Chicken and Broccoli Coconut Curry

Chicken and Broccoli Coconut Curry dish brought to you by everything tasty, delicious, and nutritious I could put into one bowl. Yellow curry powder, coconut milk, a little sugar, and a hint of lime all come together to make this chicken and broccoli recipe super easy and flavorful!

For more Asian-inspired dishes, check out my recipes for Asian Citrus Chicken Salad, Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken, and Asian Turkey and Quinoa Meatballs. 

I feel like I haven’t made an Asian-inspired dish in a while, and it was about time, right? I make my favorite slow cooker broccoli beef every chance I get, but I really needed something new on the weekly menu so I started experimenting with my re-creating some of my favorite Asian restaurant dishes. 

Since we all eat with our eyes first (and, let’s face it, a yummy-looking dish makes for a yummy-looking photo), I actually went about this recipe thinking of colors. You know they say, eat the rainbow and all, and I was thinking about how striking the colors of curry are. Reds, yellows, and greens, all so flavorful and delicious, I had a hard time deciding which one to work with. 

Yellow won out though (obviously) and putting yellow curry powder with chicken and broccoli seemed like a no-brainer. Think of this dish as a healthy alternative to takeout. This is one meal my husband would agree is just as good, if not BETTER than takeout. Always a good sign that a curry recipe will work! 

And, with just 8 ingredients (most you’ll probably even have on hand), I think it’s well within your reach to make easily chicken curry with coconut milk. What do you say? Are you going to try it? 

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI CURRY?

You’ll need very few ingredients to make this Indian Chicken Curry recipe. Get out your pen and paper (or just look at your phone at the grocery,  ha): 

• Sesame oil
• Broccoli florets
• 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Yellow curry powder
• Salt
• 2 cans of Thai coconut milk 
• 1 lime 
• Sugar
• Cilantro 

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY

As easy as the grocery list looks, it’s just as easy to put this dish together! 

First, cut all of the broccoli into smaller floret pieces and slice the chicken into thin strips. Next, add the sesame oil into a large skillet, and then add the chicken and broccoli, sauteing over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. 

Next, sprinkle the curry powder and salt over the chicken and broccoli and keep cooking until the broccoli is tender and the chicken is just barely cooked through, so about 78 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk, lime juice, and sugar and stir this all in together with the chicken and broccoli in the skillet. Taste. Is it to your liking? Awesome, then it’s time to eat. Not enough salt? Add some more until you think it’s perfect. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over a bed of fluffy rice.  

WHAT DOES CHICKEN CURRY TASTE LIKE?

This is a tough question, because I have a hard time describing how things taste. I mean, “delicious” is a great word, right? But doesn’t really give a very specific idea of how something tastes. 

Curries are often made with spices like turmeric (that’s what makes it yellow), cumin, ginger, and bay leaves. Also you’ll find cinnamon, cloves, and pepper too. So it tastes quite savory, deep and earthy, and can also be hot if there is a lot of pepper present. 

ARE CURRIES HEALTHY?

Just like anything you eat, whether or not a curry is healthy depends on what you put in it and how you cook it. This particular recipe is healthy because we only use a little bit of oil and lots of fresh broccoli. 

Curry powder, what as a spice combo made with lots of anti-inflammatory properties (turmeric, ginger, cinnamon), is a great spice blend full of health benefits. 

If you’d like to increase the nutritional value of this dish, consider adding in more vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, and edamame are good picks) or serving over brown or cauliflower rice. You could also serve this dish over zucchini (or another veggie) noodle.