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Quick chicken curry {15 minutes} (+ video)

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Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes. Beautiful and bursting with flavor, it’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! #curry #chicken #easydinner #easyrecipe

This past weekend went by way too fast and this week is shaping up to be crazy busy.

I’m thankful to have my monthly girls group dinner on Wednesday at least. It’ll be a needed break from the work-work-work grind I’m looking at for all the other hours of the days.

So let’s keep it short today and get right to the good stuff – the food!

You want to know my only note when I wrote this quick chicken curry recipe down last year so I would remember to post it on this here blog sometime?

“Freaking delicious.”

Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! | www.familyfoodonthetable.com

That, followed by the ingredients and instructions. So there you go, folks. That’s all you need to know about this recipe. It’s freaking delicious. 😂

And my husband agrees. We had this again last week and he looked up to me at the table and says, “This is my favorite recipe of yours.”

I was a bit surprised, honestly.

“Wow, really?!” I asked.

“I just love the flavors. Anything Indian you make, really.”

Turns out anything Indian is the way to my husband’s heart. Or stomach. Is that the same thing? 😜

Can’t say I blame him. It’s one of my favorite cuisines too.

(I’m a tad bit obsessed with my curried brown rice salad and may or may not make it on repeat and devour it all for myself.)

Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! | www.familyfoodonthetable.com

Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! | www.familyfoodonthetable.com

But you know me, it’s gotta be easy. And fast. And this quick chicken curry absolutely is. I mean, it’s ready in 15 minutes, friends.

But let me just say – this is not exactly traditional and maybe not super authentic.

But you know what? I’m OK with a few shortcuts that get dinner on the table and still have ALL the great flavor! 🙌

Serving ideas for quick chicken curry:

  • I usually serve this with my steamed brown rice mixed with 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (for 4 servings). It all just works really well together. 👌
  • White rice or basmati rice would work well, too.
  • I even think curry goes great with potatoes. You could add some roasted potatoes on the side or serve this over a fluffy baked potatoes. (I’m a serious cheater and I always make microwaved baked potatoes.)
  • The fresh chopped parsley or cilantro on top of the curry chicken is key, too. Gives a hit of freshness and brightness.
  • I also like sprinkling on some chopped peanuts when serving this up. They give it a good crunch and add some richness too.

For a veggie side, I typically just warm up some frozen peas, stir in a pat of butter and season them with salt and pepper. Deliciousness all around!

Steamed broccoli or a side salad would work, too.

If you’re going low-carb, or just want more veggies, you could also serve this over some cauliflower rice.

Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! | www.familyfoodonthetable.com

I hope you’ll give this quick chicken curry a try the next time you’re craving Indian for dinner but are short on time.

(And if you are looking for a vegetarian version, I’ve got you covered. My quick and easy vegetarian curry is light but filling and ready in 15 minutes too! Or check out my 20-minute coconut chicken curry. Yum!)

Happy cooking!

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 4 people

Quick chicken curry

Quick chicken curry

Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, I use non-fat
  • 1/2 cup milk, I use 2% but whole or skim would be fine too
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (from a rotisserie or leftover)

For serving:

  • chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped peanuts

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.
  3. Stir in curry powder, diced tomatoes, Greek yogurt and milk (see notes about how to prevent curdling). Season with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using.
  4. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  5. Stir in chicken until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.
  6. Serve hot with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Notes

Some readers have had an issue with curdling. Milk and yogurt can curdle if it heats too quickly, or if it comes to a boil. You may want to lower your heat or briefly remove the pan from the stove when you add these ingredients to help prevent curdling.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 53mg Sodium: 487mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 8g Protein: 21g
© Kathryn
Cuisine: Asian / Category: Main dishes
Quick chicken curry is an easy, one-pan recipe that’s ready in just 15 minutes -- perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! #curry #chicken #easydinner #easyrecipe

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Comments

  2. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    Lol! Well if that one note doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does! 😉 This quick chicken curry looks every bit of ‘freaking delicious’, girlfriend! Plus I’m loving how easy it is! AND it’s your hubs favorite? Hot dayum, I NEED to eat me some of this!! Can’t wait to give it a try!! Pinned! Cheers, Kathryn!

    Reply

  4. Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says

    ‘Freaking delicious’? Well, now you know I HAVE to try it! I love Indian food too and the fact that this is so quick makes it a perfect weeknight dinner (or even Friday night with a cold beer 😉 ). And just love all the spice you have in here. Plus, so much better than takeout, right? Pinned! Happy Monday to ya, my friend! XO

    Reply

  5. Kelli McGrane says

    Indian is my husband’s favorite too, but I always have difficulty getting the seasonings just right. This looks super easy and very delicious! Pinned to make for dinner soon 🙂

    Reply

  10. Carmen Gomez Alzaga says

    I just made this recipe, super easy, simple and loved the combinations of flavors!!!!
    Will make it again soon. Thanks!

    Reply

  12. carmen says

    this recipe is a staple at home now, always a huge success. last night I served it with lots of fresh cilantro, chopped cashews and quinoa; I loved the combination.
    thanks again for sharing!!!! will make it again and again for sure

    Reply

  14. Lisa says

    My first attempt at anything Indian, and tastes delish. Mine ‘curdled’ slightly, however. What did I do wrong?

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Lisa! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Milk can curdle if it heats too quickly, or if it comes to a boil. Even if you didn’t boil it, though, a hot pan or heat that’s slightly too high, could do it. You can try lowering your heat next time before you add the milk and yogurt to the pan. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  15. Megan R says

    This recipe was great! I ended up doubling it for my community of 7 and we even had leftovers. I thought that the flavors were well developed even with the small amount of time. Like some others said, the curry slightly curdled when I added the milk and yogurt, but it cooked out after some time. Thanks!

    Reply

  16. Amber says

    When I made it, the yogurt and milk separated and clumped together and it all became watery. Did I do something wrong? I used all the ingredients on the list

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Amber! Yogurt and/or milk can curdle if the heat is too high or it comes to a boil. It may cook out though if you leave it on low heat for a little while. This dish should be saucy – that’s why I love it with rice, to soak up some of the yummy juices – but shouldn’t seem overly watery. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  18. Lauren says

    Tried this with Curry my son sent from Denver spice shop. I did use lite coconut milk(did not cuddle). For a quick weeknight version it was very tasty. Thank you

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      This recipe makes 4 servings and I just divide it out evenly among the plates – it’s probably about 1 cup or so per person of the chicken and sauce and everything. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  22. Danielle says

    My family LOVED this recipe! My first time making a curry and it was definitely a home run! Thank you Kathryn!!

    Reply

  24. Jenny says

    Hi! I have never ever made curry.. or even know what it is really! Lol.. but my friend loves it. So I thought I would try it. Are we able to use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt? Or would that give it the wrong taste? And I need to buy the curry seasoning… is it spicey? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Jenny! While this is definitely not a super authentic curry, I think it’s a great introductory one – and a super easy one too! Yes, you should be just fine to substitute sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. Curry seasoning is a blend of sweet and savory spices and most grocery store versions are pretty mild, not spicy, so you should be OK. I hope you and your friend love this dish!

      Reply

  25. Christina says

    This was very good! I didn’t have leftover chicken, so I cooked some chicken tenders first. The curry sauce came together quickly, then I tore apart the chicken tenders and added them. The only issue I had was the yogurt curdled. It was still good but next time I’ll remove the pan from heat (stove was set to medium) when adding the yogurt and lower the stove temp to low before putting the pan back on the stove for a few minutes to heat the dish at the end. I’ve also read that stirring a little starch into the yogurt before adding it to a hot dish will prevent the yogurt from splitting.

    Reply

      • Cilia says

        Hi, I’m new on your blog and love your ideas. I’m always looking for quick and easy recipes especially in where things can be substituted so I can adjust to what I already have in the house. Thank you, I love your ideas!
        I’m in Australia so I need to do online conversions from lb into ml or grams etc but that’s ok.
        My question is, what do you mean by the starch trick? I’m not sure what starch is, is it cornflour?

        Reply

        • Kathryn says

          Hi Cilia, I’m so happy you found me! The “starch trick” was in response to another reader’s comment that you can stir some starch into yogurt before adding it to a dish to help prevent curdling. This would typically be cornstarch. (Here’s an Amazon link so you can check it out in case they don’t have it in your grocery store or call it something different: https://amzn.to/30glZq6) I hope that helps! 😊

          Reply

  26. Tammy says

    Hi kathryn,
    As there are several comments regarding the curdling of the yogurt and milk, may I suggest you mention that in your directions for making this recipe. I just made this recipe and it did indeed curdle and I should know better as this has happened to me before in other recipes. I think if it was written right in the directions it would help me and others remember to be mindful of the temperature before adding the dairy. I will save this recipe to my files but hope you can add the note on curdling. Thanks so much.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve added a note to the recipe about lowering the heat or moving the pan off the burner before adding the milk and yogurt, to try and help prevent curdling. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  29. Ray Garcia says

    Hi Kathryn, I’d like to try this dish but, like many others, I am lactose intolerant. Is there an alternative to the dairy in this dish?

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m sorry you had a problem Dana. I’ve never had this curry curdle on me but there are some tips in the post and recipe about how to reduce that chance. Or, as you say, you could try it without the yogurt.

      Reply

  31. Djdale3 says

    You may want to put that curdling note During the step not after the recipe. Not really helpful at that point 😭

    Reply

  32. Lauren says

    This was amazing and super easy!! I’ve never made chicken curry. Did it all gluten free. I cooked chicken first, and added red pepper flakes for some spice. Will definitely make again!

    Reply

  33. Marie says

    Hi!
    I would like to give it a try but I don’t have any chicken leftover. So when do I add my raw chicken, just after the onion?
    Thanks,

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Marie! I would chop your chicken breasts into 1/2-inch cubes or so, to help it cook more quickly. Then I would start it before the onion and cook it for 4-5 minutes (in the olive oil over medium heat). Then add the onion and proceed with the recipe as written above. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  34. Katie Inlow says

    This is so yummy! And so easy to make! The ingredients are cheap and things you generally have on hand. This will be a staple in our house from now on!!
    Thank you for sharing this treasure with us!

    Reply

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