30 Minute Spicy Thai Red Curry with Chicken
30 Minute Spicy Thai Red Curry with Chicken
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Authentic Thai red curry prepped in 10 minutes and cooked in 20 minutes!
A quick and easy spicy curry recipe, perfect for a last minute dinner! This Thai Red Curry with Chicken is super delicious and full of flavour. Made in just 30 minutes thanks to my favourite and the best authentic Thai red curry paste from Mae Ploy and my secret trick to spice up pre-made paste.
I love Thai curry and I wish I could eat a fresh cooked restaurant style Thai curry every night of the week! Who has the the time for that though? Plus Thai paste includes lots of specialist ingredients that you might not easily find where you live. Thats why I am sharing this quick and easy recipe that will give you the same great flavours for half the time and effort! Sound good? Keep reading!
All you need for this yummy recipe is some veggies of your choice, Thai red curry paste, coconut milk and a few fresh herbs, spices and condiments to elevate the pre-made paste and provide real authentic Thai flavour!
Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?
Usually you find chicken breast in a Thai curry but I like to use boneless skinless thighs for extra flavour. Chicken breast is the blandest part of the chicken and tends to lose its moisture while cooking. No one likes dry chicken right? Especially in a curry this yummy! Thighs on the other hand remain tender, juicy and have a lot more flavour than breast, if cooked the right way. Use thighs and you’ll be sure to have juicy tender chicken covered in a seriously delicious sauce!
If you don’t like chicken thighs then don’t worry you can use some freshly diced chicken breast. Before dicing use a meat mallet to lightly tenderise the meat. Then dice, season and cook. If you love every part of the chicken, I 100% suggest using boneless skinless chicken thighs – you wont regret it! I like to tenderise lightly with a meat mallet before cutting into medium slices and seasoning with a little fish sauce and white pepper.
What do i need?
- Mae Ploy Thai red curry paste is my number 1 favourite! Its super reasonably priced and has never let me down! You can find it in most asian supermarkets as it is a well known and popular brand. My local store is Wing Yip, if you live nearby be sure to stop by for all your asian grocery needs!
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a must for this recipe. Alternatively, you can use chicken breast if you prefer.
- Kaffir lime leaf and Thai basil, 2 essential ingredients to a truly authentic Thai curry. The flavour you get from these fresh herbs make up for the pre-made curry paste and provide you with true authenticity.
- A good quality coconut milk for a creamy velvety sauce. I buy my coconut milk in bulk from Costco as its a staple in my home. Natco is the brand they sell which is rich and creamy just like it says on the tin! I recommend using a good brand you know that has lots of cream and not just a load of coconut water!
- For the vegetables you really can use anything you want or have in the fridge! I like to use red and green pepper, green peas and green beans. This adds colour, crunch and texture to your curry!
- For your condiments and seasoning all you need is salt, pepper and fish sauce.
Tips & Tricks
- Fry the paste with fresh diced shallot, garlic and lemongrass if you have it. This is going to give some fresh aromatic flavours to your curry that you would get from making a fresh paste. This stage is essential in nailing that authentic tasting Thai red curry!
- Tenderise your chicken before cutting. This stage is one of my secret tips! Tenderising the chicken will help it retain its moisture while cooking. This will help your chicken remain juicy and tender until your curry is ready!
- Using a good quality coconut milk is essential. You want a brand that you trust and know is full of rich and yummy cream and not 80% water! The cream will give your curry the velvety texture you want and compliments and balances the spicy curry well.
Thai Red Curry with Chicken Serving Suggestions –
This curry is perfect with some freshly cooked Basmati rice! I sometimes like to add a tin of coconut milk to my rice while cooking to make coconut rice. I always order coconut rice when in a Thai restaurant! Give it a try its super easy and yummy!
Why not make it a full Thai affair and make these Chicken Satay Skewers as a starter or a side!
Love curries, looking for more? Check out my Chicken Katsu Curry recipe!
Thai Red Curry with Chicken
Equipment
- Deep lidded frying pan or pot
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- garlic press
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Mae Ploy Thai red paste
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tin coconut milk 500ml
- 1 cup green peas
- ½ cup green beans
- ½ red pepper
- ½ green pepper
- ¼ cup thai basil
- ¼ cup coriander
- 2 kaffir lime leaf cut into strips
Instructions
- Wash your vegetables. Slice your peppers into medium strips and your green beans in half or quarters. Dice the shallot and mince the garlic. Set everything aside into separate bowls for ease.
- Cut the kaffir lime leaves into strips and roughly chop the coriander. The thai basil can remain whole.
- Wash your chicken then dry and use a meat mallet to lightly tenderise the meat. Then slice into strips discarding of any excess fat.
- Heat oil in your pan and fry the chicken until white all over. Next add the paste and the chopped shallot, minced ginger and garlic. Continue to stir and sauté until the onion is limp and golden – about 4 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk to the pan stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave on high and allow to come to the boil.
- When boiling turn the heat down to medium/low and add your vegetables and leave to simmer for 10/15 mins until the vegetables are to your taste.
- Just before turning off the heat add your fresh herbs and kaffir lime leaf and 3-4 drops of fish sauce. Mix and leave for a further 2-3 minutes and your curry is ready to go!
Notes
- Prep – I always wash and prep my vegetables at the start of cooking and separate everything into bowls for ease when cooking later. This is a french cooking technique called mise en place!
- Fresh herbs – I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the kaffir lime leaf into nice little strips like you find in Thai restaurants. The Thai basil can stay whole as you will stir it in at the end and it doesn’t need chopping or it can easily overpower the curry.
- Chicken – Be sure to tenderise the meat for juicy tender chicken!
- Vegetables – you really can use what ever you want in your curry. Be sure not to overcook your vegetables so they provide some texture and crunch to your curry!
Did you make this Thai Red Curry with Chicken?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @chilliandlife on Instagram and hashtag it #chilliandlife
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