Red Curry
This Thai chicken builds boneless chicken thigh, red curry paste and bamboo shoots into a satisfying meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, slice the bell pepper and eggplant, and drain and rinse the bamboo shoots.
- Spoon the thick cream from the top of the coconut milk into an oiled pan over medium heat and fry the red curry paste in it for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil separates and the smell turns rich and aromatic.
- Add the chicken and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to seal, then pour in the remaining coconut milk and the stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the bamboo shoots, eggplant and torn lime leaves and simmer for 8 minutes, then add the bell pepper and cook 4 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through with no pink remaining and reaches 74 C at its center.
- Season with fish sauce and palm sugar, tasting until the curry is balanced between salty, slightly sweet and spicy.
- Stir through the Thai basil just before serving so it wilts but stays fragrant, and serve with steamed jasmine rice.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Fish Sauce
- soy sauce + a pinch of salt
- Lime
- lemon
What to serve with Red Curry
- Massaman Beef curry Beef
- Pad Thai Seafood
- Drunken noodles (pad kee mao) Beef
- Tom yum soup with prawns Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Red Curry take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Red Curry is an original Thai recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Red Curry with Chicken - Little Thai, Brighton 2024-03-01.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.