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An easy Thai red curry made with shop-bought red curry paste, chicken and coconut milk. So fresh and aromatic! A great option when you’re short on time but don’t want to miss out on taste.

“I have made this twice now, eaten half and frozen half. It is absolutely delicious with plenty of sauce and it freezes very well. Highly recommended!”

– Janet

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Thai red chicken curry with rice in a bowl with lime and coriander

Nicky’s Notes

A woman with long brown hair and a black top smiles at the camera, sitting indoors with a brick wall and some greenery in the background.

I’ve just done a quick count and I’ve found that we’ve got more than 50 curry recipes on Kitchen Sanctuary! I guess I just really like curry and this Thai red chicken curry is no exception.

Creamy, aromatic and gently spicy with pops of lime and the peppery lift of Thai basil. Each bite is silky from the coconut, balanced by savoury fish sauce and a whisper of sweetness.

We make curry at home at least once, and usually twice, a week.

Quite often we’ll make our own curry paste, but sometimes we’ll use store-bought paste if we’re in a hurry (or just too hungry to wait!).

Table of Contents

What do we need?

Ingredients for making Thai red chicken curry on a wooden table

The Curry Paste

Red curry paste can be very strong in flavour and heat level depending on the variety you buy. Here are the 2 that i use most often:

  • Mae Ploy and Thai Taste (<–affiliate links) are both relatively hot but nicely authentic in flavour.
  • If I want a milder red Thai curry that the kids will enjoy, I use Waitrose own brand of Thai red curry paste. It’s still got a good flavour, but is actually quite mild.

Notes on the other ingredients

  • Coconut milk: Go for full fat coconut milk for the best creamy flavour, without worrying that your sauce might split (as can happen with low-fat coconut milk). See my notes in the recipe below for swaps of coconut milk if you want to make this without coconut milk.
  • Chicken: Chicken breast is great for this recipe as it cooks pretty quickly, so you don’t have to worry about the chicken being tough. However, you can use trimmed chicken thighs if you prefer.
  • Thai Basil: I love to add a little fresh Thai basil to the sauce and for garnish, but if you can’t get hold of any, leave it out (you’ll still have a lovely curry!) or add more fresh coriander (cilantro).

How to make this Thai red curry

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Soften onion in a little oil over a medium heat, then add the chicken and cook until sealed.
  • Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass paste and a crumbled stock cube and stir together to coat the chicken.
  • Add the curry paste and stir together.
6 image collage showing the initial stages of making Thai red chicken curry
  • Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, bamboo shoots and Thai basil leaves. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
4 image collage showing the end stages of making Thai red chicken curry
  • Stir in lime juice, then serve

Thai Basil

  • Thai basil brings a gentle aniseed, peppery aroma that instantly makes the dish taste “restaurant-level”. Add some in the sauce and some at the end for layered aroma.

🍽️ What to serve with Thai Red Curry

Serve with boiled rice , Coconut rice or Thai sticky rice. I love to top the curry with fresh Thai basil leaves, coriander (cilantro), chilli slices and slices of lime.

Thai red chicken curry in a pan

More better-than-takeout curry recipes

Thai red chicken curry with rice in a bowl

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Which Thai curry is the spiciest?

🌶️🌶️🌶️Green Thai curry is considered to be the spiciest – as green chillies (of the same variety) are usually hotter and sharper than red chillies.
🌶️🌶️Red Thai Curry comes next, and 🌶️ Yellow Thai curry is the least spicy.

Watch how to make it

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A bowl of white rice topped with Thai Chicken Curry, red peppers, chopped chilli, fresh coriander and lime wedges, with a fork on the side—a delicious take on classic Thai Red Curry.
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5 from 17 votes

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Thai Red Chicken Curry Recipe

By Nicky Corbishley
An easy Thai red curry made with shop-bought red curry paste, chicken and coconut milk. So fresh and aromatic!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
  • 1 onion peeled and chopped
  • 3 chicken breasts about 720g / 1.5 lbs, chopped into bitesize pieces
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp lemongrass paste
  • 1 chicken stock cube crumbled
  • 4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • 1 red pepper sliced
  • 400 g (14 oz) tin coconut milk
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown muscovado sugar
  • 225 g (8 oz) tin of bamboo shoots drained
  • 10 fresh Thai basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice about half a lime

To serve:

  • boiled rice
  • 5-6 fresh Thai basil leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh coriander cilantro
  • 2 Thai chillies thinly sliced
  • 1 lime sliced into wedges

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
    1 tbsp neutral oil
  • Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
    1 onion
  • Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until sealed.
    3 chicken breasts
  • Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass paste, and crumbled stock cube and stir together to coat the chicken.
    2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp lemongrass paste, 1 chicken stock cube
  • Add the curry paste and stir together. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    4 tbsp red Thai curry paste
  • Add the sliced red pepper, stir together and cook for a minute.
    1 red pepper
  • Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil leaves. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
    400 g (14 oz) tin coconut milk, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp palm sugar or light brown muscovado sugar, 225 g (8 oz) tin of bamboo shoots, 10 fresh Thai basil leaves
  • Stir in the lime juice, then serve the curry with boiled rice.
    1 tbsp fresh lime juice, boiled rice
  • Top with fresh Thai basil leaves, coriander, chilli slices, and lime wedges before serving.
    5-6 fresh Thai basil leaves, 4 sprigs fresh coriander, 2 Thai chillies, 1 lime

Video

Notes

Can I make this curry ahead?

Yes! you can make this curry, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout.

Can I freeze this curry?

Yes, any leftovers of this curry can be cooled, covered and frozen. Then defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a pan (stirring often) or microwave until piping hot throughout.

Can I replace the coconut milk?

The coconut milk is quite important for a more authentic Thai flavour, but you can replace the coconut milk with 250ml (about 1 cup) of stock and 150ml (about 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) of double/heavy cream. You may need to thicken the sauce slightly with a cornstarch slurry made of 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch, mixed with 5 tbsp of cold water. Stir it in slowly to the hot curry before serving – until you achieve the desired thickness.
Nutritional information is per serving NOT including rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 706mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This Thai red curry was first posted in April 2020. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.

🍲 More Thai Inspired Recipes

Love those Thai flavours? Why not try one of these recipes next:

Can I make this curry in the slow cooker?

Yes! I actually have a slow cooker red curry (<click here) on the website.

Can I make a vegetarian version instead?

Yes! Ensure the curry paste is vegetarian. Replace the chicken with mushrooms, roasted sweet potato or quorn. Replace the fish sauce with a vegetarian fish sauce replacement (Thai Taste do one). You’ll also need to replace the stock cube with a vegetarian stock cube.

Can I make a lower fat/calorie Thai red curry?

Yes, here’s my low fat Thai red chicken curry that uses a homemade paste and half-fat coconut milk. It’s really delicious for a lighter option (267 cals per portion without the rice). 

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I’m Nicky, bestselling author, award-winning recipe creator and food photographer. I love to cook comforting, delicious and easy recipes and share them with you.

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5 from 17 votes

Comments

  1. Janet says:

    5 stars
    I have made this twice now, eaten half and frozen half. It is absolutely delicious with plenty of sauce and it freezes very well. Highly recommended!

  2. Nicky Knight says:

    5 stars
    Love this ❤️ So yummy 😋 Thank you for sharing 🥰