Thai
Thai Red Curry Chicken
A fragrant coconut red curry with chicken and vegetables — a paste shortcut makes it weeknight-fast.
About this recipe
Thai Red Curry Chicken is a thai dinner for 2 that is a gentle, mostly hands-off simmer. It’s built around chicken and fish, and it takes about 25 min total but only ~15 min of hands-on work — the rest is waiting. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 250g, sliced chicken thigh
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups (long beans, pepper, eggplant) mixed vegetables
- 2 bowls, cooked rice
- 2 tbsp red curry paste buy
- 200ml coconut milk buy
- a handful Thai basil buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Fry the curry paste in a little oil until fragrant, 1 min.
~2 min
- 2
Add half the coconut milk and simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → until it thickens slightly, 2 min, then add the chicken.
~4 min
- 3
Pour in the rest of the coconut milk with fish sauce and sugar; simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → until chicken is cooked, 8 min.
~9 min
- 4
Add the vegetables and cook until just tender, 4 min. Stir through basil off the heat; serve with rice.
~5 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Chicken thigh
- chicken breast (cook a touch less so it stays juicy), or firm tofu.
- Curry paste
- curry powder bloomed in oil — start with half the amount and taste up.
- Coconut milk
- evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness.
- Fish sauce
- light soy sauce with a tiny pinch of salt — less funk, still savoury (also the vegetarian swap).
- Thai/sweet basil
- regular basil, or a little mint — the perfume changes but it works.
Cook's notes
- Slice chicken thinly across the grain — it cooks faster and stays tender. How to slice chicken thinly →
- Rinse the rice until the water runs (mostly) clear for fluffier, less gummy grains. How to wash & cook rice →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 15 min.
Storage & leftovers
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
Frequently asked
How long does Thai Red Curry Chicken take to make? +
About 25 min from start to finish, but only roughly 15 min of that is hands-on — the rest is cooking or resting time.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Chicken thigh → chicken breast (cook a touch less so it stays juicy), or firm tofu; Curry paste → curry powder bloomed in oil — start with half the amount and taste up; Coconut milk → evaporated milk or any unsweetened plant milk + a little oil for richness. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Thai Red Curry Chicken ahead of time? +
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
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