This Red Curry Chicken is made with chicken thighs and a flavorful red curry rub, seared in a skillet. It only requires a few ingredients and is fast and easy enough for weeknights! The best thing is, you probably already have these ingredients on hand!
I feel like I’m cheating a little when I post recipes that are this easy to make. Of course, you could always make it more complicated if feeling so inclined by making your own batch of red curry paste from scratch for a special dinner or Sunday Supper.
Chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper and rubbed with Thai Style Red Curry Paste, the kind found at most grocery stores. The chicken is given a quick pan-sear in a hot skillet, then placed in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes. Voila, dinner is ready!
Red Curry Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs- bone-in skin on, produce the best results. For amazing results, you could also use a whole chicken, butterflied this way, served over crispy potatoes.
- Red Curry Paste– store-bought or make your own.
- Olive oil– or other oil like avocado, peanut
- Salt and pepper
- Garnish – Lime and cilantro
How to make Red Curry Chicken
Thai Red Curry Paste is found at most grocery stores, and works well. But if you are near an Asian Market and can find this Red Curry Paste by Mae Ploy, it has a much better flavor. Either way, it will be good.
What to serve with Red Curry Chicken
More recipes you may enjoy
- Instant Pot Thai Curry Chicken
- Thai Zucchini Curry
- Thai Chicken Satay (Vegan-adaptable!)
- Thai Pineapple Curry
- Thai Red Curry Paste
Red Curry Chicken
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main, Paleo, keto,
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A simple baked Thai chicken and rice recipe using fragrant red curry paste. Flavorful, healthy, fast and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup red curry paste (we used maesri or try our recipe) *adjust to taste, every brand has a varied spice level
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen lemongrass finely chopped or use paste
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups jasmine rice uncooked
- 6–8 makrut lime leaves (optional but so good- *see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more wedges for serving
Garnish with lime wedges, fresh basil (thai basil is nice), chilis, and fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- Pat chicken dry and generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken.
- Rub or brush red curry paste on both sides of chicken.
- In a hot oven proof pan or large skillet (3-quart), add oil and sear chicken on both sides over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn over and sear undersides for 2-3 minutes.
- Move the seared chicken to the edges of the pan add more oil to the center and saute shallots for 2 minutes, add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass saute for about 1 minute.
- Add fish sauce, chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar, salt, and rice. Cover with a lid or tightly with foil, place the skillet in the hot oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Drizzle lime juice on top and garnish with chilis, fresh basil and cilantro.
Notes
We like Maesri Red curry paste. It is a mild to medium spice level with a balanced flavor profile. Mae Ploy (second pick) or Thai Kitchen works too.
We recommend sticking with Jasmine rice for this recipe. It is a softer rice and needs less liquid to cook. If you use a different type of rice you will need to adjust the liquid measurements.
Makrut lime leaves (Thai lime leaves) – dried lime leaves are so convenient to keep on hand and have great flavor. They are also often available at Asian markets fresh or frozen.
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days sealed in an airtight container in the fridge and can be reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 905.5 mg
- Fat: 11.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.6 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 10.8 g
- Cholesterol: 23.3 mg
Another keeper! This chicken was perfectly spicy and tender. Served with coconut rice and peas so it was an impromptu rice bowl. Would also be awesome as a chicken satay. Super simple and tasty!
Awesome to hear Lindsay!
This was simple and perfect! Easy, juicy, and flavorful. I added garlic powder, and a touch of cayenne for a flavor boost.
Glad this worked for you!
was so good
This is a great “go to”
I often do this with a Noodle broth, place the chicken on top of a lovely vegetable packed broth for some added texture, not to mention a little bit of fire
Delicious and easy. My daughter keeps bugging me almost demanding to make it again! We served it with garlic mashed potatoes.
Do not omit the lime and cilantro !! They add so much flavor! In fact, they make the recipe sing”!!! Yum Yum !!
Do not omit the lime and cilantro !! They add so much flavor! In fact, they make the recipe sing”!!! Yum Yum !!
Very simple …… tasty but seems as if the recipe is lacking another spice ??? Maybe I’ll add garlic &/or curry powder next time. I used store bought chili paste…… homemade would be tastier but then recipe not as simple!! All in all, very good & quick ! Thank you!
Easy-quick, on-hand ingredients, simple directions resulting in a fantastic taste. A recipe I’m adding to the repitoire or rotation, as we call it. I prepared the chicken with rice and book choi, I can only add that the lime and cilantro truly enhanced the dish and should not be considered optional. Thank you PNW Feasting at Home for posting.
Great recipe, I will try with my Air Fryer.
I browned the drumsticks in vegetable oil first and set them aside until the last ten minutes of the simmer stage. No bad odor and no scum to skim. Very tender and not too sweet. I added extra garlic, used that rooster hot chile sauce, and topped with toasted sesame seeds and some green onions. I served with white rice and some garlicky broccoli. I will make this again. Thanks, Jan!
I have a chicken marinating right now, and cant wait to hear the sizzle when i drop it in the grill pan coated with coconut oil. I’ll be serving it with Thai fried rice, which we purchased last nite at a Thai restaurant 🙂 What can i say, we like Thai food 🙂 Stay blessed.~!~
Thanks much Rhonda…let me know how you like it.
These look so awesome! I love chicken thighs cooked crisp like this.
Happy Birthday! I love all of your recipes and this one is no exception. So simple!
Trish
Ahhh….thank you!! have a beautiful week Trish.
I have all these ingredients in the house!
Awesome….makes it even easier!!
Super Simple!!!! And I love this as a flavoring. Wonderful!
Glad you like 🙂
This is so perfect! 🙂
Thanks Tiegan!
Thanks, appreciate you saying that….I just never really know!!
I love all the amazing flavours going on with the chicken – looks delicious!
Thanks Millie, and your Sunshine Soup is beautiful!!