The Easiest Chicken Massaman Curry

Finding a recipe that’s quick, easy, and flavorful can often feel impossible. Enter Chicken Massaman Curry. This Thai dish successfully combines convenience with an impressive depth of flavor, serving up a meal that’s satisfyingly rich and perfect for any family dinner.

Finding a recipe that’s quick, easy, and flavorful can often feel impossible. Enter Chicken Massaman Curry. This Thai dish successfully combines convenience with an impressive depth of flavor, serving up a meal that’s satisfyingly rich and perfect for any family dinner.

I have to tone down the spice on this a bit for some of my kids but I absolutely love this as a comfort food dish. My go-to comfort meal dish when I’m stressed is either Pad Thai or Curry takeout from a local Thai restaurant so being able to make this version at home definitely saves me money when I feel the need for some serious comfort food.

This meal tastes just as good the next day too, so it’s the perfect thing to make when you have a busy week and don’t have a lot of of time to cook.

My kids have learned that when I make this mean, I’ve usually had a rough day. The good news is, there are very few things that do a better job of making things better than a great comfort meal and this one definitely does the trick for me.

What is Chicken Massaman Curry?

Chicken Massaman curry is a Thai dish with Indian influence. It’s made with a creamy coconut milk base, tender chunks of chicken, hearty potatoes, and warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. The result is a mild, slightly sweet curry that even picky eaters tend to love.

Why We Love This Chicken Massaman Curry

It’s a one-pot wonder.
You can cook everything in one pan, which makes cleanup a breeze — always a win in a busy household.

Family-friendly flavor.
Massaman curry is much milder than other Thai curries, which makes it a great intro dish for kids or anyone sensitive to spice.

Makes great leftovers.
The flavor deepens overnight, so it’s just as good (if not better) the next day.

You may also like: Thai Peanut Chicken with Linguini

How to Make Chicken Massaman Curry

Chicken Massaman Curry is surprisingly easy to make, even if you have never made curry before. It’s as simple as throwing the ingredients together in a pot until your flavors blend together and serving the whole thing over rice.

The flavor combinations in this dish are amazing and there are very few things more comforting at the end of a long day.

Chicken Massaman Curry Ingredients

• 1 can of Massaman curry paste (This is our favorite Massaman Curry Paste)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound of chicken
• optional: 14 oz, extra firm tofu, cubed
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 6-8 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup peanuts
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• Optional toppings: sriracha, red pepper flakes
• Cooked jasmine rice – You could serve this over cauliflower rice if you’d like to

Chicken Massaman Curry Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add curry paste, reserving a bit, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Mix in one of the cans of coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce and stir until combined.
• Bring the mixture to a boil.In a separate pan, heat a little coconut oil, and brown chicken and tofu with a bit of the reserved curry paste and sliced onion.
• Cook until brown on each side, then set aside.Add the onion, chicken, tofu, carrots, and potatoes to the curry mixture, then add the second can of coconut milk.
• Reduce to a simmer and cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the vegetables are tender enough to pierce with a fork. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
• While the dish is cooking, prepare the jasmine rice according to the package instructions.
• When the curry is done, serve it over jasmine rice and top with chopped cilantro, sriracha sauce, red pepper flakes, and chopped or whole peanuts.