• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fit Mitten Kitchen

balanced baking and real food recipes

Subscribe to receive my FREE Healthy Nut Butter eBook!
Free eBook!
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
        • Egg Dishes
        • Oatmeal & Granola
        • Pancakes & Waffles
        • Scones
        • Smoothies
      • Desserts
        • Bars & Brownies
        • Cakes & Cupcakes
        • Candy
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
        • PIes, Tarts & Crisps
        • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Healthy Drinks
      • Lunch & Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Bowls
        • Salads
        • Sandwiches & Wraps
        • Sides
        • Soups & Chili
      • Snacks
        • Bars & Balls
        • Muffins & Breads
        • Nut & Seed Butters
    • Dietary
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • No Added Sugar
      • Nut-Free
      • Oil-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Method
      • Food Processor & Blender
      • Freezer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • No-Bake
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Protein
      • Chicken
      • Plant Based
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Recipe Videos
  • About
    • Meet Ashley
    • Work with Me
      • Partnerships
    • Contact
  • Lifestyle
    • Real Talk
    • Travel
    • Workouts
  • Shop
Home Recipes Course Lunch & Dinner Bowls One-Pot Thai Inspired Coconut Chicken Curry
P Paleo GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy Free 30 Whole30

One-Pot Thai Inspired Coconut Chicken Curry

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:1/30/17
Updated:12/8/21
two photos of thai coconut chicken curry in white bowl on counter
Thai coconut chicken curry with cauliflower rice and cilantro in white bowl with text overlay
white bowl of thai coconut chicken curry with text overlay

A one-pot Thai Coconut Chicken Curry is simple, creamy and flavorful. It’s a healthy weeknight meal with TONS of flavor and vegetables made in under 30 minutes. Swapping out the rice for cauliflower rice makes this Paleo and Whole30 compliant, too!

white bowl of thai coconut chicken curry with text overlay this recipe

Okay, as I start out writing this post I am sitting at my dining room table CLEARLY avoiding cleaning up the mess that is this Thai coconut chicken curry. And it’s not even the dishes that are bothering me (HOLLA to 1-pot meals, my friends!). It’s the fact that cauliflower bits are lingering all over the place.

If I weren’t trying to keep this chicken curry Whole30 compliant, I probably would have just used plain rice or quinoa. I mean, I like cauliflower rice and it is a great grain-free option for dishes such as this. And it makes an amazing healthy meal for weekly meal prep, too!

One-Pot Curry Recipe

one pot Thai coconut chicken curry gif in pot with broccoli red peppers onion

Yeah, you read that right: just one pot for this Thai style dish.

It’s simple, delicious, and takes just about 30 minutes! AH I know, a one-pot, 30-minute dinner. How pumped are we right now? PUMPED.

Ingredients List

  • ghee or coconut oil 
  • garlic
  • onion
  • chicken breast
  • broccoli
  • bell peppers
  • canned coconut milk
  • unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk
  • red curry paste
  • fish sauce, optional but adds that “authentic” flavor
  • turmeric
  • pink salt
  • cayenne 
  • cauliflower
  • cilantro, for garnish
Thai Coconut Chicken Curry with cauliflower rice and cilantro in bowl with blue towel

How To Make Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

To make this Thai-Inspired Coconut Chicken Curry:

  1. Cook the Chicken. In a large pot over medium heat, add the ghee or coconut oil, garlic and onions, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, cover the pot and cook until white on the outside.
  2. Add the vegetables, milk and seasonings. Add in the broccoli, bell peppers, coconut milk, nut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, turmeric, salt and cayenne. Cook to simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  3. Make the cauliflower rice. Chop the cauliflower head into florets and process in your food processor or blender into bite-sized pieces, in batches if necessary.
  4. Serve. Spoon the cauliflower rice into serving bowls. Top with the Thai coconut chicken curry, garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
Thai Coconut Chicken Curry with cauliflower rice and cilantro in bowl with blue towel

Coconut Cream For Curry

Coconut cream is much thicker than coconut milk. To replace the coconut milk with coconut cream, simply use half the amount (half a can) and dilute it with 1 cup water to reach the desired consistency.

Do not purchase cream of coconut, however, which is a sweetened version of coconut cream. Extra sugar is not what we need!

Red Curry vs Green Curry

Let me tell you – I like this Thai Coconut Chicken Curry extra spicy, which is why I use red curry! The difference in color in the curries is the chiles that are used.

Red curry is made with the much hotter dried red chiles whereas green curry is made with milder, fresh green chiles, with the addition of fresh herbs.

Cooking Tips

  • Replace the coconut milk with nut milk. If you want to make a Thai chicken curry without coconut milk, simply replace it with an equal amount of almond or cashew milk. Note it will not be as creamy as the original recipe.
  • Use green curry to make it mild. Red curry is much hotter than green curry, so you can always use the green variety to tame down the spice.
  • Purchase frozen cauliflower rice. If you want to save yourself a step, purchase two 16oz bags of cauliflower rice from the frozen foods section of your grocery store and thaw – no one will ever know!
Thai Coconut Chicken Curry with cauliflower rice and cilantro in bowl with blue towel

How To Store

The chicken curry recipe will keep in an airtight container stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To get ahead on meal prep, portion out the chicken curry recipe with a serving of cauliflower rice in individual airtight containers for a healthy lunch or dinner throughout the week.

More Curry Recipes You’ll Love

  • Thai Red Curry with Vegetables
  • Slow Cooker Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs [Paleo, Whole30]
  • Thai Slaw with Cashew Curry Dressing

If you make this Thai Coconut Chicken Curry recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

Print

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry [Paleo, Whole30]

Thai coconut chicken curry with cauliflower rice and fork in white bowl
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

A one-pot Thai Coconut Chicken Curry is simple, creamy and made in under 30 minutes. A healthy weeknight meal that’s Paleo and Whole30, too!

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 TBS ghee or coconut oil
  • 1/2 TBS minced garlic
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • 1 medium head broccoli, chopped, about 3–4 cups
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1 13.5oz canned coconut milk* (full-fat is best, but lite also works)
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk (Whole30 compliant)
  • 3 TBS red curry paste
  • 1 tsp fish sauce, optional but adds authentic taste
  • 1 heaping tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp pink salt
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne, or to taste
  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add in ghee or coconut oil, minced garlic and diced onion. Stir frequently about 2 minutes. Next add chicken breast chunks to pot and stir. Cover with lid and allow chicken to cook until white on the outside (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked).
  2. Once chicken breast is slightly cooked, add chopped broccoli and bell peppers. Next, gently pour in canned coconut milk, unsweetened almond or cashew milk. Then add curry paste, fish sauce, turmeric, salt, and cayenne. Gently stir until evenly combined. Allow mixture to come to a simmer on medium-high heat, then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Veggies should be slightly soft and chicken cooked through when done.
  3. While pot is simmering, make cauliflower rice: Chop head of cauliflower into large pieces, then add to blender or food processor. Process until cauliflower is in bite sized pieces. You may need to do this in batches depending on size of appliance used.
  4. Transfer cauliflower rice into serving bowls. Use large serving spoon to serve red curry into bowls and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you don’t have coconut milk on hand, replace it with half a can coconut cream diluted with 3/4 cup water. You can also omit the coconut milk all together and use all nut milk. Just note the curry will not be as creamy.

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker Nutrition approximate, based on 6 servings. Does not include cauliflower rice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6
  • Calories: 245
  • Sugar: 14g
  • Sodium: 552mg
  • Fat: 8g
  • Saturated Fat: 4g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 16g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 31g
  • Cholesterol: 67mg

Keywords: Thai Coconut Chicken Curry, Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry, Thai Chicken Curry, Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetables

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @fitmittenkitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #fitmittenkitchen


NOTE: This post contains affiliate links, with no extra cost to you. Should you choose to purchase through those links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you so much for supporting Fit Mitten Kitchen!

Save

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

11 whole30 breakfast recipes: waffles, sausage, eggs, fritatta, cast iron skillet
Previous Post
11 Delicious Savory Whole30 Breakfast Recipes
Mango Vanilla Bean Energy Balls
Next Post
Mango Vanilla Bean Protein Energy Balls

Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Rochelle Cramer says

    10/4/2018 at 7:35 pm

    Just made it and ..AMAZING!
    I modifed it a bit. I added shredded carrots, grated ginger,and i used organic chicken broth instead of almond/cashew milk. It was seriously to DIE for. Better than I’ve had in any restaurant that’s for sure. Thanks for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      10/5/2018 at 8:55 am

      Thank you so much for sharing, Rochelle! Your subs sound amazing and I appreciate you sharing them here as well! And for your review 🙂 So glad you loved it!

      Reply
  2. Amy says

    10/17/2018 at 5:42 pm

    Can I use regular dairy milk instead of nut milk if I am trying to keep this safe for my nut allergy son? I don’t care if it’s Paleo or not it just looks tasty!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      10/18/2018 at 3:19 pm

      Hi Amy, I haven’t tried this using a regular dairy milk but I think just to be safe it would be best if you could use a soy milk or maybe a hempseed milk if you need it soy free.

      Reply
  3. Allison says

    12/9/2018 at 9:16 pm

    Hi- have you ever tried this recipe with green curry paste? My grocery only had the green paste. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      12/10/2018 at 8:50 am

      I haven’t but I’m sure it would be good! Will likely just have more basil flavor depending on the curry paste you got.

      Reply
  4. Laura says

    2/16/2022 at 7:51 am

    Can you use olive oil instead of ghee or coconut oil?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      2/16/2022 at 7:58 am

      Yes that’s fine too! I do that as well if I don’t have coconut oil or ghee on hand.

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hey there!

I’m Ashley – Thanks for visiting Fit Mitten Kitchen. Here we balance real food with desserts and healthy snacks making life easy, nutritious and delicious.

Learn more

join the list

To receive the latest FMK recipes (and BONUS: you'll get my free Nut Butter eBook!)

Thank you for subscribing!

More...

31 Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

baked gingerbread bundt cake

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

bowl of pear salad with fresh pomegranates and candied pecans and orange poppyseed dressing jar

Pomegranate Pear Salad

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

overhead view of honey glazed carrots on rectangle baking dish with fresh thyme

Honey Glazed Carrots

stacked gingerbread truffles on green plate next to red gingerbread cookie cutter and red towel in background

Easy Gingerbread Truffles

pieces of cranberry orange baked oatmeal on oval plate

Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal

mocha mini cheesecake with whipped topping on black plate and dessert forks

Mini Mocha Cheesecakes

Free recipe ebook!

Subscribe and get a FREE healthy nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
Trending Now
butternut squash, feta and kale salad in bowl Lunch & Dinner
chai latte in mug with cinnamon and star anise Cozy Drinks
banana peanut butter cinnamon rolls on small white plates with banana slices Cinnamon Rolls
As Featured On
  • Browse by Diet
  • Gluten-Free
  • Dairy Free
  • Vegan
  • Paleo
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
Exclusive Member of Mediavine· © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Back to Top

Subscribe & receive a free nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
857 shares