Indian Chicken Curry

No need to go out for Indian food when you can make this Indian Chicken Curry right in your own kitchen. It’s rich and flavorful with just the right amount of heat. It will make the curry lovers in your house very happy.

Curries Are Delicious!

I love going out for Indian food. The rich, slow simmered curry dishes have so much flavor and the spices are perfectly savory and spicy. Then, of course, there’s the naan bread to soak up all of that incredible sauce.

What I’ve discovered over time, is that creating my own curry dishes at home is totally doable and very delicious. My go-to curry recipe has been lamb curry, which is also my favorite dish to order when I go out for Indian food.

It’s incredibly delicious, but there are a couple of caveats to using lamb. I’ve found that lamb stew meat can sometimes be hard to find (at least in my area) and it can also be fairly pricey.

Why Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?

That’s why I decided to create a curry recipe using boneless chicken thighs, along with a few other tweaks. Chicken thighs are much more readily available and much more affordable.

I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs over chicken breasts because of the long simmering time. Chicken thighs have more fat content than chicken breasts, so will not dry out while the dish simmers to develop all of those incredible flavors.

Spice to Taste

I tend to be kind of wimpy when it comes to spicy food, so I like limit the amount of heat in my curry. If you’re a fan of spicier food, you can absolutely add more heat to this dish.

If you want more heat, start by adding more cayenne pepper, a little at a time, until you get to the level of spice you like. You can always add more, but can’t take it away once it’s in the dish.

Basmati rice is my favorite kind of rice to serve this curry over, but jasmine rice or regular white rice are also good choices. Brown rice would also be a delicious and would add a lovely nuttiness to the dish.

So what are you waiting for? Go make yourself a delicious bowl of Indian chicken curry tonight!

What Do You Need to Know to Make Chicken Curry?

• Since the curry simmers for 2 hours, I highly recommend using chicken thighs rather than chicken breasts. The thighs have a higher fat content and that keeps them from drying out during the long simmer.
• If you like your curry to be extra spicy, feel free to increase the amount of cayenne pepper. I would start by increasing to 1/4 teaspoon and increase further if necessary.
• I know that two hours sounds like a long time to simmer, but it gives flavors from the spices plenty of time to develop and create a rich and incredible sauce.
• If you don’t have any greek yogurt on hand, you can substitute an equal amount of either heavy cream or half and half. 

Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Curry

• Field Green Salad
• Asian Style Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic
• Easy Baked Rice

Want Even More Indian Inspired Recipes?

• Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
• Homemade Garlic Naan Bread
• Lamb Curry
• Quick Lamb Samosa Lettuce Wraps
• Lamb Curry Party Meatballs
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Masala

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Indian Chicken Curry

Print

No need to go out for Indian food when you can make this Indian Chicken Curry right in your own kitchen. It's rich and flavorful with just the right amount of heat. It will make the curry lovers in your house very happy.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp +2 tsp ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, divided
• 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, chopped to bite size pieces
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• cooked basmati rice for serving

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee over medium high heat in a large skillet or pot.
2. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
3. Brown chicken in batches, about 3 minutes per side. Remove each batch from pan and set aside.
4. Lower heat to medium and add remaining 2 tsp ghee.
5. Sauté onions and carrots for about 5-7 minutes, until tender.
6. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more.
7. Season with curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and remaining salt and pepper, stirring well to make sure vegetables are well coated.
8. Stir in ginger paste and tomato paste. Return chicken to pot and stir in crushed tomatoes and chicken stock.
9. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in Greek yogurt and simmer, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes.
11. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary and stir in cilantro.
12. Serve over cooked rice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 960mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 42g