Chicken Curry
This incredible, one-pan dish delivers all the warming flavors of curry in a creamy, fiery sauce. And you can raid your spice rack to gather the seasonings, or swap in curry powder and shorten the ingredient list.
My house smelled so good when this chicken was simmering! The combination of Indian spices simply can’t be beat – they’re savory, earthy, and definitely comfy. I used chili powder, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and cardamon, but you can use your favorite brand of curry powder to achieve the same depth of flavor.
Make this dish as spicy as you desire. I called for 1 to 2 chile peppers, so use as much as you like. You can use jalapeno, serrano, Thai chile, or your favorite variety, including habanero, bird’s eye, and so on. If you’re unsure how hot your chile pepper is (they can vary widely in heat level, even when it’s the same variety), give the pepper a little taste before adding it to the dish. That way, you’ll know how much to add.
Serve this chicken curry with rice so you don’t miss a drop of the sauce. Trust me, you won’t want to waste any of this flavorful sauce. You can also add some warm naan on the side to soak up every last drip. Add a steamed or roasted vegetable and the meal is complete.
Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-2 hot peppers, such as jalapeno, serrano, Thai chile, or habanero
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger and 2 cloves minced garlic
For the spice mix (or use 1 tablespoon curry powder)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, preferably Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
For the chicken step
- 1 cup water, or more as needed
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Salt and black pepper
For serving
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chile peppers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the tomatoes and ginger garlic paste (or ginger and garlic) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes are broken down.
- Stir in the chili powder, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and cardamon (or 1 tablespoon curry powder). Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and return to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is very tender, adding more hot water as necessary to keep a thick sauce (hot water is best because it won’t decrease the temperature of the sauce).
- Fold in the yogurt and cook for 1 minute to heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Top with cilantro and serve.