Whether you’re sweating in a roadside stand on a hot day or warming up your kitchen on a cold night, there’s nothing quite as fulfilling as a steaming dish of chicken curry. These recipes span the globe, with roots in Cambodia, Thailand, India, and Indonesia, among others — as well as the takeout joints and curry-inspired combinations sourced from the rest of the world. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a weeknight-friendly chicken dinner or you want to try your hand at making your own curry paste, we’ve got the recipes (and the wine pairings) for you.
Spicy Chicken Curry
Neelam Batra’s spicy chicken curry recipe was inspired by memories of her childhood in New Delhi. Chiles, garlic, ginger, alongside many other spices season a rich tomato-based sauce, in which chicken thighs and drumsticks are simmered until cooked through.
Thai Red Curry
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Red curry is a classic Thai curry style, made with dried red chilies (the source of its iconic color), as well as cilantro, lemongrass, shrimp paste, ginger, garlic, shallots, galangal, salt, makrut lime leaves, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, and lemongrass. This recipe combines the delicious staple with chicken, coconut milk, eggplant, and basil.
Gulai Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Curry)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Chef Shandra Woworunto’s recipe for Padang curry comes from Western Sumatra and calls for a stone mortar and pestle. The resulting spicy and gingery curry paste is the base of a rich, fragrant one-pot meal.
Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
F&W’s Chandra Ram adds a smoky touch of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce to this recipe for the juggernaut of Indian takeout dishes: butter chicken. Perfect for weeknights, it’s ready in 35 minutes
Green Curry
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Alexandra Domrongchai shares a recipe for green chicken curry that includes making the popular curry paste from scratch, using garlic, lemongrass, makrut lime, and Thai basil. Leftover curry paste can be used in Thai-inspired stir-fries or as a fragrant and flavorful poaching liquid.
Gang Gai Khao Mun (Thai Chicken Curry)
Chef Nok Suntaranon of Kalaya (one of F&W’s Best New Restaurants in 2020) shares a recipe for creamy Thai chicken curry from her Philadelphia-based kitchen. A from-scratch curry paste requires more effort than the store-bought versions, but the flavor it delivers is well worth the effort. Plus, the curry paste freezes well for future dishes.
Japanese Curry Chicken Pot Pie
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Abby Armstrong
This comforting dish combines chicken pot pie and Japanese curry. Store-bought Japanese curry mix flavors a silky, gravy-like sauce and a crisp, golden-brown puff pastry tops the dish.
Coconut Chicken Curry
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Torie Cox, Prop Stylist Mat Gibilisco
Turmeric-stained coconut milk forms the base of this satisfying sauce, which you’ll use to simmer chicken thighs until flavorful and done. Mushrooms and shallots round out the curry, which is great served over a bed of warm rice.
Gaeng Rawaeng
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Chef Pim Techamuanvivit shares a recipe for a whole (albeit small) chicken cooked in a curry of coconut milk flavored with chiles and galangal. At his San Francisco restaurant, Nari, Techamuanvivit uses Cornish game hens.
Black Pepper Chicken Curry
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This spicy South Indian curry features crushed black peppercorns alongside rich fried cashews. The meat — boneless, skinless chicken thighs — simmers in unsweetened coconut milk.
Chicken with Banana Curry Sauce
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
A Caribbean curry sweetened with a mild — but not at all dessert-like — banana flavor is the base for this recipe for bone-in chicken breasts. Curry powder, dry mustard, coriander, and butter make the sauce rich and complex.
Turmeric Chicken and Rice
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia bayless
This one-pot chicken dinner can be prepared and served on the stovetop in a casserole or Dutch oven. Chef Edward Lee’s cozy rice dish has a mild curry flavor made fragrant with ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric — one that’s especially friendly for all ages.
Grilled Red Curry Chicken
Tina Rupp
Spatchcocking and grilling a whole chicken cuts the cook time in half, from 60 to 30 minutes. Rubbed with a simple Thai-inspired mix of red curry pate, coconut milk, and brown sugar, this chicken comes out crispy and flavorful.
Thai Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini and Green Beans
Kate Winslow
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and zucchini sliced into matchsticks make this a bright and light meal, made with store-bought green curry paste and finished in only 45 minutes.
Curry Fried Chicken
Todd Porter & Diane Cu
This take on fried chicken incorporates curry power and red-pepper flakes to add additional flavor and heat to the classic dish.
Dhaba Chicken Curry
Abby Hocking
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says this curry — made with coriander, cloves, cumin, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon — is ubiquitous at roadside restaurants, or dhabas, in northern India: “Economical and tasty, it gives you a taste of simple Punjabi cooking.”
Curried-Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast
David Malosh
Farmer and food writer Kristin Kimball loves cooking with chicken, especially when feeding a large group. This is a one-pan recipe she makes with Madras curry powder the she buys on biannual trips to New York City, cooked with butternut squash and brussels sprouts.
Chicken Curry with Tomato Yogurt Sauce
Kate Winslow
Another version of the beloved takeout classic butter chicken, this dish is done in just 45 minutes. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are simmered in a puree of spices and tomatoes, and the sauce is finished with a swirl of yogurt.
Cambodian Red Curry Chicken Wings
Tara Fisher
These bold and spicy chicken wings are inspired by Cambodian flavors, including lemongrass, chiles de árbol, fish sauce, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Cauliflower
Beth Kirby
This nourishing and easy slow-cooker chicken recipe combines skinless, boneless chicken thighs with potatoes, cauliflower, and frozen peas in a rich and silky sauce of coconut milk, curry powder, and fresh ginger.
Coconut-Curry Chicken Wings
Abby Hocking
These chicken wings are marinated in coconut milk, curry paste, and lime, giving them both heat and a subtle sweetness.
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