Curry Braised Chicken Thighs
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Curry Braised Chicken Thighs is a delicious Indian-inspired dinner for two. Spicy, flavorful and budget-friendly, it’s sure to spice up the night with your loved one! You’ll also love my Chicken and Potato Curry!
“Awesome!!!!!!!! Absolutely delish!”
What is braising?
One of my absolute favorite cooking methods is a slow braise; it’s almost magical!
Braising uses both moist and dry heat. A tough cut of protein that has lots of connective tissue, is first seared at a high temperature. Then, it simmers at a low temperature for up to several hours. During this process, the connective tissue breaks down and the tough cut of protein is transformed into something buttery and fall-off-the-bone tender.
For this recipe, I used budget-friendly chicken thighs which lend themselves well to the braising method. However, chicken thighs don’t take hours to become tender.
Indian cuisine may seem intimidating at first because of all the exotic spices. However, this recipe for Curry Braised Chicken Thighs uses ingredients found at any local grocery store or international market like Madras curry powder.
What is Madras curry powder?
Madras curry powder isn’t authentically Indian. It was created by the British to try and mimic the amazing curry flavors of India which they fell in love with when India was one of their territories.
A word of warning: Madras curry powder can be very hot. In addition to ground chilies, it also has spices such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and fenugreek. If you enjoy curry but don’t like the heat, substitute a mild curry powder here or blend your own.
Vary the vegetables and use cubed sweet potato, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets or spinach instead of carrots. Chickpeas would also make a nice addition. Serve with plenty of brown basmati rice to soak up this flavor-packed sauce. If desired, a dollop of plain yogurt will help cool it down.
For more great bone-in chicken thigh recipes, check out: 30 Best Bone-In Chicken Thigh Recipes.
Serve Curry Braised Chicken Thighs with:
- Brown or white basmati rice
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Brown Butter and Almonds
Want more amazing Indian-inspired curry recipes? Be sure to check these out!
- Meatballs in Spicy Curry
- Cauliflower, Red Lentil and Potato Curry
- Indian Root Vegetable Curry
- Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
- Pressure Cooker Indian Beef Curry
Curry Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs on the bone, skin removed if desired
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, or as needed
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon curry powder, such as Madras, or to taste and tolerance
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, or canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
- Cooked brown basmati rice
- Plain yogurt, optional
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs generously with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and brown 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Add more oil if necessary. Add the onion then reduce heat to medium-low and cook 4-5 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add carrot and cook 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned in places.
- Add curry powder, ginger and garlic and cook very briefly, about 15 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, chicken broth and cream or coconut milk. Return chicken thighs to the pan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover slightly and simmer 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees.
- Adjust seasoning if desired. Stir in cilantro.
- Serve with brown basmati rice. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and plain yogurt if desired.
Video
Notes
- Madras curry can be hot. If you don’t care for anything too spicy, use mild curry powder.
- Use boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs instead of thighs on the bone. Reduce cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
- You can also use leg quarters but may need additional time.
- Cook all chicken to 165 degrees in the thickest part.
- Vary the vegetables and use cubed sweet potato, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets or spinach instead of carrots. Chickpeas would also make a nice addition.
- This can be made one day ahead. Cool and refrigerate until needed. Place in an oven-safe dish and reheat uncovered at 350 degrees until heated through to 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.
- Cool thoroughly. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat uncovered at 350 degrees until heated through to 165 degrees in the thickest part.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Great recipe! I’m on a low-carb diet and have been looking to adopt recipes and this has become a go-to for me. I kind of kick it up a little because I can’t really do carrots that often these days. So I pull out the carrots and put in mushrooms, cauliflower florets, and usually some red bell pepper, though green works too. I serve over cauliflower rice and it’s a fantastic recipe. It actually put my parents onto indian food whereas otherwise they never ate it. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks so much, Sean! Glad you’re enjoying and adapting the recipe to your needs. Hope you stay in touch!
Wow! So delicious that my husband wants me to make it again tonight and he isn’t getting any objections from. Thank you for posting this recipe. So easy to make and tastes like you cooked it for hours.
Thanks, Maria! I appreciate it and please stay in touch!
I made this dish tonight my family and I absolutely love it !!!!!
Thanks so much, Patricia! Glad you all enjoyed. Please stay in touch.
I had a package of chicken thighs in the fridge and wanted to try something new (instead of just grilling them) since the boys are away and they are reluctant to try something new, so I searched the net and found this recipe. Absolutely wonderful- great flavor and it looked like the picture. Followed the recipe except I used coconut oil instead of canola (even used the coconut oil to make the basmati rice). The whole house smells awesome! I called a friend over for dinner to enjoy this with me. Served this dish with a light watercress salad on the side. We both agree this recipe is a keeper. I am planning to make this for the boys when they return from camping. I am anxious to try some of your other recipes! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much, Kathleen. You made my day! Glad you enjoyed and please stay in touch!
I made this this evening and while it is delicious, it looks nothing like the one you made – mine is bright red! I didn’t add the broth as the tomatoes and coconut gave enough liquid.
Hi, Eva, curry powders can vary in color or even computer monitors perhaps….? Glad you enjoyed no matter the color. Thanks again and please stay in touch!
I hesitate when making recipes found on blogs because a lot of people don’t make it, they just comment on how good it looks without having made it themselves… I love reading reviews to look for feedback! I am so glad I made this because it was incredibly delicious! I had a million sweet potatoes so I used them instead of carrots and it turned out really good. I cubed it and threw it in there in place of carrots. It look 5 minutes longer. I added a quarter cup of extra coconut milk at the end once the heat was off because I love the flavor. I used a whole lot of cilantro and it was great! I would even say, don’t bother making it if you don’t have cilantro. Thanks for an awesome recipe! So healthy, wholesome, and flavorful,
Wow Helene, you blew me away! Thank you so much! I’m totally with you on the “oooh aaah” comments. While I love to receive them, reviews like yours are pure gold. Thank you so much for investing the time, effort and money to make this dish and also for taking the time to let me know that you loved it. Please stay in touch!
Made this recipe last night and it was INCREDIBLY GOOD! It was everything we look for in a meal; flavorful, creamy, colorful, and economic (chicken thighs are a juicy and cheap alternative to chx breasts). We loved it so much we are planning for an encore but instead of chicken I was thinking of using beef. I’ve got a lovely chuck eye….any tips to ensure it stays tender?
Hi, Christina, Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! I think chicken thighs are totally underrated; they’re so much more economical than breasts and have flavor! Great idea to use beef! I used a chuck eye roast for a client for the first time not long ago and the results were wonderful; I plan to use that cut more. Sear the outside well and then cook it low and slow at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours (will depend on size). You’ll need to adjust the braising liquid proportionally to the size of the cut so there’s plenty of moisture. You could also cube it and do a stew.
Thanks again and please stay in touch!
As I was looking at the chicken thighs (on sale) at Loblaws, an elderly gentleman stopped me and told me to make THIS recipe. I had a crew of people coming over for my daughter’s birthday, and he said this would be a hit. He was right.. The next morning, my son said, “mom, did you make that chicken dish, or buy it?”
Hi, Lynne, You really made my day and I’m so happy this dish made your party! Thanks again and please stay in touch.
I tried this today, and it was sooo good 🙂 My one-year-old loved it too!
Hi, Christine, Thanks so much! So awesome that your little one is adventurous!
This looks wonderful but I have a lactose intolerant and coconut allergic family member. Do you have any substitutes for the cream or coconut milk? Just up the chicken broth? They can tolerate small amounts of yogurt in my cooking but that’s about it.
Hi, Cindy, Thanks for getting in touch! You could just use more chicken broth, but I like the “richness” that cream or coconut milk provide. However, when I need to add richness to a sauce for a lactose-intolerant personal chef client of mine, I use non-dairy cream cheese from either Daiya or Tofutti. If nuts are not a problem, perhaps soaked and pureed cashews? Let me know the results.