Authentic Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
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Do you ever have those days where you wake up and think, “I would do anything right now, to be on a sunny island in Thailand, with a big, spicy bowl of curry in front of my face”?
Because I do. And today was one of those days.
Inconveniently, though, I'm over here in California. And no matter how much I want it to be, going to Thailand just isn't on the agenda today.
So instead of pouting, I've decided to bring Thailand to me.
Today, I'm cooking up a big ol' pot of Thailand, in the form of some creamy yellow curry, packed with tender chicken, potatoes, carrots, and onions.
I know I can hardly wait to share my Thai yellow curry recipe with you. So let me ask you one thing.
Are you ready for this?!
How to Make Authentic Thai Yellow Curry
This Thai yellow curry recipe couldn't be easier to make, and it couldn't be more satisfying either.
It's one spicy, creamy, flavorful trip to Thailand, packed into one bowl. And it's healthy, too!
Serve this curry over some rice, and garnish with a pinch of cilantro, and you'll transport yourself to a faraway land — the Land of Smiles — where the sun is hot, the curry is even hotter, the Asian elephants roam, and the beaches are nothing short of screensaver material.
Which Curry Paste Should You Use?
To make this Thai yellow curry recipe properly and authentically, you need one very important ingredient: Authentic Thai Yellow Curry Paste.
If you search high and low, you might be able to find yellow curry paste at the grocery store. But if you want your curry to taste just like the curry you've had in Thailand – or at your favorite Thai restaurant – you need this curry paste, which is imported straight from Bangkok. Most of the pastes you'll find in the grocery stores and Asian markets just don't cut it.
Trust me on this one.
Note: If you can get your hands on the Mae Anong (it's often sold out), then get it… and stock up! It's the best. If you can't, then a very close second best is the Mae Ploy. Truly though, both are great.
The hardest part about this Thai yellow curry recipe is simply waiting for the mailman to deliver your beautiful parcel of curry paste.
Once you have it, all you need to do is thinly slice your chicken, chop up your vegetables, and let the curry paste work its magic.
And of course, you can't forget to throw in some of that thick and luscious coconut milk. Mmmmm. Yes, please.
Which Coconut Milk Should You Use?
Just like choosing the right curry paste, it's important to get high-quality coconut milk.
The quality of coconut milk brands varies widely. When you're shopping, look at the ingredients list to find the product with the highest coconut solids to water ratio, ideally with no extra additives. You may need to trial and error a few different brands to find the one you prefer. Low-quality coconut milk will result in a more “soupy” or “runny” curry.
Traditionally, Thai curries are not supposed to be extremely thick. If you prefer a thicker curry, you can simply substitute coconut milk for coconut cream. And again, the same rules apply. Check the ingredients list; see if you can find a can of 100% coconut kernel extract, with no extra water, thickeners, or other additives listed on the label.
Authentic Thai Yellow Curry Recipe with Chicken
A staycation never looked so good. Am I right?
Seriously, this stuff is the real deal.
Making this Thai yellow curry recipe is like taking a trip to Thailand, but without the jet lag and the expensive plane ticket. It's creamy, spicy, and healthy, and it's everything you've been needing in your life.
And if you don't have all the ingredients, don't worry! This recipe is very versatile, so you can add in whatever vegetables and proteins you have on hand.
This Thai yellow curry is authentic and absolutely delicious. And now that you've seen this post, you know you want to make it! So what are you waiting for?!
Get your authentic Thai curry paste on Amazon:
- Mae Anong Curry Paste (my top choice!)
- Mae Ploy Yellow Curry Paste
Authentic Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
Craving some authentic Thai yellow curry? Don't have the time to take an island vacation? Well, this simple, spicy, and delicious recipe will take your tastebuds on a journey to Thailand, and you don't even have to leave your own kitchen.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 4 tbsp yellow curry paste
- 2 15-ounce cans of coconut milk (high quality, see notes)
- 1 or 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8” rounds
- 4 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into wedges, then halved
- 2 chicken breasts, very thinly sliced
- 1.5 tsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 3/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1.5 tsp sugar, plus more to taste
- cilantro, for garnish
- lime wedges, for garnish
- serve with jasmine rice
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the curry paste to the oil, and stir-fry until fragrant, about two minutes. Take care to scrape any bits that stick to the bottom of the pot with your spoon.
- Spoon in the coconut solids from the top of the can first, and allow it to fry with the paste for a minute. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk (or coconut cream) and 1 cup of chicken stock. If you would like the curry to be thinner/soupier, then you can add 1 more cup of stock. Bring to a low boil, then turn the stove down to a simmer.
- Stir in the potatoes. When the potatoes are about halfway cooked through, stir in the carrots and onions.
- Once the carrots are almost fork-tender, add in the thinly sliced chicken and cook for two or three minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through and tender. Pay attention not to overcook the chicken, this process doesn't take long.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, salt, and sugar, adjusting each to suit your tastes.
- Serve the curry in bowls, over jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- The quality of coconut milk brands varies widely. When you're shopping, look at the ingredients list to find the product with the highest coconut solids to water ratio, ideally with no extra additives. You may need to trial and error a few different brands to find the one you prefer. Low-quality coconut milk will result in a more “soupy” or “runny” curry.
- Traditional Thai curries should be on the soupier side, but not too thin either. If you prefer a thicker curry, substitute one or two cans of coconut milk for coconut cream. And again, the same rules apply. Look at the ingredients list. See if you can find cans of 100% coconut kernel extract, with no extra water, thickeners, or other additives listed on the label.
- If your curry still ends up “soupy” or “runny” for your liking, you can thicken it with a slurry of cornstarch and water.
- Want your curry to be spicier/hotter? Adding more curry paste will not do the trick, since yellow curry paste is pretty mild to begin with. Instead, add some red Thai/bird's eye chilies in with the curry paste at step 2! You can use fresh Thai chilies (just leave them whole and remove them before serving your curry) or use Thai chili powder. If using fresh chilies, add up to 5 whole chilies. If using powder, add up to 1 tsp. This is up to your taste and spice tolerance!
- Make sure to purchase this yellow curry paste from Amazon. While you might be able to find other yellow curry pastes at the grocery store, none of them are as authentic as this one, which comes straight from Thailand!
- If you don't have virgin coconut oil, you can also use vegetable oil.
- You can make this recipe vegetarian/vegan by simply omitting the chicken and fish sauce. Use soy sauce or vegan fish sauce instead, to taste. For gluten free, use tamari.
- We used a mandoline to cut all of the carrots equally and to give them the fun, ridged texture you'd see in a restaurant.
- Some curry pastes are saltier than others. If you don't use the curry paste I suggest, you may need to use more or less salt and fish sauce than the recipe calls for. Use your tastebuds to decide!
Loooooved this recipe!!! Next time I make it I will hold off when I add my onions though- they got a little overdone.
Also added 1/2 an acorn squash. Butternut would work too. Cooked it with the potatoes.
Will definately be making this again!
Sauteed chicken first and simmered an extra 10 minutes for tenderness.
It is a HIT!
I’ve made this several times, I simplify the directions but just sautéing the onion and chicken in a wok with the paste and then add the coconut milk and chicken stock carrots and raw potatoes and I just let the potatoes and carrots cook in the sauce. I like it because the starch from the potatoes also helps thicken the sauce slightly and it’s all done in one pot. I serve with basmati and it’s a huge hit with my 13 year old and my two year old. They both devour 2 servings.
Truly good and authentic!!
Great recipe! We like ours a little sweeter so I added more sugar.
Hello, how thin do you recommend slicing the chicken bvreast? How do you cut it super thin?
Wonderful recipe! Very flexible for what you add (I steamed cubed sweet potatoes to add last in place of white potatoes, and added mushrooms and red peppers with the chicken).
My daughter is doing volunteer work in Thailand for 3 months and I had a huge send off party for her before she left. I served this for 100 people so that they could have a “taste of Thailand” too…..everone could not stop talking about how good it was! Im so happy I found this, Thank you so much!!! It’s simply AMAZING!!!
YAY! Thanks for sharing your feedback. So happy that everyone loved it.
OMG!!! I love this recipe. It’s perfect. It’s my favorite Thai dish and so easy to make. I serve it over rice with cilantro and a lime wedge. The lime gives it one more little kick. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so excited to try this recipe! My boyfriend is allergic to coconut though… is there something I could substitute the coconut ingredients with?
Just fabulous!!! Better than our local restaurant. Did add bit more grated ginger and minced garlic with yellow curry paste. Made it with some baked tofu fingers this week. The BEST!