THAI CHICKEN & VEGETABLE COCONUT CURRY

November 10, 2023

This Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry is a scrumptious meal prep idea for all you Thai fans out there! Thai cuisine is one of my favorites, so I was stoked with how authentic this simplified thai chicken coconut curry (“kaeng phet”) came out. It’s definitely a “cheater” recipe in that I used red curry paste instead of dried chilies and all the individual curry spices. But hey, it tastes amazing and comes together easily which is what I was after! I absolutely love this served over fragrant basmati rice. You could also use riced cauliflower for a low-carb version.

Did you know? The ingredients in curry powder have benefits for reducing inflammation, since turmeric is a key ingredient, which contains the compound curcumin, and pepper, which aids absorption of curcumin by up to 2,000% (source).

Choosing the best chicken

For this recipe, you can use chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenderloins. I used chicken breast, but thighs are juicier with a higher fat content.

I always look for chicken that's "free range" with "no antibiotics." Organic chicken must also have outdoor access, must be given organic feed, and cannot be administered antibiotics. I also buy "animal welfare certified" chicken when I can find it, because it's important to me that animals are treated with care and allowed to live a good life. 

Curry sauce ingredients

Two ingredients that are a must when making curry are fresh ginger root and fresh garlic cloves. I would advise against substituting dried spices here, but if you must, use one teaspoon each of ground ginger and granulated garlic. It won’t taste nearly as fresh or flavorful, but it’ll get the job done!

I used full fat coconut milk for an extra creamy curry! You can also use light coconut milk for fewer calories and less fat. The light coconut milk is also a little sweeter, which I like. Do not use unsweetened coconut milk from a carton – it’s not the same thing!

To amp up the flavor even more, I seasoned mine with extra curry powder, lime juice, and fish sauce. I also added sugar free brown sugar alternative for just the right amount of sweetness (can sub one teaspoon of regular brown sugar or coconut sugar) and some fresh lime juice for brightness.

Thai curry vegetables

There’s a ton of veggies in this Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry! I went with bell peppers, carrots and kale, but feel free to throw in any veggies you like. Other popular veggies for curry include bamboo shoots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, and sugar snap peas, to name a few. You can’t go wrong! For cooking the chicken and vegetables, I recommend using avocado oil, which is high-heat stable. Not all oils are!

Here’s the printable recipe for this Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry! By the way, it makes a great meal prep option. I hope you’ll rate and comment below if you try it 🙂

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Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry

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Category

Dinner

Cuisine

Thai

Servings

6

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Calories

270

This Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry is a scrumptious meal prep idea for all you Thai fans out there! It’s definitely a “cheater” recipe in that I used red curry paste instead of dried chilies and all the individual curry spices. But hey, it tastes amazing and comes together easily which is what I was after! I absolutely love this served over fragrant basmati rice. You could also use riced cauliflower for a low-carb version.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. avocado oil

• 1 cup onion diced

• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger minced (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)

• 1 tbsp. (3 cloves) fresh garlic minced (or 1 tsp. granulated garlic)

• 2-3 tbsp. Thai red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

• 24 oz. chicken breasts, sliced very thin

• 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced

• 14 oz. canned full fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

• 1 cup bell peppers, sliced

• 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed

• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce

• 1 ½-2 tsp. curry powder

• 1 ½ tsp. brown sugar alternative (or regular brown sugar, coconut sugar)

Directions

1. Slice chicken breasts into 1/8" thick strips (very thin).

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat and add onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

4. Add chicken and carrots; cooking about 6 minutes until chicken is barely cooked through.

5. Add coconut milk, bell peppers, kale, lime juice, fish sauce, curry powder and brown sugar alternative.

6. Reduce heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Adjust lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar to taste.

7. For meal prep, weigh out the entire batch and divide by six to find the weight per serving. Serve over cooked basmati rice or riced cauliflower and enjoy!

Recipe Note

Calories (per serving of curry, no rice): 270kcal, Fat: 12.7g, Sat fat: 7.4g, Carbs: 14g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 26g, Sodium: 524mg

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