A quick and easy chicken and peanut buttery curry with bell peppers and green beans. Use any curry paste you have on hand for a great chicken curry in a hurry!
I love these all-in-one-pan dinners for a great fuss-free meal. This chicken peanut butter curry is ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes. Just add rice for a quick and easy meal.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Chicken – start with boneless chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts. I prefer boneless chicken thighs myself, as they are always tender.
Coconut milk – full-fat coconut milk will provide the nicest sauce consistency, but you can use lite coconut milk if you prefer. If the sauce is too thin, it can be thickened with a mixture of cornstarch and cold water.
Peanut butter – use any peanut butter you have on hand, regular or natural, smooth or crunchy.
Curry paste – this curry is adaptable to any curry paste you have on hand from Thai to Indian. You can red, yellow or green Thai curry paste or any of the Indian curry pastes such as Madras, Massaman, Panang, Vindaloo or Korma. I’ve used Madras curry paste here.
Bell pepper – I suggest red, yellow or orange bell pepper for the best flavour.
Green beans – use fresh or frozen green beans. If using fresh green beans, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
How to make chicken peanut butter curry
This is a summary of the steps to make this curry. Always refer to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
- Start the curry by adding some of the cream from the top of the coconut milk can to a skillet, together with the curry paste.
- Cook the cream and curry paste together for a couple of minutes.
- Add the rest of the can of coconut milk and the chicken broth to the pan.
- Add the peanut butter and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken (uncooked) to the simmering sauce.
- Add the bell peppers. Allow the chicken and peppers to cook in the simmering sauce for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
- Add the green beans to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes more.
- Finish the dish by seasoning with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime juice.
Recipe video
Recipe tips!
- The sauce for this curry is plentiful and not thick. This is the intended consistency. Simply spoon the curry into a shallow bowl and add a spoonful of rice to serve. I like to press the rice into a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup, then invert it over the curry to make a mound of rice in the bowl.
- Since this is a saucy curry it is also perfect for adding more vegetables to the skillet, if you like.
- Don’t forget the salt! Taste the sauce at the end of cooking and add salt as needed to really bring out all the great flavours in the sauce.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
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Get the Recipe: Chicken Peanut Butter Curry
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz (400 ml) canned coconut milk, regular or lite
- 3 Tablespoons Thai curry paste or Indian curry paste, *see Note 1 below for curry paste options
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter, regular or natural
- 1 lb (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 4 oz (115 g) green beans, fresh or frozen and cut in pieces if fresh
- 1/2 lime, for drizzling
For garnish and serving:
- cilantro or Thai basil, chopped
- basmati rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk into a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rest of the coconut milk, the chicken broth and the turmeric.
- Tip! If the sauce is not smooth after adding the coconut milk, use a whisk to smooth it out.
- Bring to a simmer, then add the peanut butter and stir to combine.
- Add the (uncooked) chicken and bell pepper and simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the green beans and simmer for another 4-5 or until the green beans are tender. Taste the sauce and add salt to the sauce, as needed. (If the sauce tastes flat, it needs salt!) Squeeze the juice from the 1/2 lime and stir in.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped cilantro or Thai basil and with rice, if desired.
Notes
More chicken curry recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This was absolutely delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it, Elsie! Thanks so much :)