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Yellow Curry with Chicken is a warm, generous meal built around tender chicken, sturdy vegetables, earthy mushrooms, and a creamy coconut curry sauce. It is made with a homemade yellow curry spice blend and served over pandan coconut basmati rice,. Together, they make a fragrant, cozy meal, whether the curry comes from the crock pot after a long day or the Instant Pot when dinner needs a little rescue mission.
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
- Chicken – 1 ½–2 lbs (frozen or thawed, thighs or breasts)
- Onion – 1 large, sliced
- Carrots – 2–3, cut into chunks
- Potatoes – 2 medium, peeled & cubed
- Freeze-dried mushrooms – 1–1 ½ cups (rinse lightly)
- Cilantro or basil for garnish
- Coconut milk powder – ½ cup mixed with 1 ½ cups hot water (equals 1 can)
- Chicken broth – 1 cup
- Soy sauce or fish sauce – 2 Tbsp
- Honey – 1 Tbsp
- Lime juice – 1 Tbsp (may reconstitute from powder)
- Curry Spice Blend (full recipe)
Instructions
Crock Pot Directions
- Make the sauce.
Whisk coconut milk mixture, broth, soy/fish sauce, honey, lime juice, and curry spice blend. - Load the Crock Pot
Pour sauce into crock pot. Add onion, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Place chicken on top (frozen is fine). - Cook
Cook 6–7 hrs on Low or 3–4 hrs on High, until chicken and veggies are tender. When done, shred chicken into bite-size pieces, stir, taste, and adjust seasoning. - Serve
Serve hot over rice with cilantro or basil garnish.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Sauté
On sauté, cook onion briefly with oil. Add garlic/ginger if using fresh. Stir in curry spice blend for 30 sec. - Add ingredients to instant pot
Add coconut milk mixture, broth, soy/fish sauce, honey, lime juice to Instant Pot and stir. Add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and place chicken on top. - Cook
Cook on high pressure 12 min (15 min if chicken is very thick/frozen solid). - Release
Natural release for 10 min, then quick release to let out any remaining pressure. - Prepare to Serve
Shred chicken, stir, and adjust seasoning. - Serve
Serve hot over rice with cilantro or basil garnish.
From the Table
This yellow curry has the kind of practicality I appreciate, especially when location makes certain ingredients harder to keep on hand. Freeze-dried mushrooms may not sound glamorous, but they earn their place here. They are dependable, they store well, and they are ready when fresh mushrooms are not. There is something satisfying about a meal that can still come together beautifully from what you have tucked away.
The curry itself is generous and steady. Paired with the pandan coconut basmati rice, already on the blog, it becomes a little more special.
I also like that this recipe gives options without losing its identity. The crock pot version is for the days when thinking ahead pays off. The Instant Pot version is for the days when dinner needs to be rescued quickly and with some dignity. Either way, the result is warm, filling, and deeply welcome at the table.
Field Notes:
This recipe is flexible about the chicken. Thighs bring extra richness and stay especially tender, while breasts keep things leaner and still shred well after cooking. Frozen chicken works in both versions, though very thick or frozen-solid pieces may need the longer end of the cooking range.
Freeze-dried mushrooms are used here because they are easy to store and especially practical when fresh mushrooms are not always easy to get. Give them a light rinse before adding them to the pot. Canned mushrooms will also work, and fresh mushrooms are even better when you have them.
The coconut milk powder makes this recipe pantry-friendly. Mixed with hot water, it stands in for a can of coconut milk and keeps the sauce creamy without needing to keep cans on hand. Whisk it well before adding it to the pot so the curry base starts smooth.
The yellow curry spice blend is what gives this recipe its depth, so let it fully mix into the liquid before cooking. In the Instant Pot version, blooming the spice blend briefly on sauté helps wake up the flavor. In the crock pot version, a good whisk at the beginning does the work.
Serve this curry over my pandan coconut basmati rice recipe. Plain rice will work, but the basmati version brings a fragrant, lightly floral coconut note that makes the whole bowl feel more complete. The curry is rich and saucy, so the basmati rice is a good match because it holds its shape without turning heavy.
