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Panang Curry Chicken

This Chicken Panang Curry tastes better than your favorite restaurant at a fraction of the price but is incredibly easy to make in 30 minutes all in one pot! It's lusciously coconut creamy thanks to my secret ingredient, tangy, savory, sweet and salty perfection and will have you joining readers in "wanting to chug the sauce." Once you have the curry paste, the rest of the ingredients are pantry friendly so you can make it at a moment's notice 👏.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Prep Time 18 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut/olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Panang curry paste (I use Mae Ploy brand)*
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs thinly sliced into 1/8” slices against the grain
  • 3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced (or other veggies)**
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 14 oz. cans quality coconut milk
  • 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch (depending on desired thickness)
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil or regular, roughly chopped

Garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium high heat in large saucepan or braiser. Add curry paste and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add sliced chicken and cook just until chicken is no longer pink. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
  • Add 1 1/2 cans coconut milk. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 can coconut milk then add to skillet. Stir in sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, bay leaf, and thyme.
  • Simmer for 5 minutes then add red bell peppers and basil and simmer 2-3 minutes or until peppers are crisp tender. Discard bay leaf.
  • Adjust to taste: Sweeten it up with additional brown sugar, add tang with additional lime juice, spice it up with additional Asian chili paste, add salt/more umami with additional fish sauce or salt. You may also add additional curry paste for more overall flavor and heat.
  • Garnish with additional optional fresh basil, cilantro and chili sauce to taste. Serve with rice.

Video

Notes

 
  • *2 tablespoons is medium-spicy - about a 4 spice level on the Thai 1-10 restaurant scale if using Mae Ploy brand.  I have found Mae Ploy to be a little spicier than other brands so it is possible that 2 tablespoons other brands might just be medium heat, and you may need to add more to taste at the end. (I used 3 TBS, that is why my curry is darker.)
  • Chicken is much easier to slice if partially frozen. It will thaw quickly once sliced.
  • You can slice your chicken and red bell peppers in advance for even quicker meal meal prep.
  • I recommend one red bell for sweet crunch, then you can swap in other vegetables such as snap peas, bamboo shoots, zucchini, carrots, etc.