Thai green curry chicken is an AMAZING comfort food dish that's similar to American/Canadian chicken soup but from Thailand. It has a lot of healthy ingredients so it was perfect dish to help get me back on the mend. 🙂
Seriously, I'm in pure heaven whenever I make this.
The first time I had Thai green curry was way back in 2004 when I visited Toronto for the first time. Exploring Chinatown and some of the more culturally diverse areas here in Toronto was super exciting for this country girl! I loved finding all kinds of tasty things to try!
I remember one night with my then husband, we decided to take a walk through Chinatown after a late night movie and see if there were any restaurants still open. It was about 3am, so most places were closed!
On a side note – it's been a long time since I've been able to stay up that late – unless I'm being called upon by my son! Maybe you can relate. lol
The only place that was open was a gorgeous little Thai restaurant so we walked in and were seated. We were the only ones there but they were happy to serve us. Since this was my first time having Thai food, I had no idea what to order so I just randomly picked something.
Thai green curry with chicken it was. And then started my obsession with this perfect dish.
What is Thai Green Curry Chicken?
Traditionally Thai curry recipes are red curry recipes, the green curry variation is a relatively new twist to Thai cuisine, dating back just to the 1920's. They both use creamy coconut milk and that is the distinguishing feature of Thai curries, differentiating them from Indian curries which use heavy cream. The novelty is that green Thai curry uses green chiles instead of red chiles. The difference to the taste buds is that green Thai curry is less spicy, more sweet and overall more balanced flavor-wise than most curries which tend to be spicy. In a Thai green curry recipe sweetness and spiciness are both there in moderation, salty and umami flavors are provided from the added fish sauce, and the full fat coconut milk offers a richness to the meal that is offset by the lean chicken strips. Traditional Thai Green Curry is served over steamed jasmine rice, but you can also serve it with noodles or basmati rice which will taste just as good.
To me, almost nothing comes close to the perfect combination of flavours that Thai green curry creates.
I would even take this rather than dessert – and that's a pretty big deal since you might already know I'm obsessed with dessert! 😀
The fragrance of the curry cooking makes the house smell heavenly. The healthy garlic, ginger and onions in there along with some nice homemade chicken stock are all great for helping you get back to health while sick – it sure helped me!
Maybe it was the placebo effect? I don't care. Whatever it was – I started feeling better once I put that ginger and garlic together in my processor. 🙂
If you're not typically someone who feasts on curries like we do, I would highly recommend you try this one. You can really adjust the level of spicyness by adding more coconut milk or a little less curry paste.
I find this to be a nice warming and sweet curry. At the end of cooking I squeeze some lime into the curry and mix it up – this gives it fresh little pop! 🙂
To make this dish even better, serve it with a side of fresh steamed jasmine rice.
What Ingredients are used to make Thai Green Curry Chicken?
Chicken breast strips are used as the meat and the veggies primarily include red bell pepper slices, bamboo shoots and broccoli florets. These chunks of meat and veggie are flavored with peanut oil, onion, ginger, garlic, and a combination of chicken stock, coconut milk, Thai basil leaves (or regular basil), fresh cilantro, green curry paste (store bought curry paste), brown sugar soy sauce and fish sauce.
Alternative Cooking Methods (slow cooker, instant pot, etc.)
You may be wondering if there are any alternatives to the classic stovetop method. And the answer is a resounding yes! Depending on your preferences and available kitchen appliances, you can prepare this delicious dish in a slow cooker, an Instant Pot or even an air fryer.
If using a slow cooker, follow the same steps but instead of simmering over direct heat on the stovetop, transfer all ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low heat setting (for 8-10 hours) then add 1/2 cup coconut cream before serving.
For those with an Instant Pot at their disposal, simply place all ingredients into pot and time to cook. Set the Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 7 minutes (allowing an additional 5-6 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure). When cooking is complete, do a quick release and stir in 1/2 cup coconut cream before serving.
Air fryers can also be used to make this delicious dish. Start by preheating your air fryer at 350°F then add all ingredients into the basket. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup coconut cream before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations:
Its easy to give this delicious Thai Green Chicken Curry a twist by substituting different veggies, proteins or sauces.
- If you can't find Thai basil, you can substitute it with Italian basil
- Instead of chicken, you can use tofu, shrimp, beef or pork. Chicken thighs can replace the standard chicken breasts.
- For added flavor and texture, try adding bamboo shoots, green beans, carrots, kaffir lime leaves or fresh mushrooms.
- For an extra kick of heat and flavor, add some freshly chopped chili peppers or Thai chilles.
- If you’re looking to add more richness and creaminess to your dish, increase the amount of coconut cream.
How to Serve/What to Serve with Thai Green Curry Chicken:
- Fragrant jasmine rice. Jasmine rice has a delicate floral scent that pairs perfectly with the rich flavor of Thai green chicken curry.
- Refreshing Cucumber Salad. For a lighter accompaniment to your green curry chicken, try making a cucumber salad. The cool crunchiness of the cucumber pairs nicely with the heat from the curry sauce.
- Delicious Vegetable Stir Fry. If you want to add more vegetables to your meal, consider making a vegetable stir fry to go alongside your green curry chicken. This will help balance out some of the spiciness from the curry and give you an even tastier dinner!
- Hoisin Glazed Roasted Vegetables. To add a bit of sweetness and texture, serve your Thai green curry chicken with roasted vegetables glazed in hoisin sauce. A mix of carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions will give you the perfect crunchy bite!
- Spicy Peanut Sauce Noodles. For an extra spicy kick, try serving your Thai green curry chicken with some spicy peanut sauce noodles. The combination of sweet and savory flavors is sure to tantalize your taste buds!
- Fresh Asian Salad. To balance out the intense flavor of the curry, serve it with a light and refreshing salad made from fresh greens like spinach or kale, shredded cabbage and carrots, mandarin oranges and sesame seeds. A lot of people like to use green beans!
Can I make Thai Green Curry Chicken ahead of time?
Yes, you can make Thai Green Curry Chicken ahead of time!
When making Thai Green Curry Chicken ahead of time, it is best to prepare the ingredients separately and assemble the dish when ready to serve.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Thai Green Curry Chicken
Can I freeze Thai Green Curry Chicken?
How to store the Thai Green Curry Chicken leftovers depends on when you plan to eat it. If you are eating it within a few days, place the cooled curry in an airtight container or a covered bowl and store in the refrigerator.
If you want to keep your green curry for longer than that, transfer it into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on stovetop or microwave.
Whether reheating from refrigerated or frozen, be sure not to boil the curry as this will affect its taste and texture. Reheating should be done using low heat until just warmed through. Enjoy!
How long is leftover Thai Green Curry Chicken good for?
If stored in a refrigerator, it should last for about 4 days. When frozen, it can last up to 3 months.
Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 – 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 medium onion,
- 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup bamboo shoots
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite sized tops
- 2 cups chicken stock (I use a nice and rich homemade stock)
- 3 1/3 cups coconut milk
- 6 – 8 Thai basil leaves, roll the leaves up together then cut into strips (you can use regular basil if that's what you have)
- 2 1/2 – 3 tbsps Thai green curry paste (I LOVE Aroy-D brand!)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp fish sauce
Instructions
- In a small food processor, process the garlic, ginger and onion together until it forms a paste.
- Heat peanut oil in a large wok on medium. Once heated, drop in the onion, garlic and ginger paste. Stir and cook until fragrant – about 2 minutes.
- Add the green curry paste to the wok and combine well with the other ingredients.The paste should begin to smell gorgeously fragrant.
- Add brown sugar and soy sauce. Combine.
- Add the chicken stock and combine with the ingredients. Turn up the heat and add the strips of chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- The contents of the wok should begin to bubble by now and the chicken should be just about cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add the red peppers, broccoli, bamboo shoots and basil leaves.Stir well.
- Pour in the coconut milk and reduce the heat. Combine well.
- Cover with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Once finished cooking, remove from heat and add the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine. It's important that you add the fish sauce and lime at the very end, otherwise their flavour and scent will disappear. These 2 ingredients really top off the dish and make it spectacular so please don't leave them out! 🙂
- We like to serve this with fresh steamed jasmine rice but you can also serve it on it's own as a sort of soup! Personally though, I like to have the rice on the side since I can soak up every last drop. 🙂
Notes
If you'd like, you can add more green curry paste to this recipe if you'd like it spicier. Also if you find that you added too much paste for your liking, you can always add more coconut milk to make the flavour milder. I make a mild version of this for my toddler and he LOVES it!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Cuisine: Thai
