 2 things together, I finally cracked the code. This Poached Red Curry Chicken is the at-home curry I’ve been dreaming of all these years: totally hands-free, hardly any prep required, and almost as easy as ordering takeout. 🙌🏼
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
Key Ingredients
🌶️As the flavor foundation for the entire recipe, red curry paste is the ingredient worth being a little picky about. Not all store-bought curry pastes are created equal! A good one is made with chili pepper, lemongrass, kaffir lime, and galangal – you can taste the difference immediately. I always reach for Maesri, which is shellfish-free with just the right kick of heat. It’s what I use in all of my curry recipes, like my green curry with gingery chicken.
🥥Since we’re poaching the chicken right in the curry sauce, I suggest using 2 full cans of coconut milk. The extra volume ensures there’s enough liquid to cook everything properly, with plenty of creamy sauce left to spoon over rice. Quality matters here too! Give the cans a shake at the store – if you can hear it sloshing around, you’re golden!
Jess’s Curry Essentials
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Buy Now → How to Make the Best Red Curry Chicken? Poach It!
There are 2 tricks that make this recipe work as well as it does: boosting canned curry paste with fresh aromatics for maximum flavor without any fuss, and poaching the chicken directly in the curry – a technique inspired by Zena’s Kitchen’s viral Coconut Milk Poached Fish.
If you’ve never poached anything before, don’t let the terminology intimidate you – it simply means gently simmering meat in a flavorful liquid until it’s cooked through. The sauce does all the work!
👩🏻🍳Poaching is all about gentle, steady heat! Resist the urge to speed things up by cranking the burner – a rolling boil will only cause the meat to seize and toughen. Aim for a slow, lazy simmer with a few bubbles at the surface and check on the pan once or twice, adjusting the heat as needed.
🥥Want an even creamier chicken curry? ⇢ Swap one can of coconut milk for thicker coconut cream, simmer the curry a little longer to boil off excess moisture, or whisk in a quick cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This is the kind of saucy red curry that just begs to be spooned over something to soak up all that flavor.
Fluffy jasmine rice is the classic choice, but light and sticky Calrose rice is our house favorite. Noodle lovers, you’re in luck too – there’s more than enough sauce to make an amazing curry noodle bowl. 😍
I can’t wait for you to try these Hands-Free Red Curry Chicken Thighs! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Poached Red Curry Chicken Thighs (Hands-Free & Tender!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes (cook and prep
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
- Method: Stovetop, Skillet Recipes, Poached
- Cuisine: Asian, Thai-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Finally, a weeknight-easy Red Curry Chicken that delivers everything you love about your favorite Thai takeout: juicy chicken and just-crisp bell peppers in a bold coconut sauce that’s creamy without being heavy.
Boneless chicken thighs nestle right into a quick sauce built from store-bought red curry paste amped up with fresh aromatics (garlic! ginger! shallot!) and two cans of coconut milk. A gentle poach means it practically cooks itself – completely hands-free and just as good as delivery!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- kosher salt and ground white pepper, to season
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil of choice
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 4-ounce can good-quality red curry paste (see Recipe Notes)
- two 14-ounce cans good-quality full-fat coconut milk (see Recipe Notes)
- optional: 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce (or substitute 1-2 teaspoons chicken base)
- 2 bell peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
- optional: 6 ounces baby spinach (or substitute 4 big handfuls chopped greens of choice)
- 1–2 limes, juiced
Instructions
Method Overview:
Season chicken thighs well. Sauté shallot, garlic, and ginger in oil until softened, then stir in red curry paste and brown. Add coconut milk and fish sauce, bring to a simmer. Nestle in chicken and poach gently (covered) until cooked through. Remove chicken, add bell pepper and spinach to sauce, and simmer until tender. Adjust with lime juice and extra fish sauce to taste. Serve over rice with green onions and cilantro.
Step-by-Step Method:
- Season the chicken thighs: Place the chicken thighs on a large plate. Season each side liberally with kosher salt and ground white pepper – a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat. Set aside while you get started on the red curry.
- Cook the aromatics: Add the oil to a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the shallot, garlic, and ginger. Season with a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened. Stir in the curry paste and cook 2-3 minutes longer, until deeply browned and fragrant.
- Build the coconut red curry and poach the chicken: Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce (if using). Bring to a simmer. Nestle the seasoned chicken thighs in the coconut curry sauce. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through.
- Slice the chicken and finish the red curry: Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and set aside. Stir the bell pepper and spinach (if using) into the coconut curry sauce. Increase heat to maintain a lively simmer. Partially cover the skillet and cook 3-4 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the greens are wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – I like to add enough lime juice to brighten all the flavors and an extra splash of fish sauce for saltiness and rich umami. Meanwhile, slice the curry-poached chicken thighs into thin strips for serving.
- Serve immediately: Nestle the sliced chicken over rice or your grain of choice, then spoon the red curry sauce and veggies over top. Finish with thinly sliced green onions and finely chopped cilantro as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Swapping chicken breasts for thighs: I love the natural richness and forgiving juiciness of dark meat, but this recipe also works well with chicken breasts if you prefer. I suggest fully butterflying each breast to create thinner pieces with uniform thickness and reducing poaching time to 15-20 minutes, just until the meat is cooked through.
- “Good-quality” red curry paste: Not all curry pastes are created equally! In my opinion, the curry paste sold at most conventional grocers lacks the layered complexity of really good Thai curry. I’m obsessed with Maesri curry paste – it’s flavorful, has perfect lingering heat without overwhelming, and shellfish-free. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores or order it online.
- “Good-quality” coconut milk: Similarly, using good-quality coconut milk makes a big difference in creating a perfectly creamy red curry sauce. If you give the can a good shake, you should be able to hear and feel liquid moving around inside – if it feels like a solid block, it’s likely overly separated, which can lead to a grainy or greasy curry. At conventional grocery stores, I’ve had good success with the Native Forest brand. If I’m at an Asian grocery store, I always look for Chaokoh (the brown cans) – you can also order it online.
- Prefer an extra-creamy coconut red curry? Easy – you have 3 great options: 1) swap one of the cans of coconut milk for coconut cream; 2) finish with a longer simmer in Step 4, until thickened as desired; and/or 3) thicken with a quick cornstarch slurry – whisk 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons cold water, stir into the coconut red curry sauce at the end of Step 4, then simmer until thickened.
Storage and Reheating:
- Transfer cooled poached chicken and coconut red curry sauce to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of water or chicken stock as needed to help loosen the coconut curry sauce.
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This looks amazing. I can’t wait to make it! Random question but where did you get your wooden spatula? I love it!
Hi Meghen, So pretty, right? That spatula is from Crate and Barrel—I think they call it an “angled turner spatula”!
I made this recipe to be my lunches for the week. I’ve taken exactly two bites of it, and I had to hop on here to leave a review. This chicken is so flavorful! And it is incredibly easy to make. I already can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much, Anna. So glad you love this curry!