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Thai

Thai yellow chicken curry

Non-vegetarian

แกงกะหรี่ไก่ · kaeng kari kai

The mildest of the Thai coconut curries: chicken and potatoes simmered in coconut milk with a turmeric- and curry-powder-scented paste of shallot, garlic, lemongrass and dried chilli.

Thai yellow chicken curry is a Thai curry from Thailand, ready in about 50 minutes and made with curry powder, chicken thigh and coconut milk. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of Thai yellow chicken curry with potatoes
Photo: Takeaway / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
524

Ingredients

4 servings

Yellow curry paste

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pound or blend all the curry paste ingredients to a smooth paste, adding a spoonful of water if needed.

    Short on time? Use 3 tbsp ready-made yellow curry paste.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil and the thick top of the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) in a saucepan (opens in a new tab) until it bubbles and the oil starts to separate. Fry the paste in it until fragrant.

  3. Step 3

    Add the chicken and stir to coat, then add the rest of the coconut milk (opens in a new tab), the water, potatoes (opens in a new tab) and onion (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Simmer gently until the potatoes (opens in a new tab) are tender and the chicken is cooked. Season with fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and sugar.

    • 20 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Thailand · Well documentedIts curry-powder base reflects Indian and Muslim influences on Thai cooking.More food from Thailand
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet & savoury, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Pescatarian, Flexitarian-friendlyWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Everyday · One-pot
Cook more with
Curry powder · Chicken thigh · Coconut milk · Shallot · Garlic · Lemongrass
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Crustaceansfrom shrimp paste, fish sauce
  • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
  • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

524 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 462 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 27%
  • Fat 50%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy524 kcal113 kcal
Protein31.1 g6.7 g
Carbohydrate36.3 g7.9 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars2.2 g0.5 g
Fibre——
Fat30.1 g6.5 g
Saturated fat20.3 g4.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol118 mg25 mg
Sodium844 mg183 mg
Salt equivalent2.1 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1266 mg
Calcium
93 mg
Iron
7.2 mg
Magnesium
137 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
30 µg
Vitamin C
27 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
60 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: shrimp paste.
  • Galangal: Fresh ginger used as a stand-in: no galangal entry in FDC SR Legacy, and galangal is a closely related rhizome used in similar small amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Frying the paste in the thick coconut cream until the oil 'cracks' gives the curry its glossy finish.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard once all the coconut milk is in — keep it at a gentle simmer.

Serve with

  • Serve with jasmine rice and ajad (quick cucumber relish).

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Warm gently on the stove.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces500 g
  • Potato, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks2 piece · 400 g
Used in step 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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