Easy Chicken Thigh Curry
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Easy Chicken Thigh Curry
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Why this recipe is great
This chicken thigh curry recipe is one of my go to recipes for a number of reasons. Firstly, using on-the-bone chicken thighs not only reduces prep time, as you can just chuck them in the pan, it also provides the most flavoursome chicken.
This easy chicken curry recipe has a mild spice, which can be adapted to heat tolerance, making it the perfect curry to serve to multiple people.
Most of the cook time is inactive, making it a great weeknight dinner, after a hard day at uni/work.
I also love to meal prep this recipe, as you get 5 freezable servings which are packed with nutrients and flavour that grows over time.
Other chicken thigh recipes …
Lebanese inspired chicken pilaf
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs
Bone in, skin on thighs for the most intense chickeny flavour. I remove the excess skin (the skin that isn’t directly attached to any part of the thigh) to reduce the calories/fats slightly.
Ginger, Garlic and Onion
The foundation of our simple curry recipe starts with this beautiful combo.
Fresh Chillies
I use fresh chillies for a well rounded spice flavour. You can keep the seeds in for extra heat or deseed them. I like to deseed the chillies to make the curry mild, and then each person can top with chilli flakes to increase the heat if they want to.
Passata
I wanted a smooth tomato sauce to be added to this curry, which can be achieved in a short time/without blending with passata. You can also use chopped tomatoes/plum tomatoes and then blend, if you don’t have any passata.
Fresh Coriander
For freshness and flavour.
Green Beans
For nutrients.
Spinach
For nutrients and flavour.
Yogurt
A small amount of yogurt goes a long way with this chicken thigh curry. It adds a tangy creaminess that is *chefs kiss*.
How to make a chicken thigh curry
Start by frying the chicken thighs skin facing down in rapeseed oil on a medium heat. After around 10 minutes, the fats from the chicken will start to render and the skin will crisp up nicely. Rotate and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, blend the peeled ginger, garlic and chillies with a few tbsp of water to form a rough paste.
Set the crispy chicken thighs aside (they are not fully cooked yet), then to the pan, add the diced onions to sweat until translucent, frying for approx 5 minutes. Season with salt.
Next, add the paste to the pan along with the curry powder. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato puree and a splash of stock. Continue to fry until the tomato puree darkens in colour.
Pour the stock and the passata into the pan and stir, before placing the chicken thighs, skin facing up this time in the pan. Reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside and take the curry off the heat.
Add a tbsp of the curry into a bowl with the yogurt to prevent it from splitting then stir to combine and pour the yogurt into the curry along with the spinach.
Once the spinach has wilted, add the thighs back into the pan and top with fresh coriander and lime. Serve with brown rice and an optional portion of green beans.
What to serve with these curried chicken thighs
I’ve chosen to serve green beans with this curry recipe, as we have our healthy fats, protein and complex carbs (brown rice) provided in the recipe.
All that’s left to make this recipe complete in my mind is some added greens. You could also serve:
- Tenderstem broccoli
- Grilled aubergine
- Edamame beans
- Wilted spinach
FAQ
Can I substitute the chicken thighs with chicken breasts?
Yes you can! If you increase the rapeseed oil to 1 tbsp, add thinly sliced chicken breast chunks to the pan in step 1 and fry on a high heat for 5 minutes. Set aside and continue with the steps as normal, adding the chicken breast into the curry for the last 5 minutes of cook time.
Can I make the recipe ahead of time?
Yes! I love making this easy chicken curry recipe for meal prep. Divide into meal prep containers with a serving of brown rice and store the garnishes separately (the coriander and lime wedges). Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. To reheat, microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes you can! Freeze for up to 3 months.
More curry recipes to try…
Easy Chicken Thigh Curry
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on (£2.07)
- 40 g ginger, peeled (£0.50)
- 50 g fresh chillies, seeds removed (if you like it mild) (£0.47)
- 4 cloves of garlic (£0.69/3)=(£0.23)
- 1 onion, finely diced (£0.09)
- 500g passata (£0.45)
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander, torn (£1.00/2)=(£0.50)
- 180 g green beans, optional, steamed to serve (£0.89)
- 250 g brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions (£1.45/4)=(£0.36)
- 50 g (2 handfuls) of spinach (£0.85/2)=(£0.43)
- 2 tbsp yogurt (£0.85/2)=(£0.43)
- 1 lime, cut into wedges to serve (£0.17)
Cupboard Essentials
- ½ tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 6 tbsp tomato puree
- 600 ml chicken stock
Method
- Fry the chicken thighs skin facing down in rapeseed oil on a medium heat. After around 10 minutes, the fats from the chicken will start to render and the skin will crisp up nicely. Rotate and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt.
- Meanwhile, blend the peeled ginger, garlic and chillies to form a rough paste. To help the blender out, add a tbsp or two of water.
- Set the crispy chicken thighs aside (they’re not fully cooked yet, don’t worry). Then to the pan, add the diced onions to sweat until translucent, frying for approx 5 minutes. Season with salt.
- Next, add the paste to the pan along with the curry powder. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato puree and a splash of stock. Continue to fry for around 5 minutes, until the tomato puree darkens in colour.
- Pour the stock and the passata into the pan and stir to combine. Place the chicken thighs, skin facing up this time, back into the pan and reduce to a low simmer, setting a timer for 20 minutes. The chicken thighs should be cooked after this time. Set aside and take the curry off the heat. To prevent the yogurt from splitting, add a tbsp of the curry into a bowl with the yogurt. Stir to combine then pour the yogurt into the curry along with the spinach.
- Once the spinach has wilted, add the thighs back into the pan and top with fresh coriander and lime. Serve with brown rice and an optional portion of green beans.
Nutrition
Easy Chicken Thigh Curry
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