Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry (30 minute recipe)
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My creamy coconut chicken curry features tender chicken simmered in a spiced tomato sauce and finished with rich coconut milk, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. The curry flavor comes from cumin, coriander, turmeric, and plenty of garlic and ginger; no curry powder needed.
My creamy coconut chicken curry starts with tender chicken breast simmered in a spiced tomato sauce, then gets a full can of coconut milk stirred in at the end. That last step turns the sauce silky and rich and keeps the coconut flavor front and center. Spinach, cherry tomatoes, and a big handful of cilantro go in with it to brighten the whole pot.
The curry flavor comes from cumin, coriander, and turmeric instead of curry powder. In my kitchen testing, the single spices gave the sauce a warmer, fuller flavor than the jarred blends I tried, and they let me adjust each one, especially the cayenne.
You’ll also see a whole head of garlic in the ingredient list. It sounds like a lot, but simmered with the tomatoes, it mellows and becomes the backbone of the sauce, with the coconut milk rounding it out. It’s the same flavor base as my popular coconut lentil curry, with chicken in place of the lentils.
Serving suggestions
I serve this curry over a big scoop of basmati rice so the grains can soak up all that creamy coconut sauce. Warm naan or chapati is perfect for dragging through whatever is left in the bowl.
For a cool contrast to the rich sauce, add a crisp side like cucumber salad. If you’re cooking for kids, leave out the cayenne and stir it into the grown-up portions at the end.
Storing, freezing, and reheating
Store: Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Let the curry cool completely, then freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 4 months.
Reheat: Warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring often so the coconut milk doesn’t separate. If it has thickened in the fridge, loosen it with a splash of water.
Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry (30 minute recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ medium onion (finely minced)
- 1 head garlic (chopped, 10–12 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
- 1 tablespoon EACH: ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (omit for no heat)
- 3 6-ounce chicken breasts (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 3 ounces baby spinach
- A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and, if using, the cayenne and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.2 tablespoons coconut oil, ½ medium onion, 1 head garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon EACH: ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric, 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- Add the chicken, crushed tomatoes, and sea salt to the pan and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covering the skillet partway to prevent splatters. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.3 6-ounce chicken breasts, 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Once the chicken pieces are cooked, stir in the coconut milk, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. Season to taste with more salt, as needed.15 ounce can coconut milk, A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 3 ounces baby spinach
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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i made this and i recommend if you use turmeric to use black pepper as well. Very delicious meal
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😊 And that’s a great tip — turmeric and black pepper are such a good pairing. Thanks so much for sharing and for leaving a note! 💛
14 oz crushed tomatoes was too little moisture, so I used 28 oz and it was fine. Also, I added 2 T green cardamom pods and they provided good flavor, as well as grinding coriander seeds through my mortar and pestle because I only had whole seeds. I’ll definitely make it again. My wife (who has a great sense of smell) really liked it too. And thanks for defining a 6 oz half chicken breast. I rewrote the recipe to “18 oz chicken”. Thanks!
Steve
Hi Steve — thank you so much for sharing such a thoughtful note! I love hearing how you adjusted it to suit your kitchen. Thanks again for taking the time to share, and I’m so glad you’ll be making it again!
I do agree with many others that this recipe is soupy and tbh is quite bland, though often curries are better the next day, when the spices have had time to mature a little.
I’m attempting to give it more flavour.
A Pakistani man once taught me to make curry, though I have forgotten all he said.
However, he did tell me that onion was the thickener in curries, so perhaps the half a medium onion needs increasing to perhaps two onions.
I’ve added some fenugreek and half a veg stock cube and it’s definitely added a welcome flavour.
You’re right. In a curry from Pakistan (or even northern India), the onion (often cooked with tomato and spices) thickens the curry. In this case, this is a westernized version of a southern Indian curry, so the onion doesn’t serve the same purpose. If you would like it thicker, the best thing to do is simmer it uncovered until it thickens up—it won’t take long.
Very very nice
This was quite bland. Tomato overpowered the coconut. If I did this again, I would reduce the amount of tomato and increase the coconut milk. It was also very runny so I had to thicken it with cornflour. I also had to increase the amount of spice and towards the end added some cardamon and oregano as the flavour profile was lacking. The family said they prefer my own recipes.
Hi,
This dish came together quickly and turned out amazing. I used like 5 cloves of garlic and a dash of cayenne as I have children who don’t like spicy. I added cauliflower and red peppers. So flavourful. I did note that it was very “soupy”. I did simmer at a med boil longer and then added my coconut milk. I used a cornstarch slurry to thicken to more of a “gravy”. Added to my regular recipes.
Thank you!
I also thought it was a bit soupy, so I also made a cornstarch slurry with a couple tablespoons of cornstarch and ounce and a half or so of water and folded it in at the end. Thickened it up a bit, and was perfect. Great simple recipe. Love it.
would not make again. I found it too tomatoey and really not like a curry at all. Not the flavour I was expecting.Perhaps too much garlic and too much tomatoes in this recipee. Could not taste the cocanut milk at all.
Delicious!!! This will be a regular addition to our meal rotation.
My granddaughters, ages 10 and 13, and I made this tonight and it was a big success. We didn’t have the right spices so we used garam masala instead.
Excellent!
Though it had great flavour with the spices. It was watery. There was no thickness to the sauce. It was more like a soup.
try using a cornstarch slurry right at the end.. Worked wonderfully.
Simple and delicious. Really quick and easy to make.
My Boyfriend saw the different spices & all ingredients I had out & said, “This is going to take forever!” Exactly 1/2hr later we were enjoying this delicious meal & he then said, “This is so satisfying, I’m having seconds!” 😋
Best curry recipes I’ve tried so far.
Like others have mentioned, it came out very thin and soupy making exactly per the recipe. Next time I will maybe try draining the canned tomatoes before adding. (There is no instruction to do so in your recipe).
I really loved this! Thank you for sharing!