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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!
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. We’re traveling, entertaining, and pretty soon, we’ll all be heading back to school. That’s when things get really crazy busy.
Point is, I’m 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 that’s 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? It’s one of the very first recipes I shared with you all – way back in February of 2014. I updated it, but not by much, I just made it a little easier.
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 you’ve added the coconut milk, simmer the chicken in the sauce until it’s cooked through, no more than 8 minutes. Then stir in some cilantro and you’re 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, who’s 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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Simple Coconut Chicken Curry
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 435 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
I accidentally used red Chile paste instead of red curry paste. Oops! ???♀️ Still turned out amazing and actually, I think I prefer it! LOTSSSSS of mango is called for and I would definitely make this again in the future!
Hey Autumn,
Happy Monday!! LOL oops! I really appreciate you trying this recipe out, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:)
Excited to try this! Can we use the instant pot or crockpot for this?
Hey Kate,
Sure!! Either of those will work well for you! I would do 6-8 hours on low in the crockpot and 8 minutes on high pressure in the instant pot. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Amazing !!!! Can’t wait to try it again with other veggies.
Hey Tiffany,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it! Hope you’re having a great Sunday!! xxT
This is an awesome weeknight curry recipe! So much flavor and so easy to put together, definitely going in our weekly rotation!
Hey Caitlin,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it:) ?
I have now made two of your recipes! As a rule, when I make something for the first time I make it exactly as written and make adjustments later. So far I would not change ANYTHING on either one. This was delicious. And the mango salsa is a perfect accompaniment. You need something to cut through the delicious sauce. The acid, freshness, sweetness and cool temperature of the salsa is a perfect foil. Your food is delicious AND beautiful. I go to other sites to look for specific recipes. I go to your site to be inspired.
Hey Maren,
Happy Monday!! I really appreciate you trying this recipe out, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks so much for your kind message? Have a great week:)
Can this be frozen? I made too much! But it is delish!
Hey Greta,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it:) Sure, freezing it would be just fine for you to do! ?
Delicious. I used tofu in place of chicken (I’m a vegetarian who regularly swaps tofu for chicken). I don’t have the cilantro gene so I used a parsley/basil/ dill mixture which worked out great. Mango topping makes this dish.
Hi Carol!
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so excited it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great weekend! xx
This sounded really good since we love curry, but it just wasn’t our favorite. I only used half the chicken, which was just the right amount for us, but in the end we felt there was too much cilantro in it and that it needed something sweet. I wasn’t able to make the mango topping due to not being able to get any mangoes, but even if I had, at least for us, the cup of cilantro in it would have ruined it (we’re not big cilantro fans, although I do include modest amounts of it in a lot of recipes). You know we love your recipes, but I don’t think I’ll be making this one again (unless you can suggest an alternate topping!)
Hi Helen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Next time, I would suggest cutting back on the cilantro to your liking, that isn’t going to make or bread the recipe:) If you can’t get mangos, pineapple would work too! I hope this helps! xx
Thanks, Tieghan! I’ll try it again, this time with a minimal amount of cilantro 😉 and a pineapple topping, which is a great idea! I’ve used fresh pineapple chunks in some of your other recipes, and just love it.
Made this for the first time and it is going to become our new go-to curry recipe. Easy to whip up and very flavorful. I did not have time to make the mango topping but I did add in a little sugar 😉 thanks teigan!
Also need to add that i love your new cookbook!!
Hey Iris!
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so excited it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great weekend! xx
Omgosh. Just darned delicious. I added cardamom because I didn’t have the spicy curry, and I only had 1 tbsp of curry left. I also had to use a little olive oil bc I only had a tiny bit of sesame oil left. But this recipe is truly one of my favs.
Hey Nancy!
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so excited it was enjoyed! Hope you’re having a great weekend! xx
Simple, easy, with so much yummy flavor!!!
Hey Elena,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delish! I made a couple small modifications. I used chicken thighs and only one can of coconut milk. Whole Foods had a mango salsa so I used that instead of making my own. My sauce didn’t thicken up much but it was super tasty!
I’ll make it again.
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday!!? Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit! xT
Omgosh. Just darn delicious. I added cardamom because I didn’t have the spicy curry, and I only had 1 tbsp of curry left.
Hi Nancy!
Amazing! Thanks a lot for trying this dish, I am so glad it was a winner! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xx
So good!! Thanks again for another amazing recipe. My family really enjoyed it.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!!? Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit! xT
I really appreciate a simple, straightforward recipe, but this was really bland. I think it could be made better with the use of chicken thighs, just one can of full fat coconut milk, and some serranos or fresno peppers and shallots, but overall this was very flavorless, unfortunately.
Hi Genevieve,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
Would like to make this tonight but have no red curry paste. Are there any subs for it? Can it be left out w/o ruining the dish? Thank you
Hey Christina,
I definitely would not skip the red curry paste:) If possible I would definitely go to the store to pick that ingredient up! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan