Easy Chicken Curry, Even in a Hurry
This quick chicken curry is warmly spiced, slightly sweet, and ready in about 30 minutes. Made with cooked chicken, vegetables, apple, curry spices, and a simple savory sauce, it's an easy weeknight dinner when you're craving something cozy and flavorful.
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Years ago, my parents lived near a takeout restaurant called "Curry in a Hurry." Every time I drove past, the name made me smile-and it stuck with me.
This recipe is my own easy weeknight version: not intended to represent one particular curry tradition, but inspired by flavors I've come to love over the years. Using already-cooked chicken keeps it especially quick, making it perfect for busy evenings.
Chicken Curry in a Hurry
With a few aromatics, warm spices, chopped apple, and cooked chicken, this curry comes together quickly in one skillet. Serve it over hot rice with fresh cilantro and lime, adding cashews or your favorite toppings if you like.
Chicken Curry Ingredients
- Cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
- Butter, for sautéing
- Aromatics: onion, garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper (optional for additional heat), and chopped carrot
- Seasonings: curry powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, and pepper
- All-purpose flour: for thickening
- Chicken broth
- Medium apple, deseeded and chopped, peeled or unpeeled
How to Make Chicken Curry
Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here is a quick overview.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan.
- Sauté the onion until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, carrot, and seasonings; cook until fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook for one minute more.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth, breaking up any clumps of flour. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in apple, reduce to a simmer and cook until the apple is tender; about 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken and cashews, if using, and heat through. Stir lime juice and serve over cooked rice.
What to Serve with Chicken Curry
Here are a few toppings I like to add to my chicken curry:
- Chopped peanuts if I'm not using cashews
- Shredded coconut
- Raisins
- Minced boiled eggs
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
Easy Chicken Curry Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken such as rotisserie or leftover chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 carrot chopped finely
- 1 fresh chili or mild red pepper seeded and roughly chopped, optional
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium apple cored and chopped (peeled or unpeeled)
- ½ cup cashews optional
Seasonings
- 2-3 teaspoons curry powder to taste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
- cooked rice for serving
- lime juice for serving
- fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent.
- Meanwhile, combine the curry powder, sugar, salt, chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Add the garlic, ginger, carrot, and optional pepper. Stir in the seasonings and cook briefly, just until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will form a thick paste or roux.
- Slowly stir or whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add the chopped apple, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the apple is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked chicken and cashews, if using, and cook just until heated through. Stir in the lime juice and serve over hot cooked rice with fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Peppers: Choose the pepper to suit your preferred heat level. I use everything from a mild red bell pepper to a hot chile such as Bird's Eye, or omit it entirely for a milder curry.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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I simply love curry so definitely will try this one. While eating, many years ago, in Victoria, British Columbia, we discovered an Indian restaurant that we visited on returning trips because they had the most wonderful "brown" chicken curry. I have never been able to find a recipe similar but any curry will do for me.
I agree! If you ever come across a brown curry recipe -- we would love to try it as well!
We might have eaten at the same restaurant. We did the same thing, always ate there on return trips. We loved the brown curry and have never been able to find it anywhere else.