Easy Thai Coconut Chicken Curry is loaded with chicken, veggies, potatoes, and coconut milk for an authentic Thai meal at home. All you need is 30 minutes & one pan to make healthy chicken curry that is gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and Whole30 approved!
I think if I had to pick a last meal, it would be Thai coconut chicken curry. It’s rich and creamy, has a good spice to it, slightly sweet from coconut milk, and packed with protein and veggies. I just can’t get enough of the flavor combo.
As much as I love getting curry when we go to Thai restaurants (or any place that has it really), we don’t eat out that often. Which means I don’t get it enjoy it as much. When I started playing around with making a Thai coconut curry recipe at home, I realized just how easy it is.
Continuing our 30 minute one pot meal month, this curry fits the bill perfectly. It’s made in one pot, comes together in 30 minutes, and loaded with flavor. It totally tastes like a version you would get at your favorite Thai restaurant, except you know exactly what is going in it.
While I think most curries are naturally dairy free, this one is also gluten free. Depending on what you serve it with, it’s paleo and Whole30 approved as well!
How to make Paleo Thai Coconut Chicken Curry
The beauty of curry is, you can make it with just about any protein and veggies you have on hand. Along with chicken breast and veggies, this Thai chicken curry is made with coconut milk and potatoes.
Coconut milk is a must for curry. You will need to use the full fat kind (it makes it so creamy) from the can. Looks for ingredients that just list coconut milk, water, and maybe guar gum (a natural thickener). I added potatoes because I love potatoes, but you could leave them out if you wanted it to be lower carb. The rest is just spices, veggies, curry paste, and a little oil!
To start, we first want to toast the spices. This is a step that only takes about 30 seconds, but it helps pump up the flavor. Add your oil to a large pan or Dutch oven and let it get hot. Then add you ginger, garlic, curry powder, and turmeric and mix into the oil. Toast for about 30 seconds – you can tell it’s done when they are fragrant.
Add your chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on all sides. It doesn’t have to be completely cooked through as we will be adding it back into the pot later.
Remove the chicken and add onions and potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Add your pepper and broccoli and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Then you add the remaining ingredients, mix well to combine, and let simmer for 5-10 minuets depending on how you like your veggies cooked.
The sauce will thicken as you simmer it. If you like your curry more ‘saucy’, you can add more coconut milk. I would suggest adding the coconut cream (the thick creamy part and not the water) from the top of another can.
Serve it topped with some cilantro, lime juice, and a side of rice for a delicious one pot meal.
What to serve with Coconut Chicken Curry
The classic side dish to serve alongside curry is rice. To make this a Whole30 approved and paleo chicken curry, you can serve it alongside cauliflower rice. I like to keep the rice flavor simple and have the curry be the star of the show, but you could try one of these cauliflower rice recipes if you are inclined (cilantro lime would be delicious)!
If not on the Whole30, plain white rice is great. Quinoa would also work well. To keep it as an easy one pot meal, just eat it as is! It’s loaded with protein, carbs, veggies, and healthy fats to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Paleo & Whole30 Thai Coconut Chicken Curry Meal Prep
This healthy chicken curry is great for meal prep! Might I even say, that it is better for meal prep than eating it for dinner the day of? Just kidding, but the flavors intensify the longer it sits and makes it that much better than it already is.
To meal prep, just make as is and divide into equal portions. I love using these compartment meal prep containers as I can have one side with the curry and the other side with the rice. Then when you are ready to eat, mix them up and enjoy! The divider helps from keeping the rice getting too soggy from the curry.
More Healthy 30 Minute One Pot Meals
Paleo Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (Whole30)
Whole30 Shrimp & Butternut Squash Noodles with Curry Peanut Sauce
Whole30 Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Thai Coconut Chicken Curry (Paleo/Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 pound chicken breast (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 cup diced onion (120 grams)
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed (3 cups/400 grams)
- 2 large bell peppers, julienned (400 grams)
- 3 heaping cup broccoli (250 grams/2 heads)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for serving: white rice, cauliflower rice, cilantro, lime wedges...
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or non stick pan over medium low heat. Add oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder, ground turmeric, garlic, and ginger and toast the spices by stirring until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Add chicken and salt and pepper and stir to combine with the spices. Cook for 5-7 minutes until browned on the outside. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onion, sweet potato and salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add broccoli and peppers, cover with a lid, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add coconut milk, red curry paste, tomato paste, 1/2 tablespoon curry powder, cayenne, cooked chicken, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. I like to pour in the juices from the chicken as well for flavor, but it will thin out the curry a little bit.
- Let simmer from 5-10 minutes until vegetables are cooked to your preference. Curry will thicken as you simmer.
Notes
Nutrition
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Jennifer Gibbons
March 14, 2019 at 10:47 amI made this last night! It was amazing and easy! Even my redtick coonhound loved it. She stole the left overs off the counter! Thank you!
Kelly
March 20, 2019 at 11:47 amHaha, I love this! Our pup is quite adventurous in the kitchen as well lol. Thanks so much for trying it Jennifer!
Mikayla
March 14, 2019 at 12:34 pmMade this last night – it was delicious! Great colours and flavours. One pot dishes are my fave! Not too spicy for those worried about that. Easy steps/instructions. Thank you!!
Kelly
March 20, 2019 at 11:47 amSo glad you liked it Mikayla, thanks for trying! And agree, one pot dishes are the best!
Ali
March 18, 2019 at 10:13 amOh my gosh! I thought I made a great coconut chicken curry… until I tried this! A few tweaks compared to mine but WAY more flavor! Huge fan and super easy! Love it!!
Kelly
March 20, 2019 at 11:52 amYay, so glad to hear that Ali! Curry is one of my favorites so this makes me so happy! Thank you so much for trying it 🙂
Alexis
April 13, 2019 at 1:45 pmI made this for dinner last night, SO G O O D! Best coconut curry I have come across, I can finally stop the search. I wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe (other than veg) so easy to just use what you got. 100% in my weekly rotation. Thanks Kelly!
Kelly
April 15, 2019 at 9:41 amAw yay, that makes me so happy, especially as I lover of curry! Thanks for trying it Alexis!
Lana
June 4, 2019 at 9:00 pmMy first time making curry ever and it was so delicious! I cannot wait to make it a regular on my menu. I did freeze some for meal prep as I typically make “freezer meals” to take to work. Anxious to see how it turns out reheating it.
Kelly
June 24, 2019 at 4:47 pmSo happy to hear that Lana! Curry is one of my absolute favorites! How did freezing it go? I know that info will be super to others who have thought the same!
Caitlin
August 21, 2019 at 9:46 pmThis recipe was my first time ever making curry and we loved it. My husband came home and raved about how good it smelt and we enjoyed every bite! It wasn’t too spicy but had a nice little kick. (My 14 month old enjoyed it also with no issues with the spice level) I loved all the veggies and how filling it was.
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:14 pmAw yay! That makes me so happy! Curry is one of my favorite things, so I’m glad y’all enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it Caitlin!
Katie
January 6, 2020 at 8:12 pmI have been following you for some time on Instagram, but this is my first recipe of yours…it definitely won’t be my last. My boyfriend and I are doing January Whole30 and it was easy to put together but packed with so much flavor. I ate leftovers today and had some cashew pieces and decided to mix them in with it and it added a nice crunch.
Kelly
January 9, 2020 at 9:52 pmLove that idea of adding some cashews! So glad you liked it Katie – thanks so much for trying one of my recipes 🙂
Caroline
January 15, 2020 at 9:33 amI made this last night and it was fantastic. I loved the flavors and to me, the heat level was just perfect. Thanks for making my whole 30 so tasty!
Kelly
January 18, 2020 at 2:11 pmYou are welcome Caroline and thanks for trying it! It’s one of my favs and glad you enjoyed it!
Jilljill
January 28, 2020 at 7:58 pmI don’t know how you can say this is a 30 minute prep! It’s a delicious meal but with all the chopping, it takes at least an hour.
Kelly
February 4, 2020 at 10:53 amAh yes, it is a lot of prep time, but I find that I am a pretty fast chopper. I will say to save some time, you can chop the things that go in later while the things that go in first cook. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe though and thanks for trying it!
Elsa
February 27, 2020 at 11:43 amI made this recipe a few days ago and shared the meal with friends. They absolutely loved it and asked for the recipe! I’m definitely going to make this again soon because I wanted more (the only downside to sharing with friends is there is none left). Thanks for creating such a healthy recipe!
Kelly
March 5, 2020 at 10:54 amHaha, the downside of sharing lol! Glad everyone liked it Elsa and thank you for trying it!
Olivia
March 3, 2020 at 10:14 amI made this but with veggies instead of chicken. SO good!! It didn’t take a lot of time, besides cutting up the veggies. Great for meal prep!!
Kelly
March 5, 2020 at 10:50 amGenius! The cutting is the longest thing haha – so glad you liked it Olivia!
Mateo
March 29, 2020 at 2:05 pmHi Kelly! I love a good curry and your recipe is my new favorite!
I’ve decided I want to kick the spice up a bit, so I tried doubling the cayenne pepper, but that didn’t give me the effect I was looking for, so I’ve decided next time I’m going to add a fresh, deseeded serrano chili to the recipe. I don’t cook with fresh chilies a lot, so I was wondering when you would add it. I obviously want it to add heat evenly to the “gravy” more so than the chicken, so I think adding it, finely diced, to the oil with the onions and sweet potatoes would probably be appropriate. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks again for such a great recipe!
Kelly
April 13, 2020 at 10:36 amHey Mateo! I love that idea of adding more spice and I think a chili pepper would be great! I think you are right to add it when you add the onion and potatoes – it should infuse with the oil and then help coat everything you add after! You can also add it with the broccoli and peppers too. Let me know how it goes and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jennifer
April 23, 2020 at 4:23 pmSo flavorful and EASY! This will be in regular rotation in our house!
Kelly
April 27, 2020 at 10:14 amYay, happy to hear you liked it Jennifer!
Tina
May 11, 2020 at 2:55 pmI’ve been tired of eating the same old meal preps so decided to shake things up with a few of Kelly’s recipes & wow! This meal was not only easy, it was so dang tasty & healthy! I served it over cauliflower rice & is was so filling. This recipe was a total win!
Kelly
May 27, 2020 at 10:50 amSo glad you liked it Tina! Thank you for trying it, it’s one of my favs!
Nicole Triplett
May 13, 2020 at 2:52 pmMade this recipe for dinner and I was a bit intimidated since I’m not a great cook. But the recipe was easy to follow and required minimal ingredients which is a plus for me! The dish comes together easily and has amazing flavor! I had to stop myself from eating the whole pan! Thanks, Kelly!
Kelly
May 27, 2020 at 10:52 amHaha, glad you liked it Nicole! And glad you thought it came together easily!
Helen
June 9, 2020 at 3:28 amThis was amazing! Made double as I knew it would be 🤤 … I love having these recipes in my collection, that are loved by all of the family whether they are doing a Whole30 or not 🤗
Kelly
June 10, 2020 at 12:16 pmSo happy to hear that Helen! Glad you enjoyed and thank you for trying!
Betsy
June 11, 2020 at 5:08 pmLove this recipe! I’ve now made it three times since last fall, with a few little tweaks each time. This past batch I used spinach instead of broccoli, and I accidentally bought a sweet onion instead of yellow. Still worked beautifully! I added some garlic pepper in when I was roasting the spices, in addition to the minced garlic (what can I say, I’m a garlic fan lol.) Cannot recommend this recipe enough!
Kelly
June 18, 2020 at 12:57 pmYay, so happy to hear that! And glad it is so flexible! Thank you Betsy!
Tanya
August 14, 2020 at 11:43 amHi Kelly! I have hoshimoto’s and I have had to make that very painful and difficult decision in dietary and life changes. I am addicted to sugar (particularly chocolate) and gluten. Yesterday I had a melt down where i cried from morning until i went to sleep at 2am. Realising after having gained 8kg in 5 months I had to take charge of my poor eating habits, lack of excersise and everything else that I am dealing with the condition. I knew I had to stop eating everything i crave most. Without looking into the paleo diet I jumped to the conclusion that paleo is mostly rabbit food and boring tasteless meals. This chicken recipe is my first paleo recipie to cook, I cooked with my son who is a real foodie and won’t eat a meal unless it is hot and spicy and full of flavour. Your coconut curry dish is amazing and full of flavour!!!! We both loved it! Because I would usually cook all my Asian meals with sugar I substituted with a small amount of (frozen) mango in the last 2 minutes of simmering and it was the perfect balance for my taste buds. I am shocked at myself for thinking I am doomed for life, and now I cannot wait to start my new journey. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipie!
Kelly
August 17, 2020 at 9:53 amSo happy to hear that Tanya! I totally know the feeling when first starting out, but there are really so many good recipes out there. Eating paleo doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless! Thank you for trying it and glad you enjoyed!!
Tanya
August 14, 2020 at 11:49 amSorry, had forgotten to add 5*
Kelly
August 17, 2020 at 9:53 amThank you 🙂
BGWW30
September 2, 2020 at 8:14 pmMade this recipe last month during my August Whole39 challenge! Great and easy recipe! Add additional veggies that I had in my fridge, and it was still an amazing dish.
Paired it with cauliflower rice and increased the spice level by additional some Thai chili.
Would make this recipe again!
Kelly
September 4, 2020 at 10:28 amSo glad you liked it, it’s one of my favs! Thanks for trying!