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This Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter is full of Thai flavors and so quick to make. Made with flavorful Thai red curry paste, yellow curry powder, lemongrass, and creamy coconut milk. The chicken is simmered in the sauce with potatoes and then served with spicy garlic honey butter. A side of rice soaks up all that yummy curry sauce, so delicious.
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I feel like a broken record here, but yet again, this Thai yellow curry recipe was inspired by Creighton. He’s obviously been spending much more time here in Colorado this year. It’s not that he loves the snowy climate, it’s honestly more that he just really loves being around family. I think that all of his years of being in Cleveland with no one around really helped him realize how much he loves being with the family, and more importantly these days, little Oslo.
So with Creighton here I’ve been tending to make more recipes with him in mind. I love to cook for people, so inspiration is welcomed.
When it comes to curry, Creighton loves any kind, whether it’s Indian or Thai. He requests it weekly. And while I’ve perfected his favorite butter chicken, I haven’t done much with Thai-inspired curries.
Most yellow curry is made with a Thai yellow curry paste, which you can make at home. However, lack of time and ingredients lead me to improvise a little, using a mix of Thai red curry paste and then yellow curry powder.
This ended up taking less than 30 minutes to throw together, and it was so good.
The process is simple
What I love about this dish is just how easily it comes together, nothing fancy at all. Cook the potatoes, then add in the chicken thighs and a mix of Thai red curry paste and yellow curry powder. I love to add lemongrass as well, which adds a really bright pop of freshness.
Cook the spices without any liquid for a few minutes to really activate their flavor. Then stir in the coconut milk and a small splash of fish sauce. Allow this to simmer.
On to the spicy honey butter
While the chicken is simmering in the curry sauce, make the spicy honey butter. When I made this the first time around, I felt like it was good. But, of course, I wanted it to be really great.
I thought about the recent curry I had made with salmon. We all loved the spicy butter so much, so I wanted to add that element to this curry. I also decided to add a touch of honey for a sweet and spicy element.
It ended up being just what the dish needed to make it really delicious!
For serving, keep it simple, steamed basmati rice or jasmine rice and garnish with lots of cilantro, and a side of limes.
This dish is definitely becoming a quick, weeknight family favorite. Creighton loved this, and the rest of the family enjoyed it too. Even my dad, who is not really a curry fan, thought the sauce was delicious.
Looking for other curries?
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Creamy Coconut Chicken Meatball and Noodle Curry
Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Chickpeas
Lastly, if you make this Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter 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 Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 pound baby potatoes, cubed
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
- 2 cups canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce or tamari
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and potatoes. Cook 10 minutes, until soft. Add the chicken, curry paste, curry powder, lemongrass paste, and season with salt. Toss to coat the chicken, then cook 3 minutes. 2. Pour in the coconut milk and 1/3 cup water. Season with salt. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickened.3. Meanwhile, melt together the butter and garlic. Cook until the butter is browning. Stir in the chili flakes and honey. 4. Remove the curry from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, cilantro, and lime zest + juice. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with spicy honey butter.
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.
Really delicious flavours. So simple in the slow cooker. Didn’t bother with the garlic sauce as it wasn’t necessary for flavour, and took more time and calories!
Make again. 👍🏻
Hey Marilla,
Wonderful! I am so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xT
Could I substitute tofu for the chicken?
Hi Erin,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! I hope you love this recipe:) Xx
I was taking a look at your Crockpot Thai Yellow Curry Chicken recipe, but wanted to do a stove top one so your link led me here. Just curious why the crockpot one calls for yogurt but this one doesn’t? Looking forward to making it!
Hi Julie,
I used 2 cans of coconut milk in this recipe rather than the yogurt. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Baby Potatoes.Is this red potatoes? Thank you!
Hi Alyson,
I just used white and purple baby potatoes, they come in a variety usually:) I hope this helps! xx
Love this recipe =) So tasty!
Thanks so much Leslie! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
I could only find green curry paste at the store, will that be ok?
Hi Olivia! Yes, that should work just fine! xT
This recipe is excellent! I almost didn’t make the garlic butter because it seemed odd to me, but I am so glad I made it! It made the dish so complex! I followed the recipe except I added some frozen peas and a bit of cauliflower to up the veggies! I will definitely make this many times over! Thank you!
Thank you so much Kathy! xT
One of my favorite recipes! I will catch myself craving it. SOOOO good. My whole family loves it. Thank you!
Thank you Amy!
Easy and flavorful. When I feel like going out to eat I come here for fun recipes that satisfy that craving.
Thanks!
Thank you so much! So glad this recipe was a success for you! xT
I have yellow curry paste I would like to use instead of red. Would that still work? And would I need to adjust the curry powder ingredients or would it still work as is?
Hi Lisa,
Sure, that should work well for you! I would just keep everything as is:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I’ve never made any type of Indian food before but this looked so good. It turned out great! I used a shortcut with rotisserie chicken (adding it in towards the end since it didn’t need to be cooked) and the two parts of the recipe that knocked it out of the park were the lime/zest and hot honey garlic butter. Don’t scrimp on those two! We didn’t have any naam but used flour tortillas to scoop up the delicious sauce. Thanks Tieghan for another great recipe:)
Hey Karen,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it and your review! xT
I’ve made this twice now and it’s so easy and delicious!! Bravo!
Hi Lacie,
Fantastic!!🐣 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Can you use fresh lemongrass instead of the paste?
Hi Taryn,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
So excited to try this out! Can it be made in the crockpot?
Thanks so much Alexa! Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This recipe sounds so mouth-watering! Can fresh lemongrass be used instead of the paste? If so, how much is recommended? And chopped fine? Thank you!
Yes, that should work great! I haven’t ever tried this recipe with fresh lemongrass so I’m not sure! xT
This recipe is amazing! We have this about once a week because of how much we love it. My whole family loves it and it works great as left overs. Sometimes I like to add a little bit of cinnamon into it as well!
SO YUMMY
Hi Whitney,
Happy Friday!! ☘️🌈 So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
If I add cauliflower/broccoli would i put them in with the potatoes? Or later on? Making this tonight! 🙂
Hey Kasha,
Sure, that should work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx