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A simple, simmer-all-day (or quick!) curry that fills your home with the most delicious, warming smells. This spiced tomato-based chicken curry comes together with fragrant spices, canned tomatoes, and creamy coconut milk. Everything simmers on the stove until the sauce thickens and develops it’s flavor. I then serve over rice with fresh cilantro. Don’t forget warm naan for dipping in that creamy curry sauce, so yummy!
I’m in New York right now, where it’s so festive and cute! It’s cold and rainy (I wish it were snow!), but it’s still incredibly cozy. The kind of weather that makes you want to curl up by the fire with a warm dinner and the people you love.
December is my favorite month for comforting recipes—soups, pastas, and always a good curry. Many years ago, I shared my butter chicken, and ever since then, curry has been a family favorite. When I’m not making butter chicken, this Dutch Oven Chicken Curry is the one I turn to.
What I love is that it works two ways: it can simmer quickly when I need a fast dinner, or I can make it in the morning and let it slowly cook all day. It fills the house with the warmest, coziest scent—almost like chai spices simmering on the stove. It’s such a comforting meal for cold winter nights!
These are the details
- chicken breasts, thighs, or use a mix. I often use a mix of similar-sized pieces
- yellow onions
- garlic
- ground ginger
- ground turmeric
- cumin
- cayenne pepper
- salt
- canned crushed tomatoes
- coconut milk
- fresh cilantro
- rice – for serving!
Special Tools
I use a Dutch oven and a wooden spoon to make this curry. Very simple!
Steps
Step 1: start the chicken
In your Dutch oven, add the butter, chicken, and yellow onion. Set the pot over medium-high heat and begin cooking. Add the garlic along with all the spices: ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Season well with salt.
Cook until some of the chicken pieces are lightly seared and the spices smell wonderfully fragrant.
Step 2: add the coconut milk and tomatoes
Stir in the tomatoes, then pour in the coconut milk. If you like, add a cinnamon stick and a star anise—both add a lovely warmth and help balance the heat.
Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked. From here, you can finish the curry right away or let it cook low and slow for hours. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of water.
Step 3: finish the sauce
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise, if used. Stir in a handful of fresh cilantro.
Step 4: serve
Spoon the curry over bowls of fluffy rice.
Don’t forget warm naan on the side—perfect for scooping up all that extra sauce.
Looking for other quick dinners? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil
Lastly, if you make this Dutch Oven Chicken Curry, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Dutch Oven Chicken Curry
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 324 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 pounds mixed chicken breasts and thighs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounce) crushed tomatoes
- cinnamon stick or star anise (optional)
- salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- rice and naan for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large Dutch oven, add the butter, the chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and season with salt. Cook until the chicken is seared and the spices are fragrant, 5-8 minutes.2. Pour over the coconut milk and tomatoes. If using, add the cinnamon and/or star anise. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. At this point, you can cook the curry on low, up to all day. Add water if the sauce is too thick. Stir in half of the cilantro.3. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Top with extra cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on December 4, 2025
This was not enjoyed in my home 🙁
Hi Ashley,
Sorry to hear this. Is there something specific that I can help with? Please let me know!
Our family loved this!!!
The only things I did differently were-
-I seasoned with salt and pepper as I went along (like I do with every recipe). I seasoned the onions and also both sides of my chicken prior to searing
-I mixed all the spices together prior to pouring them over the searing chicken
-I reduced the cayenne (because my children are wimps) 🤣.
-I added frozen peas near the end of cooking
-I did throw in a cinnamon stick!
It was very flavorful, we all enjoyed it
Hey Lauren,
Thank you so much! I am so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for the notes!
Have a great weekend!
I did a similar process. I used all boneless skinless chicken thighs and salted them when I put them in to sear and then added 1 1/2 kosher salt once the liquids were all in. I also added a couple cinnamon sticks and some whole cloves. The flavors were so warm and cozy and the chicken was so tender it was just falling apart.
i don’t see instructions on where to put the dutch oven?
Hi Lainey,
The dutch oven is on the stove top.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
The instructions are a bit confusing and the entire dish was lackluster, and not “curry” to me at all. I won’t make this again.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed.
If there is anything that I can clear up, please let me know!
Hi! We have coconut allergies to be cognizant of; is there a good substitution that won’t change the dish too much? Thank you!
Hi Julie,
Any other milk you enjoy will work. I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
Do you need to cut the chicken into cubes before putting in the dutch oven? Or do you leave the pieces as is and sear both sides?
Hi Claire,
No need to cut the chicken, you can leave it whole for this recipe.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
How is this curry when it has no curry powder? Is that correct?
Hi Jamie,
Yes, that is correct:) Curry is a combination of specific seasonings. If you wanted to add curry powder you totally could.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
The ingredients do not specify bone-in or boneless chicken. It seems like it would be difficult to eat bone-in chicken in a bowl.
Hi Missy,
I like to use boneless for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
You can use either. My MIL is Indian and she usually makes curry and biriyani with bone in chicken but I prefer boneless.
Could you clarify what “cook until seared means?” Is that correct?
Hi Sara,
Yes, that is correct, you will cook until the chicken is seared.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Why don’t you do video intros on your stories anymore? I know you said you do sometimes but you never do them anymore. 🙁 I always enjoyed them!!
Thanks Sasha! I will try to do them more often:)
Excited to try – do you use boneless/skinless or skinless bone-in or bone-in skin on thighs and breasts? Or does it not matter? Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Tara,
I like to use boneless/skinless, but totally up to you, the recipe will work either way!
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love this dish!
Are these bone in chicken pieces?
Hi Sally,
I like to use boneless chicken for this recipe, but you could easily use bone in if that is your preference.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
For step 1, what is the stove setting?
Hi Morgan,
You can begin your cooking on medium-high. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
“In a large Dutch oven, add the butter, the chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, and season with salt. Cook until the chicken is seared.”
Is this correct? I’m confused how the chicken would get seared with all the other items in the oven. How does putting it in the oven make it seared? Will hold off on making this until I hear back from you to make sure I do it right! 🙂
Hi Wren,
This recipe is not going into the oven:) I used a dutch oven for this, a large soup pot or braiser would also work nicely here. You are going to sear the chicken on the stove top in your pot of choice.
I hope this makes more sense. Let me know if you give the recipe a try!
I am referring to the Dutch oven. If all of the ingredients are in the Dutch oven, how do you sear the chicken? Could you provide a little bit more clarity on how you did this? Thanks!! 🙂
The only ingredients are the chicken, onion, and spices. The chicken will sear nicely:)
Sear means to quickly cook the outside of food over high heat to lock in juices and create a crispy crust. It doesn’t seem like any searing is happening in this recipe, which I think is where the confusion is. Maybe just say “until chicken is no longer pink” instead of seared?
Thanks for the reply!! I made this recipe and would like to offer the follow:
I was pretty disappointed. The flavor fell flat and didn’t really taste like a curry – more like chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. It was extremely rich with all the butter/coconut milk, but without enough depth or spice to balance it. I followed the recipe exactly and still found myself adding extra seasoning just to make it interesting. I love a good cozy dish, but this one just felt heavy and bland rather than warm and flavorful. 🙁
Dutch oven is the name of the pot-a big 4 or 5 quart will work too
It doesn’t go into the oven-stovetop
It does. I use my Dutch ovens for multiple recipes that are started on the stovetop and finished off in the oven.
A good ceramic Dutch oven like Le Creuset or Staub is made of enameled cast iron and is oven safe
This is a common technique. You saute the aromatics and then push them aside to make room for the chicken thighs to get a good sear over medium-high heat for ~4 minutes per side, like little nests if that makes sense. Depending on the recipe sometimes you will pull the protein out while doing more steps to the base of the recipe and then add them back in. But that’s not necessary in this recipe.
I found it to be a very tasty and easy recipe but maybe the recipe could be edited to add the steps that seem to be confusing some people.
Hi, I’m just wondering is there supposed to be curry listed in the recipe? I don’t see it.
Hi Ashley,
Nope, the recipe is correct as written:) If you want to add some curry powder you totally could!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!