Authentic Thai Yellow Curry Chicken

An overhead shot of Thai yellow curry with rice on the side.

5 from 2 votes

Authentic Thai Yellow Curry Chicken

Thai yellow chicken curry, or gaeng garee, is a popular flavorful Thai curry dish consisting of chicken pieces simmered in a delicious coconut curry sauce. The delicious herbs and spices from the curry mixed with juicy chicken pieces and paired for rice is a mouthwatering combo.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Clara

Equipment

Mortar and Pestle

Ingredients

Chicken Curry Components

4 oz Boneless Chicken Thigh
¼ Carrot
¼ Onions (Sliced)
⅓ cup Light coconut milk
¼ cup Jasmine Rice (Uncooked)
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
Cilantro or Thai Basil (For garnish)

Yellow Curry Paste

½ stalk Lemongrass
1 clove Garlic
1 slice Galangal
¼ Shallot
1-2 Kaffir lime leaves
1-2 Thai chilis
4 Cilantro roots
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Shrimp paste
1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon White pepper

Instructions

Start by making the rice beforehand so that you can put the curry together when everything is done.
Gather the yellow curry paste ingredients together. Slice the lower half of the lemongrass into small slices until the purple rings disappear. Crush the garlic with the back of your knife and de-stem the kaffir lime leaf. Add all the curry paste ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. Grind until the paste has reached a paste-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a food processor.
Cut the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
Use cooking spray and spray a skillet, then sauté the curry paste along with the garlic and onions.
Turn the stove to low heat and add in coconut milk. High heat will make the milk evaporate very fast. If that happens, you can deglaze the sauce with water.
Add the vegetables and the chicken into the curry and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through thoroughly.
Add the fish sauce and sugar into the curry mixture. Taste and adjust if needed.
Garnish with cilantro and chili flakes if desired and serve with rice, and enjoy your delicious yellow curry recipe.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

Adjust spiciness – Use no chilis for no spice, 1 Thai chili for a mild spice, and 2-3 chilis for a medium to heavier spice.

Switch up the protein – Yellow curry goes well with seafood as well. Shrimp, crab meat, and squids are some of my favorite seafoods to make the curry with.

Expert Tips

Use a mortar and pestle for ultimate flavor – The mortar and pestle releases flavors in the herbs that cannot be achieved with a food processor, making the most authentic curry paste.

How to use lemongrass – For the curry paste, we will use the lower white half of the lemongrass stalk. Slice the lemongrass widthwise, until the purple rings begin to disappear.

Nutrition