This Instant Pot Thai curry has a creamy, spicy and flavorful sauce, and comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner. Rich, fragrant, and absolutely delicious.
The Instant Pot has made it so easy to get my favorite dinner recipes on the table quickly: from Instant Pot Cajun rice and sausage to Instant Pot chicken tikka masala and more. One recipe that I come back to time and time again is this Instant Pot Thai chicken curry.
This Thai chicken curry recipe is so simple and does not require any sauteeing, yet delivers big on the complex flavors of Thai curry: sweet, sour, salty and spicy.
With positive reviews from readers, it seems that you guys love it as well!
Reasons you'll ♡ this Instant Pot Thai chicken curry
- it has a short ingredients list and requires no sauteeing
- you can have dinner on your table in under 30 minutes
- leftovers are great and you can make this into a freezer Instant Pot meal
Recipe video
Let's make Thai curry in the Instant Pot! Watch this 1-minute video for step by step instructions. You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
What is Thai curry?
Thai curry is a popular dish originating in Thailand made from curry paste, coconut milk, meat or seafood, and vegetables. There are many different types of Thai curry including red, green, Panang and Massaman curry, and the exact method of cooking each varies by chef (1).
Whereas Indian curries are thicker and made with a mixture of tomatoes, onions and dry spices, Thai curry derives its flavor from a mixture of herbs including shallots, lemongrass, garlic, galangal and (of course) Thai chiles (2).
My goal with this recipe is to honor the traditional flavors of Thai red curry, while using ingredients which are easily found in North America. I hope that this recipe honors the roots and flavor of traditional Thai curry while introducing it to new home cooks.
Ingredients you'll need
- Thai red curry paste- my favorites are Thai Kitchen and Cock brand; Mae Ploy is another good one. You can also swap for green curry paste.
- Fish sauce- pungent, salty, and full of umami, this ingredient is absolutely essential in a good Thai curry. Don't be scared off by the smell! Find it in the international section of your grocery store
- Brown sugar- necessary to balance the saltiness of the fish sauce and curry paste, you can swap it for coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey
- Lime juice- stir this in at the end of the cook time to add acid and a slight sour taste that adds the necessary complexity to the curry
- Coconut milk- go for full fat coconut milk for a creamy, luxurious sauce
- Chicken breast- we are using 1 lb, roughly 2 large chicken breasts, but you can swap for chicken thighs.
- Vegetables- I've used sliced bell pepper, onion and snap peas. Feel free to use up your favorites!
Optional but delicious
- Kaffir lime leaves- occasionally found at the grocery store but you may need to visit an Asian grocery store. Adds citrussy lime flavor without sourness. You can freeze leftovers!
- Thai basil- this type of basil has a decidedly licoricey flavor about it and adds bright, fresh flavors to the curry. Note that regular basil is pictured here (also good)
Cooking Thai curry in the Instant Pot
For this recipe, we are using a three-step method that is simple, easy, and gets dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.
- First, we cook our chicken in the coconut milk with some red curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Second, we remove our cooked chicken from the Instant Pot and allow it to rest. Turn the Instant Pot to sautee and we are now going to cook our veggies for 3-5 minutes. I used bell pepper and red onion slices, and snap peas in this recipe, and cooked them until they were slightly softened.
- Third, we slice the chicken and add it back to the pot. Squeeze some fresh lime juice and mix it all in. Serve with rice and spoon that delicious Thai coconut curry sauce over everything! You can add some fresh Thai basil or cilantro leaves if you'd like, or just enjoy it as is.
Recipe FAQ
Does the coconut milk break in the Instant Pot?
I've made this recipe close to 10 times, and my coconut milk has never broken. With that being said, some readers have had this issue. I use a good quality, full fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen is my fave), which I suspect has something to do with it.
Want to add extra flavor?
Sautee some aromatics in a bit of olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients. Shallots, garlic and ginger would all be great additions. If you have lemongrass or lime leaves, these would also be a great way to add even more dimension to the Thai red curry sauce! Don't forget to saute the curry paste for 1-2 minutes.
Can I make this recipe in the slow cooker?
Sadly, no. I have tried many times to master this Thai red curry recipe in the slow cooker, but the coconut milk separates, making this not possible.
Which other vegetables can we use in Thai chicken curry?
You can go wild here. Bok choy, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and many more would be great in this recipe. Note you will need to cut hardy veggies like carrots, broccoli and cauliflower quite small to get them to soften.
Meal prep tip
This is one of my favorite recipes to use for meal prep because it tastes even better on day two!
Reheat meals
You can cook this recipe ahead, portion it out with rice, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may also freeze for up to 3 months! Thaw completely, then heat up in the microwave.
Check out my favorite meal prep containers.
Freezer Instant Pot meals
Another way to meal prep this recipe is to assemble the chicken, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar ahead and store in a freezer bag, reusable silicone bag or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw and cook in the Instant Pot as directed.
Find 6 more Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipes that can be assembled ahead and frozen like this!
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Spicy Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts roughly 1 lb; see note 1
- 13.5 oz coconut milk 400 mL; use full fat
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar see note 2
After cooking
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 cups vegetables sliced (bell peppers, red onion and snap peas pictured)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients not listed 'after cooking' into the stainless steel insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot (note 3).
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam release handle to 'sealing', and select 'pressure cook' (or 'manual' on older models) for high pressure 8 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release (release the pressure immediately after the Instant Pot beeps).
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot using a set of tongs and set aside to rest.
- Select the 'sautee' button, and add in the lime juice and vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes. Using oven mitts remove the stainless steel pot from the Instant Pot.
- Slice the chicken and add back to the Instant Pot.
- Serve with rice.
To Make Freezer Packs
- Combine all ingredients not listed 'after cooking' in a gallon size freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Kim says
I really like the flavor of curry but my stomach doesn’t like coconut milk. Do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
Annie says
Hi Kim, normally I might suggest heavy cream, or possibly Almond milk, but since this is a Instant Pot recipe I do not believe that would work.
Andrea says
Oh my goodness this was amazing! I have a baby and a toddler and I was able to quickly make this after work. We love an intense curry so I added a healthy sprinkle of curry powder in addition to the red curry paste. Definitely adding this to the rotation!
Maureen P says
absolutely delicious. Well received by picky eaters like kids (and some adults) whose diet basically consists of chicken nuggets and burgers. A great way to expand their palate
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Maureen, picky eaters can be hard to please. We are happy to hear you are having success with this recipe.
Lindsay says
So delicious! I made as a freezer pack and just threw in frozen veggies. Definitely will be a go to in our house. Delightful flavor thank you!
Susanne says
Just made this recipe. Super easy and delicious. I added the basil. We will definitely be keeping this recipe for the future.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Susanne, so glad to hear that it was easy and delicious! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review. Enjoy!
Becky says
I made this yesterday and had it for lunch today. It was delicious! I am new to the Instant Pot and this came out great. Easy to follow instructions and only a few ingredients. I did use Thai Yellow curry paste as that is all I had on hand and used half of the brown sugar as an option. I used up whatever veggies I had in the fridge. I just added this to my favorites folder for meal ideas! Thank you bunches and bunches! I love it!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Becky! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed. Thank you so much for reporting back! Glad to hear it worked with yellow curry paste.
Renee Samson says
Hi Denise. Thanks for the easy delicious recipe! I love meals that have minimal ingredients and are versatile enough that you can put in pretty much any vegetables you want to use up. I used low fat coconut milk and the sauce came out great! It was thick enough and didn’t separate at all. This ones a keeper for us!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Renee! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, and that your sauce came out great! I appreciate you coming back to leave a review, thank you!
Andrea Jennyc says
This was so easy and delicious! My coconut milk did split though (and I used the Thai Kitchen brand one too), but my family and I didn’t mind and it still tasted amazing!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Andrea! Darn, I'm sorry to hear your coconut milk split! I am really wondering why it does for some people and not for others. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Emily Hoffman says
Tried this tonight with squash, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms and it was delicious! I added some crushed red pepper for a little spice to balance the sweet but otherwise followed as is and it was perfect! It wasn’t thick (if that’s what people are talking about the coconut milk breaking down?) but it was flavorful and fine with rice.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Emily! So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thai curry is not meant to be thick like an Indian curry. Thanks so much for reporting back with your modifications, that's so helpful!
Whitney says
Followed the recipe exactly and the finished product has very little curry flavor - just a predominately coconut flavor. Pretty disappointed as this was not at all what I was expecting
Denise says
Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy 🙁
Rachel says
My coconut milk broke down in the instant pot, upsetting but the flavours were still great.
Denise says
Darn! I'm sorry to hear this. So strange because my coconut milk has never separated in the IP, but it does in the slow cooker. I wonder why this is happening?
John Cooksey says
Denise,
What a splendid recipe!! Tried it for the first time a few nights ago and it turned out just about perfect in my opinion! So easy to follow and do, I am not that experienced with instant pots yet, this was my second time using it honestly. I scoured my Walmart for Thai Red Curry Paste and had to cave and substitute with curry powder I had. Maybe not as spicy as it would have been but this shows it is quite a forgiving recipe! I also opted for Hoisin sauce for a different flavor and enjoyed it! Love these recipes for my new busy life as a graduate student returning to school.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I will keep checking back for more fun creations from you!
John Cooksey says
Forgot to give it 5 stars! Through and through!
Savannah says
I loved this recipe but I'm actually leaving a comment to find put why the 7 Instant Pot Chicken Recipes page is down. No matter where I click on the link from or what browser it loads a blank page. I really hope you didnt remove it because I've been using it for weeks now as my weekly meal prep. I probably should have printed out the recipes but hindsights 20/20.
Denise says
Hi Savannah, I'm so sorry about that! I just checked and it's back up and running. Sounds like my site was having some technical issues when you were trying to access. Let me know if you ever have troubles with it again!
Maria says
Hi! I just made this recipe last night and I loved it!! Do you think I could use coconut cream instead of milk to make it thicker, or is it a better idea to just use cornstarch to thicken it up? Thank You!!!
Denise says
Hi Maria! Thai curry is not meant to be thick. I would not add cornstarch personally, that's definitely not how they make curry in Thailand. Coconut cream may make it thicker, but honestly it sounds like you might be looking for a completely different type of curry, maybe Indian?
Anna Klemann says
I made this as part of the lunch freezer meal challenge. My husband and I both ate it for lunch today and Oh My Goodness it was delicious!!!! I’m going to double it up next time since it was so easy to make!! Thank you!
Denise says
YAY! So happy to hear this, Anna, and thank you for participating in the challenge! It was such a blast to put on 🙂