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Delicious and easy green curry with chicken in rich coconut curry sauce. This homemade and authentic Thai green curry recipe takes 20 mins and better than restaurants!
Green Curry Recipe
What is Green Curry?
It’s called Gang Kiew Wan in Thai language, one of the best Thai recipes.
The curry is green in color, spicy, aromatic, sweet and savory at the same time.
Thai green curry is so delicious, specially when served with steaming white jasmine rice.
Looking for more Thai recipes? Check out my Choo Chee Salmon, Pad See Ew, and Thai Red Curry recipes!
Thai Green Curry
If you love Thai food, I am sure you know Thai curries, named after the color of the curry paste used to make the curry, for examples: red curry and yellow curry.
There are also Panang curry, Jungle curry, Massamam curry, etc.
The green color in this curry comes from the main ingredient in the green curry paste, which is fresh green chilies, hence the name green curry.
Here are the ingredients of the curry paste:
- Fresh green chilies
- Cilantro roots or stems (not the leaves)
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Lemongrass
- Galangal
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Shrimp paste
- Kaffir lime skin and leaves
Curry paste is traditionally made by pounding the ingredients in a stone mortar and pestle until all ingredients become a fine texture.
I usually use instant curry paste from Asian stores, for example: Maesri brand Green Curry Paste.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – use skinless and boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- Thai eggplant. In Thailand, the curry is made with these eggplants, which come in the green color variety and purple color variety. They are small like ping pong balls; they are halved or quartered and cooked in the curry. However, they are not commercially available in the US, unless you grow the tree. As a substitute, most Thai restaurants here use bamboo shoots and my recipe tastes just like Thai restaurants.
- Coconut milk
- Fish sauce
- Fresh red chilies
- Kaffir lime leaves
- Thai basil leaves
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Thai Green Curry Chicken
Homemade green curry recipe is so easy to make and takes about 15-20 minutes from prep to dinner table.
To cook the curry at home, first of all saute the curry paste and add the chicken.
Add the coconut milk, water, bamboo shoots, and all the seasoning ingredients.
Cook until the chicken becomes tender and the curry sauce is slightly thickened.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Cooking Tips
For the best result at home, follow the cooking tips below:
- You can make very good, authentic and delicious curries using store-bought curry paste.
- The secret is to balance the flavors; the curry has to be spicy (from the curry paste), rich and creamy (from the coconut milk), savory (from the fish sauce) and sweet (from palm sugar or sugar).
- Sweet, sour, salty and spicy are the four pillars of Thai cuisine. Once you master the perfect balance, you can make just about any Thai food at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the two? Other than the color, the difference is the main ingredient used in the curry paste. Red curry uses dried red chilies, hence the red color.
Malaysian curry, such as curry chicken is made with curry powder, salt, and coconut milk. There is never sugar in the ingredients list. However, Thai curries use sugar or palm sugar and fish sauce to season the curry sauce.
This recipe is only 317 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This meal is best served with steamed rice, preferably Thai rice. For a wholesome Thai meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Thai Recipes You Might Like
Green Curry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tbsp green curry paste, Maesri brand preferred
- 8 oz. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 oz. bamboo shoot
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised
- 2 red chilies, cut into thick strips
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar , or palm sugar, preferred
- 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the green curry paste until aromatic, then add the chicken and stir to combine well with the curry paste. Add the coconut milk and water, and bring to a quick boil.
- Add the bamboo shoots, kaffir lime leaves, and red chilies. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the curry slightly thickens.
- Add the fish sauce, sugar, and basil leaves. Stir to mix well. Turn off the heat and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this twice now. Absolutely delicious! Love your recipes. My thai sweet sticky chicken wings are marinating as I write! Thank you!!!
Thanks.
This was delicious. I had a favorite Thai restaurant that closed and made the most delicious Emerald green curry dish that I always loved. They closed. retired. I have been in search of a great recipe for a long time. This was wonderful! As close as I have come to. My husband was very fond of it!
Awesome!
Green Curry has always been my favourite. Will try this recipe. Thanks !
Thanks!
Good recipe – I’ve moved to Europe, where ethnic dishes are given some sort of fusion spin with the spices and I did not want any unfamiliar tasting curry from takeout. After having a European friend make the most bland, salty green curry, I decided to make my own to wash out the bad memory of the taste. Very fortunate to find this recipe.
Also, the eggplants mentioned in this blog can be found at many asian grocery stores. They are often translated as “baby eggplant” and the very young ones are often all white before they mature with green coloring. Sometimes households will use the purple eggplants, instead.
I wanted to make this into a soup. How much more water and coconut milk should I add?
This green curry is soupy. You may add more water if you like.
Great recipe made it a few times now.
Kids love it
Added green beans snowpeas & okra for a bit more veg.
Thanks
Sounds yummy!
This recipe is fantastic. I was having trouble getting my ratios of fish sauce/sugar correct and I love that you included those! The flavor is wonderful!
I have made many thai curry recipes for the past 20 years and this is the quickest and most delicious. It is my go-to thai curry recipe and I change up the ingredients depending on what I have in the house.
Thanks and I am glad you love my recipe.
Made this tonight. Better than takeout. Highly recommended.
Simple and fantastic. For so long I’ve tried to get the right balance of fish sauce and sugar; this recipe nails it. I did an all veggie version (onion, eggplant, zucchini, jalapeño, orange bell pepper) using Mae Ploy green curry paste and Thrive Market coconut cream. Perfect!
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Hello. If I am using 20 pieces of chicken thighs how much of the ingredients should is use? Should I triple ?
Please weigh and increase the portions.
Is this mild or hot?
Between mild and hot.