Quick Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk and Cilantro Lime Rice

     Curry is highly flexible and a great “clean out the fridge” dish & I like those kind of dishes!  This version uses chicken as a protein and some fabulous veg, but the time saving little jar of garnet red curry paste is the clincher, 

​You can, of course, make your own curry blend.  Find about twenty spices, some chilis, perhaps some onion, hard to find kefir lime leaves and lemongrass, pound them together, saute and then begin the rest of the dish.  Sound exhausting?  Jarred curries are often such high quality that I have no qualms in using them and they’ve done the hard work for me.

I love that curries are so adaptable to what you have on hand.  I've used leftover chicken, chickpeas or tofu as a protein, but ground beef or turkey also work great,  The vegetables are wildly varied and I always love some sweet potatoes for that alluring sweet bite along with mushrooms, onion, red peppers and perhaps some carrot.

Kicking it off with onion and mushroom in the skillet

This is such a great weeknight dish as it comes together in about 20 minutes, especially if you're using some chicken from a previous meal or shredding a rotisserie chicken from the store.

I had some roasted Japanese sweet potatoes added this this one. So delicious!

Leftover chicken, roasted red peppers right out of the jar & that flavor packed dynamo red curry paste all ready for the skillet.

My favorite way to have this is served over some cilantro lime rice, but any grain will do or sop up that flavorful broth.

So colorful, flavorful and even better the next day as all the flavors meld, making this perfect for meal prep.  A spectacular leftover dish!

I love how colorful this is.□

Garnished with some cilantro & a few pomegranate arils.

Quick Chicken Curry

Serves 4-6
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked & cut into bite sized pieces (or similar amount shredded rotisserie chicken)

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 Tablespoons red curry paste (such as Taste of Thai)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lime
1/2 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced ( or use jarred roasted red pepper)
1 package cremini or baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small sweet potato, peeled & cut into small dice (optional)
1/2 cup chick peas (optional)
1 can full fat coconut milk

sea salt to taste


Garnish with any or all of the following:
sliced scallions
chopped mint, cilantro or basil leaves 
chopped cashews or peanuts
shredded coconut

pomegranate arils



Add onion, mushrooms and sweet potato (if using) to a skillet with the olive oil and salt & sauté until the onions are translucent.
Add the red curry paste and stir until all the vegetables are well coated.

Add the chicken, chickpeas (if using) and red pepper and stir again to coat with the red curry paste.

Add in the coconut milk and let simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender (about another 10 minutes).

Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and top with your garnishes of choice.  If you choose to serve with Cilantro Lime Rice, the recipe follows.




Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup jasmine rice 
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime, juice & zest
1 Tablespoon butter (optional)
handful of cilantro, chopped




I like to saute the rice in the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat for about 60 seconds like you’re going to make a risotto, but then add the water and salt. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to as low as it will go, cover and let it go for 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat, uncover, add butter if using, the juice and zest of the lime and cilantro. 
Perfect lime cilantro rice!