Thai Green Chicken Curry: authentic & easy Thai food that's FASTER than takeout!
This recipe was originally published on November 9, 2019. It was updated with new photos, blog post information, and recipe refinements on May 4, 2021.
It's the time of year that I'm on the constant lookout for warm and filling dishes. This Authentic Thai Green Curry Chicken Recipe is fitting that bill. It's warm, nutty, lightly spicy, just a bit sweet, satisfying, and a healthier comfort food option that I can feel good about eating.
Not only that, but a Thai curry is a great option when you're looking for a quick dinner recipe. Green curry takes only six ingredients (other than chicken and vegetables) and is ready in under 25 minutes.
If you're looking for new easy dinner recipes, Thai green curry is also a great candidate. All you will need is a large saute pan, a spatula or wooden spoon, and to know how to saute ingredients and you will be good to go.
Just make sure to have all your ingredients chopped up ahead of time because once you get cooking, time will go quick.
Cooking will go so quick that you'll have dinner on the table in the same (or less!) time it would take to run to your local Thai restaurant for carry-out.
And you'll be all the better for it -- saving up to $20+ to feed a family of four; getting to stay in your yoga pants and/or PJs while you cook, and (possibly most importantly) getting to enjoy friends, family, and/or The Office while you eat.
So, in other words, it's a no brainer. Grab your curry paste, veggies, chicken, coconut milk, and remote control and get ready to enjoy your new favorite comfort food go-to.
Table of contents
This Thai Green Curry Recipe is...
- Creamy
- Nutty
- Lightly sweet .... but not too sweet!
- Herbal
- Spicy
If you are intimidated by Thai curry, this recipe is a great one to start with. With easy-to-find ingredients, simple cooking steps, and less than 30 minutes of cooking time, this green curry is a favorite quick comfort food meal!
Green curry chicken ingredients:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Broccoli
- Sweet peppers - any color (red, green, orange, or yellow) will do!
- Carrots
- Coconut oil - unfiltered virgin coconut oil has the best flavor!
- Coconut milk - full fat is best (see my notes below!)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Agave syrup
- Lime juice - fresh is best, but bottled also works
- Fish sauce - see my notes below on the best brand!
Substitutions:
- Veggies - any combination of Japanese eggplant, mushrooms, snow peas, zucchini, green peas, and onions can easily work in place of the broccoli, peppers, and carrots
- Garlic & ginger: fresh offers the best flavor, but garlic and ginger powder can also substitute. See the recipe card notes for the exact amount!
- Agave syrup: palm sugar or coconut sugar can both substitute for the agave syrup. In fact, palm sugar is the most authentic way to make this recipe, just wrote it with agave syrup as it is easier to find here in the States. 🙂
- Fish sauce: you can substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce
How to make green curry:
- Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add in the veggies and stir-fry, until the broccoli turns bright green. Scoop veggies into a separate bowl & set aside.
- Heat up more coconut oil. Add chicken and saute until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Move the chicken to another bowl.
- Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger to the pan & saute until fragrant and the garlic is golden.
- Stir in the coconut milk, lime, agave, and fish sauce & stir until combined.
- Stir in the veggies and chicken until combined. Bring the curry to a simmer.
- Serve the curry hot over rice with your favorite toppings (optional).
Green curry chicken recipe pro-tips:
- Use fresh curry paste: the flavor will be the best and brightest, so double-check the package date
- Prep the ingredients ahead of time: this recipe will go quickly so you will want all your ingredients ready ahead of time. I like to portion mine out into small cups and bowls that sit by the stovetop so I can easily add them as I need them.
- Work over high heat: similar to a stir-fry, curry needs to cook over high heat. This cooks the chicken and veggies while keeping the veggies crisp and it also helps the flavors to develop but still stay bright. Preheat your pan before starting the recipe and keep the heat up throughout cooking.
- Cut the chicken with kitchen shears: save yourself mess and hassle and cut the chicken with kitchen shears. Once I tried this I never went back to cutting chicken on a cutting board!
- Cut the veggies uniformly: this helps them to cook evenly and quickly.
Green curry paste is a mixture of green chiles and seasonings that is blended together and used to make Thai Green Curry. It can be found at most Asian grocery stores, at Whole Foods, and online at Amazon. I love using and recommend Mae Ploy's Green curry paste.
Yes, you most certainly can make green curry paste from scratch. The flavors will likely be fresher and you can also control how spicy (or sweet) the paste is. Here is a great homemade green curry paste recipe.
Thai green curry is a spicier curry option, but using the Mae Ploy Green Curry Paste (link above), the recipe is only moderately (it not mildly) spicy. If you like your curry spicy, you can always saute some sliced serrano peppers with curry paste, garlic, and ginger. Alternatively, if you are concerned about how spicy the curry will be, you can start with only 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons curry paste!
Not only is the lower fat coconut milk more watery, but it also is more expensive for what you get. Brands make coconut milk by mixing regular milk with water. So, you're paying the same price/can for half of it being water! If you prefer a reduced-fat curry, I recommend buying your own can of full-fat coconut milk and cutting it with water. You can freeze the leftover coconut milk for another use.
My favorite fish sauce:
If you've ever had a fish sauce that, well, tasted too fishy, you may be turned off from fish sauce. Trust me when I say that fish sauce makes this dish, however!
The salty nature of the sauce brings out all the flavors of the curry paste and contributes to the sweet-salty-spicy flavors that we love in Thai food. Avoid the unsavory fish sauce experience by investing in a quality fish sauce like Red Boat. Its simple ingredient list (anchovies + salt) means a pure and dimensional flavor that is undecidably not fishy.
Thai green curry serving suggestions:
This green curry is delicious served with any of your favorite toppings (Thai basil, extra lime slices, cilantro, sliced chiles, etc.) over steamed jasmine rice or cauliflower rice.
It also can be delicious served over vermicelli noodles or angel hair pasta.
Though not traditional, I also like serving whole wheat naan or paratha bread alongside the curry when we're extra hungry!
Is there a difference between green curry sauce and green curry paste?
Yes, there is a difference between green curry sauce and green curry paste. Green curry sauce often has additional additives to it like coconut milk, oil, and more that make it ready to use without needing to add coconut milk or any other seasonings.
Curry paste is denser, thicker, and more flavorful, making it a base for the curry that you then add your coconut milk, lime juice, and other seasonings to.
For this recipe, we want curry paste, as it gives us the flexibility to enhance the flavors of this recipe to our liking.
Recipe alterations:
This recipe is so easy to adapt to your own taste preferences. Though this curry is most traditionally made with chicken, you can also easily make it with thinly sliced pork or beef or shrimp. Note: if you're using shrimp, be sure to start with raw shrimp, not already cooked, as the latter will get chewy when stir-fried.
You can also make this recipe entirely with vegetables or substitute pressed and cubed tofu for the chicken.
Many other veggies go well in this curry, too. Japanese eggplant, mushrooms, snow peas, zucchini, onions, green peas, and green beans would all be perfect.
Dietary adaptations:
This recipe is very easy to adapt to dietary preferences:
- Gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as your fish sauce has no wheat additives (Red Boat does not).
- Vegetarian + vegan: make this recipe with all vegetables, or vegetables + tofu plus substitute soy sauce (or coconut liquid aminos) for the fish sauce and this recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
Storage tips:
- Refrigeration: leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat over medium-high heat in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freezing: you can also freeze leftover curry in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost the curry in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours or reheat in a microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
Tools needed for this recipe:
Other favorite curry & copycat takeout recipes!
- Thai Salmon Panang Curry
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
- House Special Fried Rice
- Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing
- Sweet & Sour Shrimp
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Thai Green Chicken Curry
Email FacebookThai Green Chicken Curry: authentic & easy Thai food that's FASTER than takeout!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil preferably virgin & unfiltered; DIVIDED
- 3 carrots 1 ½ cups, peeled & cut into ⅛" coins
- 2 ½ cups broccoli florets
- 1 sweet pepper green, red, yellow, etc. cut into 1 ½" x 2" pieces
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into ½" x 2" strips
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste I like Mae Ploy brand
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated or minced
- 1, 15 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup or palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cups cooked hot jasmine rice or white rice
- Optional toppings: Thai basil sliced chiles, lime wedges, cilantro, etc.
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and melt until it sizzles when flicked with water.
- Add in the veggies and stir-fry, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, or until the broccoli turns bright green. Scoop veggies into a separate bowl & set aside.
- Heat up the second tablespoon of oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Scoop the chicken into a separate bowl, leaving the juices in the pan, and set aside.
- Add curry paste, garlic, and ginger to the pan & saute for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant and the garlic is golden.
- Stir in the coconut milk, lime, agave, and fish sauce to the skillet & stir until combined.
- Stir in the veggies and chicken until combined. Bring the curry to a simmer and let cook for 2 minutes.
- Serve the curry hot over rice with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recipe leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, defrost in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours or reheat on low heat.
- Many other veggies go well in this curry, too. Japanese eggplant, mushrooms, snow peas, zucchini, onions, green peas, and green beans would all be perfect.
- ½ teaspoon each of ginger powder and garlic powder can substitute for the fresh seasonings.
- Dietary adaptations:
- Gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as your fish sauce has no wheat additives (Red Boat does not).
- Vegetarian + vegan: make this recipe with all vegetables, or vegetables + tofu plus substitute soy sauce (or coconut liquid aminos) for the fish sauce and this recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
john fielding says
love your curry pastes and have been using for years along with your sweet chilli sauce... Always use kaffir lime leaves to give that extra taste.
Mae's Menu says
Hi, John!
Mae Ploy's pastes are great, aren't they? Their company is separate from mine, but I do love their product! Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
Chelsea