Thai Green Curry with Chicken
Fragrant green curry paste fried in coconut cream, simmered with chicken, eggplant and makrut lime leaves, and finished with Thai basil.
By Theo Brandt, Test Kitchen Lead & Cheese Specialist
Published April 7, 2026
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Thai green curry is bright, herbal and creamy, with a heat that builds gently as you eat. The key technique is frying the curry paste in the thick cream skimmed from the top of the coconut milk until the oil separates and the kitchen fills with the scent of lemongrass, galangal and chiles. That step wakes up the paste and gives the curry its depth.
Fish sauce and a little palm or brown sugar balance the salt and sweetness, and makrut lime leaves add a citrusy perfume that makes it taste unmistakably Thai. Thai eggplants are traditional, but Japanese eggplant or green beans work well.
Taste as you go, since curry pastes vary in heat and salt. Serve with jasmine rice.
- Fried paste for depth
- Fragrant makrut lime leaves
- Weeknight Thai favorite
Ingredients
Directions
Open the coconut milk without shaking and spoon about 1/2 cup of the thick cream from the top into a bowl.
Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the reserved coconut cream and simmer, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until it thickens and the oil starts to separate.
Add the curry paste and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and the oil turns green.
Add the chicken and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the outside turns opaque.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the broth, then add the fish sauce, palm sugar and lime leaves.
Bring to a gentle simmer and add the eggplant. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Add the bell pepper and simmer for 2 minutes, until just tender-crisp.
Taste and adjust with more fish sauce for salt or palm sugar for balance.
Turn off the heat and stir in the basil leaves and lime juice until the basil just wilts.
Ladle into bowls, top with sliced chile if you like, and serve with jasmine rice.
Test-kitchen tips
- The curry keeps 3 days in the refrigerator; the eggplant softens further on reheating, so add fresh basil when serving.
- Avoid a hard boil after the coconut milk goes in; a gentle simmer keeps the sauce smooth and prevents curdling.
- Swap chicken for shrimp added in the last 3 minutes, or use tofu and vegetable broth with soy sauce in place of fish sauce.
