Paleo diet food list

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 (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

½ onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced

2 teaspoons (10 ml) 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 (30 ml) sliced scallion

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 (150°C) 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 (907 g) 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.

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This curry chicken sautes diced chicken thighs with onion and garlic, blooms curry powder and red pepper flakes in the pan, then simmers everything in chicken broth and full-fat coconut milk. It is the Indian-restaurant flavor you crave, made more paleo at home. Serve it hot under a shower of scallions.

Pro Tips

• Use diced chicken thighs. They stay juicy through the 7-8 minute browning and the final simmer in the sauce.
• Add the curry powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder right to the chicken and let them toast in the pan fat before the liquids go in.
• Deglaze with the chicken broth, scraping up every browned bit, then stir in the coconut milk.
• Make it hotter with more red pepper flakes, or skip them entirely for a mild, family-friendly curry.
• Two easy variations: add 3-4 more cups of broth for curry chicken soup, or swap in shrimp - they only need about 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is curry chicken paleo?

It is - chicken, coconut milk, chicken broth, and spices. No dairy or flour in the sauce.

Can I make this curry spicier?

Yes - add more red pepper flakes or a diced chili. The curry powder itself is mild and warming.

What should I serve with curry chicken?

Cauliflower rice is the paleo choice, or steamed vegetables to soak up the coconut sauce.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

Yes - it keeps for 4 days in the fridge and the flavor improves overnight. Rewarm gently so the coconut milk does not separate.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

CURRY CHICKEN

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sliced scallion
• 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.

Method

 

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the pan, and stir to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
5. Add the coconut milk while continuing to stir.
6. Cook on low for another 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Serve hot, garnished with the scallions.

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