Quick and Easy Chicken Curry Recipe
Foolproof and packed with flavor, this easy chicken curry recipe is creamy, quick to make, and tested by millions—just read the comments in my YouTube video! A must-try dish with coconut milk and spices.
There are some classic recipes that never get old and you never get tired of—like lasagna and shepherd’s pie (which are a big hit in our family). This restaurant-style chicken curry is definitely one of those dishes that everyone’s happy to enjoy with a fresh naan or a scoop of rice.
What Makes This Chicken Curry So Easy (and So Good)
This is not just another chicken curry recipe—this one’s been tried, tested, and loved by millions.
- Foolproof: Over 6 million views on YouTube, 87K likes, and 2.7K comments from people who made it and loved it. (Don’t believe me? Just read the comments!)
- Quick & easy: Everything cooks in one pan—no complicated steps, just bold flavor.
- Healthy & wholesome: Made with fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and protein-packed chicken.
- Customizable: Make it spicy or mild, creamy or light—your call.
- Family-friendly: Everyone from toddlers to grandparents will be asking for seconds
How to Make Chicken Curry
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make this recipe for quick and easy chicken curry.
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
What Is Chicken Curry Made Of? (Ingredient Notes)
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy chicken curry with coconut milk:
- Chicken breast or thighs – Thighs give a richer texture, but chicken breast works great for a leaner version.
- Onions – Chop them fine and cook until golden brown for that deep, caramelized flavor.
- Garlic & Ginger – Fresh is best! These bring bold, aromatic flavor to every bite.
- Curry powder or Garam masala – Use either based on what you have; both create delicious flavor profiles.
- Tomatoes – You use large fresh tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes or even canned crushed tomatoes work too.
- Coconut milk or Coconut cream – Coconut milk gives you a light broth; cream makes it thicker and more luxurious.
- Chopped coriander – For a fresh finish. You can use parsley if you’re not a coriander fan.
What Is Indian Chicken Curry?
Indian chicken curry is a flavorful dish made by simmering chicken in a spiced sauce typically built from onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and a blend of warm spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and garam masala. While there are countless regional variations across India, most share the same rich, aromatic base. Unlike Western-style curries, Indian curry is all about layers of flavor built from toasting spices and slow cooking.
Curry Powder vs. Garam Masala – What’s the Deal?
Curry Confusion? Let’s Clear It Up 🌶️
Let’s talk spice! A lot of people are surprised to learn that traditional Indian cooking doesn’t actually use curry powder—that’s more of a Western invention.
So, what’s the difference between curry powder and garam masala?
- Curry Powder – Usually includes turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek. Great for that golden color and earthy flavor.
- Garam Masala – A more aromatic blend, often with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Warmer and more complex. While in many western recipes, you’ll find that the main ingredient is curry powder, for me, it’s garam masala.
Every brand or homemade blend is different! Personally, I love using my homemade garam masala. It’s bold, deep, and makes this curry next-level.
Don’t Skip These 2 Key Steps!
The Two Most Important Tips for Great Chicken Curry
- Caramelize the onions well – This is not the time to rush. Let them turn golden brown—this builds serious flavor.
- Cook your spices – Add curry powder or garam masala to the pan and give it 1–2 minutes to bloom. This can be made after cooking the onion and garlic or after adding the tomatoes. Cooking or frying the spices helps release their natural oils and deepen their aroma and flavor, making the dish more fragrant and flavorful. Trust me, it changes everything.
These two steps are where the magic happens. I’ve made this mistake early on—don’t do what I did and throw in raw spices at the end!
More Tips to Make the Best Chicken Curry
Want your curry to taste like it’s from your favorite restaurant? Use these expert tricks:
- Trust me—caramelized onions are gold. I’ve made this curry more than 50 times, and that one step changes everything.
- Don’t skip the simmer – Letting the curry bubble gently brings out the best flavors.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for extra creaminess—it’s totally worth it.
- Taste and adjust – Every batch of curry powder or garam masala is different. Taste and tweak as you go.
- Let it rest – Like most stews and curries, this tastes even better the next day. The flavors deepen beautifully overnight.
Best Served With
This creamy chicken curry pairs perfectly with:
- Steamed basmati rice
- Garlic naan
- Cucumber raita or yogurt
- Samosa
Substitutes and Variations
Want to make this curry your own? You totally can:
- Add veggies – Spinach, bell peppers, or frozen peas are all delicious here.
- No coconut milk? – Use heavy cream, cashew cream, or even Greek yogurt for a different creamy texture.
- Make it spicy – Add chopped chili, red pepper flakes, or cayenne for heat.
- Low-fat option – Use light coconut milk and chicken breast for a lighter version.
- Vegan version – Swap the chicken for tofu or chickpeas to make chickpea curry, and use vegetable oil.
- Grain-free/gluten-free – This dish is naturally gluten-free and low-carb!
How to Store Leftover Chicken Curry
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in individual portions for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Gently reheat on the stovetop or microwave. Add a splash of water or coconut milk to bring the sauce back to life.
More Curry Recipes
Quick and Easy Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 g) Chicken breast/thighs cut into cubes
- 2 Onions chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 2 tablespoon Curry powder or garam masala (see notes)
- 1.5 teaspoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 4 large tomatoes chopped (or 12 cherry tomatoes)
- 1 can (400 g) Coconut milk or coconut cream
- ¾ CUP (180 ml) Water
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala optional
- Coriander Chopped – for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn soft and golden brown—this should take about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger & spices: Stir in the grated garlic and ginger. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5–7 minutes, until they break down and become saucy. Stir in the curry powder and toast it for about 1–2 minutes to release its full flavor.
- Cook the chicken: Add the cubed chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Cover the pan and let the chicken cook for another 2–3 minutes, allowing it to cook through.
- Simmer the curry: Pour in the water, cover, and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes to develop flavor and tenderize the chicken. Then, stir in the coconut milk or cream and add the garam masala, if using. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 more minutes, until the curry thickens slightly to your desired consistency.
- Garnish and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped coriander.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Common Questions
Curry powder is a blend of spices including turmeric, cumin, and coriander—commonly used in Western recipes. Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mix with warmer spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Both work in this recipe.
Yes, you can substitute coconut milk with heavy cream. It will create a richer, less tropical curry. You can also use cashew cream for a dairy-free option.
To add more heat, include fresh chopped chili, red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or even a spoonful of spicy curry paste.
Yes, this chicken curry freezes well. Store in airtight containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Just reheat gently and stir to recombine the sauce.
This recipe is sooooo good! I’m making it for the 3rd time tonight.
Glad to hear that you like the recipe 🙂
Tried this tonight, super easy and tasty. For our tastes, will add a bit more tomatoes next time.
I’m cooking this got the second time, tonight. I added red bell pepper to sweat down with the onion. The first time, I also added a pound of shrimp. This is a fantastic recipe.
Since we like a little extra kick, I also add in cayenne pepper before the coconut milk.
Making third time tomorrow second time it wasn’t so good becouse i put in too much of the vegetables
Never again. Not much taste in this dish, but the amount of curry stench left in my apartment the next few days is SO not worth this. I will never use curry EVER again. indian is the WORST kind of asian.
and you are the worst kind of human
You must be the kind of people that only eat MCdonald because you don’t know good food.
Probably didn’t even do it right
Eait you hate indian food and you’re here for an indian curry recipe? 🤔🙄 How ironic
You must be a terrible cook and have an even worse personality
You must have made a mistake. This is a great recipe. Maybe you have bad taste buds and only eat fast food so your palate is screwed up.
‘@matt how very rude
LOVED it!!!! Second time making today.
I did improvise a lil on some of the ingredients like instead of coconut cream I used evaporated milk because that’s what I had. Also used ginger powder and tomato soup. Didn’t have chicken breast so used split chicken quarters instead. Being large pieces, boiled them first before continuing with recipe!
A lot of improvising BUT Delicious!!!!!
Was yummy and great flavour kids loved it … But bit runny how do I thicken it up
I use 1/4-2/4 cup water instead of 3/4.
I used a bit of cornflour and cold water mixed and stirred in at the end to thicken it up
simmer and stir until its thickened
I love this recipe. I’m Jamaican so I add a teaspoon scotch bonnet powder and 2 tablespoons tika masala. The tika masala takes this dish to the next level!
Does this dish freeze up well?
Yes, it is freezable for a coupe days. However, don’t freeze it for too long, as the curry taste will slowly eradicate.
Okay, so this recipe is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, at home or from a restaurant. Increased the garam masala and used some asafoetida powder.
This could be my dinner every day and I wouldn’t get sick of it. Seriously considering making a few gallons, sans chicken, and freezing it in ziploc bags so I can do just that.
So good, this is now my quick go to chicken curry, going to add the tika masala as per Sade’s post.
which curry powder are u using ? company name plz
My family LOVES this recipe. And although I don’t eat meat, I must say that I love it too because it is quick and easy! It’s definitely a keeper. Thank you!
It was soooo good! Can’t wait to try more curry dishes!
GREAT recipe!! 🙂
recommend adding a half teaspoon of red chili powder and
half teaspoon of turmeric 🙂
recommend using 1 onion instead
This dish is delicious….no need to get an Indian take-away, this dish is the real thing YUM definitely staying in my recipe book forever, thank you very much. I served it with boiled rice and made some mini Naan breads, and enough left overs for lunch today aswell! Double bonus 🙂
I made this and it was unbelievable ! So yummy I added a few potatoes and cauliflower to it to make a 1 bowl meal with naan. My hubby is diabetic so we don’t eat a lot of rice had 1/2 c each
Soooo good!!! Third time making it! Substitute water for chicken stock and it’s even better :))) how many calories per serving, would be helpful.
Anyone know a rough calorie count? Also this recipe is my go-to for curry. Absolutely delicious
Great easy curry. I make lots of curries and this is so good.
I made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS!! After chopping it’s easy, too! Definitely will become a staple.
Is it possible to do this in the slow cooker?
My family love this recipe and we have enjoyed it regularly , recently as an experiment I tried substituting tinned mixed beans for the chicken , it was delicious and a big success ! I find stirring a good handful of chopped fresh coriander through at the end of cooking helps too .
A small suggestion for the way the recipe is written – 2 Onions” is highly variable. It could be a bit easier for the reader/home cook if you used a volume measurement of some kind here. “Approx 1 cup onion” is a bit more clear for a first timer.
Best curry recipe, our go-to recipe. Works every time.
oh man! I love this recipe, restaurant style chicken curry, and honestly even better then some restaurants. Making this recipe every few months.