This homemade Thai red curry recipe is so easy, you won't even think about ordering takeout tonight.
One of my favourite take-out dishes is Thai red curry with chicken and pineapple. I used to order it all the time from a local mom-and-pop restaurant, but sadly that placed closed down a while ago.
I realized that I'd have to figure out how to make this dish at home, since I no longer had any good take-out options. I went out and bought a bottle of Thai red curry paste (more on this in a moment), and set out to recreate the dish in my own kitchen.
This recipe is pretty much a one-pot meal, except that you do have to take ingredients in and out of the pot so you'll end up dirtying a bowl or plate in addition to the pot.
The reason I chose to write the recipe this way is to avoid overcooking the chicken, while still giving it a chance to brown a bit.
I don't know about you, but I find chicken breast to be extremely bland and boring, and while this Thai red curry sauce is pretty tasty, I still prefer to get some colour on my chicken before mixing all of the ingredients together.
A Note About Thai Red Curry Pastes:
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I realize that curry enthusiasts will be horrified at the idea of using a pre-made curry product. I understand why - it's hard to beat the flavours of fresh spices. That being said, I also appreciate the convenience of the pre-made product, so I decided to make the bottled curry paste work for me.
It is important to note, though, that the level of spiciness can vary greatly from brand to brand, and you may not like as much spice as I do.
I've outlined my recommendations for the 3 most common brands that I could find in the photo above. Try adding a small amount of paste to the pan, and then taste it. If it's not flavourful enough for you, add a little bit more. Keep going until you find the amount that works for you.
This Thai red curry dish is spicy, but it's favourful too. The best part is that you can easily adjust the flavours in this dish to suit your preference. So, if you really want a burn-your-face-off level of heat, you can have it!
I like to make this with fresh pineapple, but I buy the pre-cored stuff from the supermarket because I don't want to deal with peeling and coring a whole pineapple during the week.
If you want, you can try this with canned pineapple, but I'd make sure it's either canned in water or be sure to drain off any syrup before adding it to the dish. Sugary pineapple might not be so tasty!
The last little tip was actually suggested by a reader named Eric. Make sure to shake (or stir) your coconut milk before adding it to the dish! Coconut milk tends to separate in the can, with the water sitting on top of the milk solids.
I like to open the can, throw it into a bowl, give it a good stir, and then measure out what I need. The leftovers get wrapped and put into the fridge to be used another day.
If you try making this dish at home, let me know how it turns out!
Recipe Card
Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into ½" pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1½ pounds boneless chicken, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into ½" pieces
- 1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste*, adjust amount to taste
- 1 can, 14 oz coconut milk
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 small red Thai chile, finely sliced, optional
- 1- inch knob fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon mushroom soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet oven medium-low heat.
- Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Empty the content of the pan into a bowl, and set aside.
- Place the pan back on the heat, and add a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Once the pan is hot, add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, without cooking it fully. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then return the onion mixture to the pan.
- Add the pineapple and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the curry paste, stir to combine it with the other ingredients, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken stock. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
- Taste the sauce. Add the ginger and chile, if using.
- Add the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, basil and salt. Cook for another few minutes. Taste again to check the seasoning.
- Add the chicken, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. (Be careful not to overcook the chicken.)
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Notes
Please read the full blog post for all of my tips, variations, and recommendations for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on specific ingredients and brands used. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Zoe says
Thanks for this recipe, which I so enjoy.
One slight difference (according to my Thai cookbook) as from 10/11: I learned not to shake the coconut milk! LOL
Instead use the creamy top of the can's contents to heat and dissolve the red curry paste (fat enhances the flavour)... and then only add the liquid part (coconut milk).
Shareba Abdul says
Thanks for sharing that tip!
Kate says
We cook BIS curries almost every week and use Misty Ricardos guidance on making our own pastes and mixed powders. Whilst Thai curry differs from traditional Indian curry we thoroughly enjoyed making this and did take Sharebas advice on using a ready made red Thai paste. (Blue Dragon) The results were delicious. We will be making this again and again with other ingredients such as cashew nuts, water chestnuts and possibly strips of fillet steak. Very easy to follow and scrumptious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful fragrant dish.
Shareba Abdul says
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your comment. I'm happy to hear that my recipe worked for you!
D Krier says
Both of my sons made this with the Thai Kitchen paste, pretty much as written, except cooked the chicken & the fresh pineapple on the outside grill. The slight caramelizing of the pineapple with the grilled chicken gave a whole new level of deliciousness! That was about 10 years ago & I can still remember how I’d never tasted any chicken curry nearly as delicious! I’m going to give this recipe a try and modify it with inside grilling, as it’s winter here right now...wish me luck!
Shareba says
Oh, that's such a great idea!!! I'll have to give that a go myself, it sounds delicious! Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Kamila says
I cooked it a number of times and I absolutely love it!
Shareba says
I'm happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe Kamila!!
Jenine says
Very good. Used the Thai Kitchen brand also and added at least 2 Tbsp. Added a whole red pepper and a green one. Also added some carrot matchsticks because I love lots of vegetables. Very yummy.
Shareba says
Those sound like great additions! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Jenine!
Lo says
Excellent, easy to make, better than takeout!
Shareba says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Eric says
Made this tonight and omg is it delish!!! I only veered off course on a couple things but nothing major... I did use canned pineapple chunks but they held up great, I didn’t add in a Chili and I added the grated ginger in at the time of garlic. Thank you for your advice on Pastes too. I had Thai Kitchen’s... used two tablespoons and added maybe a 1/4 extra in... still not crazy spicy at all. But I wouldn’t have known it was mild without your disclaimer! The only disclaimer I wish was added was to shake the coconut milk Lol! It was my first time using it ever and I wish I would have read the can. Took a bit to get the separation reincorporated. Rock on... awesome recipe!! Wish I could share my picture!
Shareba says
Hey Eric, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. I will be sure to add a note about shaking the coconut milk - that's a good point. Feel free to email your photo to me and I'll share it on social media if it's cool with you! [email protected]
Faith says
This flavor is spot on. I did think the sauce was on the thin side- any ideas how to thicken it up so it is like a Thai restaurant?
Shareba says
Hi Faith, I'm glad you liked the flavour of the dish. You could add cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but you'd need to warm it through... If you're just wanting to thicken what you have, you could strain the sauce so you don't overcook the chicken and add the cornstarch to it, reheat until thickened. If you're thinking about how to thicken it up the next time you cook the dish, I'd add the cornstarch after you add the chicken stock. To make a slurry, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, then pour that into the liquid you want to thicken. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbly. I hope this helps!