Thai Curry – Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

You cook this Thai curry with red or green curry paste, coconut milk, chicken and vegetables. Keep to the order: first you boil down the thick part of the coconut milk until oil separates, then you toast the paste in it. Only after that do the meat, the rest of the coconut milk and the vegetables go in the pot.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

40 Mintotal

4servings

650kcal

ThaiCuisine ›

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You season with fish sauce and palm sugar and tear Thai basil over it at the end. Use coconut milk with at least 60% coconut, because with thin coconut milk no oil separates and the paste just boils. Ready-made curry pastes differ in heat. Start with 2 tbsp, taste and stir in more if needed. Red paste tastes of dried chilies, green paste fresher and hotter.

For the red version in the Thai style, cook gaeng phed gai, and for the green gaeng kiew wan gai. The yellow gaeng kari tastes milder and comes with potatoes.

Image: AI-generated.

Thai Curry – Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

Name: Thai Curry – Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 400 ml coconut milk (at least 60% coconut); 2 to 3 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 500 g chicken breast fillet, in bite-size strips; 100 ml water; 4 makrut lime leaves; 1 red bell pepper, in strips; 150 g snow peas; 150 g bamboo shoots (canned), drained; 1 to 2 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar; 300 g jasmine rice; 1 handful Thai basil for garnish; 1 red chili, in rings, optional

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

25 minutes

Calories

650

Cuisine

Thai

Ingredients

For the curry:

400 ml coconut milk (at least 60% coconut)
2 to 3 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
500 g chicken breast fillet, in bite-size strips
100 ml water
4 makrut lime leaves
1 red bell pepper, in strips
150 g snow peas
150 g bamboo shoots (canned), drained
1 to 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar

To serve:

300 g jasmine rice
1 handful Thai basil for garnish
1 red chili, in rings, optional

Instructions

Wash the rice and cook it according to the package. Open the coconut milk without shaking it and scoop off the thick layer on top.
Heat the oil and the thick coconut milk in a pot or wok over medium heat. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until oil separates at the edge.
Stir in the curry paste and toast it for 2 minutes, until it smells fragrant and turns the oil red.
Add the chicken and fry it for 2 minutes, until it is coated all over with paste.
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and the water, add the makrut lime leaves and let everything simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and bamboo shoots and cook for 4 minutes. Add the snow peas and let them cook for 2 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
Season with fish sauce and palm sugar. Tear the basil over it and serve the curry with rice and chili if you like.

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Thai Curry – Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

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Thai Curry – Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

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