Curry came to Vietnam a long time ago, and while it’s a little less well known than its Thai cousins, it’s no less delicious and super easy to make. There might be nothing in the world better than traditional Vietnamese chicken curry served with a giant pile of fresh, warm, and pillowy-soft Vietnamese baguettes.
Cooking Notes
Leaving the chicken out while you marinate it lets it come to temperature for more even cooking. If the idea of this makes you squeamish, you can marinate in the fridge, but then you’ll need to add additional cooking time.
You can add any kind of vegetables to this in addition to the potatoes. Tradtionally we go with carrots. The optional powders are just if you have these items in your pantry. The chili powder we use is Indian red chili powder, which is very very spicy.
Because this is dinner & chill, we leave out the lemongrass because it’s not too common at the average grocery store, but if you come across some while shopping, pick a stalk or two up, slice into 2” long lengths, and add it to the broth.
What do you need?
Just a pot.
How do you serve it?
Serve with rice or baguettes to dip. Bonus points if you can find fresh Vietnamese baguettes from a local Vietnamese deli. It’s also traditional to serve this with pho noodles, in which case you should double the chicken broth and seasoning to make enough for two bowls.
Vietnamese Curry Chicken Recipe
Serves 2
- 2.2 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- 1 lb potatoes + other root vegetables of choice, cubed
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 5.6oz (165ml) coconut milk (the small can)
Optional
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
1. Marinate your chicken with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. If you’re using garlic and chili powder, add one teaspoon of each as well. Let sit on the countertop while you to prep the vegetables or for as long as 2 hours.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan or saute pan over medium high, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil and brown your chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and remaining garlic and fry for a minute or two. Stir in the vegetables, the remaining curry powder, and the remaining chili and garlic powder, if using. Fry for a few minutes more.
4. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the chicken, bay leaves, and enough chicken stock to just halfway cover the chicken (about 1 cup, but it depends on the size of the pot you use). Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add the coconut milk and simmer, partially covered, for another 15 minutes, then adjust seasoning and serve.
Welcome to Dinner & Chill, a new series focusing on quick & easy weeknight dinners with easy to find ingredients, no special equipment, low prep, and low effort. Less shopping, less chopping, less mopping, more eating.
15 Comments
jane says:
February 18, 2019 at 4:53 pm
I love it. Thx!
Reply
Monica says:
March 17, 2019 at 5:25 pm
Hi – made this for dinner tonight. It was very delicious! I used boneless chicken thighs so adjusted the timing a bit but turned out really well; my family and I thank you for sharing the recipe! : )
Reply
London Amanda says:
See Also12 Instant Pot Pasta Recipes for Easy Dinners - XO, Katie RosarioApples, Apples Everywhere: 9 Easy Recipes For Fall's Favorite Fruit35 Best Pie Recipes Ever: Perfect For Christmas And Special Holidays5-Minute Homemade Pie Crust {Food Processor Recipe}June 11, 2019 at 3:26 am
Looks delicious. I reckon 2.2lbs chicken and 1lb potatoes would serve more than two people. More like four with rice or roti.
Reply
Supriya Kutty says:
June 14, 2019 at 4:16 am
This is amazing and mouthwatering dish just can’t stop me to try this one, very big fan of chicken and iamfoodblog.com.love your all recipes keep sharing
Reply
Brian says:
April 22, 2020 at 10:21 am
I made it but needed more stock
Reply
angus McDonald says:
April 23, 2020 at 4:44 am
Was beautiful but I needed 1 litre of stock ?
Reply
viola says:
May 8, 2020 at 7:20 am
am happy about your recipe.gona try it soon
Reply
Knitter says:
September 13, 2020 at 12:08 pm
What kind of chili powder?
Reply
Stephanie says:
October 1, 2020 at 1:30 pm
we use thai chile powder but you can use any chile powder you have on had that is just ground up chile like cayenne
Reply
Peggy says:
November 15, 2020 at 9:22 am
I made this last night and it was amazing! It does make a lot. More than two servings, in my opinion. I overcooked it on the last 15 minutes, or should have had it on low instead of medium heat. Still fantastic and will definitely make it again
!Reply
Susan says:
January 31, 2021 at 12:53 pm
I make different Thai, Indian and Vietnamese dishes and this by far is my favorite!!! Thanks for a fabulous recipeReply
Eugenia Franklin says:
August 13, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Very, very good. Made a mistake and tried to thicken. But it was still delish. Mine was more brown.Reply
Eugenia Franklin says:
November 4, 2021 at 9:00 am
I made this and was amazing, however I would like to have an option to print. Thank you very much.
Reply
Steph says:
December 5, 2023 at 8:24 pm
One of my absolute favourites, so easy and delicious!
Reply
Deidra says:
January 27, 2024 at 10:20 am
This is so good and similar to a dish that a vietnamese family member makes. The only changes I made was to remove the fish sauce (I’m not a fan) and added lemongrass. I know this changes the flavor profile but it’s such a perfect base and I always reference this dish with only those changes. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Leave a Reply
Read
Read
Read
Recipe Roundups
5 Best Mashed PotatoesMy best mashed potato mix-ins and flavors. Warning: very fancy mashed potatoes ahead.See the list
Sunday Brunch
Corned Beef HashHomemade corned beef hash just might be the best breakfast you eat this yearBest meal of the week
Basics & How To
How to Cook GyozaHow to make gyoza from scratch like an expert.Let's do it
Bread
Ricotta ToastMove over avocado toast, ricotta toast is here to stay.I Knead this