Authentic Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links; more info here.
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!
My husband and I go to a Thai restaurant in Las Vegas everytime we visit the area because of thier yellow curry. I am so glad I found this recipe it tastes just as good! I just made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! My family loved it I will definitely be making this again.
Oh my gosh!
The ONLY place I have ever had memorable yellow curry was in Las Vegas also! Do you happen to remember the name of the restaurant?
This recipe was simple and delicious! I added more sugar, thinly sliced bellpeppers, sauteed my onions and swapped out shrimp for chicken and my entire family loved it. Thank you for a fantastic recipe! I will be making this on repeat.
So glad to hear this, Tagan!! Thanks for leaving a review!
I also sautéed the onions briefly before adding. I also added bell peppers and a little more sugar. It was very good.
Love this! In the end, making a great curry is about adjusting the sweetness (sugar), saltiness (fish sauce, salt, and/or soy sauce for vegans), and sourness (squeeze of lime juice) to your taste. Thanks for the review! :)
I love the bell pepper idea. So good. Thanks for sharing. I may try some next time. I also added a touch more sugar I think and sub’d brown for the white. I highly recommend :)
What do think about AROY-D Coconut Milk?
Hi Patricia, it should work just fine – it has a very high coconut solids content. However, it has polysorbate 60 in the ingredients list, which I’d personally avoid. These days, I usually buy the Whole Foods organic coconut milk and coconut cream. It works well in curries and there aren’t any nasty ingredients. Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/4cU44ec (https://amzn.to/4cU44ec)
I give a round of applause to this amazing recipe! It’s become a family favorite, enjoyed by everyone!
Thanks, Anatoli! So happy to read this! :)
Awesome! My wife found it a bit too spicy but then again she has a hard time with anything that has a little kick. Obviously the kick is coming from the curry paste and I was just wondering if I wanted to tone it down slightly what should I do… less paste? She loves this dish just a little milder would be perfect.
Hey Dan, using less paste will mean less flavor, so that’s probably not what I’d do. You could try three things to get the result you’re after:
1. Find a different curry paste that’s labeled “mild” and that lists “chili” as one of the very last ingredients! That’ll mean a smaller proportion of chili :)
2. Make your own curry paste! To make yellow curry paste, you’d need ingredients like garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallots, galangal, coriander seed, kaffir lime leaves, yellow curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and red chili. You could play around with the proportions of those ingredients and grind them into a paste…
3. Add less sauce from the pot, and then more coconut cream or even coconut yogurt, to her bowl before serving.
Hope that helps! Thanks for your review :)
I love this! It’s super easy to make and it’s one of my favorite go-to meals! My husband doesn’t even like curry but he likes this and it’s way better than a restaurant!
Yay! Thank you for the comment. Happy to hear we turned your non-curry-loving husband into a fan. :)
I love this recipe! Really hits the spot when I’m craving curry, because my town has no good Thai food! I am absolutely adding this to my repertoire and it’s good enough to make for guests too :).
I left Los Angeles a few years ago where the good thai food was endless and now I can find none. This recipe totally hit the spot and I will absolutely make it whenever I am craving some delicious thai!!
This is my most requested family meal! Delicious!
This is the best comment to receive! So glad to hear it. Thank you for leaving a review!
Okay. I followed this recipe and the brands suggested EXACLTY. And it’s FIRE 🔥 Every time I use Mae Ploy it’s sooo spicy (and I like spicy). So hot I can hardly taste the flavors. Help!! Please ;)
Hey Cassi, that’s interesting! I have never received this comment before – or had this experience. Next time you can try to use less paste, more coconut milk/cream to dilute, or both of those options. You can also try the other paste I recommend, which is this one (https://amzn.to/3ZQp3Jy).
My 96 year old mother wants shrimp instead of chicken. Can you tell me how much shrimp and how to adjust the cooking time?
No specifics for you, sorry Jenn! I would probably just cook the shrimp separately in a hot pan with some garlic and coconut oil and serve them on top. Otherwise add in the shrimp at the end (when the recipe says to add in the chicken) and turn off the stove once the shrimp are cooked how you like them. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of minutes as shrimp cook quickly.
I am in Heaven! This recipe taste just like the one I use to get at my favorite Thai restaurant. Unfortunately I moved 1800 miles away from there so I’ve been going through withdrawn. I like my curry extremely hot so I did add ground red pepper to spice it up to my liking. Turned our amazing. Thank you so much!!
Comments like this make my day! You’re sooo welcome :)