This easy Thai Green Coconut Chicken Curry has all the right flavors and textures: slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and packed with vegetables! It’s sure to become a weeknight staple with the ease of your slow cooker or Instant Pot. It only requires 8 minutes of cook time!
Today’s simple Thai Green Coconut Chicken Curry is inspired by the oddest of places: an airport restaurant.
Yep. The place where most of us dread having to grab a bite, usually because the lack of healthy options and fresh ingredients. As a nutritionist, I have the hardest time finding healthy options in the airport.
But let me tell you, Houston airport, you nailed it!
My daughter’s first bite was classic: “oh my gosh, mom, you need to make this at home!”
While I love my Turmeric Coconut Braised Chicken that is made on the Stovetop, this Instant Pot meal is a lot more hands off and perfect for a busy weeknight!
Thai Curry in the Instant Pot:
It seems like a no brainer that the Instant Pot is the perfect tool to make curry. I have several Asian inspired dishes that use the Instant pot: Peanut Butter Chicken, Cilantro Lime Coconut Chicken, Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup, just to name a few.
But no classic chicken curry! It’s time to change that.
How to make Thai Green Coconut Chicken Curry:
The slightly sweetened creamy coconut curry sauce, crunch and texture of veggies, and added tang with lime juice are what make this dish superb! And it’s so easy to make. Let’s get to it!
Here is what we need to do to make this Chicken Curry:
- I start by prepping all of the ingredients. Chopping the veggies and cutting the chicken into pieces. You can also hold off on chopping the bell pepper and zucchini, and wait until the chicken is cooking if you prefer.
- Saute the onion and fresh ginger in the IP. Select cancel.
- Add in the watery part of the coconut milk. To do this, pierce the top of your coconut milk with a fork or knife, and pour the liquid through the hole. Reserve the top thickened part for the end of the dish.
- Stir in the fish sauce, curry paste, curry seasoning, coconut sugar (if using), and the chicken.
- Secure the lid and cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. Use a quick release when cook time is complete.
- Toss in the zucchini and bell pepper, and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. The stir in the coconut cream from the remainder of the can.
- Add in the optional ingredients: bamboo shoots, cilantro, and shredded coconut. Salt to taste and serve!
Can I make this in the Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! Add the onion, ginger, chicken, coconut milk, curry, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut sugar (if using) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, add the bell pepper and zucchini.
Adaptations/Variations:
- Thai Curry Paste: you can absolutely substitute for yellow or red curry paste
- Make it spicy: add in a tad bit of red hot chili peppers or crushed red pepper
- Whole30/Keto version: omit the coconut sugar and serve over cilantro lime cauliflower rice
- Zucchini/Bell pepper: you can substitute other veggies! Green beans and broccoli make a great addition.
Serving:
Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. My personal favorite is Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice! Top with Thai basil or cilantro, and shredded coconut. I love the slightly sweet taste and fun texture.
Enjoy!
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Instant Pot Green Thai Coconut Chicken Curry
Instant Pot Green Thai Coconut Chicken Curry is filled with delicious Thai flavor, and packed with veggies! Set it and forget it in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 large sweet onion diced
- 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 1.5 lbs raw chicken breast chopped into bite sized pieces
- 3 tbsp green Thai curry paste
- 1 14 oz can of coconut milk full fat
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar*
- 1 tbsp fish sauce**
- 2 small zucchini diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots (optional)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 small diced red chili pepper (optional)
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or thai basil for garnish
Instructions
-
Select the saute function on your Instant Pot. Once hot, coat the pot with oil. Now add onion and ginger. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
-
Poke a hole in the top of your canned coconut milk (the firm portion). Pour out the liquid in the coconut milk (save the cream portion for the end) and mix with curry paste, curry powder, coconut sugar (if using), and fish sauce. Select the cancel function, and add the chicken.
-
Secure the lid on your Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is in the sealed position. Now select manual, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
-
Use a quick release. Once steam is completely released, remove lid. Press cancel, then saute. Stir in zucchini and bell pepper, and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are softened. Now stir in the cream portion of the coconut milk.
-
Select cancel or warm. Stir in lime juice, bamboo shoots (if using), and any pepper to add additional heat. Serve over rice, or cauliflower rice. Garnish with shredded coconut and cilantro or basil.
Recipe Notes
*Recipe can be made Whole30 by omitting the coconut sugar
**You can omit the fish sauce and use coconut aminos in it’s place
Tried this as my first time InstaPot recipe. Thought it an interesting take on a Thai theme. However, no way this is a 10-minute prep. It was easily 20-30 minute prep. Lots of washing and chopping. Added some leftover sweet potatoes with zucchini and peppers at end. Good basic meal. Used Mae Ploy green curry. Good spice.
Not a good recipe.
First, like the other commenter said, 10 min prep time in unrealistic. It’s more like 30 minutes.
Second, coconut milk ended up curdling and separated into oil and solid chunks. I think adding it after pressure cooking would be a better idea
Agree on the prep time but mine turned out great. Nice combo of flavors!
Totally love this recipe, we use the red curry instead of green. I also double up the liquids and ginger along with spices as my 11 year old loves this as a soup and wanted more broth. She usually complains about vegetables
but does not in this recipe. I do omit the coconut and bamboo shoots due to carb/sugar content for my eating plan. As far as prep time the 1st time you make it, it may take longer than 10 minutes but once it’s on the weekly rotation 10 minutes seems about right. I do chop the veggies as the chicken is cooking.
This dish is amazing. I have been making it a few times a month for the last 2 years. It’s the first dish I was able to get my daughter to eat zucchini in (she is now 12). We have switched over to the red curry paste and I double the liquids and spices because she likes to eat it as a soup. This dish is known as the Red soup in my house.
Love to hear that, Tracey! Thank you for the nice comment.
This is delicious! I was nervous of the heat with my kids but we all added a little more! Yum!
I made this for dinner tonight. I chopped the vegetables and measured out everything else while the chicken was pressure cooking. I knew this would be delicious because the smell was amazing. I used all the ingredients in the recipe as written, except I used an orange bell pepper in place of the green (because I don’t like green peppers). We served it over jasmine rice, but I also love cauliflower rice and will try that next time. My family loved it. I will make this part of the regular rotation.
I looooove this recipe. Favorite curry recipe I’ve found.
First time to your site. I bought green curry paste to try to recreate a dish from a restaurant. It was easy to sub ingredients to fit the vegetables I had on hand and the family approved. This fish will make it into the weekly rotation.
Thank you so much! This recipe was awesome. I’m going to try it with red curry tonight.
Love hearing that!