My husband found a recipe for Thai Red Curry Chicken last year from Carlsbad Cravings. He loves Thai anything, so we thought we’d give it a try. It was certainly memorable in flavor and we vowed to make it again. I’ve adapted it slightly with a bit more specific measurement of ingredients and altered a few of the vegetable selections. You will love how quickly this Thai Curry Chicken comes together as well as its enticing combination of flavors.
The Prep:
Instead of using regular bell peppers, I chose mini-bells so I could use three different colors. They are so darn cute! In addition to the onions and garlic, I also added some shredded carrot. All of this looks like a rainbow of colors, flavors and healthy choices. On a side note, now would probably be the time to also start your rice; coordinate finish times.
Let’s Begin!
Once you have your chicken of choice prepped, and your curry sauce mixed, let’s start the process. From here, it comes together quickly. Over MEDIUM heat, add the oil, chicken, onions and curry paste. Green curry paste could be substituted. Stir until meat is no longer pink and onions slightly softened.
Next, add the prepped veggies along with the minced garlic and grated fresh ginger. Saute for about a minute or so.
The Sauce:
Shake and whisk the can of coconut milk to incorporate any solids. Pour it into the pan along with the mixed sauce ingredients. The dark spots you see is actually some dried Thai basil which I grew. You could easily replace that with regular dred basil. Don’t forget to toss in the bay leaf which you will remove BEFORE serving.
Bring this to a boil then reduce it to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Let’s eat!
Thai Chicken Curry combines such wonderful flavors with minimal effort. You may garnish with fresh basil chiffonade. Even a slight drizzle of fresh lime juice or even cilantro would be a nice alternative. Have some sriracha on the side for those who like it more “heated.” I’m fine with just the way it is, but allowing a variety of garnishes will appease individuals with different tastes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 T coconut/olive oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs or breasts, cut into thin strips about 2" in length
- 1 c medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 T red curry paste
Veggies
- 3/4-1 c finely grated or julienned carrots
- 2 c mini-bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced into rings (about 9)
- 1 small zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices ( about 1-1/2 to 2 c.)
- 2 t fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 t minced garlic, about 4 cloves
Curry Sauce
- 1 14 oz can- unsweetened coconut milk, shaken and whisked slightly
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 T Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 T low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 T fish sauce
- 2 T fresh lime juice, about 1 lime
- 1 T dark brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 T fresh thai basil, finely chopped or 1 t. dried basil
- 1/4 t sea salt
- 1/4 t black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish Choices:
- lime zest
- cilantro, finely chopped
- basil, finely chopped
- lime juice
Instructions
- Prep chicken, veggies, garlic and ginger.
- Combine
- Heat coconut/olive oil over MEDIUM heat. Add cut chicken, sliced red onion and red curry paste.. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.
- Add the peppers, ginger, garlic and zucchini. Saute for about a minute.
- Whisk contents of can of coconut milk as contents usually settle. Then pour it into the pan along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. DISCARD the bay leaf.
- To bring up the heat, you may want to add a bit of Sriracha sauce or allow individuals to add the level of heat they desire.
- For garnish before serving, I usually use add a bit more lime juice and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. You could use chopped basil or lime zest as an alternative or just leave it up to individuals to choose their preferences.
- Serve over Jasmine rice. Enjoy!
