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If you’re craving something light, flavorful, and totally satisfying, this Thai Lemon Curry Chicken Bowl is your new warm-weather go-to. It’s fresh, zesty, and packed with vibrant veggies, zucchini noodles, and the most irresistible lemon coconut curry dressing. This is the kind of meal that tastes like sunshine in a bowl.
Why you’ll love these Thai Curry Bowls
There’s a lot to love about these bowls, but here’s what makes them especially crave-worthy:
✅ Fresh zucchini noodles (aka zoodles!). I love adding zucchini noodles to recipes as a low-carb substitute! These noodles keep it light and low-carb, but still filling.
✅ Creamy lemon coconut curry dressing that’s bright, tangy, and full of Thai-inspired flavor
✅ Make-ahead friendly—perfect for meal prep or weeknight dinners
✅ Customizable with your favorite veggies (and kid-approved!)
✅ Dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly
Pro Tip: You can enjoy the zoodles raw for a refreshing crunch, or give them a quick sauté with avocado oil and garlic if you prefer something warm. Either way, they’re delicious.
Make It Ahead for the Week
What makes this meal so practical is how easily you can prep it in advance:
- Cook the chicken ahead of time and store it in the fridge
- Whip up the dressing in just minutes—it keeps beautifully for several days
- Chop the veggies and spiralize your zucchini right before serving
This is one of those recipes that gets even better as it sits. Perfect for meal prep, picnics, or grab-and-go lunches!
Ideas to Customize Your Bowl
These bowls are easy to tailor to whatever’s in your fridge or your garden:
- Swap chicken for shrimp or tofu
- Add a base of quinoa or cauliflower rice for extra staying power
- Top with fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil for an added punch
- Sprinkle with chopped cashews or sesame seeds for crunch
Thai Lemon Curry Chicken with Zoodles
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 3 large chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
For the dressing:
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tbsp curry paste
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
For the Bowls:
- 3 large zucchini
- 2 large bell peppers, cut into slices
- 1 cucumber, 8-10 inches, cut into slices
- 2/3 cup matchstick carrots
- 1/4 cup green onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- For the chicken. Combine sea salt and curry powder into a small bowl. Rub each chicken breast with approximately 1 tsp seasoning on both sides. Heat up a skillet pan to medium – medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil, and then place chicken breasts in pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside. Once cooled, slice into thin slices.
- Prepare the Zoodles by using a spiralizer. Alternatively, you can use noodle pasta or a combination of both. Zoodles can be enjoyed raw, or cooked over medium heat for 2-3 minutes with olive oil. Set aside.
- For the dressing: Combine coconut milk, curry paste, vinegar, lemon, turmeric, honey, and fresh basil into a food processor. Pulse for about 30 seconds until nice and smooth.
- Assemble your bowls: Place zoodles, then chicken, cucumbers & bell peppers, and dressing into a bowl or plate. Toss to combine.
What curry paste do you use?
Would I be able to sub curry powder for the curry paste? It’s what I have…
Sure!
How do you think the chicken would turn out in the slow cooker? Maybe make the dressing and pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker? Or would the coconut milk not fare well?
Just trying to save any minutes I can around dinner time tonight :).
Thanks so much! Looks delicious!
I think it’s a great idea! The dressing should be fine in the Slow Cooker, and the chicken can be more “pulled”. Let me know what you think!
Awesome! I will give it a try today and let you know how it turns out :).
Thanks again!! I am nursing my daughter who has a dairy intolerance so I have completely cut all dairy out of my diet, so we have been following your blog and making your recipes nearly every day of the week for the last few months and my entire family (including a 2 year old) LOVE your recipes!! Thank you!!
Turned out delicious in the crockpot and was loved by all!! Thank you!
Just wanted to let you know, It took about 3 minutes for this to load. I counted and you have 8 ads on this page and 3 were flashing.
Thanks for letting me know, Anne. It should not take that long, and I’m looking into it with my advertiser.