This Coconut Thai Curry Chicken is one of my favorite dishes. Fair warning, this is not an authentic replication of a traditional dish from Thailand, merely my own concoction with Thai flavors. Chicken and veggies simmer in a sauce made from coconut milk flavored with Thai red curry paste with hints of lemongrass and ginger, topped with crunchy cashews. It combines all my favorite Thai flavors in a single recipe. When my husband and I were dating, we often found ourselves at a small Thai restaurant in our city. It was a quaint BYOB that we visited so often that I think we tried everything on the menu. Wanting the same flavors at home, I decided to develop my own recipe.
The great thing about this dish is that you can customize it to what your family likes as far as flavors and spice level. This recipe is pretty moderate when it comes to the spiciness; our toddler had no problem gobbling it up.
Prepare Your Veggies for the Coconut Thai Curry Chicken Dish
Julienne your veggies and set them aside in a bowl to move on to your chicken. I like cutting veggies and onions first and then moving onto meats, so you don’t have to clean the cutting board in-between.
I used chicken tenders for this Coconut Thai Curry dish; however, chicken breast work perfectly, I just happened to have tenders thawed. Slice your chicken into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces, salt and pepper liberally, and get your skillet ready. Melt coconut oil in the pan over medium heat, and once very hot, add about half of your chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove and add the second batch. Overcrowding your skillet can result in the meat steam versus getting a nice golden brown. Do not worry about the pieces cooked all the way through; the meat will be simmering in the sauce later and will finish then.
Add the remaining coconut oil to your skillet and toss in the onions and veggies. Give a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and let the veggies saute and become tender.
Crisp Tender Veggies
I like the string beans to have a slight crispness, so when they have reached that texture, add your chicken back to the skillet.
While your veggies saute, get your sauce ready. The sauce is where the recipe gets all the flavor. Shake your can of unsweetened coconut milk and pour it into a mixing bowl. Add in your brown sugar, red Thai curry paste, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, a pinch of red pepper, and whisk it all together. Pour over the chicken, vegetables, and onions, lower heat and let the sauce simmer and reduce.
Coconut Thai Curry
Here is where you can adjust flavors and spice levels. I use red Thai curry paste, which has red chili peppers, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic and has a moderate amount of heat. Red Thai curry tends to be less spicy than green Thai curry but slightly more than yellow Thai curry. Each curry paste has its unique blend of flavors and spices, but they would all work well with the coconut milk, so choose one that works with your spice tolerance level. Also, instead of red pepper flakes, use fresh ground pepper to lessen the heat.
Warm Nutty Basmati Rice
Our favorite type of rice is Basmati. The Basmati rice flavor is warm and nutty with a coconut hint, which perfectly complements the meal. While your sauce is simmering, get your choice of rice ready.
Plate this delicious Coconut Thai Curry Chicken dish over your rice and top with chopped cashews for an extra layer of flavor and crunch.
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