Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes! Chicken, golden potatoes, onion, coconut cream, and an absolutely incredible homemade yellow curry paste sauce.
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes
Major rich delicious takeout vibes but you made it your very own self and it is absolutely craveable.
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**applause** I have never left a comment for a recipe before, but good GOLLY Ms. Molly this deserves the highest of fives. Make the paste. Just do it.
Jessica
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Super creamy and lush, thanks to the coconut cream, level the spice just where you want it and then let your Thai-inspired yellow curry dreams come true. Impeccably savory with a teensy bit of sweet, scooped over a bed of steamy rice. Yes, yes please right now.
Okay, so, there is a tiny 45-minute detour TOTALLY WORTH TAKING here, to make your own yellow curry paste first. Please trust us. Don’t run away! Because here is the thing, it will freeze beautifully and then be ready for you for the next, like, five times you want to make this super easy creamy, silky bowl of yellow chicken curry comfort. And you’re going to want to make it. Like, a lot.
In This Post: Everything For Yellow Chicken Curry
- Watch How to Make Yellow Chicken Curry
- Ingredients for Tender Yellow Chicken Curry
- How to Make This Curry
- Big Flavors From the Curry Paste
- Thai Yellow Chicken Curry: Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Ingredients For Tender Yellow Chicken Curry
You can find everything needed to whip up your very own homemade batch golden yellow curry paste here [link]. After that, the ingredient list is beautifully short! Like, aaaalmost 5-ingredient short.
- curry paste
- boneless skinless chicken breasts (chicken thighs can also work)
- golden potatoes
- onion
- coconut cream
- fish sauce & brown sugar (optional but SO good!) and rice & cilantro for serving! (We just made this all one point so you could see we were *so close* to 5-ingredients)
Simmer, Stir, and Get Ready To Fall In Love with This Curry Dish
Once you’re in curry paste business, this lil’ treasure is so so easy to make. Like, weeknight dinner easy. Yes please, here for it.
- Sauté. Grab a skillet or a large pot and get your onions going first over medium heat until nice and fragrant. Then, toss in your chicken and curry paste and let that do it’s thing. Finally, toss the potatoes in there.
- Simmer. Pour that luscious coconut cream in there with a bit of water and let it simmer away until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.
- Stir. Add in a little splish splash of fish sauce and a sprinkle of brown sugar to really make it sing.
- Serve. On a pile of steamy rice. Fall in love forever.
Big Flavors From The Curry Paste
We don’t know about you, but sometimes that yellow curry paste is hard to find in our go-to stores. Green, red, yep yep…but that beautiful golden deliciousness, where art thou?! Well, homemade yellow curry paste it is then. It takes a little time to come together, but it’s a big batch and then that is on hand for the next time your yellow curry craving strikes. Like, maybe tomorrow for breakfast? (Seriously, don’t knock it until you try it. We’ve been known to scrape a pan or two of cold curry in the morning as, like, a pre-breakfast. Worth it, every time.)
You’ll roast up some aromatics first, like a whole bunch of garlic, some ginger and some shallot. You’ll rehydrate some Thai chilis, you decide on the spice level. And then it’s just blend up and store in a jar and ta-da, curry paste at the ready!
We love that this recipe is also pretty flexible. The chicken/potato combo is such a delicious win but you could absolutely sub tofu or throw in any other veg you might have hanging out in the fridge. And if you only have coconut milk on hand, that can totally work, you’ll just adjust the liquid amounts accordingly to get the right consistency. But if you are ready to swim in a sea of lush, rich, unbelievably smooth creaminess – then coconut cream it simply must be! You will not regret it.
Such a beautiful bit of rich, creamy, surprisingly easy, takeout-vibe comfort food which we can get behind any day of the week. Yum.
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut cream?
Coconut milk would work fine in this recipe, if you just adjust the amount of water based on the consistency you want for the sauce. But if you can find it, coconut cream will make this REALLY delicious.
What other protein options would work well here?
This beef curry recipe is similar and beef would be great! For a vegetarian-friendly option, you could use tofu or chickpeas.
What can I serve with this?
This is really filling as-is, but some type of flatbread (like naan) would be delicious to soak up the curry sauce.
Source notes: Kaeng Kari is the yellow curry dish commonly found in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. It usually incorporates the use of yellow curry powder (“kari” referencing “curry powder”), which came to Thailand via the spice route. It is the result of British military presence bringing the Indian powder spices like turmeric and, according to Wiki, the “Anglo-Indian invention, curry powder.” It’s usually milder and less oily than traditional Thai curries. The bones of this recipe came from The Saveur New Classics Cookbook*. The recipe in the book was created and contributed by chef Andy Ricker, who owns the Thai restaurant PokPok in Portland. This version has some adjustments to taste and for some more readily available ingredients for the paste! You can do so many things with this curry paste / method – like the chicken and potatoes that you see here, but the beef version is also super delicious!
Print
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes! Chicken, golden potatoes, onion, coconut cream, and an absolutely incredible homemade yellow curry paste sauce.
Ingredients
Units
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- 1 tablespoon oil
- half a yellow onion, sliced thinly
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup yellow curry paste
- 10 baby golden yukon potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- one 14-ounce can coconut cream (it’s like coconut milk, but even more luscious)
- 1/2 – 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
- cilantro and rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions are fragrant and softened. Add the chicken and curry paste; saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the curry paste.
- Add the coconut cream and 1/2 cup water to the pot – simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked, adding more water depending on the consistency you want for the sauce.
- Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar to really take it up a notch. Seriously – so good. Serve over rice.
Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition label does not include the rice.
Need some tips on how to thinly slice that onion? Check out this guide on how to cut an onion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Keywords: yellow curry recipe, yellow curry chicken, chicken curry, thai yellow curry
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More Thai-Inspired Yum
- Chopped Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad (lots of BIG flavors and topped with a homemade peanut dressing)
- Rainbow Vegetarian Pad Thai with Peanuts and Basil (made with a simple 5 ingredient Pad Thai sauce)
- Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Rice (all in a savory coconut creamy broth with swirls of chili oil)
Filed Under: All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Gluten-Free Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Most Popular Quick and Easy Rice Spring
January 25, 2022
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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This has become my go to easy dinner for nights when we have multiple activities going on. I use chicken broth instead of water and add a bunch of fresh spinach and frozen peas at the end. SO good!
Are the potatoes supposed to be cooked beforehand? Mine weren’t cooked through after 30 mins in the pot
Hi, Will! You’ll cook the potatoes as part of the recipe, so no need to cook anything beforehand. If you’re finding the potatoes weren’t cooked through though, one thing you could try for next time is either cooking them for a bit longer of cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces. Hope this helps!
I’ve been making this, and the yellow curry paste for a couple years now. We LOVE it. I make triple batches of the Yellow Curry paste and freeze just to have on hand for quick evening dinners.
How odd. I was able to open it… here is the link: https://pinchofyum.com/easy-homemade-yellow-curry-paste
Hi, considered making this tonight but the link to yellow curry paste isn’t there. It literally says “homemade batch golden yellow curry paste here [link]” in the instructions above.
It is linked. If you don’t see the link it may be an issue with the browser you’re using. Googling “pinch of yum yellow curry paste” also gets you there.
This was comforting, easy, and delicious! Great recipe 🙂
Wow, delicious and simple! I’ve made it twice already this week because the construction-working men in my family LOVE it. What’s not to like when its delicious and easy?!! I’ve actually not even used potatoes yet. I’ve subbed pumpkin from our garden. Today I made it with a bunch of other vegetables as well as the pumpkin. Fantastic either way.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
I am a food lover and I love this post. could you please share something like that ( shorturl.at/zBIM8 ) but more simple and traditional?
Yummmmmmm I make it often. Family fave <3
You really should specify UNSWEETENED CREAM OF COCONUT because I just ruined dinner and wasted a lot of money and time when I didn’t feel like cooking to begin with. And now I have to come up with something else for three kids to eats Thanks a lot.
Something tells me you blame others for your own mistakes often.
Wow, “cream of coconut” is something entirely different than “coconut cream”. It’s not her fault you can’t read directions. I pray for your children.
wow, that’s not her fault. i hope you don’t teach your kids to speak to other people like that. ESPECIALLY when they are providing you a service. FOR FREE.
lol dummy
Such a great recipe & super easy for how d-elicious the dish tastes! Thank you!
-Sherman Watson
San Francisco
Thank you for this useful recipe! Apart from being quite appetizing, curry has been found to be beneficial for individual’s long-term health. If eaten regularly, one can significantly benefit from curry’s minerals and vitamins Turmeric, a primary ingredient in curry, has contributed to several health-dish benefits. You can find more facts about carry here: https://ivypanda.com/essays/curry-essay/
After some minor tweaks, it tastes just like my mom’s curry! I used 2 cans of unsweetened coconut MILK instead, 1 can Masaman curry paste, and a couple Kaffir lime leaves. For those who think its too sweet, do the brown sugar sparingly. I think I used a couple tsp and it was perfect. Taste as you go. If its too sweet without the sugar, then you’re not using unsweetened coconut milk. Read your labels carefully, its easy to overlook.
I want to use the recipe to make the yellow curry but every time I click on the link, it brings me to Amazon.
Are you looking for the curry paste recipe? Here it is! https://pinchofyum.com/easy-homemade-yellow-curry-paste
It was tasty, but I shouldn’t have added any brown sugar because it was too sweet. I did use unsweetened coconut cream.
I made this today and it was the best recipe, my hubby was living his plate👍🏽
This is a pretty good recipe – we make it often! I do modify a few things though – I always sauté the onions with the chicken because otherwise they get too soft and stringy for my liking. I also throw in any left over veggies that we haven’t used from the week to reduce waste. We love it with carrot and red bell pepper! The curry paste is time consuming but it does make multiple batches and I do like that aspect.
I made the yellow curry paste yesterday, and this recipe tonight! It was really good, but I think I messed something up. I followed the instructions exactly, but the potatoes were still pretty tough, even after simmering for 35min. The chicken was done so I didn’t wanna overcook it. Any idea what might have caused this? I quartered them just like shown in the video. Thank you!
Sorry to hear that, Chrissy! It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. Covering the pan with a lid will help if you try this recipe again. It will help the potatoes soften, and the meat will become more tender!
This was way too sweet. I think the entire can of coconut cream was too blame. I didn’t add brown sugar at the end because it was already way too sweet. I would like to make it again, using half the coconut cream and more onion.
Hi Sue! Sorry to hear that! Did you happen to use cream of coconut instead of coconut cream? Cream of coconut is sweetened and has the consistency of a thick syrup.
Did you use coconut cream or cream of coconut? I ask because I almost made this mistake! Cream of coconut is what is used in pina coladas and is super duper sweet.
Is this a reboot of your same named recipe from years ago? I have made the original recipe when you posted it but can’t see what’s new to make you repost.
The original was delicious and I’m sure this one is too. Worth the time to make your own paste, just now I make multiple batches at a Time so I have it on hand in the freezer.
Hi Jillian! Yes, this is a re-post of the original yellow curry recipe! We updated the photos.
Would’ve loved to try this recipe. Every 15-30 seconds the page would reload with more ads. Couldn’t see the recipe for more than the time allotted. Done with this site. Too much greed.
I put too much paste without thinking it would make the dish super spicy. Any tricks to reduce the spiciness? Otherwise deelish
Hmmm good question. Reducing the spiciness might be tricky. You could try adding in some water or coconut milk.
lol use an ad block – ublock origin
Why would u willingly look at ads
Quick easy recipe. Substituted curry powder for the curry paste and soy sauce for the fish sauce. The brown sugar was a really nice balance to the spicy curry.
So I ended up covering the pan as per the video. But the result was underwhelming. Don’t know what I did wrong. Ordered my yellow curry paste online and it was a good brand. I think maybe the 2 teaspoons of fish sauce (again, a good brand) were too much? Tasted more of that than the delish taste of the yellow curry paste. I only added 1 tbsp brown sugar as we don’t like things too sweet. I was so excited for this but kinda disappointed.
This is absolutely amazing. I’ve made the curry paste about four times now, which means I’ve made the curry recipe at least 12 times. It is so incredibly warm and delicious and everyone is impressed and loves it. I just finished making the paste again and it’s like putting this amazing treasure in the fridge. I’m horrified that anyone has substituted curry powder for the curry paste and thought that would be fine (curry powder is just one ingredient in the paste, which is a huge flavor bomb). I weep imagining how pathetic their curry must have been, when it could have been spectacular. Make the curry paste people!!
Sorry to hear that, Patti. We appreciate the feedback!
Just about to make this and have a quick question; in the video it shows you putting a lid on the curry but doesn’t say to cover in the recipe. ?
I am so happy I found this recipe, thank you for sharing. Just soooo good.