If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this recipe is a reason you should get one. This Quick Red Curry with Chicken comes together in 45 minutes, and – my favorite – your chicken can still be frozen when you start cooking it! It certainly does taste better thawed, but I’m going to be honest and say that I don’t always have my life together. So, if you’re looking for a quick homey meal to eat when it’s storming out, this tasty curry is the one for you! It is Whole30, paleo, and keto, meaning that everyone will have an excuse to get a bite of this delicious meal!
An added bonus to this recipe? It’s a great one-pot meal to dehydrate and take on your next backcountry adventure! Details on dehydrating this recipe are found at the end of this post.
How to make Quick Red Curry with Chicken
I want to be completely honest and say that this is not meant to be any imitation Indian food – just a red curry sauce that I’ve enjoyed over the years. There are so many delicious bloggers who make amazing Indian dishes. Here is a great list from the Whole30 blog that contains a number of Whole30 friendly Indian foods.
If you’re just looking to get something different into your diet and want to throw together some quick ingredients, for this Quick Red Curry you will need:
- sweet pepper
- onion
- olive oil
- fresh ginger (but can sub ground ginger)
- garlic cloves
- tomatoes
- jalapeño
- garam masala
- cumin
- turmeric
- chili powder
- red curry powder
- ground coriander
- full fat coconut milk
- tomato sauce
- chicken
- cauliflower rice (optional)
- fresh cilantro (optional)
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it’s better to have your chicken thawed, but with an Instant Pot, it’s not completely necessary. Both taste completely fine, although I do find that the thawed chicken does taste better, although I know many people don’t find a difference in taste or texture.
To make this recipe, start by chopping your sweet pepper, jalapeño, and onion. One they are chopped, turn your Instant Pot to the “sauté” setting. Add some olive oil to the pan, and then once it is heated, add the chopped onion and peppers. Next, add your chopped garlic and ginger. Stir frequently until the food is nice and fragrant. If you have extra tomatoes you’d like to add to the sauce, chop them and add them to the sauté mode. Next, add in your spices: the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, curry powder, and ground coriander.
Next, add in the two cans of tomato sauce and the can of full fat coconut milk. Stir the sauce well, and place your chicken in the pot. If your chicken is already thawed, you may want to chop the chicken beforehand. If it is not, you can place the entire chicken breast in the pot.
Change the setting of your Instant Pot to “Soup” setting. Depending on what brand you have, there might be a different name for this setting, but it’s completely fine to treat this sauce as a soup. Seal your Instant Pot and set the timer for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes are up, you can shred or chop the chicken and serve the meal over cauliflower rice (or regular rice if your diet allows). Serve the curry with some fresh cilantro on top for a tasty garnish, and enjoy!
How to dehydrate Quick Red Curry with Chicken
I highly recommend dehydrating this meal for your next backcountry adventure so that you have a tasty one-pot meal to enjoy after a long day of hiking.
To dehydrate this dish, mix in any rice or cauliflower rice into the sauce with the shredded or chopped chicken and red curry sauce. I usually dehydrate things in my Air Fryer oven, but any dehydrator will do. For an Air Fryer oven, line the mesh pans with some parchment paper. Scoop out some of the red curry mixture onto the parchment paper and spread evenly over the tray. Cook at 170°F for about 12 hours or until a brittle cake forms. The thicker the portion you place on the parchment tray, the more time it will take, so be sure to be aware of cooking time differences.
To rehydrate, soak the dried mixture in a pot for about an hour. Once the dehydrated portion has soaked up enough water to not be brittle and hard, heat up the mixture. It’s easier if you break up the dried “cake” or “leather” that forms when dehydrating so that it rehydrates evenly.
Quick Red Curry with Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 sweet pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 jalapeños (optional)
- 3 tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cans 14 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1.5 lbs chicken
- 2 cups cauliflower rice (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped) (optional)
Instructions
- Chop your onions and sweet peppers.
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Allow it to heat up and add your olive oil.
- Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and sweet peppers to the pan. Mix frequently.
- Add your chopped garlic and ginger. Stir frequently.
- Add the spices and mix.
- Pour in both the tomato sauce and the coconut milk, and stir.
- Place either chopped raw chicken or whole chicken breast into the mixture.
- Change the setting on the Instant Pot to "Soup/Stew." Seal and cook for 30 minutes.
- Once the curry has cooked, you can chop your chicken or shred it for your meal. Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with some fresh cilantro.
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