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This Simple Spicy Summer Coconut Chicken Curry is quick to make and full of yummy island flavors. It’s made with spicy gingered mango, flavorful red curry paste, lots of ginger, shallots, and creamy coconut milk. The boneless chicken is simmered in a sauce of garden vegetables and served with a bright mango topping. A side of rice and fresh naan – for soaking up all that yummy curry sauce – make this dish so delicious.
There’s nothing I enjoy more than a summer chicken curry recipe or stir-fry. Throw everything in a skillet with some seasonings, then serve with rice. The simplest of dinners that always comes out so flavorful and delicious.
Curries might be my favorite, however. They’re summer comfort food with lots of fresh vegetables and a creamy sauce. And they’re usually coconut based, which is my favorite.
Today I’m sharing a new summer curry that came together so wonderfully. I’ve been excited to share this for days! This spicy curry is all about the sauce. It’s creamy but seasoned up with a mix of tropical Jamaican-inspired spices and Thai red curry paste.
I used a lot of ginger and shallots, then all the summer produce in my fridge: sweet yellow corn, zucchini, and red bell peppers.
This is how I make a simple summer curry
Step 1: make the ginger rice
Technically this is not a part of the recipe, but I’m going to tell you how to make it here because I love this rice so much.
Bring 2 cups of coconut milk and 1 cup of water to a boil. Then add in 2 cups of dry basmati rice and about 1/3 cup of pickled sushi-style ginger. Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to LOW. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let sit for another 15 minutes.
During this time, do not take any peaks inside. When the rice is ready, fluff with a fork. I adore the addition of creamy coconut and ginger, it really makes the rice so special!
Step 2: make the curry
Start with the chicken. I like to use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs are great too. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook it in a skillet with a spice blend of smoked paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Then add curry paste, a couple squares of butter, the shallots, fresh ginger, and thyme.
Once that has cooked and is fragrant, add the vegetables. You can use any mix of vegetables you love, I use fresh summer corn, zucchini, and red bell peppers.
Mix in the coconut milk. Then add a dash of cinnamon and some fish sauce (alternatively, use tamari or soy sauce). Let the sauce simmer until it thickens up.
Step 3: the mango
Toss together a diced mango along with jalapeños and pickled ginger. This is a sweet, spicy bite that you can spoon over your curry.
It balances the dish out so beautifully.
Step 4: serve and enjoy
Spoon the rice into bowls. Then spoon the curry and sauce over the rice. I love to drizzle over a spicy curry butter and finish with fresh basil.
For serving, add a side of warm naan – the best!
This dish is definitely becoming a quick weeknight family favorite. It’s also fun because you can use any mix of summer produce!
Looking for other quick summer curries? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
Saucy Coconut Curry with Rice Noodles and Garden Vegetables
Weeknight 30 Minute Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
20 Minute Red Curry Basil Garlic Oil Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Simple Spicy Summer Coconut 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!
Simple Spicy Summer Coconut Chicken Curry
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 632 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 cups chopped summer vegetables: zucchini, bell peppers, corn, summer squash
- 2 1/2 cups canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, tamari, or soy sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1 mango, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, chopped
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger, chopped
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the oil, chicken, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set over medium-high heat, then cook for 3 minutes. Add the curry paste, cinnamon, butter, shallot, ginger, and thyme. Cook another 2 minutes.2. Mix in the vegetables, let cook 5 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Season with salt. Cook 5-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the basil.3. In a bowl, combine the mango, jalapeño, 1/4 cup freshly torn basil leaves, pickled ginger, and 1 tablespoon ginger juice. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice and with spicy ginger mango and curry butter (below). Serve with naan for soaking up all that sauce.
Spicy Curry Butter
- 1. In a small skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter with a big pinch of Korean or regular chili flakes. Cook until lightly golden, then remove from the heat and add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme and season with salt. Spoon the sauce over the curry.
Notes
To make ginger rice:
Bring 2 cups of coconut milk and 1 cup of water to a boil. Then add in 2 cups of dry basmati rice and about 1/3 cup of pickled sushi-style ginger. Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to LOW. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let sit for another 15 minutes.
During this time, do not take any peaks inside. When the rice is ready, fluff with a fork. I adore the addition of creamy coconut and ginger, it really makes the rice so special!
This post was originally published on July 13, 2023
I love this recipe! I just happened to discover your website the other day and have already made two of your recipes. The flavors are spot on and the mango salsa tops it off. It is so refreshing to find and discover flavorful recipes. Thank you!
Hi Carol,
Happy Friday!!🫐🍓 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for your comment and making it! xT
Do you have a substitute for mango? There is a mango allergy in the family. But love the sound of this curry
Hi Vandana,
You can just skip the mango, pineapple would also be a good option! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This dish was tasty! You don’t say in recipe instructions when to add soy sauce. Also, it would be helpful to list the ingredients for the butter and rice – separately at the top is fine… but it makes making a shopping list hard if you don’t read all the instructions!!
Hi Ceil,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! The soy sauce/fish sauce is listed in step 2:) xx
Do you chop up the sushi ginger for the rice or leave it whole (long strips)?
Do you use canned coconut milk or a carton?
Also, curious about the butter. Why not add more butter, thyme and some red pepper flakes to the main sauce?
Hi Christy,
The ginger is totally up to you, I just leave it whole:) I always use canned coconut milk. Feel free to add anything you like to the sauce:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
My neice just sent me your cookbook as a gift, and I love how easy your recipes look! I decided to look online to see if I could find you, and I’m so glad I did! Your pictures look amazing and I love the visual because we eat with our eyes first!
I was wondering what bread you’re serving with this dish and if you have an easy recipe for it.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for your kind message Nora!! Yes, this is my homemade naan recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/herbed-garlic-butter-naan/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Your currys always look SO good. This looks like an easy enough one to try too.
xo Jessica
an indigo day
So, so delicious!!! The whole family enjoyed!
Hi Amber,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! Have a great day! xT
Thanks so much Jessica!!
I made this today, it’s very good but LABOR INTENSIVE if you don’t have a sous chef. Also, recipe directions as written do not say when to add fish sauce or cinnamon.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for making this dish and sharing your feedback! Sorry about all of the work. The cinnamon is listed in step 1 and the fish sauce is in step 2:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
I love ALLLLLL things curry, especially if Tieghan wrote it! I sort of made a 1.5 recipe because I had 2 cans of 13.5oz coconut milk and I didn’t want left overs. This was SO amazing and even my husband ate it. Two bowls worth, actually, and that’s huge because usually he tries a bite or 2 of my curry and makes something else lol. This was great for leftovers too, and yes, I too had to run the dishwasher a second time last night because this took a handful of dishes. To prepare. Listen, good food takes time AND energy. Thanks again for another winner, Tieghan!
Hey Autumn,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! Thanks for your kind message:) Have a great day! xT
I would rate it 10 stars if that was an option! All the flavors just come together! Cannot wait to bring it to work for lunch tomorrow! The whole office will be so jealous! I’ll take pictures and tag at work!
Lol thanks so much Lisa!! I love to hear that this dish was such a hit, thanks a lot for making it:) xT
Soooo delicious! I even ran out of coconut milk since I used some for the rice and substituted some coconut cream to the curry instead. I will try again with the proper ingredients to see if it’s even better:)
Thanks so much Allison!! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xT
😍😍 Absolutely delish! I didn’t have pickled ginger so I used fresh in the rice and some lime juice in the mango bowl and it turned out fantastic. My only complaint is how many bowls and pans this one took. My kitchen is a mess but it was worth it!
Hey Michelle,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and appreciate you making it:) xT
First, I think this needs to be re-written as the previous comments show there’s no breakdown of what ingredients go into the main dish vs the sides. When trying to read from a device makes it more difficult so printed it out. Still confusing. The fish sauce… when does that come in?
Second, I made this because I grilled a bunch of corn in the hopes of doing this dish along with one of the street corn dishes tonight. I made the main and had high hopes but even adding more seasoning I was disappointed. It smelled delicious but came up short. I used Thai Kitchen red curry (a whole bottle) and I think I will try it with an Indian curry instead. Also bothered me that Italian basil was used but of course I couldn’t find any Thai basil which would have added a better flavor.
I skipped the mango and the rice because we had Naan bread.
Overall it was a nice base and a great way to use summer veggies just needs some tweaking.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this dish was not enjoyed. The fish sauce is added with the coconut milk. Again, my apologies! xx
Hi!!
The recipe lists: 2 and 1/2 cups of coconut assuming the 1/2 cup is used in the recipe base annd and the two cups are used to make the rice?
Hi Jill,
Nope, the 2 1/2 cups are used in the recipe, if you are choosing to make the coconut rice those 2 cups are separate:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tieghan,
Would you recommend using cooking the sweet corn prior to adding or fresh off the cob (uncooked)?
Thanks!
Hi Anne,
Nope, no need to cook the corn first, it will cook in the dish:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
My family loved this recipe! I used a plant-based chicken alternative, and it turned out great. As others are saying, definitely plan for more prep time than is listed.
Thanks for sharing your creativity with us, Tieghan!
Hi Ahna,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and Happy Monday! xT
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO delicious! Ready in no time too! I added a little extra curry powder and a diced jalapeno with the veggies because we enjoy heat, oh and doubled the chicken because my son is all about protein, and leftovers, which there wasn’t much of! The mango salad was a perfect accent and don’t forget the naan! OMG i will be making this again soon! Thank you for another amazing recipe ♡
Hi Yvette,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT