Curry Chicken Recipe (One Pan, Dairy-Free, 20 Minutes)

Name: Curry Chicken Recipe (One Pan)
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 lb chicken, boneless and skinless, Note 1; ½ teaspoon kosher salt ((or more to taste)); ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 cup finely diced onion ((1 medium onion)); 3 tablespoons curry powder, Note 2; 1 teaspoon grated or minced ginger; 2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 400 ml unsweetened coconut milk, full fat ((one 13 ½-ounce can, about 1⅔ cups)); 398 ml diced tomatoes, Note 3 ((one 14 ounce can, about 1 cup)); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro ((or chopped green onions))

JUMP TO RECIPE

This one-pan curry chicken recipe features tender chicken in a rich, creamy dairy-free coconut-tomato sauce, ready in about 20 minutes. Keep it mild or turn up the heat – your call.

There’s plenty of sauce to soak into rice and scoop up with some naan bread.

Chicken curry over rice, garnished with cilantro on a plate..

What to expect

The recipe is an everyday chicken curry fusion of a few different cuisines – Filipino-style curries, East African dishes like Kenyan kuku paka, and Indian curries – simplified to what most of us already have in the pantry or can be found in our local grocery store.

Key features:

Creamy, dairy-free curry sauce made with coconut milk and diced tomatoes
Ready in about 20 minutes in one pan
Keeps well for a few days, so it’s an easy one to make ahead

Below you’ll find substitutions if you’re missing an ingredient, a couple of variations including the heat level, and a shortcut for nights when searing chicken in a pan is one step too many.

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

Boneless skinless chicken, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onion, salt-pepper-sugar, vegetable oil, curry powder, tomato paste, cilantro.

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are preferred – juicier and more flavorful – but a chicken breast will work well, too, since it stays moist in the sauce.
Chicken seasoning: Kosher salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, which helps the chicken caramelize while it pan-sears.
Coconut milk: This adds dairy-free creamy richness and body to the sauce
Tomato: Use a small can of diced tomatoes plus tomato paste for more depth.
Aromatics and seasoning for sauce: onions, fresh ginger and garlic, curry powder
Garnish: fresh cilantro

Substitutions

Chicken: Instead, try shrimp, which takes a quick 2-3 minutes to pan-sear.
Curry powder: Use garam masala (1:1 swap) or 1 tbsp red curry paste instead
Diced tomatoes: Use a tomato sauce or puréed tomatoes (passata) instead for a smoother sauce.

Variations

Add heat with 1/4 tsp (or more) cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Add vegetables: Add 3 cups baby spinach or frozen peas to the curry sauce toward the end of cooking for extra nutrition and color. Or add chopped peppers, mushrooms or zucchini while sautéing onions.
Make the curry sauce without the chicken, then use it as a sauce over grilled chicken, baked bone-in chicken pieces, or pasta.

Step-by-step instructions

Full recipe is in the recipe card.

Bite sized pieces of raw chicken in bowl, finely diced onions. — Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, season it, and finely dice the onion.

Stir fried pieces of chicken in skillet. — Pan-sear the chicken in a skillet with a little oil. Transfer to a bowl to add later.

Onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder and tomato paste mixed together in skillet. — Sauté onions with curry powder, tomato paste, and ginger for a few minutes.

Coconut-tomato-curry sauce in skillet with spoon. — Add coconut milk and diced tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors.

Chicken added to coconut curry sauce. — Stir in cooked chicken.

Curry chicken in coconut sauce in a skillet with a spoon. — Taste and adjust seasonings and spice level to how you like it.

Tips

Don’t overcook the chicken or it will turn rubbery. Dark meat chicken boneless thighs are more forgiving – they don’t dry out as easily as breasts.
If you’re unsure about the heat level of the curry powder, start with less curry powder or chili flakes (if using). You can always add more once the sauce comes together. Most curry powders in grocery stores are quite mild unless labeled hot.

Shortcuts

Skip searing the chicken: use cooked rotisserie chicken added to the curry sauce.
Chicken breasts take about half the cooking time as thighs.
Use jarred or frozen garlic and ginger, and pre-chopped frozen onions, to cut down on prep.

What to serve with curry chicken

This recipe is best served over basmati rice, brown rice, white rice, curried rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Soft, fluffy naan bread is ideal for scooping up the extra sauce.

Salads and sides that pair well:

Recipe FAQs

What is curry powder made of?

Most grocery-store or bulk curry powders are blends of turmeric, coriander, cumin and fenugreek, usually labeled mild, medium or hot. Madras curry powder is a hotter, more robust version of the same blend.

What can I substitute for curry powder?

Use garam masala (1:1 swap) or 1/3 the amount of curry paste.

Can I add uncooked chicken to the curry sauce?

Yes. You can skip the searing step and add the raw, cut-up chicken directly into the simmering sauce. It will take about 10-15 minutes at a simmer to cook breast meat, and a little longer for thigh meat, which is more forgiving. This method will not save time, but it does save the searing step. The chicken may also not be as flavorful and tender.

How long does curry chicken take to cook?

With the method that uses pan searing chicken and making the coconut curry sauce in one pan, the recipe takes about 7 minutes to prep and 13 minutes to cook for a total of 20 minutes.

Can I make chicken curry ahead of time?

Yes, the chicken curry actually tastes better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. Store the curry chicken in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or for a couple of minutes in the microwave, loosely covered, stirring in between.

Can I freeze leftover coconut curry chicken?

Yes, you can freeze curry chicken in an airtight container or freezer bag for 3-4 months. The sauce may split and become a bit grainy. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, loosely covered, stirring well to smooth out the sauce.