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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.
My family and I really enjoyed this recipe! It was delicious. I was glad it wasn’t too spicy since I’m not the biggest fan of spicy food but my husband and sons are. My garlic got a bit over cooked but now I know to leave it a little less time on the heat. I also doubled the honey butter garlic sauce to make sure we had enough. Thank you so much! Will be making it again soon.
Hi Barbara,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
I made this for myself and a friend who came over for dinner. It certainly wasn’t BAD, it just lacked flavor. Which is odd because there are so many flavorful ingredients to this recipe. Mine looks a lot more yellow than the picture and was a bit more liquidy but not too much. I followed the recipe exactly and got all my ingredient from either Whole Foods or my local co-op. Not too sure what happened. Maybe I’ll try it again or maybe I’ll go for another curry recipe I saw on here next time.
Hi there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xT
Really good, not too hot curry. I love potatoes in curry, and these were perfect. What didn’t work for me was the honey butter. I put it in bowl so people could choose it as condiment, and honey/ with pepper flakes re solidified. Probably best to add it on the curry itself and then serve.
Hey Joan,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) xT
So flavorful and the garlic butter really adds a nice finish! I had to add some cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it up but then it turned out perfect. Highly recommend!
Hi Beth,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Usually, when I make a recipe from any other blog or book, for any type of cuisine, I taste it towards the end and know that I will have to work my own magic on it to make it just right. Not so with any of your recipes. The final addition of the lime zest and juice, the fish sauce and cilantro elevated the curry to exactly where it should be. And I LOVED the garlic butter. This adds the toasted garlic flavor that I adore from a good old English tarka dahl, but the honey stops it being too bitter. Fabulous. I made the full amount for one person and will be freezing individual portions for the weeks to come. Your curries always freeze well. THANK YOU!
Hi Lesley,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) Thanks for your kind message. xTieghan
Hi Lesley, What process did you follow to freeze this recipe?
This was amazing!! We added zucchini in for some extra veg and it was so good!
Hi Lieke,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Delicious, but….no potatoes next time. Maybe carrots braised with onions. Or diced apple toward the end of cooking. Cook the chicken pieces in the olive oil to get browned first. Wonderful flavors. For the butter sauce. Yes, cook the garlic, pepper flakes and honey all together in the hot butter, about 1/2 tsp. pepper flakes, then drain off the garlic and flakes leaving just the flavored butter. Mix the butter into the rice before serving. Do the usual with a curry dish for condiments: chutney, bananas, raisins, coconut, green onions, mangoes and/or apple.
Hi Jenny,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! xTieghan
This recipe was simply amazing! My family really enjoyed it (my husband is not a fan of spicy food, but found this not as spicy as he was expecting when he saw the red pepper flakes). My only suggestion is double the honey butter sauce, it really brings this recipe to another level. The recipe made enough for both my husband and daughter to take to work the next day too.
Hi Carol,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
Cooked this for dinner tonight! Everyone was so happy! It is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for this Tieghan! 🙂
Hi Christine,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
So good! A bit spicier than I would have made it but it didn’t leave my mouth burning which was a plus and my husband loved the spice. Such good flavor!
Hey Toni,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
So freaking good!!! Used spicy yellow curry powder for a kick! So happy there are leftovers for my lunch!
Hi Brooke,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
I made this twice already and it’s SO GOOD!!! The best curry I’ve ever had at home! Thanks for sharing all these great recipes, I’m a huge fan!!
Hugs from Germany xx
Hi Virginia,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! xT
Wow, this recipe was just so good. Really flavorful and perfect for a March night in Minnesota!
Hi Kim,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Awesome and super quick to make! Thanks Tiegan
Hi Maureen,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I made this and it’s DELISH – only taste tested it, but does it thicken up as it sits? Mine is like a soup. What did I do wrong?
Hey Jessica,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) It really shouldn’t be super thick. xTieghan
This curry was amazing. I practically licked the bowl clean. Simple to put together too. I will definitely be making this again. And again…
Hi Kristin,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
This is a very easy curry recipe. When I put the chicken in, I added shredded carrots and red pepper slices. At the very end I added a ton of spinach. Also made some homemade naan rubbed in garlic and olive oil that was surprisingly easy. Delicious meal with beautiful colors!
Hi Emily,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! xT