Easy and quick recipe for delicious Thai chicken curry with coconut cream and basil. Best served with fluffy long grain rice!
OK, the thing is, I’ve never been to Thailand. So, even if I’ve eaten in quite a few Thai restaurants, I believe I haven’t tasted true Thailand food. I believe that in order to get the true taste of any ethnic cuisine, you should visit the country and eat food made from local ingredients, and prepared by local people. Hence the title Thai style chicken and not Thai chicken!
Having that said, this dish is one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever tried! It features all the classic flavors such as lime, basil, coconut, ginger, and green onions and some more I felt the need to add to make it super flavorful, bright and irresistible! In addition, this recipe is cooked in less than 30 minutes and is very easy to make, since it’s prepared in one pan and requires minimum clean up… Oh, and it’s also gluten free!
The first time I made this recipe, I made it because I wanted to use my leftover coconut cream from my coconut sunrise smoothie.
After searching online for some Thai chicken recipes and after trying to remember some of the dishes I’d tried in Thai restaurants, I decided to use the basic ingredients I mention in the recipe below. I didn’t add though the chopped onion, cardamom and anise. The result was OK, but nothing special.
The second time I made it, I added those three ingredients and WOW!!! It was like a whole different recipe! When I got my nose near the pan and smelled the thick, hot, bubbly sauce, I could tell that it was going to be perfect!
All the flavors were so intense but perfectly balanced at the same time, and the only thing I could think at the moment was to quickly make a bowl of perfect fluffy long grain rice (in a pot) to serve with my chicken! 🙂
Trust me; this is a dish you should definitely make! Just don’t omit any of the ingredients, because you’ll probably feel that something is missing…
Some notes:
- A bit of corn flour is used to make the sauce more thick and creamy, but you can skip this if you like your sauce on the thinner side.
- I never buy coconut milk. I always buy coconut cream and if in need for coconut milk I just mix ½ cup cream with ½ cup water to get 1 cup of coconut milk. It’s also cheaper this way!
- Serve with some fluffy rice, preferably Jasmine or basmati.
Share this post if you liked it (share buttons at the top!) and don’t forget to subscribe for new recipes or follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook
📖 Recipe
30-minute Thai chicken with coconut cream and basil
Equipment
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1.5 pounds skinless and boneless chicken breast, (cut in one inch cubes)
- 1 small onion, (finely chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions or chives
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 13.6 oz (1 can) coconut cream
- ½ lime, (juice and zest)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground star anise (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the thickener - slurry (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
For Garnish
- Pink peppercorns or extra chives/green onions
Instructions
- Heat a big skillet over high heat and add the oil and the chicken cubes. Let the chicken cubes brown from one side, about 6-7 minutes. Turn them to cook from the other side about 5-6 minutes more, and transfer them in a bowl.
- In the same skillet, add the onion, the bay leaves, the green onions, the cashews and a little extra oil if necessary. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the thickener: in a jug or small bowl, mix the cold water with the cornstarch until dissolved (this step is optional. You should do this if you want the cream on thick side).
- When the onions are soft, add to the pot: the coconut cream, the lime juice and zest, the ginger, the basil, the soy sauce, the brown sugar, the star anise, the cardamom, the salt and the black pepper.Also add the thickener if you want a creamier curry.Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet with the coconut curry and simmer, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened.
- Serve with long grain rice or noodles. Sprinkle with crashed pink peppercorns or chopped chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Karly says
Quick, simple, and most importantly delicious. This is right up my alley! Love finding new treasures like this!!
Makos says
Thank you very much Karly!!!
Akhila@Pepper Delight says
Yum Yum.. 🙂 Thai Food are always comforting. This looks perfect for an easy dinner night. Pinned !!!
Makos says
Yes Akhila, it is!
Thank you very much!!! 🙂