Basil Chicken With Coconut Curry (Printable)
Tender chicken in fragrant coconut curry sauce with fresh basil and aromatic spices—ready in 40 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Marinade & Sauce
04 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
08 - 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
09 - 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk, full fat recommended
10 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
11 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
12 - 1 tbsp soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free
13 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
14 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ To Serve
15 - Cooked jasmine rice
16 - Lime wedges
# Step-by-step:
01 - Season chicken pieces evenly with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger; sauté another 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in red curry paste and cook for 1 minute, letting the flavors bloom and release their aromatics.
05 - Pour in coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir well to combine into a smooth sauce.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet, add red bell pepper, and bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce has slightly thickened.
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in fresh basil leaves until just wilted.
08 - Serve hot over jasmine rice with lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like you spent hours perfecting it
- You can easily adjust the heat level to please everyone at the table
- Leftovers taste even better the next day for lunch
02 -
- Full-fat coconut milk is non-negotiable here, the low-fat version won't give you that silky restaurant-style sauce
- Don't rush the step where you cook the curry paste, those 60 seconds make all the difference in depth of flavor
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands off the heat, so don't panic if it looks slightly thin in the pan
03 -
- Pat your chicken really dry before seasoning, wet chicken won't brown properly and you'll miss out on all those flavorful browned bits
- Use a wide skillet instead of a deep pot, you want more surface area for that sauce to reduce and thicken