This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This Simple Coconut Chicken Curry with sweet sesame mango is full of yummy Indian-inspired flavors and is so quick to make. Made with flavorful yellow curry powder and red curry paste, lots of ginger, garlic, and creamy coconut milk. The chicken is simmered in the sauce with garden broccoli and served with a bright mango topping. A side of rice soaks up all that yummy curry sauce, so delicious. I highly recommend some fresh, warm naan too!
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
For the past few summers, every time the warm weather arrives, I lean more and more into creating only the simplest of recipes. Just like all of you, I want to be outside spending time chilling, hanging with family, or just enjoying the sun.
Plus, life in general is just busy. Weโre traveling, entertaining, and pretty soon, weโll all be heading back to school. Thatโs when things get really crazy busy.
Point is, Iโm here for the simple recipes, the quick recipes, but most importantly, flavorful recipes.
So how do you make quick dinners actually taste good? Well, thankfully thatโs my job. And with some thinking, I figured out a pretty good formula that really seems to work.
Use spices, use sauces, and use some help from the store. Which is exactly how I made this curry!
Fun fact about this recipe? Itโs one of the very first recipes I shared with you all โ way back in February of 2014. I updated it, but not by much, I just made it a little easier.
Ingredients
- sesame oil
- boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed (you could also sub-in chicken thighs)
- regular or spicy curry powder
- red curry paste
- tomato paste
- salted butter
- garlic cloves, chopped
- chopped fresh ginger
- chopped broccoli florets
- canned coconut milk
- fresh chopped cilantro
The process is simple
Grab a big skillet, toss the oil with the chicken, and stir in a mix of yellow curry powder and red curry paste. Then add tomato paste, butter, garlic, and ginger. Let that salty butter brown around the chicken, then toss in lots of fresh broccoli and pour over a can of coconut milk.
Once youโve added the coconut milk, simmer the chicken in the sauce until itโs cooked through, no more than 8 minutes. Then stir in some cilantro and youโre done.
Easy, easy.
While the chicken cooks, I dress up some sweet mango. This is totally extra, but we love a bright pop of color and the sweet flavor alongside the spicy curry is delicious.
Toss the mango with cilantro, sesame seeds, lemon, and a pinch of chili flakes. Sometimes I throw in some mint too. This was not part of the original recipe, but we sure do love it.
The mango ended up being just what the dish needed to really elevate it to a special level.
For serving, keep it simple, steamed rice and lots of cilantro with a side of naan.
This dish is definitely becoming a quick, weeknight family favorite. Creighton has always loved this recipe, and the rest of the family enjoys it too. Even my dad, whoโs not really a curry fan, thinks the sauce is delicious!
Looking for other quick summer curries? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Saucy Coconut Curry with Rice Noodles and Garden Vegetables
Weeknight 30 Minute Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Simple Coconut Chicken Curry be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This recipe calls for canned coconut milk. Coconut milk and cream are interchangeable for most recipes, but note that coconut cream contains more of the coconut meat and therefore has a higher fat count. This can provide a richer flavor and texture, but we think canned coconut milk works well for this recipe.
Cream of coconut is often used in dessert recipes since it is pureed coconut meat blended with sugar. Creamy of coconut will be much sweeter than canned coconut milk. Coconut milk is already naturally pretty sweet.
This recipe calls for adding coconut milk to the skillet toward the end โ once all of the ingredients are in the skillet, the coconut milk is added and the chicken is cooked thoroughly on simmer for a little less than ten minutes.
This recipe leads to a balanced flavor, but you should be able to pick up on the flavor in this dish.
Yes! The coconut meat will typically rise to the top, so you want to make sure the milk is mixed well with the coconut fat for balanced flavor.
You can store leftover coconut milk in an airtight container.
Simple Coconut Chicken Curry
Ingredientsย
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 2 tablespoons regular or spicy curry powder
- 3-4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 2 1/2 cups canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructionsย
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the oil, chicken, curry powder, and a pinch of salt. Set over medium-high heat, then cook 3 minutes. Add the curry paste, tomato paste, butter, garlic, and ginger. Cook another 2 minutes. 2. Add the broccoli, then pour in the coconut milk. Season with salt. Cook 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.3. Stir in the cilantro. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice and with mango topping on the side (recipe below).
Sesame mango topping
- 1. In a bowl, mix 1 diced mango, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and a pinch of chili flakes. Serve with the chicken.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This is a staple in our household. Everyone loves it, even our 15 month-old! We usually make it with pineapple salsa, but sometimes mango as well if they are in season.
I wanted to ask you, though, if you have any idea why ours turns out bitter sometimes? I looked it up and discovered that crรชpe powder can get better if itโs cooked too hot . I was wondering if it could be the curry powder getting heated up too quicklyโฆ we try to add it towards the end just to avoid the heat, but the bitterness is still variable. Sometimes we make the dish just as you describe and thereโs no bitterness. I have no idea. We eat it regardless. I thought maybe you may know something I donโt!
Gingerโฆ curry powderโฆ. Sesame oil? If it ends up having some bitterness, I usually notice it before I add the broccoli.
Thank you so much and hopefully nobody else has this issue.
Hey Eleanor,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and taking the time to comment, Iโm so glad it was enjoyed!
For the bitterness, it could potentially be your heat is too high. I would also just double check the expiration date of your spices!
Have a great Friday!
Do You have freezing instructions for this? I am planning postpartum meals ๐
Hi Whitney,
I would complete the recipe, allow to cool, and then freeze in an airtight container. You can warm on the stove top. I hope you love this dish!
Whole family loved this. Two pounds of chicken definitely does not feed 6 people, even after we doubled it, but it was really easy and good
Hey Jenny,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you!
Have a great week!
This recipe looks delicious! Could it be made dairy free? Would you just omit the butter or would you sub it out for something else?
Hi Jo,
You could omit the butter or use a dairy free butter. I hope you love this recipe!
I found that the sauce was really runny? Did I do something worrying? I didnโt even put in all of the milk. Very tasty!
Hey Laurel,
Thanks so much for making this dish! I would say this sauce isn’t super thick, so I don’t think you did anything wrong:)