This Instant Pot Thai chicken curry is quick and delicious, loaded with healthy protein and vegetables. Made with red curry paste and wholesome coconut cream, this curry recipe is dairy-free, Whole30, paleo and keto-friendly. This is an updated recipe!
We love all types of curries but a tasty Thai chicken curry would have to be on the top of the list. Making an authentic Thai curry can be a labour of love, especially if you make your own curry paste, but there is a much simpler and quicker way. This Instant Pot Thai curry is made in under 30 minutes using ingredients you can find in most grocery stores. That's why we call it a curry in a hurry.
This recipe is by no means an authentic version BUT it's delicious and pretty close to the real thing, if we may say so. Serve it up with cooked white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or enjoy it as a standalone stew.
CURRY MODIFICATIONS
The curry is gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly. If you would like to make a vegetarian or vegan version, replace the meat with diced pumpkin, winter squash or sweet potatoes and feel free to add more vegetables; replace fish sauce with a teaspoon of sea salt and a splash of soy sauce. We used stevia sugar alternative for sweetness but you can omit that; you should still get some sweetness from the coconut cream/milk.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT THAI CHICKEN CURRY
You will find the full list of ingredients, instructions and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Watch this video to see just how easy it is to make this delicious chicken curry in the Instant Pot.
- Curry paste: we used ready-made red curry paste but you could use green or Panang curry paste, or make your own. We used ⅓ cup because the brand of the paste isn't super hot but you might need to adjust the amount depending on the curry paste you use.
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk that is at least 60% coconut content (not the diluted drinking coconut milk). Refrigerate ahead of time so that the thickened milk (coconut cream) separates from the liquid. Using the thickened part will give you creamier curry but of course, you can also add the whole can with cream and liquid.
- Stovetop method: If making this curry on a stovetop, repeat the first few steps and once all the ingredients are in the pot, simply cook over medium heat, covered with a lid, for 20-25 minutes.
MORE CURRY RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Japanese Chicken Curry
- Indian Chicken Curry & Rice In One Pot
- Goan-Style Shrimp Curry
- Mushroom Matar (Green Pea Curry)
- Coconut Lentil Curry
- Best Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
- For more Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes go here.
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Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients
Part one:
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced roughly
- 4-5 slices of ginger
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 1.4 lbs. chicken breast and thighs, diced (650 g)
- ⅓ cup red curry paste less or more depending on the spice level
- 2 teaspoons sugar we used 1 teaspoon stevia sugar alternative
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup coconut milk coconut cream, see notes
- ⅔ cup chicken stock or water with ½ cube chicken stock
Part two:
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 large carrot sliced
- ½ large zucchini sliced
- ½ head of broccoli florets cut in halves
- 1 red pepper sliced
- To thicken: 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Garnish: diced scallions/spring onions and more cilantro optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté button. Once the pot is hot, add the olive oil, onion, ginger and garlic and stir through. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add the chicken.
- Add the curry paste and stir through the chicken. Now, add the sugar, fish sauce, coconut cream, and chicken stock. Stir through well and press Cancel to stop the Sautéing.
- Pop the lid on top and lock, making sure the valve is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook, HIGH pressure and set to 7 minutes. The Instant Pot will say ON and it will take about 5-10 minutes for the pressure to build up, after which the timer will start. Though, the curry will be cooking during the whole time.
- Once the timer finishes, allow a couple of minutes for natural release, then use the quick release method (point the top valve to Venting) to let off the rest of the pressure. Be careful of the hot steam jet!
- Open the lid and press the Sauté button again. Add juice of half a lime and stir through. Have a little taste. Add more salt or fish sauce if needed.
- Add all the vegetables and cook on Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Dissolve the tapioca or arrowroot flour in 2 tablespoons of water. Stir into the curry to thicken the sauce. Finish adding the remaining coconut cream and then stir in cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
SAVE THIS THAI CHICKEN CURRY TO PINTEREST
Lee
Doesn’t the coconut milk curdle?
Instant Pot Eats
Hey Lee, no it doesn't here 🙂
Ashlee Hanson
This is delicious I’ve made it many times. I’m cooking for my vegan friend so Can you sub tofu for the chicken and when would you put it in?
Thanks!
Ann Fabrizio
I would cook the tofu separately (pan fry) or saute prior to pressure cooking then set aside. Add the tofu later after the curry is made.
Emily
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it. Question: Can you freeze this? I was thinking to make it, then freeze. Not sure how the sauce consistency holds up after thawing.
rochelle grusin
can i make rice at the same time whilst the curry is cooking in the instant pot
Ann Fabrizio
Yes! That's the best part about using a pressure cooker. You can cook more than one item by doing a Pot in Pot method of stacked containers.
Rebekah
Question. I have rotisserie chicken from Costco that I would love to use instead. How do I modify with ready cooked chicken for stove top?
Thanks!!
Ann Fabrizio
You can omit the chicken from the recipe and replace it with squash as an option. Then add the cooked chicken to the end. Or if you do want to do the whole process over stovetop, simply mix all the ingredients as a curry. This may take longer and the flavor won't be the same as the original recipe but still tasty.
Mel
Doubled the recipe, Used yellow curry and added turmeric powder to this recipe. I will use a bit more hot peppers next time. My family loves it!
Instant Pot Eats
Thanks, Mel. Glad you enjoyed it and I can see how it would work with yellow or red curry instead of green too.
Atiya Hopkins
Delicious! I typically cannot eat curry. This was stupendous. I made pretty close to recipe except for the arrowroot ( I used corn starch to thicken).I would double the chicken next time and make it spicier.
Instant Pot Eats
Thanks very much for the kind feedback, glad you loved it 🙂 Cornstarch is absolutely fine as well.
Sarah
Delicious! Made this in our RV. Quick and easy recipe. I left out chicken stock and coconut cream. Also added 1/2 cup peanut butter from another recipe I use. Husband was quite pleased.
Karen
What brand of Thai red curry paste did you use? I used Thai kitchen and it wasn’t as flavorful as I would have hoped. I did add a bit more fish sauce and a wee bit of salt. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Instant Pot Eats
Maesri, it's a Thai brand I think. You can often find those in Asian stores, so it's probably more authentic and is a bit punchier in flavor. You do have to experiment with different pastes. I have in the past had to add more of a particular paste as it was a little mild.
Tracy Riqtoe
Delicious! So easy to make and the flavors are incredible!
Can it be doubled to fit in an Eight Quart Instant pot? Never seems to be enough for leftovers:)!
Instant Pot Eats
Yes, absolutely can be doubled. Thanks for the feedback.
J Brown
It would be nice if this printed without the "Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest" share buttons covering the recipe.
Instant Pot Eats
Thanks for your feedback, it's in our development pipeline to fix early this year.
Jess
Can you use canned coconut cream?
instantpoteats
Yes, absolutely!
STEPHANIE MANNION
didn't see any notes on coconut cream/milk? can you use either?
instantpoteats
The notes are just below the video but I've added them below the recipe.
Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk that is at least 60% coconut content (not the diluted drinking coconut milk). Refrigerate ahead of time so that the thickened milk (coconut cream) separates from the liquid. Using the thickened part will give you creamier curry but of course, you can also add the whole can with cream and liquid.
Catherine Johns
There are several references to see Notes, but I do note see notes anywhere. What is meant by 1+ 1/2 c coconut milk?
Gillian
Hi! Just a note that if doing no-sugar version for paleo or Whole30, the fish sauce needs to be cut in half or 2/3. I didn't the first round and added 1/2 can more coconut milk to mellow out the fish taste a bit more.
instantpoteats
Thank you for the tip, Gillian!
Allison
I tried this recipe tonight, and while the sauce is absolutely delicious, the vegetables were overcooked mush! I am new to the Instant Pot, so despite my reservations about cooking vegetables so long, I followed the recipe. I will make it again, but I will lightly steam the veggies separately, and simmer them in after the meat has cooked.
instantpoteats
Hey Allison, I hear ya. I actually need to modify the recipe as I've made it a few times since and experimented with the timings and what works well also is adding the veggies once the curry is done and setting the IP to Saute function for 5 minutes, and cooking them that way, especially things like broccoli or other greens.