This Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce is incredibly easy to make and absolutely packed with delicious spice and flavor.
(This recipe for Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce was originally published in February 2010, but was updated with new photos in 2019).
Sometimes I spend more time trying to decide what to make for dinner than I do actually making dinner. But when I just can’t decide what to make, I usually head over to my favorite blogs and just browse. You all know I’m obsessed with Martha Stewart and everything she does, but her website is not easy to navigate for inspiration.
Most blogs are much easier to browse and find yummy dishes to make. One of my favorite blogs to browse is Simply Recipes. I can head over there when I have NO idea what to make and usually come away with at least three ideas in no time at all. This time one of those ideas was Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce. It went on my must-make list immediately. Basil Chicken is good, but basil chicken curry is way, way better, especially if that curry is a coconut curry sauce!
SHOULD I USE CHICKEN BREASTS OR CHICKEN THIGHS FOR BASIL CHICKEN CURRY?
You can use either chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe, so it’s totally up to you. Though chicken breasts have less calories and fat (including saturated fat) than chicken thighs (source) and are often more expensive than thighs, a lot of people like the flavor of thighs better.
Though the original basil chicken curry recipe called for thighs, I opted for breasts and I have to tell you that this dish makes chicken breasts taste absolutely incredibly! I totally get how people often think they’re dry, bland, and boring, but this recipe really makes them delicious. That said, I’m absolutely positive thighs would be amazing, too.
WHY IS THERE NO CURRY POWDER IN THIS COCONUT CURRY SAUCE?
A couple people have commented on this recipe and asked why there is no curry powder or garam masala listed in the recipe ingredients. That’s because curry powder is really just a blend of spices and rather simply use curry powder here, we’re making our own custom spice mixture.
Do you have to do this? Well, no. If you don’t have these spices in your pantry and prefer to keep things simple, you can use curry powder or garam masala and end up with a fairly similar recipe. However, I’ve found that the blend of spices used in this recipe makes my ideal coconut curry sauce, which is why I’m sharing it here.
In fact, you might try this recipe and decide you’d adjust the spice mixture next time due to your own personal preferences. Feel free to experiment and come up a spice mixture that appeals to you and your family best!
IS CURRY SAUCE SPICY?
There are many different kinds of curry sauce and some are spicy and some aren’t. This particular coconut curry sauce isn’t very spicy (there’s just a little chili powder in it), but because there are jalapeño peppers in the dish, it can get a little spicy.
If you’re not a fan of spice or are serving this dish to kids, I recommend being sure to scrape the seeds out of the jalapeños before chopping. The seeds hold most of the heat, so if you just include the pepper part, you’ll mainly be getting the flavor. However, you can always cut down on the amount of jalapeño, too.
BASIL CHICKEN IN COCONUT CURRY SAUCE RECIPE
With all that said, please don’t be intimidated by the seemingly long list of ingredients in this basil chicken curry recipe. Lots of them are spices that you probably already have in your pantry (if not, you should because you’ll definitely use them again!). Despite all those ingredients (spices), this basil chicken in coconut curry sauce is so, so easy.
Start by mixing all those beautiful spices together in a small bowl. Then put your chicken pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle the spice mixture all over it. Let the chicken rest for about 30 minutes.
Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeño and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan and put in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Using the same pan, add another Tbsp of oil and add half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out to make sure they’re not overcrowded. Cook for a few minutes on each side to brown.
When they’re cooked through, remove from the pan and add them to the bowl of onion/jalapeño. Repeat with remaining chicken and remove that to the bowl, too.
Now for the coconut curry sauce! Add the coconut milk to the skillet and cook on medium-high and stir until it thickens a bit and gets bubbly. Then mix in the Worcestershire sauce.
Add the chicken and onion/jalapeño, along with basil and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.
Serve the basil chicken curry over rice… brown is always best! But obviously you can use whatever kind of rice you want. Or even quinoa. Or cauliflower rice.
Heck, eat it right out of the skillet with a spoon if you want with nothing on the side. I won’t tell.
Oh my goodness, this basil chicken in coconut curry sauce is so incredibly flavorful and satisfying! I didn’t scrape the seeds out of my jalapeños (because we love heat in my house!), so this definitely had an extra kick to it.
I also decided to add more fresh basil over the top since I legit love fresh basil so much. And since this dish is called basil chicken curry and all, I figured it needed some extra!
I’ve never actually attempted making my own curry, but this coconut curry sauce is something I’ll most definitely be making again. There are sooo many things that can be done with curry and I love it so much. There are also so many kinds of curry and I want to make them all!
Like I mentioned, you can definitely use chicken thighs for this recipe, but I was really happy I used chicken breasts because they ended up being so moist and flavorful when cooked in the spices and in the coconut curry sauce.
Some people prefer using chicken thighs to breasts because breasts can be drier and less flavorful, but that is not the case with this recipe!
Really, there is absolutely nothing I didn’t like about this basil chicken curry dish. In case you haven’t been able to tell by this whole post. And it’s the perfect warm-up dish for today’s GROSS and RAINY weather in Boston.
Do you like curry sauce?
If you’re looking for more recipes that really highlight basil, check out my Thai Beef Basil with Coconut Milk or my Basil and Garlic White Pizza. If you’re interested in more curry recipes, check out this Vegan Massaman Curry from The Curious Chickpea!
Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (you can substitute for thighs)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3/4 cup chopped onion (from 1 large onion)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, minced (remove seeds if you want to cut down on heat in dish)
- 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus more for topping, if desired)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2-3 cups cooked brown rice (can also use white rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or whatever you desire!)
Instructions
- Mix all the spices (from the cumin to the turmeric) in a small bowl.
- Place chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle the spice mixture over it. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for one more minute, until fragrant. Remove mixture from skillet and place in a medium size bowl.
- Add remaining Tbsp of oil to the same skillet and add half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out to make sure they’re not overcrowded. Cook for a few minutes on each side to cook through and lightly brown. When cooked through, remove from the skillet and add them to the bowl of onion/jalapeño. Repeat with remaining chicken and remove that to the bowl, too.
- Pour the coconut milk into the skillet. Cook on medium-high and stir until sauce thickens and starts bubbling a bit. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the chicken and onion/jalapeño mixture back into the skillet, along with basil and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Serve basil chicken over rice. Spoon more coconut curry sauce over the top. Top with more basil if desired.
Notes
- Recipe lightly adapted from Simply Recipes
That looks SO good! I love basil and anything coconut works for me 🙂
Now I’m starving. Looks like Thai food for lunch. Thanks for the craving Sues 🙂
Ooh, this sounds awesome and not too complicated!
Um, wow. This looks so delicious and I might even actually – gasp! – try it. Like for real.
I totally agree about the Martha website. It’s overwhelming and sometimes, you just don’t know where to go and to look for a recipe. But, Simply Recipes is awesome. And, their recipes are so simple (obvi)! This Thai dish looks so, so good! I love how there is an abundance of sauce so the brown rice can soak it all up.
Your Chef’n product raves are the cutest! They really do need to pay you…or maybe just give you more stuff to use/review?
This looks delicious Susie. I tagged this under recipes to make and moved it to the top of my list. (steven)
Mmmm! This looks like one to try. There are a lot of sweet and smokey flavors in there. It’d be nice to add even more spice!
I tried this recipe the other day from simply recipes and it turned out great. I changed a few things around and liked what I came up with.
Sounds delish! For those who don’t want to invest in many different spices for one dish I think garam masala would pretty much cover the flavour profile they’re aiming for with the ground spices.
Making it now…. can’t wait to try it. But I am looking an there is not curry powder? I am confused by the name?!
@Mary- Hi! I hope you enjoy it!! So, curry powder is actually a combination of spices that are sold as curry powder. The spices in this dish are the same ones in curry powder, but in a blend that I think is most delicious (there’s no hard and fast rule for the amounts of each spice and everyone likes it a little different!). I hope that helps explain things 🙂
Are there any other vegetables you think would add in well?
@Brittany- Hi! I would recommend red or green bell peppers. Snow peas would be delicious, too!
Have you ever made this in advance? Or reheated the leftovers (if there could possibly be any – LOL).
@Julie- Hi! I’ve never made this in advance, but have heated the leftovers and they’re still great! I do always keep the rice and chicken/sauce mixture separate until right before I serve. I also recommend adding some fresh basil on top right before you eat 🙂
I never comment on recipes but this one was out of this world delicious! I love the depth of the flavors and the heat from the peppers. I will make this recipe over and over again. Mouth wateringly scrumptious!
This may sound silly but could you use a tablespoon of curry powder in place of the list of spices? I don’t cook a lot with those and I really want to try this!!! Thank you
@Keri- Not a silly question at all! You can definitely do this. The flavors might be a little different, but it should be wonderful! Let me know if you try it and like it and I will add a note to the recipe for others.
This is a new family favorite! I worried my kids wouldn’t be into the curry but they both ate it without complaining and my husband couldn’t stop raving. Will definitely make again!
Do I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
@Megan- Unsweetened!
Do you need to use full fat coconut milk?
@Christie- Hi! I’ve only ever made this with full-fat coconut milk. I do think you could use light if you’d prefer, but the sauce wouldn’t thicken as much. I’d recommend adding a little cornstarch to it to thicken more. Let me know if you try it!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight. i only used one jalapeño. It is a very quick dinner once ingredients are gathered. I give it a thumbs up!
It will definitely go on my make again recipe list!
Wonder if this can be converted to Instant Pot?
@Robin I haven’t tried and I am not an Instant Pot pro by any means, but I imagine it can converted using an Instant Pot recipe with chicken and a sauce as a guide!
This was sooooo amazing. The flavors of cinnamon, clover and coconut to name a few we’re such a nice balance. We love heavy seasoned dishes like this and had everything on hand to make. All around this is a new staple and can’t thank you enough for the recipe.
Why not use Garam Marsala?
@Gg You certainly can! I like to be able to control what spices I use, so tend not to use spice mixes. A garam masala or curry powder would have a similar result, but I like this particular balance of spices 🙂
I added some toasted sliced almonds for texture and a few currants as well to break up the heat! It was so good!
Do I have to use Worcestershire sauce? Or can I substitute it with something else?
@Gigi If you have soy sauce, that would do the trick! Otherwise, a little steak sauce or fish sauce would work, too.
Eating it right now. Yum! We didn’t have jalapenos, but the chilli powder adds enough heat. I also used coconut aminos and a little extra salt rather than worcestershire sauce.
Holy crap this is delicious!!! I will definitely be making it again and again.
This was really delicious and easy! Will try it with chicken thighs next time.
Most worschestire sauce is not gluten free- it must be labeled as such. Just a note as it says gluten-free on your recipe but if cooking this for a celiac you would need to make sure you found one that is labeled G free.
@Megan- Thank you for your note, but can you let me know where you saw the gluten-free label? I definitely didn’t label it as such and I don’t want to mislead!
I did not like this meal at all. I actually have never commented on a recipe but this was so weird. I guess im just not a fan of curry but it was pretty weird. It was very different tasting than anything ive ever had and it gave me quite the stomach ache from all the spice. I was really excited about this meal but it was wayyy different than i expected.
@Lindsey- I’m so sorry you didn’t like this recipe! I know that curry isn’t everyone’s favorite since it’s packed with lots of spices and if you don’t like curry, this definitely isn’t the dish for you. Thank you for your feedback!
This was so delicious! My kids even loved it, and they are the ultimate test. Love how just a few different ingredients really make this a special curry. Thank you for sharing this!
@Lisa Yay! Thank you for letting me know… I love that your kids love curry- that makes me happy 🙂
Made this two nights ago for my boyfriend and I and it yielding 2 servings for dinner, and 2 servings for lunch the next day. I am making it again tonight except doubling the recipe because it’s THAT good!
I added a pat of butter to my rice+water and it made this recipe even more amazing!
Love love love this recipe!
I add any veggies I have already made w quinoa and extra sauce (the best part) to make a Thai bowl out of it. Def a keeper!!
Left overs are great too w this. I keep quinoa and veggies separate from coconut chicken them mix and reheat. Also once you have spices how you like them put them in an empty spice jar to sprinkle on or fish etc
Super yummy! I used fresh cilantro because I was out of basil – super fresh and rich flavor!
So delicious! We don’t always use jalapeños but this is one of our go to recipes. Especially helpful since it’s df and easily made gf! I like it best with chicken thighs though we have to cook a bit longer. There is never a drop of the coconut sauce left 😉 Thank you thank you!
Your spices are whole or powder form cuz if whole sounds like whole lot of spices used
@Shila- Hi! The spices are ground.
I actually added some Indian curry spice to this and an extra can of coconut milk and it was amazing!
This was amazing. I did it in the Instant Pot and cooked the chicken in a skillet just to brown it before adding to the cooked vegetables, spices and coconut milk in the pot. I also doubled the recipe and pressure cooked it for eight minutes. Perfection. Not a drop left.
SO DELICIOUS! I used thighs, and added a tablespoon and 1/2 of garam masala at the very end to punch up the flavor a bit
LOVED! will make this one again, and again!
This was very tasty, thank you!
Very very yum!! I didn’t have a couple of the spices listed so just skipped them and it was still amazing! Made it exactly as written (minus 2 spices on the chicken).
Big hit with my family. Thank you!
This was absolutely fantastic!! Just can’t rave about it enough!!
This will be a go to for years to come!!
I was wondering if you are using Thai basil or regular basil? Would Thai basil work ?
@Jodi I use regular basil in my recipe, but you should be able to use Thai basil without a problem! The flavor will be slightly different, but still delicious 🙂
One of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever had.
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing and I would love to try it, but have a hubby that doesn’t like coconut. Is it a strong coconut flavor? I can use coconut oil in recipes and he doesn’t seem to mind so hoping I can still make this one work.
@Cory- I don’t think the coconut flavor is super strong here (it mostly acts as a base for all the spices in the dish!). If your hubby has had Thai curries before, they’re often made with coconut milk, so if he likes those, he should like this! But if you’re worried, I think you could probably substitute the coconut milk with light cream. I also just looked and Nigella Lawson recommends substituting the coconut milk in curry with soy or almond milk with about 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in to thicken it. I hope that helps and I hope you both enjoy the dish!