Thai Yellow Chicken Curry is a rich, creamy, and vibrant golden yellow color Thai dish loaded with fresh flavors. It is usually made with yellow curry paste, boneless chicken, veggies, tamarind paste, Thai basil leaves, and fried onions. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this curry below to make the cooking process simple and clear. This Yellow Chicken Curry Is one of the best side dishes that can be made in under 30 minutes. And it can be perfect to serve for lunch and dinner over a bowl of jasmine rice, white rice or brown rice.
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What is Yellow Curry?
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry is a thick, creamy, and mildly spicy Thai dish loaded with fresh flavors. The chicken, veggies, or other proteins are sauteed in a flavor-bursting yellow curry paste and simmered in coconut milk. Finally, the curry is garnished with Thai basil leaves and fried onions and served over a bowl of rice for lunch or dinner.
Thai Curries are comforting dishes with their unique fresh aroma, flavor, and taste. One such curry in Thai cuisine is the Yellow Curry. The fresh ingredients used in Yellow curry paste deliver an irresistible flavor to your dish. Not only the flavor and taste but it is also visually attractive with its vibrant yellow color.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Thai Yellow Curry are basic Asian pantry elements. And you could find them easily in most Asian grocery stores around. So let's see what are they below.
- Yellow Curry Paste - Homemade or store-bought paste. Usually, homemade yellow curry paste gives you the best flavors as it is prepared fresh from scratch. But feel free to use the store brought if that's handy for you
- Tamarind Paste - Delivers a mild tanginess to your curry
- Coconut Milk - unsweetened coconut milk that is available in cartons or tins. You can also make your coconut milk or paste at home
- Chicken -Skinless and boneless chicken pieces
- Veggies - I have used yellow squash, carrots, green bell peppers, and potatoes but you can also mix and match your favorite veggies
- Fried Onions - Authentic Yellow Curry is typically garnished with fried onions that deliver a unique taste to your curry
- Basil Leaves - Choose Thai Basil Leaves if it is handy but you can also substitute them with regular basil leaves for similar results
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken?
The recipe I have shared here is a Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken a popular Thai restaurant takeout dish. It is one of the easy Thai Curries that comes all together in under 30 minutes in one pot. And it can be also customized according to your preferences.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Fry Onions - In a pan with medium heat, pour oil, and add the onions. Stir and fry until it turns golden brown. Remove the fried onions from the oil and reserve them for later use
- Stir the yellow curry paste- In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the yellow curry paste and saute until it turns aromatic
- Add Chicken - Now add the chicken, ½ tsp of salt, and give it a good mix
- Cook - Close the pan with its lid and cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes
- Add in the Veggies - Open the lid and give the chicken a quick mix. Then add the yellow squash, green bell pepper, carrot, and potatoes. Give everything a good mix
- Stir in the Coconut Milk - Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into the veggie chicken mixture and give it a good mix. Then add the tamarind paste, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Give everything a good mix
- Close and Cook - Close the pan with its lid and cook the veggie chicken mixture for 3 to 5 minutes
- Add the Final Aromatics - Open the lid and add green onions, and Thai basil leaves, and give it a good mix
- Simmer - Simmer the heat and cook the curry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Finally, garnish with fried onions and remove from heat. And it is now ready for you to taste and enjoy
- Serve - Serve this delicious Thai Yellow Curry over rice and enjoy it for lunch or dinner
How to make Yellow Curry with Vegetables?
Are you wondering how to make this Yellow Curry with Vegetables? It is simple. You can substitute the chicken with other proteins like cooked chickpeas, or tofu. The cooking time will reduce if you add the cooked chickpeas or tofu as it takes less time to cook compared to chicken.
Even though you substitute the meat with veggies, the ingredients added in making yellow curry paste contain shrimp paste or fish sauce. So I would suggest looking for vegan or vegetarian-friendly yellow curry paste that is available in stores.
Tips
- For Best Flavor - The yellow curry paste is usually made with fresh and raw ingredients, so I suggest sauteing the yellow curry paste in oil until it turns fragrant. This is one of the important steps to achieve the best flavor and taste in your curry
- Chicken - Even though this curry is made with mixed vegetables and chicken, you can also substitute chicken with shrimp or completely with veggies alone
- Shrimp - If you are planning to use shrimp then I recommend adding them at the final stage and simmering the curry for 3 to 5 minutes
- Storage Suggestions - This curry stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an air-tight container
Storage Suggestions
This Thai Yellow Curry stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed air-tight container. And it freezes well up to a month. If you are planning to freeze it, then I recommend storing them in individual serving portions.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this curry warm over a bowl of jasmine rice, white rice or brown rice for lunch or dinner. You can also serve some Thai starters alongside for a complete meal.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Thai recipes and curry recipes.
- Thai Red Curry
- Thai Red Curry Paste
- Thai Green Curry
- Panang Curry
- Chicken Curry
- Butter Chicken
- Egg Curry
- Pad Thai
- Thai Fish Cake
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Thai Yellow Chicken Curry Recipe below that I hope will help you to make a delicious side dish at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 0.75 lb Chicken, boneless bite size pieces
- 2 cup Yellow Squash, 1 medium size
- ¼ cup Bell Pepper
- ½ cup Potato, medium size
- ¼ cup Carrot
- 4 tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 4 Shallots, medium size, for frying
- 1 cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened
- Salt, as needed
- ¼ tsp Tamarind Paste
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Green Onion
- ¼ cup Thai Basil Leaves
Instructions
To make Yellow Curry
- In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add the onions. Stir and fry until it turns golden brown color
- Remove the fried onions from the oil and reserve them for later use
- In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the yellow curry paste and saute until it turns aromatic
- Now add the chicken, ½ tsp of salt, and give it a good mix
- Close the pan with its lid and cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes
- Open the lid and give the chicken a quick mix. Then add the yellow squash, green bell pepper, carrot, and potatoes. Give everything a good mix
- Pour 1 cup of coconut milk into the veggie chicken mixture and give it a good mix. Then add the tamarind paste, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Give everything a good mix
- Close the pan with its lid and cook the veggie chicken mixture for 3 to 5 minutes
- Open the lid and add green onions, and Thai basil leaves, and give it a good mix
- Simmer the heat and cook the curry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Finally, garnish with the fried onions and remove from heat. Now the yellow curry is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this delicious Thai Yellow Curry over rice and enjoy it for lunch or dinner
Video
Notes
- For Best Flavor - The yellow curry paste is usually made with fresh and raw ingredients, so I suggest sauteing the yellow curry paste in oil until it turns fragrant. This is one of the important steps to achieve the best flavor and taste in your curry
- Chicken - Even though this curry is made with mixed vegetables and chicken, you can also substitute chicken with shrimp or completely with veggies alone
- Shrimp - If you are planning to use shrimp then I recommend adding them at the final stage and simmering the curry for 3 to 5 minutes
- Storage Suggestions - This curry stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an air-tight container
Nutrition
FAQ
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry is a thick, creamy, and mildly spicy Thai dish loaded with fresh flavors. The chicken, veggies, or other proteins are sauteed in a flavor-bursting yellow curry paste and simmered in coconut milk. Finally, the curry is garnished with Thai basil leaves and fried onions and served over a bowl of rice for lunch or dinner.
It is a mildly spicy curry with the perfect balance of salt, citrusy flavor from fish sauce, lemongrass, and a slightly sweet note from Thai basil leaves. You could also feel the fresh flavors from coriander, cumin, and pepper powder.
Yes, you can make this curry without chicken. You can just add vegetables alone or can substitute chicken with chickpeas, shrimp, or tofu.
Yellow Curry is a mildly spicy curry compared to green and red curry. Even though yellow curry paste contains green chilies and dry red chilies, the spice level will be toned down due to the addition of coconut milk.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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