When Matthew and I made this recipe, we had been dabbling quite a bit in using coconut milk, and it’s grown to become a staple in our pantry! What we love about this Coconut Curry Chicken is the intense flavor of the curry mixed with the subtle sweetness of the coconut milk. The chicken absorbs all the flavors, so you get hints of coconut and curry in each bite! How amazing does that sound?!
Curry Recipe
The coconut curry is what makes this recipe incredible. The curry powder, coconut milk and hint of cinnamon are the perfect trio. The longer it all reduces down in the same pan, the more intense the flavors become! Not only does the chicken absorb all the flavors, but so will cauliflower rice. It’s the perfect bed for this Chicken Curry recipe!
Coconut Curry Chicken
This recipe has become a KetoConnect household favorite, especially on days we are craving something with spice. We always used to get thai and indian take-out, but with that out of the question (you never really know what goes into the dishes) we’ve resorted to perfecting the Coconut Curry recipe at home! We’ve perfected it to a tee! We prefer to keep it simple with big chunks of chicken, but feel free to add onions, carrots, peas, you name it! Anything coated in this coconut curry sauce will be too good to resist.
Coconut Milk Recipes
We highly recommend having a couple cans of coconut milk in your cupboard. However, be sure to check the labels before you buy them. While many are low in carbs, some can have added sugars! Additionally, once you purchase the coconut milk, be sure to use it to make our Keto Oatmeal and our Three-ingredient Coconut Fat Bombs. Just to sell you on this dish a little more, Matt’s sister had never had any sort of curry before trying this recipe and after her first bite, she instantly fell in love with Coconut Curry Chicken.
Nutrition
Search “KetoConnect –Coconut Curry Chicken” on MyFitnessPal
Coconut Curry Chicken
Ingredients:
- 5 raw Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1/4 medium Red Onion
Instructions:
- Finely chop onion and garlic and grate ginger root. Chop chicken into 1 inch cubes.
- Add coconut oil to medium-high heat skillet or pot. (You will be simmering this for 30-60 minutes so you want a pot that can hold a good amount of liquid.)
- Add chicken and cook partially.
- Add onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and cinnamon to the pan with the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn the spices.
- Add coconut milk and broth and stir. Reduce for 40-60 minutes until desired consistency is achieved. The sauce should be thick as shown in the pictures. If your sauce is not thick enough, let it cook longer to reduce.
- Tip: If you refrigerate your coconut milk overnight you can easily separate the cream from the water before adding it to the skillet.
Notes
Written by
Megha Barot
Megha has always been a passionate cook, but she took this to a new level after starting her keo journey in 2015. She loves creating new recipes and producing educational content for KetoConnect, which she co-founded in 2016 with Matt. Her passion for healthy eating and personal development continues to thrive. She's the proud mom of two awesome kids.
My first keto dish I made without help from my sisters. Was so amazing and east to follow. I used Indi madras curry powder instead of regular store bought curry.
Craving Thai red curry, I made your recipe as is except for substituting Thai red curry paste for the curry powder. I use a brand called Thai Home that has no sugar and is all natural. I used 1 TBSP red curry paste and it came out fantastic. Added a squeeze of fresh lime juice when serving. I am three weeks into Keto and your site and your YouTube videos have been incredibly fun and informative. I am also enjoying your podcasts. I wish you both continued success. Thank you.
Hello! I’ve made a lot of ypur other Indian recipes and I love them all! I’m excited yo try this one but was confused about the coconut milk. Do I just use the coconut cream or do I use the whole can? I know in the coconut beef one I just used the cream so I wasn’t sure. Thanks you guys, my whole family really loves all your recipes!
I would use the coconut cream from the can. That would make it thicker and more creamy. You could use the whole can but it would be thinner and less creamy.
This recipe was so satisfying and flavorful! I think theres a little bit of a confusion about what to do with the coconut milk though. Are we supposed to simply not use the water left over from the milk after we refrigerate it? I ended up making the recipe with a whole can of light coconut milk because that’s all they had at the store and was a little concerned that it would turn out too liquidy but it actually cooked down and thickened up really well (after a full hour though). Would using just the cream simply reduce cooking time?
Yes, it makes it thick and takes less time to reduce. To clarify, you refrigerate the coconut milk can, then scoop out on the thicker coconut cream and use that for the recipe. Don’t use the coconut water.
Hi, I see the ingredients call for salt but I don’t see it in the directions.is it to season the chicken? I’ve never used coconut milk. Do you use the entire can regardless if you refrigerate it or not?I refrigerated mine but dont see where the cream and water separates.
You can either salt the chicken or add the salt to the sauce. When refrigerated you can usually scoop out the thick cream which sits on top of the can, while the water sinks to the bottom.
I live alone and really don’t want recipes for 5 servings. Even two is too much sometimes. I don’t want to be negative but I probably won’t spend over an hour cooking it either. It sounds great but I am not fond of cooking and just generally look for fast and easy. And not 5 servings either. Maybe Keto is not for me. I have other things to do with my time.
You can find lots of recipes that are quick and easy for just one person 🙂
Check out our new meal prep video
At the very end of the recipe- “Tip: If you refrigerate your coconut milk overnight you can easily separate the cream from the water before adding it to the skillet.”
Nowhere in the recipe does it say why this is necessary. Please explain.
For this recipe, the thick coconut cream is needed. Canned coconut milk is liquidy and would make the sauce runny. For this reason, we refrigerate cans of coconut milk which separates the thick cream from the coconut water inside the can. When you open the can, you can remove the thick cream and use it for the recipe. This simply helps creates a thicker and creamier sauce.
I am making this right now. I didn’t have curry powder and the stuff I usually use has 8 carbs per serving. I used the appropriate seasonings and just did it by taste. Also added exta veggies. It smells and looks amazing.
When you put the coconut milk in the fridge to separate it do yo just use the cream part of the can ? Thanks
Made this today and it turned out great! only reduced the curry for about 20 minutes, I enjoyed the soupy sauce over cauliflower rice. Would Probabily use chicken breast the next time around.
Wow!! This was so good!! Thanks for yet another simple and tasty dish!
Hi! I was going to make this today, but I only have a can of coconut cream on hand. Will that work the same? I’m assuming a can of coconut cream is the same as taking the cream off the top of a can of coconut milk.. So maybe I would just use half of the can of coconut cream?
The can will work fine. Does the fat separate if you put the can in the freezer for 10 minutes? You may be able to do that too. If it doesn’t the whole can should work.
Can I have a tsp of honey with my tea?
We wouldn’t recommend it if you are following a keto diet as it will spike your blood sugar.
I made this recipe tonight and it was so yummy! The flavor was great. My only thing was it turned out kinda heavy on oil/grease. Any ideas on what I can do for next time to cut down on that?
We love to keep all the fat, but you could drain it if you don’t like the flavor.
Is it possible to make this in a crock pot? If so how long?
That should be possible! Probably 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high is standard for cooking with a crockpot.
Made this tonight, didn’t change a thing. Even used the chicken thighs, which i totally hate. They’re just too weird and kind of gnarly., and I’m always afraid I’m going to be biting down on some gristly piece ? just not a chicken thigh lover. The dish has great flavor, and will definitely make again but will hands down be using chicken breast. (Like your Butter Chicken recipe…the best!) Also, it took a long time to reduce way down to resemble your picture. It finally did after raising the heat a bit on it. Served it over cauliflower rice. And it made a great keto dinner. You guys are great. Appreciate your recipes.
Hey Meghan and Matt thanks for you awesome videos recipe and information. My husband and i have been on the keto lifestyle since 1/2/18. If it was not for the two of you i would of given up. We would of opted for meds for my cholesterol and his border line diabetes. Because of your great recipes i don’t ever feel like im missing a thing. (Ok sometimes the urge for chocolate but i resist). Thanks you guys rock
Can I use bone broth instead of chicken broth? Thank you, can’t wait to try it ?
Yep!
Hi.why separate cream from wayer of coconut milk..I presume I use the cream.do I just throw awy water?.many thanks
The watery part is where all the sugar is.
Hi, I made this curry tonight, it was delicious! Thanks for sharing it, I’ll definitely be making it again ! ?