CURRY CHICKEN
Curries are often a great Paleo choice when you’re out at an Indian or Thai restaurant, because they are straightforward sauces that usually contain coconut milk instead of dairy. I love ordering it when I’m out, but I’m a big fan of making my own even more Paleo-friendly version at home. You can make this recipe a lot hotter if you like things on the spicier side, or you could skip the red pepper flakes altogether if you’re in the mood for something mild. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 35 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken broth
½ (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 to 2 tablespoons sliced scallion
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Return the heat to medium, and add the chicken. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Add the curry powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pan, and stir to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the coconut milk while continuing to stir. Cook on low for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnished with the scallions.
VARIATION 1 CHICKEN CURRY SOUP: Make this recipe in a saucepan instead of a skillet, and add 3 to 4 more cups chicken broth. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and perhaps more curry powder. You could also cook the chicken thighs whole in a 300°F oven for about 40 minutes, until browned and cooked through, and shred after cooking for a different texture in the soup.
VARIATION 2 SHRIMP CURRY: Make this recipe with shrimp! Use 1 to 2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails removed. They only need to cook for about 5 minutes in step 2, until pink, so dinner will be on the table even faster.
PREP TIP: Dice the chicken ahead of time and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to cook. For some reason, cutting raw chicken is one of my least favorite prep things, and doing it ahead of time always makes dinner so much easier.
