I have filmed my Thai red chicken curry for you. The video is at the bottom of this recipe page. 

Thai red chicken curry is best when you use a homemade red curry paste like the recipe I have for you here.

This version of Thai red curry is very authentic. You could just add bite sized pieces of chicken thigh or breast to the finished sauce but I hope you give this version a try. Frying the chicken on the bone and then letting it simmer really adds a lot of delicious flavour.

I learned this Thai red chicken curry recipe at a hotel I was staying at in Phuket. After trying all the tourist versions, it was so nice to devour this one. It was all I had hoped for.

For best results, I recommend making your own Thai red curry paste. Here’s my recipe. If you feel like cheating, I recommend this brand.

On the topic of curry paste, you will notice that a lot goes into this recipe. That is because it is homemade and it has everything in it that a Thai red chicken curry needs to make it taste amazing.

It is important to stress, however that if you are using a commercial, ready made brand, you WILL NOT need as much as I added here. Most Thai curry pastes that you purchase are high in salt and chilli. They are not the same thing you get when you make your own so add these pastes to taste. One or two tablespoons will usually be all you need.

When you make your own Thai red curry paste, don’t expect it to look like those available at the job. These pastes are mass produced, blended versions. If you make your own Thai paste in a pestle and mortar as I recommend, the paste will be no where near as fine but the texture and flavour of the finished curry is out of this world!

 

If Thai red chicken curry is not for you, you can use this same sauce with other ingredients. Try tofu for example or add more veggies and leave out the meat.

When you go out to a Thai restaurant, you are usually given several different options on the menu for each curry. You can do this at home too. I like this Thai red curry with prawns! Whatever sound good to you, it probably will be.

Yield: 4 - 6

Thai Red Curry

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 500ml (2 cups) water
• 1 batch homemade red curry paste or 250ml shop bought
• 400ml (1 1/2 cups) thick coconut milk/cream
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
• About 400g vegetables like baby corn, bamboo shoots, aubergine, broccoli
• Coriander (cilantro) to garnish
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan or wok. When visibly hot, place the chicken thighs, skin side down in the oil and fry for about five minutes. Flip the meat over and add 500ml (2 cups) water and let it simmer down until about 90% evaporated. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove the meat from the pan and stir in the red curry paste. Now add the coconut milk/cream, the veggies, fish sauce, tamarind concentrate and sugar and simmer for about three minutes to thicken. Return the meat to the pan to heat through and garnish with coriander. Season with salt to taste to serve.

If you enjoyed the Thai red chicken curry or varied the recipe and would like to share. Please do in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.