This Thai Chicken in a Lime Coconut Red Curry Sauce was birthed from a cooking error, and it ended up being a delicious recovery dish. You’ll laugh at the journey, but once it was over my husband reported, “This might be the best thai recipe you’ve ever made.”
I guess completely winging it works sometimes. This recipe was inspired by my failed attempt at this amazing Tom Kha Gai soup.
I went to make our favorite Tom Kha Gai soup. Everything was going peachy, although I was rushing a bit. As I went to strain the broth for the soup, I failed to put a bowl under the strainer to catch to broth. I guess all of the pasta I’ve made where you dump water down the sink overpowered the logic portion of my brain.
Realizing what I had done too late, I knew I had to improvise. There was a moment where I envisioned Top Ramen, Mac & Cheese or Chicken Nuggets for dinner, but I saw all the remaining ingredients and knew it was time to, in the words of Tim Gunn, “Make it work!”
Thai Chicken in a Lime Coconut Red Curry Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
- 1/4 yellow onion, sliced
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sizes pieces
- 1/2 lb white mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp lime from 2-3 limes
- 1-2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
How to Make this Thai Chicken in a Lime Coconut Red Curry Sauce
- Add oil to wok and heat on med-high heat.
- Add garlic and saute about one minute.
- Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 can coconut milk and half of lime mixture.
- Add chicken and cook until no longer in on the outside.
- Add remaining coconut milk and lime mixture.
- Cook until chicken is cooked through.
Lime Mixture:
3 Tbsp lime
1-2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
3 Tbsp fish sauce
Serve over rice or rice noodles.
Printable version of this recipe seen below.
My sister is a pro at winging it. Cooking is very intuitive to her. I’m normally more calculated as I am developing a new recipe.
I look at other recipes. I adjust things according to taste. Taste. Taste again. Add a little bit more. Write it all down so I can not only share with others but also recreate for my own family. Slow is my pace.
As I was staying with my sister this past weekend, I tried to write down what she was doing so I could re-create this amazing Indian shrimp dish in a cilantro green sauce, but she was too fast.
She wasn’t looking at anything. After visiting an Indian restaurant and trying their version, she just came home and went for it. I would love to have her skills, but I’d also love to be able to re-create some of her dishes.
This was as close as I come to winging it, but you are lucky that I work slow and calculated enough so you can re-create this wonderful Thai Chicken in a Lime Coconut Red Curry Sauce – inspired by my Tom Kha Gai Soup. Enjoy!
Thai Chicken in a Lime Coconut Red Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 carrots sliced
- 5 kaffir lime leaves crushed
- 1/4 yellow onion sliced
- 4 chicken breasts cut into bite sizes pieces
- 1/2 lb white mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp lime from 2-3 limes
- 1-2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
Instructions
- Add oil to wok and heat on med-high heat.
- Add garlic and saute about one minute.
- Add carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 can coconut milk and half of lime mixture.
- Add chicken and cook until no longer in on the outside.
- Add remaining coconut milk and lime mixture.
- Cook until chicken is cooked through.
- Lime Mixture:
- 3 Tbsp lime
- 1-2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- Serve over rice or rice noodles.
