Thai Green Curry Chicken
When you want takeout vibes without the decision fatigue, make this.
If you’re staring into the fridge after a long day and need dinner to pick itself, this is a good move. Thai green curry chicken gives you a complete, comforting bowl in under 20 minutes with very little thinking: simmer chicken, stir in curry paste and coconut milk, and finish with vegetables and herbs. It tastes bold and soothing, but it is still a weeknight version, so expect a quick, flexible curry rather than a slow, layered restaurant one. Serve it over rice if you have it, or just scoop it up with a spoon when you’re too tired to make extra decisions.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast — cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp Thai green curry paste
- 1 cup coconut milk — full-fat or light
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup bell pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 cup zucchini — half-moons
- 1 cup snow peas — or green beans
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 unit lime — juiced
- 0.25 cup fresh basil — or cilantro, chopped
- 2 cup cooked jasmine rice — for serving
Method
- 1 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 2 Stir in the green curry paste and cook for 30 seconds to wake it up.
- 3 Pour in the coconut milk and broth, then add the bell pepper and zucchini. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 4 Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- 5 Add the snow peas, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes more, then turn off the heat and stir in lime juice and basil.
- 6 Serve over rice and spoon extra curry sauce on top.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use 1 can chickpeas or cubed tofu instead of chicken, and add them with the coconut milk so they warm through.
- Faster swap — Use frozen stir-fry vegetables and pre-cooked rice to cut the active work down to almost nothing.
- Substitutions — Swap snow peas for broccoli florets, basil for cilantro, or bell pepper for sliced carrots if that’s what you have.
Notes
For the fastest version, use pre-cut chicken and serve with microwave rice. If your curry paste is very salty, start with 2 tbsp and add more at the end. Keep the simmer gentle so the coconut milk stays smooth.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — Wide surface area helps the chicken brown quickly and gives the sauce room to simmer without crowding.
- Sharp knife — Makes quick work of slicing the chicken and vegetables into fast-cooking pieces.
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