Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry is a childhood favorite with tender chicken pieces browned and simmered in a thick curry sauce with sliced onions.

I have been making this Easy Chicken Curry Recipe since I was a little girl. It is one of the first things that my Dad taught me how to make. My grandma shared it with him and now I share it with my kiddos. So you could say that this is one of our favorite family recipes.

To be honest, there is a lot to love about it. Tender chicken pieces and onions simmered in a thick flavorful curry sauce and then poured over white rice.

What ingredients do you need?

CHICKEN THIGHS: Growing up we always made this recipe with bone-in chicken meat. My husband and kiddos though (and me to some extent!) found that version pretty messy. My solution? Boneless skinless chicken thighs! You can use breasts but this does need to simmer so breasts have a tendency to get dry.

OIL

FLOUR: This helps give the chicken a little crunch as well as helps thicken the curry sauce.

SEASONING SALT/PEPPER: To season the flour before coating the chicken.

YELLOW CURRY POWDER: There are several different curry blends out there and they range from mild to super spicy. Some are also on the sweet side, it’s really a personal preference. My favorite blend is the Spice Islands Curry.

GARAM MASALA: A spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. It is another spice blend with flavors of cinnamon, mace, peppercorn, coriander, cumin and cardamom.

CHICKEN BROTH:  Use low-sodium so that you can control the salt content.

YELLOW ONION: This is a must in this recipe. It really enhances the flavor and texture of the curry.

SOY SAUCE: Soy sauce adds a salty umami flavor. Because of the soy sauce, you’ll likely need to add less salt.

RICE: I always serve chicken curry over rice. You can use jasmine, basmati or brown rice. Quinoa is also a fabulous substitute!

How do you make chicken curry?

STEP #1:  Combine 1 cup of flour, seasoning salt and cracked pepper in a resealable plastic bag.

STEP #2: Combine 1 cup of flour, seasoning salt and cracked pepper on a shallow plate.

STEP #3: Dredge chicken in flour. Shake to remove any excess.

STEP #4: Place chicken in the oil and fry just to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool and the cut into bite sized pieces.

DES’ TIP: Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in batches if you need to. 

STEP #5: Once all of the chicken is browned, reserve 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour, cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of curry powder, cook 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, soy sauce and garam masala. Bring to a boil.

STEP #6: Once the curry starts to boil, add the onion and chicken.
Simmer uncovered until thickened and chicken is cooked through. About 30 – 40 minutes.

If you are looking for other recipes using curry, check out

Crispy Curry Chickpeas

Pumpkin Curry Penne

Crispy Chicken and Curried Cauliflower Rice

If you are looking for chicken curry with coconut milk you have got to try coconut curry soup

coconut curry fried chicken.

More Chicken Recipes:

Dill Pickle Chicken Wings Recipe

Baked Chicken Legs

Artichoke Chicken

Chicken Adobo in the Instant Pot

Note: This recipe was originally written in 2009. It was updated with new step by step photos, recipe modifications and nutrition information in 2020.

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry is a childhood favorite with tender chicken pieces browned and simmered in a thick curry sauce with sliced onions.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 600 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

• ▢ 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
• ▢ 1.5 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ▢ 1/3 cup canola oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons curry powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 onion sliced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ▢ 3 cups chicken broth I use Better Than Bouillon
• ▢ 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

 

• ▢
  In large pan heat canola oil over medium heat.
• ▢
  Combine 1 cup of flour, seasoning salt and cracked pepper on a shallow plate.
• ▢
  Dredge chicken in flour. Shake to remove any excess.
• ▢
  Place chicken in the oil and fry just to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. (Note: Don't over crowd the pan, you can fry the chicken in batches if you need to.) Allow to cool and the cut into bite sized pieces. 
• ▢
  Once all of the chicken is browned, reserve 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour, cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of curry powder, cook 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, soy sauce and garam masala. Bring to a boil.
• ▢
  While you are waiting for the curry to boil, slice your chicken pieces
• ▢
  Once the curry starts to boil, add the onion and chicken.
• ▢
  Simmer uncovered until thickened and chicken is cooked through. About 30 - 40 minutes.

Notes

Nutrition information is for estimation purposes only.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 56.7gProtein: 40.7gFat: 21.9gSaturated Fat: 3.6gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 728mgFiber: 2.1gSugar: 1.4g

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Keywords: chicken, chicken curry, Indian