Really Good Really Easy Chicken and Potato Curry
Chicken and potato curry is the ultimate comfort food—rich, creamy, and packed with bold flavors. This dish brings together tender chicken, hearty potatoes and spinach in a luscious yellow curry sauce. Whether you’re looking for a cozy weeknight meal or an impressive dish to serve guests, this recipe is sure to hit the spot. Plus, it’s easy to make in just one pan!
Erica’s Thoughts
When my husband and I traveled to Thailand in 2018 we took this all day cooking class where we got to go to a Thai market, pick out ingredients and make the best pad Thai, yellow curry and mango sticky rice.
Of course, when we got back to the states, I immediately wanted to re-create all of the amazing food we had in Thailand. I learned quickly that, at least here in Spokane, it is very challenging to find all of the authentic ingredients that they use in Thailand. Before visiting Thailand I had only ever made red curry or green curry because for whatever reason the grocery stores here only ever carry red or green curry paste. But y’all yellow curry is where it’s at. If you have an Asian market nearby you can probably find yellow curry paste there. But, if you’re like me and don’t want to make the trek so a separate grocery store, I found this yellow curry paste online and it is so good. It tastes very authentic and was delivered the next day! Score.
This recipe is not a perfectly authentic Thai curry but it’s a DANG good home-cooked version using more accessible ingredients if you live in the states. I’m eating leftovers as we speak and it is just… chef’s kiss. 🤌🏼
What You’ll Need to Make Chicken and Potato Curry
Chicken breast: Lean, boneless, and skinless chicken breast provides the protein base for this dish. I like to buy organic chicken breast from Costco.
All-purpose chicken seasoning: we’re skipping complicated blends or a slew of spices. Grab you’re favorite chicken or all-purpose meat seasoning. Look for one in the spice aisle or use a homemade mix of salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.
Avocado oil: avocado oil is a neutral, high-smoke-point oil perfect for sautéing. Find it near the olive oil in most grocery stores. You could also use coconut oil to double down on coconut flavor.
Garlic: fresh garlic adds depth and aroma to the curry. Pick up a bulb in the produce section.
Yellow curry paste: curry paste is a concentrated blend of spices, herbs, and aromatics—such as chili, garlic, fresh ginger, and lemongrass. You might find it in the international foods aisle of a regular grocery store, in an Asian market or you can order it online (this is what I did!) I like the Mae Ploy brand pictured above.
Brown sugar: a touch of sweetness balances the spice and acidity in the curry. You could also use cane sugar or maple syrup.
Peanut butter: creamy peanut butter adds richness and a hint of nuttiness. Use a natural version without added sugar for the best flavor.
Coconut milk: I recommend full-fat coconut milk to give the curry its signature creamy texture but if you’d like to reduce the overall fat/calories in this curry you can use light coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is in the international foods near the other Asian ingredients.
Yukon gold potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are slightly buttery and hold their shape well in the curry. Find them in the produce section near other root vegetables. I use 4 medium potatoes (about 12oz).
Fresh spinach: baby spinach is an easy way to add a pop of color and nutrients.
Soy sauce: soy sauce is an easy way to enhance the overall flavor of the dish. You could also use fish sauce.
Lime: we’re doubling down on the bright citrus finish by using both the zest and juice of one whole lime. The acidity beautifully balances the richness and spice of curry.
For serving: jasmine rice, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and Thai basil add the perfect finishing touches to this dish.
How to Make this Chicken Curry Recipe:
Use a sharp chef’s knife to cube the chicken into small cubes. Place it in a bowl and season with all-purpose chicken seasoning.
Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the hot oil and sear for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to low and add more avocado oil. Sauté garlic and curry paste until fragrant. Stir in brown sugar and peanut butter, then pour in coconut milk. Whisk everything together until well combined.
Bring the curry to a simmer, then add the potatoes and seasoned chicken. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in fresh spinach until wilted. Finish by adding soy sauce, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve hot over jasmine rice, garnished with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and Thai basil.
Expert Tips
- Use full-fat coconut milk for the richest and creamiest texture.
- Sear the chicken first to lock in flavor and keep it juicy.
- Simmer gently to ensure the potatoes cook through without breaking apart. Cut potato pieces pretty small so they cook quickly.
- Adjust seasoning to taste—add more soy sauce for saltiness, a pinch of sugar for sweetness, or extra lime juice (or lemon juice) for acidity.
- Garlic paste (in the tube) is a clutch shortcut if you hate mincing garlic.
Variation Ideas
- Use any grain you like: you can serve over white rice, brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice. Naan bread is usually served with Indian-style curry but would still be delicious with this curry!
- Make it vegetarian: swap the chicken for chickpeas or tofu.
- Swap the protein: you can use shrimp, thinly sliced beef or steak, or cubed pork tenderloin instead of chicken breast. You’ll need to adjust the cook time based on which protein you use.
- Add more veggies: I kept this recipe very simple, but I am always a fan of adding veggies! Bell peppers, green peas, snow peas, sweet potatoes, chopped tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, broccoli or green beans would all be great additions.
FAQs
Yes! This curry tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This recipe would work well with boneless chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins or even ground chicken.
Use cubed tofu or chickpeas instead of chicken. Season similarly and sear in a swish of avocado oil to get the tofu or chickpeas nice and crispy.
Absolutely. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
Yep! See recipe notes for Instant Pot and crockpot instructions.
I ordered it on Amazon and it came the next day! It’s the Mae Ploy brand and very good.
If you love this chicken and potato curry, you’ll love these other Thai food recipes!
Cabbage crunch salad with roasted peanut vinaigrette
Woof. She looks goooood.
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Thai Chicken and Potato Curry Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This yellow chicken and potato curry is flavorful, nourishing, and simple to prepare. Perfect for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 1lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose chicken seasoning
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 13.6oz cans full-fat coconut milk
- 4 yukon gold potatoes (about 12oz), cubed in 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- zest and juice of a whole lime
- for serving: jasmine rice, crushed peanuts, cilantro and Thai basil
Instructions
- Use a sharp chef’s knife to cube the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken in a medium bowl and season with a heaping tablespoon of all-purpose seasoning, tossing to combine.
- Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes total. Remove chicken to a clean bowl and set aside. Reduce heat to low and add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil. Sauté 3 cloves minced garlic and 2 tablespoons yellow curry paste until fragrant, 60 seconds. Add 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons peanut butter, stir a few times and pour in 2 cans coconut milk. Whisk until well combined.
- Bring the curry mixture to a simmer and add the potatoes and chicken. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Finish everything up by adding the zest and juice of a whole lime and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning per your preferences with another splash of soy sauce, squeeze of lime or pinch of sugar.
- Serve hot over rice, topped with fresh herbs (I like cilantro and basil) and chopped peanuts!
Notes
Instant Pot directions: Set Instant Pot to sauté and heat one tablespoon oil. Sear seasoned chicken, then remove. Add more oil, sauté garlic and curry paste for a couple seconds, then stir in brown sugar, peanut butter, and coconut milk. Return chicken, add potatoes, and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes, followed by quick release. Stir in spinach, soy sauce, lime juice, and zest.
Slow cooker directions: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet, sear seasoned chicken, then remove. Sauté garlic and curry paste, then stir in brown sugar, peanut butter, and coconut milk. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, add potatoes and chicken, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir in spinach, soy sauce, lime juice, and zest before serving.
See above blog post for process photos, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions!
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe (nutrition facts calculated without rice)
- Calories: 447
- Sugar: 3.9 g
- Sodium: 877.6 mg
- Fat: 31.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 23.1 g
- Cholesterol: 55.2 mg
This was super easy and so tasty! Honestly, better than I thought it would be. I had leftover red potatoes to use up, so I gave it a try. They worked out great in this! Will definitely be making again. I might try the brand of curry paste you used next time.
I liked this a lot! The potatoes are surprisingly pleasant. My initial thought of potatoes on rice seemed too starchy, but it works! I would recommend leaving out the brown sugar. Most peanut butters have a lot of sugar in them, and I think it would have been too sweet if I had included the brown sugar. The lime zest is GREAT to add a little acidity to the otherwise very creamy sauce. Spice level is very low. If you like spice you could up the curry paste. Next time I will put two heaping T of it.
Wonderful, thanks for sharing Sarah! I use natural peanut butter (which does not have added sugar), hence the addition of brown sugar, but certainly doesn’t hurt to leave it out if you have sweetened peanut butter! I love a bit of chili crisp on top if you have that, to amp up the heat 😋 Thank you for your helpful review!
I finally got to make this! (I had to order the curry paste from Amazon and our delivery here is pretty slow.) It was super good! And I love one pot meals. I always follow the recipe the first time to see how it is supposed to turn out and then I know what I feel comfortable changing. I really liked it as is, but I wish I had more lime to add – I only had one and mine was a bit on the small side I think. It had excellent flavor though. Next time I make it, I’m going to add snap peas. I really like the fact that it is dairy free. It’s hard to find good recipes that don’t require a lot of modifications to omit the dairy…and still taste good. Thank you!
Thank you for making this Cathy and for your thoughtful review! I love to add snap or snow peas or broccoli! So good 🙂
This is the best meal I’ve ever had. Im contemplating making it again & having it every night this week!
Haha amazing!! I’m so glad you love it Isabella, thank you for trying it and for your review! I so appreciate it 😘
You are not lying, this was REALLY, REALLY good! My entire family devoured this and asked for it to be put into the regular rotation. My teen son plans to meal prep it for lunches this summer. Just love your recipes! We are hooked on all of the granolas as well, LOL!
Hahaha yaaaaay! I try not to lie 😂 This is one of my favorites as well, thank you for making it!
My family absolutely love this curry! My 19yr old daughter now makes it regularly as a meal prep to take to work for her lunch she loves it so much.
Such a good one for meal prep, I’m so glad you and your daughter love it 🙂
Made this tonight and it was really easy to make and so so delicious!
I cook a lot of Thai food, ex husband from Thailand,) and curry is my favorite. I decided to give this recipe a try, because your recipes are amazing, and I was definitely a happy camper, this curry is fantastic!! Thank so much Erica!!!
Wooohoooo thanks Connie! Glad you liked it!