Caribbean chicken curry recipe

Our Caribbean chicken curry is easy to make and only takes 15 minutes to prepare. 

This delicious curry is served with rice and beans and although it has creamy coconut milk, it still packs a punch when it comes to spice. We’ve used red chilli but in the Caribbean, Scotch bonnet is frequently used. Use with caution if you don’t like spice! 

Ingredients

• 1tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 5cm (2in) piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2cm (1in) cubes
• 1tbsp of mild curry paste
• 400ml (14fl oz) can of coconut milk
• 1 large mango, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

For the rice and peas: 

• 350g (12oz) long grain rice
• 130g (5oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 spring onions, sliced

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium size saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for 3 - 4 mins.
2. Add the chicken and cook for 5 mins, or until sealed and lightly browned.
3. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 min, add 3/4 of the coconut milk and simmer over a moderate heat for 20 mins.
4. Stir in the mango and coriander, and simmer for a further 5 mins.
5. While the curry is cooking, prepare the rice and peas. Cook the rice as per pack instructions. Then, 5 mins before the end of cooking, add the coconut milk and red kidney beans.
6. Drain and pile the rice onto individual plates, garnished with the spring onions and top with the Caribbean chicken curry.

Watch how to make Caribbean chicken curry

Top tips for making Caribbean chicken curry

Instead of using chicken breasts, it’s more economical to break a whole chicken down into 8 pieces. The curry will take a little longer to cook to ensure the meat is cooked through but you’ll get more flavour and it will be less likely to dry out. 

Jessica Ransom

“Although I love the ease of using boneless chunks of breast meat. For the best flavour, I recommend using chicken thighs instead.” 

If you often overcook chicken and are disappointed because it’s dry, you need a meat thermometer to help you check meat is cooked through.

Thermapen® Classic - Orange - View at Thermapen

This compact digital thermometer will fit neatly in your cutlery drawer and gives you an accurate reading in seconds. We love the orange but there are lots more colours if you want to match your own interior design. Chicken is cooked at 74C.

Once you’ve made this recipe, try our pork curry recipe. You might also like the Hairy Bikers chicken curry or Wagamama's katsu curry recipe is a popular choice.