One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry

One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry is a mild flavored curry with a bit of a kick from jalapenos that even curry haters with love and it’s a breeze to make in one pot!

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One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry is a curry that we started making in our house as a compromise. My husband is a huge fan of Japanese curries and I love Indian curries. Since we couldn’t find a way to agree on one we both enjoyed together I started working on Thai curries that would keep the similarities to Japanese curries while lightening the thick curry mixtures that are so strongly scented.

Sorry for the delay in this post, I had intended to post it on Friday and here we are the following Tuesday instead! I’m usually so good about staying healthy but with school aged kids now the things they are bringing home are taking me down with them! I hope you all are staying healthy even if we didn’t!

Thai curries are usually lighter in flavor and have more herbs and chilis in the recipes. This One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry has both and the flavors, while light, are fresh and easy with just a hint of a kick from a jalapeno.

Some notes on substitutions/changes you can make to this One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry recipe:

• You’re welcome to use a lite coconut milk in this One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry but I would caution against using coconut water to save on calories. The creaminess of the coconut milk adds quite a lot to the flavor and texture of this dish.
• If you want more heat you can keep the ribs in the jalapeno.
• If you want a stronger curry flavor you can increase the curry powder to two tablespoons.
• The way to get the coloring you’re seeing on the boneless skinless chicken breasts is to use a cast iron skillet, and let your chicken brown without touching it until it is the color you see in the photos. This may take longer than in the directions but the most important thing is the pan and the lack of moving the chicken. The cast iron skillet creates a beautiful crust if you give it time to work.
• Don’t worry about the chicken bits on the bottom of the pan, when you cook the onion and jalapeno and scrape it clean it will come up and mix into the coconut milk to add another dimension of flavor. 

Tools used in the making of this One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry:
Cast Iron Skillet: High quality cooking, great browning and the skillet style pan I use on my stovetop almost exclusively, this is a must have in your kitchen. I leave mine on my stovetop since I use it daily (and it is heavy!).
Curry Powder: A nice mild curry powder, perfect for this dish.S
Coconut Milk: This coconut milk is the perfect size and has never let me down (and I am all for original coconut milk in this recipe), but for a lighter version I like this brand’s lite coconut milk better.

4.75 from 4 votes

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One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry

One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry is a mild flavored curry with a bit of a kick from jalapenos that even curry haters with love and it's a breeze to make in one pot!

Course Main

Cuisine Thai

Keyword chicken, curry, one pot, One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 409 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts , about 1 1/2 pounds total
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil , divided
• 1 red onion , chopped
• 1 jalapeno , de-veined, de-seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil , minced
• 1 can coconut milk , (13.5 ounce can)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• cilantro , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

2. In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of canola oil on medium-high heat and sear the chicken on both sides until almost cooked through, 3-5 minutes on each side.

3. Remove the chicken from the pan and add in the red onion and jalapenos along with the second tablespoon of canola oil.

4. Cook them on medium high until slightly caramelized and the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan have mixed in well with them, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add in the garlic, ginger, basil and cook for 30 more seconds.

6. Add in the coconut milk, cornstarch and curry powder and whisk together quickly so the cornstarch is absorbed before the coconut milk gets a chance to get hot and clump the cornstarch (or if you want to use a second bowl mix the coconut milk, cornstarch and curry in there first before adding to the pan).

7. Add the chicken back in and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked all the way through.

8. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens via Mel's Kitchen (one of the first blogs I ever started reading!)

Nutrition Facts

One Pot Basil Chicken Coconut Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 409 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 19g119%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 437mg19%

Potassium 704mg20%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 165IU3%

Vitamin C 9.7mg12%

Calcium 44mg4%

Iron 4.2mg23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.