This Golden Coconut Chicken Curry blows me away every time I make it – and I’ve been making it a lot lately! Such a beautiful spice blend, with turmeric making the coconut curry sauce a warm yellow colour. Thai vibes. Easy. Swoon-worthy!
A really great but easy coconut chicken curry
Regular readers know I love my curries. Especially Thai and Indian ones – though the good ole’ retro chicken curry and curried sausages will always have a place in my heart!
But on days when I have a hankering for a really good from-scratch curry but don’t have the time for blitzing fresh curry pastes, this is what I’m making on repeat. It’s got Thai vibes with a hint of Indian undertones, like a less shrimpy version of Thai Yellow Curry with a whisper of Massaman Curry.
It’s very, very good. And though not a traditional Thai curry recipe (as far as I know), it tastes very authentic. (You know what I mean!)
-> If you’re after something similar (ie. still easy) but with more Indian vibes, head straight to my Easy Pumpkin Lentil Coconut Curry!
Ingredients in Golden Coconut Chicken Curry
Don’t skip the star anise and cinnamon stick, and really try to use fresh turmeric rather than dried – for maximum flavour.
aromatics and spices
First up, the sauce flavourings:
Turmeric – Been a bit of a trendy ingredient in recent years, revered for its nutritional benefits, most notably arthritis relief. It looks like and has the same texture as ginger but is bright orange inside. When cooked, it turns things bright yellow! Stains like buggery so don’t wear white when using it, and grate onto non-porous things (like a plate).
Turmeric powder – While fresh turmeric will give the best flavour and colour, dried can be used as an easier alternative. I’ve made it with dried turmeric and it’s still delicious!
Ginger and garlic – Fresh is the only way! The jarred stuff is sour and tastes nothing like the real thing. As with the turmeric, we finely grate them, for maximum flavour extraction.
Garam masala – Indian spice mix that’s common these days, in the spice aisle of normal grocery stores. It’s got more flavour than basic curry powders. 🙂 But – your everyday curry powder will be an adequate substitute!
Fennel powder – I know this one isn’t a staple so don’t make a special trip if you don’t have it. Just use more garam masala!
Cumin and coriander – Staple spices!
Add-ins and sauce
Chicken – Thigh is best because it stays juicy. Breast and tenderloin will work but won’t be quite as juicy. Prawns/shrimp and fish pieces are GREAT in this curry – plonk them in in the last 3 minutes.
Broccoli – Cut them into little florets so they are spoon-eating-size. You can also use the stem – just peel and dice.
Coconut cream is thicker so makes the sauce thicker. Also has stronger coconut flavour. Both good things! If using coconut milk, suggest thickening the sauce slightly. Mix 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch with a small splash of water, then mix in towards the end.
Chicken stock/broth – Gives the sauce more flavour. If using just water, it’s just a little lacking.
Onion – For sautéing at the beginning.
Other add-in options
The recipe can be made with any proteins and vegetables that will cook in the 15 minutes total sauce simmering time. Just add them in at the appropriate time. Pumpkin or sweet potato and chickpeas is a firm favourite. A friend made this with shrimp/prawns instead of chicken and reported swoon-worthy results (his words, not mine 🤷🏻♀️). Zucchini and eggplants are also amazing, though my eggplant skin gave the sauce an interesting purplish hue. 😂
Garnishes
I just realised, the coriander / cilantro is not just a garnish. A good handful is mixed into the sauce. Great finishing touch. 🙂
Coriander / cilantro – As mentioned above, a good handful to mix into the sauce plus extra for sprinkling on top.
If you’re in the I Hate Coriander club, feel free to skip this. I’d just sprinkle with green onion slices instead.
Crispy Shallots – Crispy, salty, oily pops of goodness. Find them in the Asian aisle, cheaper at Asian stores. I love them so much and use them so frequently I even wrote about them here.
How to make it
OK! The making part. Nice and straightforward. Just a specific order in which things are toasted / sautéed / simmered / added into the pot. There’s reasons! 🙂
Toast the cinnamon stick and star anise for 2 minutes. This really brings out lovely flavour that is then imparted into the sauce, so don’t skip this step!
Cook chicken – Next, sauté the onion for 2 minutes to soften, then add the chicken. Cook for 3 minutes or until the outside turns white and you can no longer see pink. The inside will still be raw which is what we want – this ensures the chicken is not overcooked by the time the sauce is finished simmering.
Toast spices – Add the grated garlic, ginger and turmeric, and stir for 1 minute. Then add the spice mix and stir for 30 seconds. Toasting the fresh and dried spices is a key step, like with the star anise and cinnamon, to bring out and improve the flavour. So much more flavoursome than just dumpling spices into liquid!
Simmer 12 minutes – Stir in the coconut cream and chicken stock/broth, then simmer for 12 minutes. Simmer energetically, not a slow simmer like when making stocks and stew, because we want the sauce to reduce to concentrate the flavour and thicken slightly. And we want this to happen quick – before the chicken is overcooked!
Broccoli 3 minutes – Next, stir in the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. That’s all it will take to soften, because you cut the florets into small spoon-size, just as the recipe asks you to do. Right?! 🙂
Finish the coconut curry off by stirring in the fresh coriander. Let it cool for 5 minutes or so – there will be a LOT of heat in that pot! Cooling slightly also allows the sauce to thicken a bit.
Now, the best step – EATING time!
How to serve this curry
Serve over rice with a sprinkle of my favourite crispy fried shallots and some more fresh coriander/cilantro. Jasmine or basmati rice are on point. Otherwise, any other plain rice of choice. Or even cauliflower rice for the low-carbers out there!
Love to know what you think if you make this. Curious to see if it’s just Team RecipeTin that’s madly obsessed with this coconut curry, or if it’s a universal thing. I’m banking on the latter, obviously, which is why I’m sharing this recipe!! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Golden coconut chicken curry
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut oil , vegetable or canola oil (Note 1)
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 500g / 1lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into small 1cm / 1/3" slices (Note 2 options!)
- 1 tsp garlic , finely grated
- 1 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 3 tsp turmeric , finely grated (sub 1 1/2 tsp powder, Note 3)
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 400g / 14 oz coconut cream , unsweetened (sub coconut milk, Note 4)
- 1 large head broccoli , florets cut small (can use stem too – peel & dice), or other veg (4 heaped cups)
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , lightly packed, plus extra for garnish (I'd still make without this)
Spice mix:
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala (Note 5)
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel powder (sub more garam masala)
Serving
- Crispy fried shallots , store bought, for garnish (Note 6)
- Rice – jasmine or basmati recommended, or other plain rice
Instructions
- Spice mix – Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Toast – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Toast the star anise and cinnamon for 2 minutes.
- Add onion, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken, cook for 3 minutes or it's no longer pink on the outside (still raw inside).
- Add aromatics – Add garlic, ginger and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add spice mix and stir for 30 seconds.
- Simmer 12 minutes – Add stock and coconut cream. Stir and bring to an energetic simmer. Cook for 12 minutes (no need to stir) so the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add broccoli florets. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until softened.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Look who was in the paper on the weekend! And they stuck me in it too. 😂 In case you want to read it, the online version of the article is here.
Absolutely delicious! The whole family demolished this. Perfectly spiced, savoury and we’ll definitely be making this again – regularly.
Words are not enough to describe how much my daughter and I loved this recipe!
We went full on with chicken and shrimp.
It was amazing!
I love all of your recipes! I made this one last week for my family and used your ghee and garlic naan to top off the meal. My family is still raving about how fabulous everything tastes! The depth of flavor developed so quickly was amazing! And, no believed that I didn’t buy the naan from a restaurant, I am glad I read your explanation about the yogurt! I almost didn’t make it but it is in our keeper file forever! Thanks again!
WOW Nagi (and JB) !
This was AMAZING. I use your recipes all the time & this is my new favourite.
My partner is – ahem – not a fan of chicken & loved it – quite a feat since he usually only “tolerates” chicken dishes.
I couldn’t find fresh turmeric but the ground version worked well. I also added pumpkin & carrot.
Thank- you 😃
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Wendeed!! N xx
Have been making your recipes for years. Think this one is a boarder line fail. Too bland and too much liquid even though I reduced stock by half. Sorry!
I love getting recipes from Nagi in my iPad, I’m having this tonight and it smells Devine already. Just love all the recipes she shares with me. Thank you
Delicious, easy to follow recipe. Added grilled bell peppers to this and it came out 👌
Absolutely sensational! Couldn’t decide if it was Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian or Indian,,, so flavourful. Thank you ❤️❤️
Made this up tonight for quick week night dinners. Threw in a few extra veg, and it’s delicious. I can see this becoming a favourite in our house
I made this recipe today. So yummy and full of flavour.
We definitely make it again 👍🙃
Delicious
Awesome recipe as usual. I Cook 3 to 4 meaks a week from your recipes and never had a bad one.
Will definitely be making again
I made this during the week after work, it was quick and easy to make and tasted even better the next day. I did tweek it a little and added some whole dried chilli’s and a pinch of brown sugar, mine was a little runny also but just thickened it with some corn flour. The whole family loved it and want it again.
Absolutely stunning…. Followed recipe to the letter … My family and i really really REALLY enjoyed it …. Yum yum yum 😋
I usually love your recipes but found this not very flavourful and way too much liquid
My niece, Kriz, (who is Nagi’s biggest fan!) sent me this recipe, so I decided to try it since I had most ingredients on hand. I substituted five spice for the star anise since they were out at my store, and turmeric powder. So delicious!! Next time I’ll add a bit a heat. That’s just a personal preference😉, Still delicious
A little salty for our tastes, will reduce next time, did use low sodium chicken stock cubes (Massel), so maybe ‘real’ stock would taste different.. I also doubled the recipe because I had a lot of chicken, so maybe that was a problem. However, definitely will make again and expect it will become a fave.
Super easy to make , it was full of flavour and really tasty, but was not at all spicey , should i have added a dried chilli?
Ummm unfortunately a bit bland 😳 sorry first time I’m disappointed 😬
So it wasn’t just me! Vague hint of what the flavour could have been but I was quite disappointed as the other comments had me excited for a new addition in my rotation. I did sub with turmeric powder instead of fresh, and more garam masala instead of fennel powder as per the notes. These plus the flavour variation between different brands of garam masala (though mine works wonderfully in Nagi’s other recipes) could be why it ended up lacking. Bummer 🙁
Angela, I agree – first fail for me as well. Found this very bland and totally lacking in flavour.
Nooo!!! 🙁 Did you definitely use stock not water, and add all the spices?? N xx
We found it delicious… I did add some optional crispy chilli oil to add if one wanted to. Used fresh ginger, fresh turmeric and fresh garlic… was divine . Lots of coriander and crunchy shallots 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️
WOW!! This really packed a punch for dinner, MOTH was so impressed.
I get really excited when I can play with my spice collection. I’ve never made a curry without using Keens curry powder but this was the best curry ever. I added extra veges, cauli, spinach, peas & tomato and served on steamed potato slices.
You’re the best Nagi!
Very yummy. I used chicken breast, partially cooked it before cooking onions, then removed it and added it when adding the broccoli. It was mostly juicy, but probably cook for a little less next time so it’s all juicy!! Also added a generous pinch of chilli flakes because I thought a little bit of heat would lift it. My husband loved it. 😀