Easy Chicken Curry (Printable)

Creamy chicken curry with aromatic spices and yogurt. Quick, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

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

→ Vegetables & 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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours building layers of flavor, but you're done in under an hour.
  • The yogurt adds this tangy creaminess that makes store-bought curry paste taste flat by comparison.
  • You can dial the heat up or down without losing any of the warmth or depth.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day once the spices have really settled in.
02 -
  • Add the yogurt on low heat and stir constantly, or it can split and turn grainy instead of creamy.
  • Let the spices cook for a full minute before adding the tomatoes, or they'll taste raw and dusty instead of warm and toasted.
  • If your sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water or stock instead of more cream, which can make it heavy.
03 -
  • Toast your curry powder in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding it to the dish, it deepens the flavor in a way that's hard to describe but impossible to miss.
  • Use whole-milk yogurt, not low-fat, because the fat helps it stay creamy and prevents it from breaking when you simmer it.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the cream, sometimes it's perfect as is and the cream can dull the brightness you've built.
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