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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.

Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

I feel like a broken record here, but yet again, this 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.

Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

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. 

Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

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 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. 

Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

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 rice and lots of cilantro, with 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. 

Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 577 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

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.
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Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    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. 👍🏻

    1. Hey Marilla,
      Wonderful! I am so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xT

    1. 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!

      1. 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

  2. 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!

  3. 5 stars
    Easy and flavorful. When I feel like going out to eat I come here for fun recipes that satisfy that craving.
    Thanks!

  4. 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?

    1. 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

  5. 5 stars
    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:)

    1. Hey Karen,
      Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it and your review! xT

    1. 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

    1. 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

    1. 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

      1. 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!

        1. Yes, that should work great! I haven’t ever tried this recipe with fresh lemongrass so I’m not sure! xT

  6. 5 stars
    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

    1. Hi Whitney,
      Happy Friday!! ☘️🌈 So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT

    1. 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