Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken and Potatoes

Name: Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken and Potatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 cans (13.5 oz each) (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, unshaken; scoop cream from top of cans first, then stir remainder; 4 tbsp (60 g) Thai yellow curry paste; 1 tbsp (7 g) mild curry powder; 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces; 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, halved and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) wedges; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced; 1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock; 1½ tbsp (22 ml) fish sauce; 2 tsp (8 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped if using palm sugar; 1 large lime, half juiced (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges for serving; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 1½ cups (280 g) jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs mostly clear; 2¼ cups (540 ml) water, for cooking rice; kosher salt, to taste, for rice and seasoning; 1 whole (10 g) red Thai chile or fresno chile, thinly sliced (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, creamy Thai yellow curry with tender chicken thighs, soft potatoes and sweet onion, simmered in coconut milk and balanced with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime. Ready in about 45 minutes in one pot.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Makes: About 6 cups (4 generous servings), served with rice

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 cans (13.5 oz each) (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, unshaken; scoop cream from top of cans first, then stir remainder
4 tbsp (60 g) Thai yellow curry paste
1 tbsp (7 g) mild curry powder
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, halved and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) wedges
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, minced
1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
1½ tbsp (22 ml) fish sauce
2 tsp (8 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped if using palm sugar
1 large lime, half juiced (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges for serving
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1½ cups (280 g) jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs mostly clear
2¼ cups (540 ml) water, for cooking rice
kosher salt, to taste, for rice and seasoning
1 whole (10 g) red Thai chile or fresno chile, thinly sliced (optional)

Equipment (5)

4-quart (3.8 L) Dutch oven or heavy wide pot with lid
Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
Cutting board and sharp knife
Instant-read thermometer
Medium saucepan with lid for rice

Steps

Before you start

Do not shake the coconut milk cans; you need the thick cream on top to fry the curry paste. Chill cans for an hour if the cream is not separated.
Start the jasmine rice before or while you make the curry so everything is ready together.
Cut chicken and potatoes into similar-sized pieces (about 1½ inches / 4 cm) so they cook evenly.
Yellow curry paste brands vary widely in salt and heat. Start with the amount listed and adjust at the end.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces, peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, cut the onion into wedges, and mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly with a pinch of salt.
- Keep potatoes in a bowl of cold water until needed, then drain well.
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Ready when: All pieces are uniform in size and the chicken is dry on the surface.
Tip: Uniform pieces cook at the same rate, so the potatoes finish at the same time as the chicken.
2
Start the rice
- Combine the rinsed rice, 2¼ cups (540 ml) water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, cover, reduce to low and cook 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
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Ready when: Water is absorbed and rice grains are tender and fluffy.
Tip: Keep the lid on; lifting it lets steam escape and leaves the rice undercooked.
3
Fry the curry paste
- Open the coconut milk cans without shaking and scoop the thick cream from the top into a Dutch oven (about ¾ cup / 180 ml total); set the remaining thin milk aside.
- Heat the cream over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until it bubbles and you see oily droplets separating.
- Add the curry paste and curry powder and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The paste smells toasty and fragrant, darkens slightly, and the oil shimmers red-orange around it.
Tip: If the paste starts to stick or scorch, add 1 tablespoon of the thin coconut milk.
4
Sauté aromatics and chicken
- Add the onion, garlic and ginger and stir for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften and coat in paste.
- Add the chicken and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the outside turns opaque and is coated in the paste.
- It will not be cooked through yet.
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Ready when: Chicken is opaque on all sides and the onion looks glossy and slightly softened.
5
Add liquids and potatoes
- Pour in the remaining thin coconut milk and the chicken stock, scraping up any paste stuck to the bottom.
- Add the drained potatoes, fish sauce and palm sugar, and stir.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break across the surface and the liquid is evenly yellow-orange.
6
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the curry bubbles gently, partially cover with the lid, and cook 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce has slightly thickened.
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Ready when: A knife slides into a potato chunk with no resistance, and the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Chicken reads at least 165°F (74°C).
Tip: Keep to a gentle simmer; a hard boil can make the coconut milk split and turn greasy.
7
Check chicken temperatureOven 165°F / 75°C
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest piece of chicken.
- It should read at least 165°F (74°C).
- If not, simmer 3 more minutes and check again.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) or higher and juices run clear.
8
Season and balance
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Taste and adjust: add a splash more fish sauce for salt, a pinch more sugar for sweetness, or a little salt if needed.
- The curry should taste rich, savory, lightly sweet and bright.
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Ready when: Flavors taste balanced, with no single note (salt, sweet or sour) dominating.
Tip: Add lime off the heat to keep its flavor fresh and bright.
9
Serve
- Spoon the rice into bowls and ladle the curry over or alongside.
- Top with chopped cilantro and sliced chile if using, and serve with lime wedges.
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Ready when: Curry is steaming hot and fragrant.

Good to know

Tips

Frying the curry paste in separated coconut cream is what gives deep flavor; do not skip it.
Use full-fat coconut milk; light versions make a thin, watery sauce that splits more easily.
Brands of yellow curry paste differ in salt and heat, so add fish sauce gradually and taste before adding more.
For extra color and sweetness, add 1 sliced red bell pepper during the last 5 minutes of simmering.

Make ahead

"The curry tastes even better the next day. Cook through step 8, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently and stir in the lime juice and cilantro just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 2 months (potatoes soften slightly). Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring, with a splash of water or stock, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C). Do not boil hard."

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breast. Cut into slightly larger pieces and simmer only 10 to 12 minutes in step 6 to avoid drying; it may be added after potatoes have cooked 8 minutes.
Yukon Gold potatoes → sweet potatoes. Gives a sweeter curry; cook the same size chunks, reducing time by about 3 minutes.
fish sauce → light soy sauce. Use the same amount; the flavor will be less funky but still savory. Needed for vegetarian versions along with vegetable stock and tofu.
palm sugar or light brown sugar → light brown sugar. Use the same amount; it is already an acceptable swap in the recipe.