Easy Creamy Curry Chicken Thighs
Creamy, golden-hued and Indian-inspired, these chicken thighs are ready in under 30 minutes. Serve with cauliflower rice, white rice or brown with a green vegetable, such as broccoli, broccolini or asparagus. Its hard to give an accurate weight when buying chicken thighs as they vary so much in size. Buy 8 pieces, any leftover are good.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 845kcal
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs about 4 pounds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or a neutral oil
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons milld curry powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons ginger puree, jar or tube or fresh ginger finely zested or grated
- 2 limes
- 1 pinch saffron threads optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
Trim chicken
- Turn thighs skin side down and trim chicken of extra skin and fat. See post photo for help. Season with salt and black pepper both sides.
Make curry sauce
- In a medium bowl stir measuring cup, whisk together coconut milk, broth, garlic, curry powder, curry paste, ginger, lime juice, and saffron. Set it near the stove as you brown the chicken.
Cook chicken
- Place a medium saute or fry pan large enough to hold chicken in a single layer over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, then add the chicken thighs skin side down. Turn heat down to medium.Cook chicken until the skin side is golden, 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate or rimmed baking sheet and pour off fat leaving a little. Add chicken back to the pan top side up.
Add curry sauce
- Pour the milk-broth mixture around the pieces. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover and turn to heat to low. Cook the chicken for approximately another 10-12 minutes, or until they reach 170°F internally. Timing will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken thighs.
- Remove chicken thighs to a plate and keep warm. Whisk the starch with 1 ½ tablespoons of water until smooth, add and simmer, stirring until smooth and thickened, 1-2 minutes. To serve, put the chicken back into the pan and serve family style or place thighs into shallow bowls with rice and veggies then add the creamy sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and more lime juice if desired
Notes
If you don't like bones, use boneless breasts cut in half crosswise or boneless thighs. It still works. Buy 6-8 ounces per person by weight. They will cook at a different rate so watch your time and temperature.
When buying bone-in chicken thighs, it's hard to gauge weight. It's easier to buy pieces that you think will feed your family. I err on the high side because leftovers are alwasy good for lunch the next day.
My past purchase was 4 chicken thighs and they weighed 2 pounds before trimming.
If you love spicy food, use a hotter curry paste or more of the red thai curry paste, or add cayenne for more kick, Be careful! You can always add more heat but not take it back if you make it too hot to enjoy.
Nutrition
Calories: 845kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 869mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 4mg