Thai Red Curry with Crispy Chicken

This Thai red curry is a bold, aromatic sauce served over jasmine rice with seared chicken thigh and bok choy on the side. It delivers all the richness of a restaurant-style curry with minimal effort, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Serves 3

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25 minutes

Looking for more Thai-inspired chicken dinners? Try my Coconut Yellow Chicken Curry or my One Pot Thai Red Chicken Brothy Rice.

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Helpful Tips

Storage

Store the curry sauce and rice separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Keep seared chicken in a separate container and reheat in a hot pan to retain crispiness.
Reheat the curry sauce gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen.
Freeze curry sauce only (not rice or chicken) for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs → chicken breast, sliced into strips (reduce cook time slightly as breast cooks faster)
Chicken stock or bone broth → vegetable stock for a lighter option
Lemongrass paste → 1 fresh lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped
Brown sugar → palm sugar for a more traditional flavour
Bok choy → broccolini, pak choy, or snow peas

Serving Suggestions

Serve the jasmine rice in a bowl, top with sliced chicken and bok choy, then ladle the curry sauce generously over everything. Finish with fresh coriander, sliced red chilli, and an extra squeeze of lime at the table.

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Ingredients Directions

Serving Scaler

Serves 3 1x 2x 3x

Ingredients

For the curry sauce:

1 tbsp neutral oil
5–6 tbsp Thai red curry paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp lemongrass paste or fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
250ml (1 cup) chicken bone broth or chicken stock
400ml full-fat coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce, plus more to taste

For the chicken:

1 tbsp olive oil
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper

To serve:

1.5 cups (300g) jasmine rice, dry
2 bunches bok choy, halved lengthways
Fresh red chilli, sliced
Fresh coriander leaves
Lime wedges

Directions

Cook the jasmine rice according to packet directions. Keep warm.
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.
In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it dries out slightly and deepens in colour.
Pour in the chicken bone broth and stir well to dissolve the paste. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook for 3 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Add the coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, brown sugar, and fish sauce. Stir to combine. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce for saltiness or more sugar for balance.
While the sauce is simmering, slice the rested chicken thighs into strips. Steam or blanch the bok choy for 1–2 minutes until just tender and bright green.
To serve, scoop jasmine rice into bowls. Arrange sliced chicken and bok choy on top, then ladle the curry sauce generously over everything. Finish with fresh coriander, sliced red chilli, and a wedge of lime.

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Nutritional Information

( per serving, based on 3 )

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	680 kcal
Protein	42 g
Carbohydrates	65 g
Fat	26 g
Fibre	4 g

Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a general reference only. Actual values may vary. This is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.