Curry Braised Chicken Thighs
Updated Jul 27, 2021, Published Mar 21, 2015
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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!
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
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Very nice – it is great when recipes actually work !! Found with unsweetened coconut milk needed to add a little sugar (i like sweet!) also added a dash of heavy cream at end to thicken a little. Used brocolli however lost most of the green through the process. Wondering also if spinach should be added near the end? Very tasty and great looking dish!
Hi, Joe, Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed. With broccoli, you’d want to blanch it in salted boiling water, then drop it in ice water which will set the color. If you want the broccoli to still have some “bite” to it, then add it later in the process and just heat through. Spinach could be added near the end, but spinach has a lot of water in it, so it may dilute the sauce a bit. Thanks again and please stay in touch!
This is my “go to” recipe for curry. My husband always made the curry dishes until I found this recipe! Sometimes I add celery or peas and if I don’t have cilantro, it really doesn’t matter. Thank you for this recipe. We love it!
Thank you for this recipe! Whenever I feel like having a nice curry I make this one. I usually simmer the whole lot for a much longer time simply because the flavors intensify and also I love pulled chicken. So i just cook the chicken in the sauce as long as it’s falling off the bone, take it out from the pot, shred it and put it back in. Heavenly!
Thanks so much, Ellie! Yes, chicken thighs can go some extra time and they only get better! So glad you enjoyed and please stay in touch!
My goodness. Making this now, and the house smells amazing!
Amazing thanks for the very informative recipe!!! – typically my partner hates the bones in chicken thighs and never an easy way to remove them without sacrificing the sparse meat. Slow braising them should make the meat fall off the bones, my polish friend makes lots of chicken broth and she also uses thighs, also braises them and stove cooks, yet never done this myself to be confident enough it will work out for me!?.
My trump card with all curry cuisines are tinned chickpeas, they are very complimentary to Korma dishes in particular, yet out of these so might use some lentils instead – they are full of healthy fibre but also thickens sauces perfectly. I also cheat sometimes and use a jar of Korma cooking sauce – as well as add additional spices of my own, seems to taste far more richer than if I do it all myself.
I made this for my fiancé and I the day before payday/groceries day, when the cupboards were looking rather empty and we needed something quick, cheap and tasty for a midweek meal. This ticks all the boxes and uses ingredients I always keep in my pantry/fridge (except cilantro)! My fiancé said a number of times he really liked it (and I did too). I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi, Heather, Thanks so much for your wonderful note and I’m so happy you enjoyed! Hope you will stay in touch!
I made this recipe for the first time today. I used coconut oil instead of canola oil to braise the chicken thighs. And I doubled the recipe so that we could have it during the weekend as well. And, of my goodness this dish is delicious! It’s a winner! And, like you mentioned. it’s budget-friendly as well. Thank you for sharing and for the clear instructions to follow!
Thank you, Olga! So glad you enjoyed and please stay in touch!
Hi, I’m so glad I saw this recipe, it turned out great. I used tomato paste instead, and oh my gawd, it turned out wonderful. Thank you so much for posting this, I will save it and cook it for future events!!.
Awesome! Thanks, Larry! So glad you enjoyed and please stay in touch!
Would this recipe work in a slow cooker?
Hi, Debbie, Thanks for your question. Yes, I think it would be great in a slow-cooker. The sauce may stay a bit loose, but a little cornstarch would fix that. Hope you enjoy!
I made this and instead of finishing on the stove I just put it in my slow cooker on low. Will let you know how it goes!
Awesome! Thanks so much, Caroline! Definitely let me and others know. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic dish!! Thank you so much!! I used bone-in chicken thighs and a combination of sweet potato, cauliflower, and carrots. I used coconut milk rather than cream. The flavors were amazing together! The vegetables cooked down and integrated nicely with the sauce. My husband who hates cauliflower loved it! I served the braise with cilantro leaves, pomegranate seeds, and a pomegranate-mint yogurt sauce (fold together greek yogurt, a splash of pomegranate juice, chiffonade of mint, and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds on top for color). Next time I may leave out the mint and only use the cilantro. Simply divine!
Thanks so much, Lhney! Glad you enjoyed and your presentation sounds delightful!! Please stay in touch!