This Paleo Thai Curry Chicken is a healthy, feel-good dinner recipe. Addictively delicious Thai-inspired flavors, ready in less than 30 minutes!
A Veggie-Packed Thai Chicken Curry Recipe
When it comes to improving your diet, I find that it’s helpful not only to think big, but also to think small. One small habit that can have a big impact is adding healthy fiber to each meal. (Hint: that’s what this paleo chicken curry is all about.)
How do you add fiber to a meal? There are so many ways – using cauliflower rice in place of plain rice, serving a salad with your meal, or just adding toppings like pomegranate seeds, cashews, and herbs. This one small habit can really add a ton of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all-around awesome flavor!
Is Curry Healthy?
This fiber-rich recipe for Thai chicken curry is paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, low in sugar, and high in protein. Perfect for anyone on the ketogenic diet or macro diet.
Besides the balanced nutrients, this recipe is a super immune booster. Red curry paste is made using red chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and shallots. All of these ingredients are powerful helpers for your digestive system and immune system. They are also great sources of antioxidants, which help with overall health and aging.
Plus, broccoli and cauliflower are great sources of fiber. Not only will this promote a healthy digestive system, it may also lower your chances of getting cancer. So this is one powerful recipe for your health and your taste buds!
What You’ll Need
There are basically three parts to this curry chicken recipe – the curry sauce mixture with broccoli and chicken, the toppings, and the cauliflower rice. Here’s what you’ll need to make them.
Paleo Thai Curry Chicken
- Coconut Oil: I like to use extra virgin coconut oil in this recipe.
- Onion: Dice up one medium yellow onion. Or substitute white, sweet, or red onion, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic: Fresh minced or pressed garlic.
- Ginger: Ground ginger works well, or you could mince some fresh ginger instead for even more flavor.
- Lemon Zest: You will need the zest from one organic lemon.
- Curry Paste: Thai red curry paste gives this recipe an unbeatable flavor. Make sure to use a paste that is sugar-free.
- Fish Sauce: Adding this sauce is very important! It gives the curry much-needed umami and salt. Again, make sure to use sugar-free if you are watching sugar and/or carbs.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Honey: A little honey for sweetness is optional but yummy.
- Chicken: Any cooked, shredded (or chopped) chicken. I like to use an organic rotisserie chicken with the skin removed, and the meat pulled into bite-sized pieces.
- Broccoli: Broccoli florets are colorful, flavorful, and oh-so-perfect in red Thai curry.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped.
Toppings
- Pomegranate Seeds: Use as little or as much as you like.
- Cashews: Chopped.
- Rice: For extra fiber and low carbs, use Baked Cauliflower Rice – ingredients are below.
- Lime Wedges: Optional.
Baked Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower: Wash, trim, and grate a head of cauliflower. A food processor grater makes this extra easy.
- Salt and Pepper
- Coconut Oil: Melted. This is optional.
Making Curry Chicken Is Easy!
Making this dish is as easy as can be, and takes very little time thanks to the pre-cooked chicken. Let’s go over the steps for creating paleo curry chicken:
- Make the Cauliflower Rice. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and place the grated cauliflower in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and melted coconut oil. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet, and bake it for 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and the cauliflower is drying out. Take it out of the oven, and set it aside.
- Make the Thai Red Curry Sauce. While the cauliflower is baking, melt your remaining coconut oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Toss in the onion and garlic, and stir for a few minutes, until the onion is soft. Then add the ginger, lemon zest, and curry paste. Stir well, and pour in the fish sauce, coconut milk, and honey. Stir again, and bring to a light simmer.
- Add the Broccoli and Chicken. Once the sauce is lightly simmering, add in the broccoli florets and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Then stir in the shredded chicken and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through.
- Assemble and Serve! Serve the curry chicken in bowls, topped with pomegranate seeds, cashews, and cauliflower rice. If you like, squeeze a lime wedge over each bowl to enhance the flavor.
Tips for Success
I hope you give this easy, adaptable recipe a try. If you do make it, tag @ahealthylifeforme in your photos. I love to see how you guys whip up my recipes. And while we’re on that topic, here are some helpful tips for making this dish:
- Fish Sauce: This sauce has a powerful, ultra-fishy smell right out of the bottle, which may make you wonder about adding it to your curry. But trust me, when you add fish sauce to curry, the “fishiness” disappears and all you taste is a wonderful umami depth, with some added saltiness. Don’t leave this one out! It really makes all the difference between a flavorful curry and a bland one.
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice: I added some coconut oil to my cauliflower rice in this recipe. This is totally optional – I just liked the additional coconut flavor. You can use olive oil, ghee, or nothing. Totally up to you. (Just remember, coconut oil is a great healthy fat for our brains and bodies!)
- Lime Option: I think a dash of acid really brings out the best in the curry sauce, so I love serving lime wedges with it. If you want to brighten up the whole pot at once, skip the lime wedges and stir lime juice right to the dish, half a teaspoon at a time, to your taste.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Got leftovers? Lucky you! This dish might just be more delicious reheated the second day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for 4 – 5 days, and reheat on your stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. (Don’t overcook or the broccoli will become mushy.)
Can I Freeze This?
Coconut milk can sometimes split and become grainy after freezing and thawing, but if you don’t mind that, you can freeze Thai curry chicken for up to three months.
Cool it first to prevent freezer burn, and then spoon it into freezer bags. Mark with the date, and store in your freezer. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
More Healthy Chicken Dishes
- Paleo Chicken Stir Fry (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
- Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken
- Chicken Sofrito Stew
Paleo Thai Broccoli Chicken Curry
Ingredients
Thai Broccoli Curry
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from organic lemon
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste {sugar free}
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce {sugar free}
- 2 14 ounce cans full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey {optional}
- 1 organic rotisserie chicken skin removed, meat pulled into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Topping:
- 6 tablespoons pomegranate seeds {add as little as much to your taste}
- ¼ cup cashew chopped
- 3 cups Baked Cauliflower Rice {recipe below}
- Lime wedges {optional}
Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 head of cauliflower cleaned and grated {I use food processor grater}
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil melted
Instructions
Cauliflower Rice
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Toss grated cauliflower with salt, pepper and melted coconut oil on a baking sheet. Spread out evenly and bake for 10 minutes. While Cauliflower Rice bakes start on Thai Broccoli Curry.
- Remove Cauliflower from oven when it starts to brown on edges and dries out. Set aside and let cool.
Thai Broccoli Curry
- Melt coconut oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
- Toss in onion and garlic and stir cooking until onion is soft 3-4 minutes.
- Then toss in ginger, lemon zest and curry paste. Stir coating onions evenly.
- Then add fish sauce, coconut milk, and honey. Stir to combine and raise the temperature so that sauce starts to lightly simmer. Bubbles around the edge of the pan.
- Toss in broccoli cooking 3-4 minutes, then stir in shredded chicken.
- Cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until chicken is heated through.
- Serve in bowls, topped with pomegranate seeds, cashew, and cauliflower rice.
- Squeeze lime wedge over each bowl to enhance flavor.
Categories:
![Nutritional Information ![br][b]Thai Broccoli Curry:[/b]](https://ahealthylifeforme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-18-at-3.11.53-PM-279x1024.png)
How much is a serving size?
Is there a replacement for the coconut milk? I am allergic to coconuts AND almonds!😣😭
Is there a PRINT button? Can’t seem to locate it.
Above the recipe.