Filipino Chicken Curry is one of the mildest curry dishes you'll ever have. Made with just a handful of ingredients such as coconut milk, curry, and ginger. It's rich, creamy, and savory with a hint of sweetness. A perfect dish for adults and kids alike.
Filipino Curry Ingredients
You will only need simple ingredients to make Filipino curry. It involves little to no spice, making it one of the mildest curry dishes.
- Chicken - use chicken pieces with bone-in and skin-on for maximum flavor. Tip: trim-off the excess visible fat by using a sharp knife while carefully leaving the skin on. This will make the sauce less fatty but still full of flavor.
- Spices- everyday ingredients such as ginger, onion, and garlic are all you need.
- Coconut Milk (not cream) - gives the curry a rich and creamy flavor.
- Fish Sauce (patis) – is the main salt in this dish. Regular cooking salt can also be used but the flavor won't be the same.
- Vegetables – the classic CBP of course–carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers. I also added green chili for extra aroma.
- Liquid – Use water or your favorite meat broth. If using store-bought broths, I recommend using the low-sodium kind.
How to make Filipino Chicken Curry
Start off by searing the chicken on both sides. This step gives the curry a deeper flavor. Saute the spices to enhance their flavor, along with the curry powder and fish sauce. Make sure the heat is set to medium-low so the spices don't burn.
Add back the seared chicken pieces, carrots, and potatoes. Pour the coconut milk, water, or broth. Cook until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender. Top with diced bell peppers and that is it! Easy!
What type of curry to use?
Yellow curry powder with minimal spices and with no added chili is commonly used for Filipino curry. If one wants a little bit of heat, fresh red chili is added during the cooking process.
There are many different blends of yellow curry in the market that originated from different regions all over the world. Some have more spices than the other while some include chili for added heat.
Here are some examples:
Malay Curry Powder (mildly spicy) - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, cloves, ground cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper
Thai Curry Powder (spicy)
turmeric, bay leaves, coriander, cumin seed, ginger (ground), pepper, chili flakes, clove
Indian Curry Powder (spicy) - turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander, cumin, ginger, and pepper.
Other blends (not spicy) - coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, fenugreek, nutmeg, red pepper and onion, curry powder
Ultimately, reading the ingredients list on the food label will help you decide on the right curry blend that will suit your taste.
Can you use yellow curry paste?
Yes, definitely! Just follow the amount of paste recommended per pound of meat.
Can you use red curry paste?
Yes! If you like it spicy, then red curry paste is just what you need.
Cooking notes:
- Searing Shortcut: Brown only one side of the chicken, preferably the skin side.
- Cooking time: Adjust cooking time if using smaller pieces of chicken. Test doneness after 20 minutes, remove the lid to thicken the sauce just a bit.
- If using chicken broth, use low sodium so the sauce won’t end up being too salty.
- Cut carrots and potatoes in a large size so they can cook together with the meat and won’t get mushy.
Must try Filipino chicken recipes for lunch or dinner
Watch the recipe video
More chicken recipes
- Chicken Afritada
- Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple
- Nilagang Manok sa Patis
- Easy Chicken and Mushroom Salpicao
- Chicken Menudo
- Easy Chicken Sinigang with Gabi
- Chicken Binagoongan
- Pininyahang Manok with Evaporated Milk
- Creamy Chicken Kare-Kare
- Pesang Manok (Chicken Ginger Soup)
- Tinolang Manok
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Complete Recipe
Filipino Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 kg / 2 lbs chicken (cut into 12 pieces)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- 1 -inch ginger (peeled, sliced)
- 2 green chili (sliced, divided)
- 2 tomatoes (sliced)
- 2 ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder (add more if preferred)
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 large potatoes (quartered)
- 1 large carrot (sliced)
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 red bell pepper (deseeded, sliced)
- salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
- green onions or coriander leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot. Brown the chicken on both sides. Do this in batches if the pot is not big enough. I did mine in two batches. Transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger and half of the green chili. Saute until fragrant and translucent. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook until softened. Add curry powder and fish sauce. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots. Pour water and coconut milk. Cover with a lid. Cook until fork-tender over medium-low heat, about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Season with salt, sugar, and pepper. Gently stir. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Simmer for a couple of minutes without the lid for a thicker sauce. Add red bell pepper and remaining green chili. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Type of curry: Yellow curry powder with minimal spices and with no added chili is commonly used for Filipino curry.
- If using yellow curry paste, follow the amount of paste recommended per one pound of meat.
- Searing Shortcut: Brown only one side of the chicken, preferably the skin side.
- Cooking time: Adjust cooking time if using smaller pieces of chicken. Test doneness after 20 minutes, remove the lid to thicken the sauce just a bit.
- Cut carrots and potatoes in a large size so they can cook together with the meat and won’t get mushy.
- Add bird's eye chili, or siling labuyo if you like it spicy.
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