Easy Chicken Curry (Printable)

Creamy chicken curry with aromatic spices and yogurt, ready in 45 minutes for easy weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch ginger, grated
05 - 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

→ Dairy

06 - 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
07 - 1/4 cup heavy cream

→ Spices

08 - 2 tablespoons curry powder
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Other

15 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
16 - 1/2 cup water
17 - Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish

# How-To:

01 - Heat oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and golden, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Sprinkle curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and pepper over the chicken. Stir well to coat and cook for 1 minute to develop spice flavors.
05 - Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, allowing them to soften and break down into the curry base.
06 - Reduce heat to low and stir in yogurt, mixing thoroughly. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
07 - Pour in water and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce achieves a creamy, slightly thickened consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust salt or spices as needed. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but you'll be done in under an hour start to finish.
  • The yogurt adds a tangy creaminess that makes store bought sauces taste flat in comparison.
  • Everyone at the table will ask for seconds, even the picky eaters.
02 -
  • Add the yogurt on low heat and stir constantly or it will curdle and turn grainy instead of creamy.
  • Let the spices cook for that full minute after adding them, it transforms them from raw and dusty to warm and fragrant.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash more water, it should coat the back of a spoon but still flow.
03 -
  • Toast your curry powder in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding it to the dish, it unlocks deeper flavor.
  • Use room temperature yogurt so it blends in smoothly without shocking the hot sauce and curdling.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the cream, sometimes it's perfect with just the yogurt and you can save the cream for another use.
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