Chicken Thigh Curry

This simple Indian-inspired Chicken Thigh Curry can be on the table in under 45 minutes. Serve it with rice and toasted naan.

Garam Masala Vs. Curry Powder

This chicken curry uses my homemade garam masala spice blend. Other recipes you’ve seen may use a curry powder blend instead, so what’s the difference?

Garam masala is what you’ll find in kitchens in India. The idea of curry and a curry powder mix actually comes from the UK which then made it’s way to the United States during colonization. A variety of dishes that used similar spices, though often in different amounts depending on the dish and region, got grouped together as curries to simplify a complex cuisine. Curries became very popular in England and are still a prevailing part of the cuisine.

Garam masala has a stronger flavor and includes warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in addition to cumin and pepper. While curry powder shares some ingredients, like coriander and cardamom, it’s often a milder taste that heavily features turmeric.  

Simplified Chicken Thigh Curry

The list of ingredients is really pretty small and there’s nothing too unusual, which makes it a great weeknight meal to pull together when the curry craving hits. 

I like to use tender chicken thighs for this recipe, but if you are a dyed-in-the-wool chicken breast fan, you could substitute it for the thighs. 

We’re using carrots and onion for the veggies in the curry. The sauce gets made with diced tomatoes, chicken broth, some tomato paste, the garam masala spice blend, and a little garlic powder.

At the end of the cooking, we’re adding creamy coconut milk as well as a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up.

This recipe is quite saucy, which I love because there’s lots of sauce to spoon onto rice or sop up with naan. Having said that, I do like to serve this dish using a slotted spoon, being sure to get a lot of the chicken and veggies. Then I use a regular spoon to scoop the desired amount of sauce onto my plate. I like some fresh cilantro on top too. And if you can’t find naan bread at your local grocery store, grab some pita and toast it up.

I hope this chicken curry recipe solves your cravings like it does mine. If you’re looking for other chicken recipes with delicious sauce, you’ve got to try my Smothered Chicken Thighs.

Can I Make Instant Pot Chicken Curry?

Absolutely! When you’re craving a Chicken Curry and don’t have time to be by the stove, this recipe made in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker is the answer. 

I like to call this a dump-and-go recipe. Outside of stirring a few ingredients before layering the chicken, carrots, and onions, you literally place all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot – with the exception of the coconut milk – set it to cook and let it do with it does best. You’ll notice I leave the carrots in bigger pieces in this version so they don’t end up mushy in the Instant Pot.

After pressure cooking the other ingredients, remove the lid and choose the sauté function, adding the coconut milk and a slurry of water and cornstarch and heat through to thicken. You may be temped to add the coconut to make this a complete dump-and-go, but please don’t. The high pressure cooking will curdle the coconut milk.

You can add the garnishes directly to the finished dish or let people add them as they prefer. But do make sure to serve the curry with rice – basmati is really great – or naan bread, or both!

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. garam masala*
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt. divided
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 6-8 pieces each
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter or ghee
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 Tbsp. cold water
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup coconut milk

Instructions

1. To the Instant Pot add the diced tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, garam masala, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine.
2. Add the onion in a layer followed by the carrots in a layer, and then the chicken in a layer. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and drizzle with the butter. Do not stir. 
3. Close and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is in the sealed position. Select PRESSURE COOK and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes of cooking time. Then allow to NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes. Turn the steam release handle to the venting position to release any remaining steam.
4. When the valve has dropped, unlock the lid and open carefully. 
5. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch until it forms a smooth slurry. Allow the chicken mixture to stop bubbling and then stir in the coconut milk followed by the cornstarch slurry. Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot and choose the SAUTÈ function. Cook while stirring until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
6. Use a slotted spoon to serve the chicken and vegetables to plates, and then use a regular spoon to scoop the desired amount of sauce.