Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Tender chicken pieces are smothered in a flavorful coconut curry sauce in this basil chicken in coconut curry sauce recipe. So delicious!
Easily one of my top favorite meals ever, I’m not alone in my love for this meal. It is widely heralded as one of “the best dinners” by my crew every time we eat it.
The flavors are simple, but they combine into a delicious combination that is so yummy served over rice.
Build the Flavor
In this recipe, the chicken pieces get a quick dry rub marinade with curry powder, salt, pepper and a bit of chili powder.
The seasoned chicken then cooks in a pan with garlic, ginger, jalapeños and onion before getting dunked in a bath of coconut milk (and a bit of cornstarch).
As the chicken, aromatics, and coconut milk all simmer together, the curry flavors work their magic on the creamy sauce.
Coconut Curry Sauce
With just a few minutes of simmering, the sauce takes on the gentle yellow hue of the curry powder (this will vary depending on the brand of curry powder used).
My favorite curry powder is the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices. It’s intensely flavorful with a very mild heat.
After cooking, the basil chicken in coconut curry sauce can be served right away or it can be kept warm on the stovetop for a little while. The flavor gets better with time. (As in, the leftovers are gooooood.)
A Fan Favorite
This recipe has become a favorite of many! You can see below in the comments that many people have adapted the recipe over the years to add potatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, mushrooms, you name it.
So if you’re looking for a fresh variation on the basil coconut curry theme, glance through the comments for inspiration.
Dodi recently commented: I made this for my family on a day when I was going out to eat with friends. Let’s just say the food at home was better than the food I paid top dollar for. This is so good! I was glad my kids saved enough for me to eat for leftovers. The taste reminded me of a chicken curry I get at one of my favorite restaurants. The restaurant version includes mushrooms and potatoes. I am going to double the sauce and add those next time I make this. So, SO good!
What to Serve With This
Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 teaspoons curry powder (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (leave seeds in for more heat)
- 14- ounce can light or regular coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Hot cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
- In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, basil, garlic, ginger, and peppers, and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until onion and peppers start to soften.
- Add the chicken and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, flipping the chicken now and then, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch until well-combined. Add the mixture to the skillet with the chicken, and whisk over medium heat, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 5-6 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked rice.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Originally posted September 2009; updated January 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Totally knocked this out of the park tonight. I added fresh basil, cilantro, cauliflower, red peppers, and 2 kinds of mushrooms to bulk things up a bit, since last time I made this it did seem to be missing something. I also marinated the chicken in a curry blend I found on Simply Recipes, under the recipe with this same name. I think the real key to this is cooking your chicken in small batches, separately from everything else. Any add-ins should also be cooked separately if possible so when you combine everything, the various ingredients aren’t cooked too long. Thanks Mel for the super awesome blog!!
I made this tonight because my husband said he hated curry when I mentioned I was going to try this recipe. He eats at the hospital (orthopedic surgeon resident) on Wednesday nights. Well, I got a text from him and he said he wasn’t able to make it to the conference and asked if there was food. Well, he tried it and said it’s between a like and love! I’m so excited because I LOVED this dish and so did my son! It’s the first time I’ve ever cooked with curry, ginger, or coconut milk! This is such a healthy and yummy dish! I actually substituted the olive oil with Coconut oil, and I used brown rice out of our rice cooker. It was so yummy. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have found your site. We plan on making your fajitas Friday, pizza Saturday, and your sweet n sour Sunday or sometime next week. I am also bringing over your Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping (which I made last Saturday and died over) to a friends tomorrow for dinner! I am IN LOVE with your site. You have made my hubby a very happy man, although he got mad at me last night for ignoring him because I was looking at your site for like 2 hours…:-). THANK YOU!
Just wanted to say I love your blog! I tried this tonight. I ended up marinating the chicken overnight and I doubled the marinating ingredients & added a tsp of cumin to the marinade (my family loves cumin)…it was amazing! The right amount of spicy for my family and so flavorful! Great recipe! Thanks!
I read your note at the top of the recipe and I have to say I agree. I’m a huge fan of all things curry and I’ve found that all curry powder is not created equal. Because curry is a combination of spices it can be very spicy or very bland depending on the brand you use. If you want a good curry recipe, you have to invest in a good curry powder.
This recipe is DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing!!!
This is the best curry recipe I have ever tried. This was a huge hit. I even had to take a sample to my neighbors so they could try it. Thank you, thank you for sharing.
Just had to let you know that I made this tonight and it was fabulous! Reminded of something you would get a good Thai restaurant, only better! I made the soft wrap bread to go with it – total yumminess!! It was a hit with my husband and my 3 and 2 year olds! Can’t beat that!!
Jessica – isn’t that the greatest when your kids love something you make? Success!
We tried this last week and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe. We’re trying the green curry tonight and I can’t wait to try it.
Camie – I hope you like the green curry equally as well!
This dish looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! I am wondering though, if you think it would still work out with just regular yellow onions, instead of red onions. I rarely have red onions in the house:)
Hi Tracey – yellow onions have a slightly different flavor and bite to them than red onions but in this dish, I think you could sub the yellow just fine.
I made this dinner for dinner last night. My husband rated it as a “home run”! He said, “Don’t change a single thing. It’s perfect exactly as it is.” I will definitely be putting into our dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing this and your other recipes. Your food blog is one of my favorites.
Becky – thanks for letting me know you and your husband liked this (high praise from your husband!). Thank you!
This was awesome. Thank you!!!!
Thanks, Jessica!
I had this recipe over at a friends, and I love to eat and I will eat anything. This meal has been one of the best meals I have ever eaten!! I have been craving it since I have had it last and I am made it tonight. Awesome I can’t get enough of this. I am going to tell all of my foodie friends about this great dish. Thank you for sharing.
Katie – wow, thanks for the rave reviews on this recipe! I’m thrilled with all the good reviews on this recipe lately…glad you loved it!
I was a little concerned about all the mixed comments, but our family LOVED this! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for checking in to let me know, JaNae!
I made this today (omitted the jalepeno)…. it was fantastic. It’s my new favorite Coconut Curry recipe. I used Rice sticks/noodles instead of rice to serve with it…. Yum, yum, YUM! Thanks, Mel!
Brooke – what a great idea to use rice stick noodles. I have a package in my pantry just waiting to be used up in a dish like this!
I just wanted to say that my whole family of 6 LOVES this dish. I can’t believe some people don’t like it. They must be making it wrong because it is so yummy and we now eat it all the time.
Amber – thanks for a vote of confidence on this recipe! Glad your family loved it.
Wow this was good! I don’t know what you’re talking about mixed reviews. And I have no tolerance for heat and I LOVED it just the way it is written. My husband didn’t get it fresh, he had to nuke it but he still loved it! And it is so filling, a small bowl really goes a long way. Will definitely be making this again. So easy and so good = a keeper!
MeganM – so glad you and your husband liked this one – thank you!
This recipe was surreal 🙂
I made the curry powder at home and it had a wonderfully deep flavor.
I also used fresh basil and green chillies to make it hotter. It was truly a treat and this recipe is definitely a keeper 🙂
Nash.
Natashaa – homemade curry powder? Impressive! Thanks for checking in on this one – glad you liked it!
Thanks so much for the recipe! We really liked it at our house–a little spicy, but we just added some plain yogurt to our plate, and it toned down nicely.
Thanks, Felicia – and great idea on the plain yogurt to bring the heat down a little.
Mmmm, this looks so good! Yum!
WE loved it at our house. I used fresh basil and garnished the individual servings with a chiffonade of the basil and a bit of toasted coconut. Delish!
Thanks, TaLaisa – always means a lot coming from you because I know you have such refined taste buds! Love your additions of fresh basil and coconut.
I love anything with curry powder and coconut milk, so of course this dish sounds amazing to me. Yum!
Just like you, I too love curry especially with coconut.
This recipe sounds divine, thanks.
Thinking of trying out this recipe and wondering if I’d be changing it too much if I omitted the ginger and used fresh basil? I’m not a huge ginger fan (although it’s okay in moderation). Thanks!
Finleymom – I’m all about adapting a recipe to your taste so I think your changes sound wonderful. Fresh basil would be delicious in this.
I just made this and its ok. I really think the ginger killed it. lol
susie – sorry you didn’t love this!
Jordan – that's great that these recipes have pleased your husband who is obviously a connoisseur of Indian food! Thanks for letting me know. As for the Korma – I've never made it but here is a link to what looks like a pretty good recipe:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-korma-recipe/index.html
I made this, your tikka masala and your naan all this week and it all was wonderful! My husband went to England on his mission where he ate a lot of indian and has converted me now too. We have our favorite indian place but I'm so glad I can make it at home too since it's not the cheapest thing to eat out. Just wondering if you know of a good Korma recipe?
MsAngleaMarie – yes, light coconut milk has less fat and fewer calories but I can never find it so I use the normal coconut milk. I’m glad you liked this dish alright – it sounds like for those that want more punch, they should kick it up a notch, although our family loved it kind of mild. Thanks for letting me know!
I could barely taste the curry…it was missing something. I ended up adding more curry to the sauce but it still was very weak.
lara – sorry that you didn’t like this. It seems everyone’s taste is a bit different with curries. Next time I make this I’ll have to be more analytical about the flavors and see if it really does need a little extra boost. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for your blog. I came to it the other day as I tried to stumble through my first loaf of homemade yeast bread and I ended up making this curry tonight. It’s FABULOUS. Keep the good food coming!
Beth – glad you liked this curry. How did your homemade bread turn out?
Hmmm…well, the 1st loaf was inedible (hard and tasting of beer). The second was edible but still extremely substantial and with a very hard crust. I’m currently living in Chile and the yeast packages (one live and the second dried) both said to add directly to the dough without dissolving or ‘proofing’ in water. I think that led to dough that was never going to be much more than a brick. The next time I am going to proof the dry yeast and hope that works. Any suggestions? I read your yeast tutorial and that was really helpful.
Beth – oh, what a bummer on the bread. I agree with you, I would try proofing the yeast and also making sure to knead the living daylights out of it. That might help it lighten up a bit. Good luck!
Sarah – thanks for commenting to let me know you liked this meal! I’m super impressed by your 1-year old’s good eating habits!
I made this for dinner last week and my family loved it. Even my 1 year old son!! He couldn’t get enough. Thanks for the great recipe!
The Coopers – I’m sorry this wasn’t what you were hoping for, although, I’m glad your husband liked it! Thanks for the update.
Hey update.. my husband just got home from school and he gobbled this up.. he really like it ALOT and said he tasted quite authentic.. maybe it was just me, i guess i’ll be making it again though..thanks!!
I made this tonight, and it was just okay for me. I LOVE curry dishes but i dont know something was off, i think there was too many onions or something.. it needed something more.. but overall i LOVE your food blog and have tried many things and they have be awesome. Many i did something wrong ..weird.
Stacie – good insight on the jalapeno. I think you are right about cooking the jalapeno (especially if it has been seeded) – it doesn’t have a lot of spice but still retains great flavor. Let me know if you find the “missing” ingredient!
Made this tonight and it was super yummy. I love the coconut curry sauce. I felt like there was an ingredient missing… but not sure what I would have added. I like my curry with a lot of “zazz” to it… so I’ll have to play around. I will definitely be making this again!
PS- I was worried it would be too spicy, but I think because you cook the jalepeno- it takes a lot of the spice out. Raw jalepenos can be super hot even if you seed them. It wasn’t spicy at all!
No worries. They weren’t traumatized but I really do wonder how you got your children to eat this. I strained my leftovers and got rid of most of the jalapenos. I had it for lunch today and it still had a (BIG) kick but I enjoyed it. Did I just choose the wrong size of jalapenos or something? Oh yes, I did seed the jalapeno.
Just wanted to add that I’m a new visitor to your site. I’m totally thrilled to have found you. So many things to try. We had cookie dough brownies on Sunday. Um…yummy!
Fyi if something is too spicy just add yogurt
Ty’sMommy – I linked over to your blog and read your post about this. I was laughing out loud (especially at the commentary from your husband). I’m assuming from your username that we have something in common since my youngest little boys’ name is Ty, too. Thanks for checking in!
Hi Melanie! I have been quietly reading your blog for awhile now and when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I just wanted to let you know that I made it this weekend – TWICE! and this morning I posted it on my own blog and linked back to you. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Lindsay – I’m sorry this dish didn’t work out for you. Did you take all the seeds out of the jalapeno? The seeds carry the heat in a jalapeno pepper so if they are left in, the dish will be VERY spicy. I hope your kids weren’t too traumatized!
I must have done something wrong. My end result was not a perfect blend of flavors. While smelling divine, it was so hot and spicy that I could barely eat it. My kids took one bite and screamed about burning tongues. I really like spicy food but this was too much. Do you all just have a higher tolerance for spicy food than I do?
I am so excited about your blog! I was considering doing a food blog, and now I don’t have to! Love the pictures, and I am putting a link to your blog on mine, thanks so much!
This looks good! I’ve never made curry before. I’ll have to try it!
I am going to make this for dinner sometime this week! Yum, oh how I love basil curry! I just started a food blog and I am inspired by yours! I have some fresh basil I need to use, so I will throw that in too.
I haven’t been over in a while and I love all the new high-tech stuff. Searches, printable recipies, fav’s on the side bar… ooh la la.
Thanks for the fabulous recipe! I just made it for dinner tonight with rave reviews. A definite keeper.