Thai Pineapple Yellow Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

This Thai pineapple yellow chicken curry with coconut milk is an easy one-pan dinner. It’s full of flavor from cumin, coriander and mustard seeds, ground ginger, yellow curry powder, turmeric powder and lots of vegetables. Red bell pepper, pineapple and lime juice add freshness and chopped peanuts make for a crunchy finish.

For more delicious curries, also check out this chicken tikka masala and this slow cooker Indian chicken curry!

What spices are in this curry?

Much of the flavor in this curry comes from spice seeds and ground spices. You will need ground turmeric and ginger, mild or medium yellow curry powder, cumin, coriander and mustard seeds and a fresh garlic clove.

How to make it:

See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!

Step 1. Add onion, water and chicken broth to a pot. Boil, uncovered, until almost all liquid has evaporated and the onion is cooked. Let cool a bit.

Step 2. Process the onion into a puree in the food processor.

Step 3. Set the onion puree aside and get out a Dutch oven or a cast iron pan with a lid. Heat vegetable oil and then fry the spice seeds (yellow mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds).

Step 4. Once the seeds start to sizzle, carefully add the onion puree (keep a splatter screen ready) and fry for about 7 minutes. Add ginger, turmeric, garlic and yellow curry powder to the pan.

Step 5. Mix the spices into the puree.

Step 6. Add in chicken chunks and fry for 2 minutes.

Step 7. Add tomato paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, bell pepper and pineapple. Bring the mix to a boil, cover loosely with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with a little salt and a few drops of lime juice to taste.

Recipe notes & tips:

• The onion puree not only adds flavor to this dish, it also acts as the thickener for this curry and creates a really smooth texture.
• You can use either a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven for this recipe. Either one will work but a Dutch oven will do a better job at keeping in any splatter.
• As always, I highly recommend that you use high-quality spices from a dedicated spice shop. This will make a huge difference in any dish but I find that it is especially true for curries and for curry powder.

How to serve the curry:

Garnish the curry with fresh cilantro, chopped green onion and chopped peanuts and serve over rice with a fresh slice of lime on the side.

Choose your own spice level:

The level of spiciness in this curry is determined by the yellow curry powder. Use mild yellow curry powder for a mild curry and medium for a curry that has a bit of a kick to it.

How to store leftovers:

This curry reheats very well, just store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Can I freeze the curry?

Yes, this curry freezes well, just let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer bag and freeze.

More delicious spiced dinner recipes:

See all main courses →

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Full Printable Recipe

Thai Pineapple Yellow Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

The Spice Train

This Thai pineapple yellow chicken curry with coconut milk is an easy one-pan dinner full of delicious spices.

4.87 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Servings 2

Calories (estimated) 826 kcal

Equipment:

• measuring cups and spoons
• knife and cutting board
• garlic press (optional)
• pot
• food processor
• Dutch oven or cast iron pan with a lid
• rubber spatula
• splatter screen

Ingredients:

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 large yellow onion
• ▢ ½ cup chicken broth
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic press
• ▢ 1 tablespoon mild or medium yellow curry powder* (depending on how spicy you would like the dish)
• ▢ 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (two medium-sized breast halves), cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste**
• ▢ 1 can coconut milk (13 ½ ounces)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ▢ ½ red or green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• ▢ 1 can pineapple chunks (8 ounces), drained
• ▢ lime juice
• ▢ chopped peanuts, optional
• ▢ chopped green onion, optional
• ▢ chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions:

 

• Peel the onion and chop into 2-inch chunks.
• Add the chopped onion to a pot along with the chicken broth and the water. Boil without a lid until almost all liquid has evaporated.
• Puree the onion in a food processor. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a cast iron pan to which you have a lid.
• Add mustard, cumin and coriander seeds to the oil and fry on medium-low heat for 2 – 3 minutes. (The seeds need to sizzle but be careful not to burn them.)
• Carefully add the onion puree. (Be careful, this might splatter; keep a splatter screen ready).
• Fry the onion puree for 7 minutes on medium heat.
• Add ginger, turmeric, garlic and curry and stir until well combined.
• Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, coconut milk and soy sauce and mix well.
• Add bell pepper and pineapple, bring to a boil, cover loosely with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Season to taste with a little bit of salt, then sprinkle with lime juice to taste and add peanuts, green onion and cilantro as garnish and serve with rice.

Notes:

*I highly recommend to get curry powder and other spices from a dedicated spice shop rather than the grocery store for this recipe. The quality and freshness of spices makes a huge difference in any dish and that is especially true for curries.

**Here are some ideas on how to store or use up the remaining tomato paste from the can.

Nutrition Information (Estimated):

Calories: 826kcalCarbohydrates: 39.7gProtein: 32.8gFat: 63.9gSaturated Fat: 41.7gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 1470mgFiber: 9.4gSugar: 23.3gCalcium: 99mgIron: 6mg

Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.

Keywords: thai chicken curry, thai pineapple yellow chicken curry, yellow chicken curry