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 โก 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?
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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?ย
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 tips
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
- Instant Pot Chipotle Lime Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
- Instant Pot Coconut Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Soy Ginger Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
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).ย
- 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.
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Nutrition Information
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Caitlin Burlison says
I made two of these and froze one. The first one was PERFECT,
but after thawing and pressure cooking the second the sauce broke ๐ Any idea why this could have happened?
Denise says
Hi Caitlin! Hmm, I'm at a loss because I have personally frozen this recipe 4-5 times after cooking and have never had the sauce break. Did you use light coconut milk or full fat? I have had weird things happen before with light coconut milk.
Lori says
Fast and tasty! My only change for next time will be to use 1.5 tbs of fish sauce, as 3 tbs was just too much. I love cooking with fish sauce, but this flavor/smell was a bit too strong in the final dish - for our tastes. I also added a bit more curry and some red pepper flakes to kick up the heat a bit. Definitely a keeper.
Lori says
Forgot to mention that I also made a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce, as mine was on the runny side. This did th trick and the final product was excellent!
Denise says
Glad you enjoyed the curry, Lori! This is definitely not thick like an Indian curry. Thanks so much for your feedback ๐
Lydia says
I'm allergic to all seafood-- any suggestions for a replacement for the fish sauce? Thank you!
Denise says
Hi Lydia! I haven't tried this, but you could try adding soy sauce instead, or just leave it out. Also be careful to check that your curry paste does not contain any seafood as sometimes it can have some.
Jami says
Can you double this recipe? If so, do you double the liquid and spices or just add the extra meat and veggies?
I haven't made this yet but I am trying to get together recipes that I can freeze ahead of time so that dinner won't take so long and I can get a week or even months worth of dinners prepped and in the freezer so whoever is able to cook dinner, whether me, my husband, or son, can get it started or even cook it all the way through to being finished.
Thank you so much for all your recipes. They look yummy and very simple.
Denise says
Hi Jami! You can absolutely double this recipe. I would double all the ingredients because you want to have enough sauce ๐ I hope you enjoy!
Sara says
Amazing dish! One of the first I made in my InstaPot but it has won me over. I'm a crossfitter and track my macros, I love how well balanced, simple, and cheap this meal is! It's in my regular rotation for meal prep meals ๐ I typically add extra vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower, snap peas, shredded carrots, and serrano peppers to kick it up a bit. I recommend this to everyone!
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear you like it! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to leave a review, Sara!
JD says
Just as good as take out! This will be in our regular recipe rotation from now on!
Denise says
So happy to hear this! THanks so much, JD ๐
Ashley says
This was amazing! Restaurant quality, and I would know...it's my favorite dish at Thai restaurants! I used less vegetables: 1 can of Baby corn cut in half & a red pepper.
Denise says
Wow, what a huge compliment! So happy you enjoyed it, and thank you for your review ๐
Mel says
The easiest, quickest, tastiest Thai curry recipe. I used Arroy-D curry paste and it came out perfect. I can't believe how quickly this is made. I purchased a pressure cooker months ago and never used it. Now I'll have to go through all the pressure cooker recipes you have. Love this so much, thank you.
Denise says
YAY! Thank you so much for your review, Mel! I hope you enjoy some of the other pressure cooker recipes on my site, too!
Samantha says
Can I use green curry paste instead
Denise says
Yes, I bet that would be great!
Vanessa says
YUM! Could I use frozen veggies for this next time?
Denise says
Hi Vanessa! I bet that would work great! You might need to adjust the 'sautee' time depending on the veggies you use ๐
Henk says
Made this recipe the other night, and loved it! Made one small mistake in that I cut the chicken breasts before cooking. OOOPS. Never mind, the result was still awesome. The chicken was cooked to perfection, and the veggies were as promised. I did thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of potato starch dissolved in a bit of water. Definitely a keeper!
Denise says
Hi Henk! SO happy you enjoyed and that the chicken was cooked perfectly even after cutting! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Jacky says
Do you think this recipe would work well made in advance and the popped in the freezer? I am looking to make some meals in advance to take to work for lunches.
Denise says
Hi Jacky! Yes, you can cook and portion out with rice and freeze, works great!
Pamela says
Made this for supper tonight and it is absolutely delicious!! It is simple to pull together, and I like that I can use many different types of vegetables. I served it over basmati rice, and it was a hit with both hubby and I.. I didn't include any of the sugar, the only thing I don't like about Thai food is the sweetness, so I was happy to be able to avoid that. I also didn't use the quick release. I did a natural pressure release of 15 minutes instead, since I believe this makes the meat more tender and juicy, which it certainly was. Perhaps next time I have to be brave and try the QR. I will be trying more of your recipes, and thank you so much for this one!
Denise says
Woo hoo! So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Pamela! Thank you for taking the time to write down your modifications ๐
Kimberlee Dirkson says
I made this recipe to freeze and make later... Upon defrosting, the coconut milk has separated and I'm at a loss what to do?
Denise says
Hi Kimberlee! I'm surprised to hear this, but I would just cook as indicated. Were you using full fat or light coconut milk? I've had issues with light separating in the slow cooker but haven't had issues with it separating after freezing.
Kimberlee Dirkson says
The coconut milk didn't say, so I assumed it was full fat. Could have been our issue, certainly. I have 3 more prepped curry in the freezer, won't hesitate to make them again. I made a bit if cornstarch and cream to disguise the grainy look of the curry. Thank you for replying and I enjoyed this recipe very much!
Tina says
One of the best meals I've made in a while! I doubled the recipe and used the same cooking time, perfect! Thank you for this great recipe!!
Denise says
Wow what a huge compliment! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a nice review, Tina ๐
Morgan says
Can i double this recipe with the same cooking time?
Denise says
Hi Morgan! That should work, but if for some reason the chicken is under, you can put the lid back on and cook for a bit longer (the pot will come back to pressure really quickly). Hope you enjoy, and if you try it with double the ingredients, I'd love to hear how it worked for you!
Liane says
Made this for the first time this evening and loved it! I look a few short cuts and added a few things....sauteed some ginger and garlic in sesame oil before adding the red curry paste....added some sort of a chili oil paste from Thailand, used Kirkland brand frozen chicken tenders and a freezer mix of veg since that's what we had in the house....and cooked it in a regular pot on the stovetop! Turned out totally delicious - super easy - will definitely make it again!
Denise says
Hi Liane! Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Love your modifications. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Joy says
Just made this and the family loved it. Super easy and Minimal ingredients.
Denise says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Joy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a nice review <3
Jo says
i have made this dish several times and it is my husband favorite.
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear that, Jo! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Surya-Patricia Lane Hood says
I can't think why your coconut milk separates in your slow cooker. I use it often in my Crockpot with no problems. Also, showmetheyummy.com has the same recipe on the internet for a Crockpot. Perhaps that could give you some ideas on what to do.
Denise says
Hi Surya, I can tell you I'm definitely not the only one to have issues with coconut milk breaking in the slow cooker, as I have heard this from readers as well. It could be differences between slow cooker models (mine cooks quite hot, even on low). I found it to be a bigger issue with lite coconut milk than with full fat. I always thought it was strange to see so many slow cooker coconut milk recipes on the web since I've had such problems with it.
Jill Nobles says
My coconut milk ALWAYS breaks down - slowcooker or IP, fat or not. Every once in a while I will try one of these recipes because it seems 'everyone is doing it'. Nope. Disaster. UGH.
Jill Nobles says
To clarify, yes, my coconut milk broke down and looked ugly, but this recipe was freaking delicious. Only used 1tbsp fish sauce (we are not fish sauce people) and 1tbps brown sugar; stir fried my peppers, onions and broccoli while the IP was doing it's thing just to save time, and mixed them into the pot before serving. I also used whole frozen chicken breasts (that's how we roll around here) and adjusted the IP time to 15 minutes. Perfection. Can't wait to make this again. Thanks!
Denise says
Hi Jill! I have had issues with coconut milk breaking in my slow cooker in the past, but I have not had that issue in the Instant Pot and I've done it probably 5-6 times with various brands ๐ I'm not sure why your coconut milk broke, could it have had anything to do with frozen chicken breasts? Maybe something with the science of extreme temperature shifts (really reaching here LOL). Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed the flavors. Thanks for reporting back!