Tender Curry Chicken Thighs
Tender chicken thighs are covered in delicious homemade curry sauce and served over rice with an array of toppings for a Middle Eastern-style meal that’s worthy of company. Serve it to guests and get rave reviews!
Here’s a chicken recipe that’s special enough for entertaining, but easy to make. The seasonings and the serving method create a main dish that’s ideal for a Moroccan themed dinner party, but you’re going to want to make it for any occasion.
I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the most flavorful and juicy meat, but you can certainly use boneless chicken breasts too. I’ve even made a vegetarian version using chickpeas instead!
Ingredient Notes
Chicken. Chicken thighs are great for this recipe because they stay tender and juicy even if slightly over cooked. Boneless chicken breasts will have a comparable cook time to the bone-in, skin-on thighs so you can absolutely substitute them; the sauce will help keep them moist. You can use boneless thighs too but the cooking time will be a little shorter. It really comes down to your preference or budget.
Plain Yogurt. My go-to ingredient for this recipe is plain Greek yogurt, but I’ve also made it with sour cream or coconut milk with total success.
Quick Tip
Make this vegetarian and vegan friendly: Use chickpeas instead of chicken, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and substitute the yogurt with coconut milk.
How to Make It Step-By-Step
Use a large non-stick skillet to cook the chicken and sauce separately before combining.
- Cook chicken through in olive oil, starting skin side down. When done, move the pieces to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Cook chopped vegetables and seasoning in the skillet until softened and then add in the broth. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a blender and process until smooth; vent the top to let heat escape. Add in the yogurt and pulse to combine thoroughly.
- Pour sauce back into the warm skillet, add the chicken back in and heat until everything is warmed through.
Make Ahead
For entertaining, you can make the chicken and the sauce ahead of time, store it separately or together in the fridge, and then reheat it together on the stove. Place them in a pan and warm over low heat without allowing it to boil, until the chicken is heated through.
Helpful Tips
When you take the raw chicken out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take the chill off. That way it can cook more evenly.
Try this curry sauce with chickpeas, too. Just add two cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, to the prepared sauce.
I use a blender to process the sauce but if you have an immersion blender, you can use that too.
You can substitute the rice for Israeli (pearl) couscous. They’re actually tiny pasta balls and are a good textural option for the curry chicken.
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How To Serve It
Part of what makes this entree a special meal for a dinner party is how it’s served. Place the chicken on a bed of basmati or brown rice, and spoon plenty of the sauce over top.
Set out small bowls of toppings to finish off the dish, including:
- Flaked unsweetened coconut
- Raisins
- Peanuts or Cashews
- Fresh chopped herbs like cilantro or parsley
What Goes With It
These side dishes will complement the flavors of the entree, and complete the meal.
Welcome guests with an appetizer of hummus and pita bread, or set out some mezze platters to nibble on.
At the dinner table, start with a fresh fig salad or roasted beets and goat cheese salad. When plating the dinner add roasted carrots with cumin on the side of the curry chicken thighs. Or, in lieu of the beet salad, serve a bowl of roasted beets and goat cheese, with walnuts sprinkled on top.
Curry Chicken Thighs
Moist chicken thighs in an easy curry sauce that's tasty enough for entertaining. Serve it over rice and add flavorful toppings for an exotic-themed dinner party.
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thighs (I used skin on, bone-in)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Curry powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ½ cup plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Serving
- Cooked Rice
- Shredded unsweetened coconut
- Raisins
- Peanuts or Cashews
- Shopped fresh Cilantro or Parsley
Instructions
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.
- Preheat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken skin side down. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the second side until no longer pink inside. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature by sticking the probe of the thermometer into the center of the meat, but not touching the bone. When the thermometer reads 165º F, your chicken is cooked. Move the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Reduce heat to low and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add crushed garlic, curry and garam masala and stir while cooking for 1 minute to toast the spices.
- Add broth to the pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmering boil for about 5 minutes, to reduce and thicken. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pour mixture into a blender and process until smooth, venting the lid to let out any heat that can build up. Add yogurt and blend again.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan over low heat and stir in the salt. Add chicken into the curry sauce, cover with the lid and continue to cook for about 5 minutes to heat through.
- Serve over a bed of rice along with toppings.
Notes
Make it Vegetarian! Use two cans of chickpeas drained and rinsed, instead of chicken. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and substitute the yogurt with coconut milk.
