Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry

Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry

Use fragrant Panang curry paste as the base to this recipe for Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry.

Impress your friends and family with this fragrant and creamy Thai chicken curry.  It’s a colorful, zingy curry that is packed full of flavor.

Why this recipe works:

• This curry is so simple and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights.


• Adjust the heat in this coconut curry and make it as spicy as you like.


• Experiment with different meats or fish to make this a dish everyone will love.

The first time I ever had a Thai Curry was in Jamaica of all places.  My husband and I were married there and the best restaurant they had on the resort was a Thai restaurant.  We ate there quite often on our honeymoon.  One of the things I liked most was a dish they simply called a ‘Thai curry’.  It was truly delicious.

Ever since then, whenever I am in a Thai restaurant, I always go straight for the curry section to try to order something that will replicate that curry I had all those years ago in Jamaica.

Recently while trolling the Asian aisle of the supermarket, I came across a Panang curry paste I’d never seen (or tried before) so into my cart, it went.

This curry is the closest I’ve come to the curry I’ve been chasing all of these years.  Best of all, it’s super quick and easy to make.

Here’s how to make it:

Start with browning the chicken in some vegetable oil on all sides.

Add sliced red pepper and cook until softened (about 5 minutes) with a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and peppers from the pan and set aside.

Add the garlic and the chili peppers and cook about 30 seconds before adding the curry paste. Then add the paste and fry until fragrant.

Stir the coconut milk into the curry paste and bring to the boil.  Add the kaffir lime leaves (or lime zest), Thai basil, and the chicken mixture; cook and stir until the chicken is nearly cooked through and the peppers are cooked (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, and lime leaves into the mixture; simmer together for 5 minutes.  Taste for saltiness and if more is needed, add more fish sauce if necessary. Add the basil and cilantro before serving.

Cook’s Tips:

• You should be able to find  Penang curry paste in your grocery store, but if you can’t, it’s well worth a trip to an Asian supermarket or buy it here on Amazon. 

Recipe Variations:

• Swap shrimp for the chicken for a delicious seafood dinner.
  


• Need to use leftover vegetables? Add them to this dish.

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Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry

This recipe for Thai Panang Chicken Curry makes the most amazing Thai curry you'll ever make! This scrumptious dish is healthier than a takeout option and best of all -  it’s super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 
  2
  tablespoons
  vegetable oil
  


• 
  2
  pounds
  boneless and skinless chicken breast
  cubed
  


• 
  1
  red bell pepper
  seeded and sliced
  


• 
  2
  cloves
  garlic
  chopped
  


• 
  2
  fresh red chili peppers
  sliced and seeded
  


• 
  6
  tablespoons
  Panang curry paste
  


• 
  2
  14-ounce cans
  coconut milk
  


• 
  2
  tablespoons
  brown sugar
  


• 
  2
  tablespoons
  fish sauce
  or to taste
  


• 
  6
  leaves
  dried kaffir lime leaves
  whole (or 2 teaspoons of lime zest)
  


• 
  a good handful fresh Thai or regular basil
  chopped
  


• 
  a good handful of fresh cilantro
  chopped
  

Instructions

1. 
   

   Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat.  Add the chicken and brown on all sides.  Add sliced red pepper and cook until softened (about 5 minutes) with a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and peppers from the pan and set aside.

   
   


2. 
   

   Add the garlic and the chili peppers and cook about 30 seconds.  Add the curry paste and fry until fragrant.

   
   


3. 
   

   Stir in the coconut milk into the curry paste and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken mixture.  Cook and stir until the chicken is nearly cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

   
   


4. 
   

   Stir the sugar, fish sauce, and lime leaves into the mixture; simmer together for 5 minutes.

   
   


5. 
   

   Taste for saltiness and if more is needed, add more fish sauce if necessary.

   
   


6. 
   

   Add the basil and cilantro before serving.

   
   

Nutrition Facts

Quick and Easy Thai Panang Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379
Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14g
22%

Saturated Fat 7g
35%

Cholesterol 145mg
48%

Sodium 972mg
41%

Potassium 865mg
25%

Total Carbohydrates 9g
3%

Sugars 7g

Protein 49g
98%

Vitamin A
73.6%

Vitamin C
6.2%

Calcium
5.4%

Iron
8.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Update Notes: This post was originally published on Oct 9, 2015, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips in September of 2018.