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Thai Curry Chicken

This fast and easy Thai Curry Chicken is paleo, Whole30-friendly, and ready in 20 minutes!

A collage of the cooking steps for Whole30-friendly paleo Thai Curry Chicken recipe

My Thai Curry Chicken recipe is quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai joint.  Just grab some chicken (or whatever quick-cooking protein on hand) add some frozen and leftover vegetables, and stir in some curry paste and coconut milk. After a few minutes on the stove, you’ll have a fragrant, flavorful curry. Instead of tipping the delivery guy, you can give yourself a pat on the back instead.

A closeup of Thai Curry Chicken in a white bowl.

My PSA of the day: Make sure your pantry is stocked with a few Thai curry pastes. My favorite brands are Aroy-D and Mae Ploy and I like yellow, red, and green. You can buy these pastes at most Asian markets, but choose the ones that only contain herbs and spices. Read your labels, folks.

A closeup of the Whole30 ingredients listed on a Thai Yellow Curry Paste container

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or fat of choice
  • 1 small onion, chopped medium
  • 1-2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (whichever color you prefer)
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
  • 2 cups leftover roasted kabocha squash (or roasted butternut squash, frozen sweet potatoes, etc.)
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice (optional)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Cut the chicken into medium-sized chunks and season with salt and pepper.

A closeup of chopped chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Swirl in the coconut oil.

A spoonful of coconut oil is added to a saucepan.

When the oil is shimmering, brown the chicken…

The seasoned chicken thigh strips are sautéed in the coconut oil.

…and transfer to a separate plate.

The cooked chicken thighs are transferred to a platter.

Add the onions to the saucepan and sauté until translucent.

Diced onions are added to the pot and cooked until translucent.

Return the chicken and juices to the pot, and add the curry paste to taste.

The chicken and Thai curry paste are added back in the pot.

If you don’t like spicy, just use 1 tablespoon.

Stir-fry until you can smell the rich aroma of toasted spices.

The contents of the pot are cooked until the spices are dispersed.

Pour in the coconut milk…

Coconut milk is poured into the Thai Curry Chicken and the stew is brought to a simmer.

…and toss in the frozen veggies, squash, and apple juice (if using).

Frozen vegetables are added to the pot of Thai Curry Chicken

Raise the heat to high and bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the curry for 10 minutes or until the veggies are warmed through and the flavors meld. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Add the basil chiffonade…

The Thai Curry Chicken is finished with some thinly sliced basil leaves.

…and serve over zoodles, plain cauliflower rice, or Asian Cauliflower fried rice.

A closeup of Thai Curry Chicken in a shallow brown serving dish.

Yep, it’s that simple.

You can watch a replay of me cooking this dish on Facebook Live from my home kitchen (recorded on 12/5/18):

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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My Whole30-friendly paleo Thai Curry Chicken recipe is quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai restaurant.
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Thai Curry Chicken

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 servings

My Whole30-friendly paleo Thai Curry Chicken recipe is quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai restaurant.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or fat of choice
  • 1 small onion, chopped medium
  • 1-2 tablespoons Thai curry paste (whichever color you prefer)
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
  • 2 cups leftover roasted kabocha squash (or roasted butternut squash, frozen sweet potatoes, etc.)
  • 2 tablespoons apple juice (optional)
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken into medium-sized chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Swirl in the coconut oil. When the oil is shimmering, brown the chicken and transfer to a separate plate.
  3. Add the onions to the saucepan and sauté until translucent. Return the chicken and juices to the pot, and add the curry paste to taste. (Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if needed later.)
  4. Stir-fry until you can smell the rich aroma of toasted spices. Pour in the coconut milk and toss in the frozen veggies, squash, and apple juice (if using). 
  5. Raise the heat to high and bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the curry for 10 minutes or until the veggies are warmed through and the flavors meld. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
  6. Add the basil chiffonade and serve over zoodles, plain cauliflower rice, or Asian Cauliflower fried rice.

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Thai, Curry, Chicken, Paleo, Primal, Gluten-free, Whole30, Dairy-free, Egg-free

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