Thai Red Chicken Curry

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Makes

4 servings

Updated: Jul. 14, 2023
I recreated a favorite red curry chicken dish from a restaurant, and now I cook it almost weekly for my family. On a busy night, frozen stir-fry veggies really speed things up. —Mary Shenk, DeKalb, Illinois
Thai Red Chicken Curry Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 can (13.66 ounces) coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
  • 2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
  • 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
  • Cooked jasmine rice
  • Minced fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

  1. Combine the first five ingredients in a large skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in vegetables; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 9-11 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens slightly.
  3. Add chicken; heat through. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.
Red Curry with Chicken Tips

Can you use curry power instead of red curry paste?

Although they both have the word curry in their name, substituting yellow curry powder for the curry paste would significantly change the way this dish tastes. Red curry paste is used in Thai recipes and it’s made from a blend of red chile peppers with aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Curry powder, on the other hand, is a blend of Indian spices like turmeric, cumin and coriander. Using it would reduce the dish’s spice level, and it would not have the same flavor profile.

How can you replace fish sauce?

It’s difficult to replace fish sauce, a product made from salted, fermented anchovies. It gives this Thai red curry an umami-forward, slightly funky flavor that’s hard to replicate. You could substitute soy sauce or anchovy paste in a pinch, but the dish won’t taste quite the same.

How long will leftover red curry with chicken last?

Store red chicken curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for three to four days.

Can you freeze red curry with chicken?

Freeze red curry with chicken in individual servings in freezer-safe bags. Freeze the bags flat and stack them once the dish is fully frozen. Frozen red chicken curry should last about three months in the freezer before the quality begins to degrade.

— Lindsay Mattison , Taste of Home Contributing Writer