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Home » Blog » Recipes » Thai Curry Chicken

Thai Curry Chicken

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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 healthy and paleo Thai Chicken curry 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.

Time to make Thai Curry Chicken!

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 for homemade thai curry chicken

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

A spoonful of coconut oil is added to a saucepan to make paleo thai curry chicken.

When the oil is shimmering, brown the chicken…

The seasoned chicken thigh strips are sautéed in the coconut oil to make quick and easy thai curry chicken

…and transfer to a separate plate.

The cooked chicken thighs are transferred to a platter for Whole30 thai curry chicken

Add the onions to the saucepan and sauté until translucent.

Diced onions are added to the pot and cooked until translucent for thai curry chicken

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

The chicken and Whole30 Thai curry paste are added back in the pot to make homemade healthy thai chicken curry.

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 for Thai Chicken Curry are dispersed.

Pour in the coconut milk…

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

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

Frozen vegetables and roasted kabocha squash are added to the pot of quick and easy 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 paleo 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 healthy quick and easy Thai Curry Chicken in a shallow brown serving dish.

Yep, it’s that simple.


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), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

My Whole30-friendly paleo Thai Curry Chicken recipe is quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai restaurant.
Print Recipe
4.78 from 9 votes

Thai Curry Chicken

My Whole30-friendly paleo Thai Curry Chicken recipe is quicker, healthier, and tastier than ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai restaurant.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chicken, Curry, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Paleo, Primal, Thai, Whole30
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 353kcal
Author: Michelle Tam

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • Cut the chicken into medium-sized chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  • 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.
  • 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.)
  • 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). 
  • 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 and serve over zoodles, plain cauliflower rice, or Asian Cauliflower fried rice.

Video

Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 4g
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda says

    August 17, 2020 at 2:46 am

    I love this curry so much. I prep everything ahead and even take it camping (it’s a regular on our camping menu!) to throw in a pot and cook up, dishing it up over steamed cauliflower rice! Yuuum!!

    Reply
  2. Isabel says

    July 8, 2021 at 2:09 am

    5 stars
    So delicious. So easy. So versatile. So Nom Nom!

    Reply
  3. Mallory K says

    March 3, 2022 at 2:23 am

    5 stars
    I found this recipe after looking for ways to cook up kabocha squash. I love curry and this was a perfect dish to use up my leftover squash! Such a quick, easy meal packed full of flavor. I’ll definitely have to make this again!

    Reply
  4. Jordan says

    November 14, 2022 at 1:30 am

    5 stars
    This is on regular rotation at my house and is the first recipe I’ve ever memorized! It is so versatile with any frozen veggies you have on hand. Thank you for your delicious recipes that have given me more confidence in the kitchen!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Bigler says

      November 14, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Thank you Jordan!

      Reply

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