This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is just delightful! It makes a perfect meal when paired with Jasmine Rice, and it comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot. To make it a real one-pot meal, cook rice and Thai red curry together using the Pot in Pot method! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Thai cuisine is one of my all-time favorite cuisines. For the longest time, we just went to restaurants to get our Thai fix. And if I ever did attempt to make Thai food, the flavor was not even close to what my favorite restaurants served, and so I just didn’t bother.
Finally, I found out that the secret to making great tasting Thai curries is to use the right kind of curry paste. The kind I had been using is the one commonly found in most American grocery stores. Changing brands made a BIG difference to the taste of the curries.
There are two brands of Thai curry pastes that I really like: Maesri (which I like best) and Mae Ploy.
To take this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry to the next level, do try and find either of these curry pastes at an Asian grocery store near where you live and if you can’t, of course, there’s always amazon.com. Please note that Mae Ploy is a bit spicier than Maesri.
There are two more ingredients you should try and get when you visit your Asian grocery store: Lime leaves (also known as k-lime, makrut and sometimes kaffir lime) and Thai basil. They add unsurpassed and unique flavors to this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry.
One other thing I discovered about Thai food is that Thai curries taste best with Jasmine rice. There’s something about Jasmine rice that soaks up the curry and just enhances the flavors.
Regular white rice, basmati rice, and brown rice just don’t taste the same. Here’s my recipe for Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
For the coconut milk in this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry, I use the regular fat content, and don’t opt for the light variety – again, there’s a taste difference.
This recipe is the Instant Pot version of my Thai Red Curry.
Thai food purists would say that Thai food shouldn’t be pressure cooked. I’m guessing you’re here because you just want to make a Thai curry in your Instant Pot and don’t care about rules! And pssst, guess what?! This curry is just wonderful cooked in the Instant Pot. I’m not kidding – it’s really tasty.
It comes together so quickly, and it’s my go-to dish on really busy days. I always keep coconut milk and curry paste in my pantry and I use whatever meat and veggies I have on hand. I hope you give it a try.
Oh, and to make life really easy, check out my easy-to-understand, step-by-step article on Pot-in-Pot cooking – it shows you how to make this curry and rice together. At the same time!
Click below to see all my Thai recipes!
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken.
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken – Ingredients
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken – Step by Step Instructions
- Press ‘Saute’.
- Stir together red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk and saute until mixture is bubbly, a minute or two. *
* Use a splatter screen if necessary, to guard against splatters from the coconut milk.
- Press ‘Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth.
- Close Instant Pot lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘4’ (4 minutes) *
* Note: if your chicken pieces are bigger, then you’ll need to add on a few minutes of cooking time.
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 4 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.
- To open the Instant Pot, first move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
- Press ‘Saute’.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, bell pepper, carrot, onion, bamboo shoots, and lime leaves.
- Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t overcook, as the vegetables will continue to cook in residual heat.
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken
This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is delightful (and addicting!) It makes a perfect meal when paired with Jasmine Rice, and comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 246 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand
- 14 oz. (1 can) regular-fat coconut milk
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs sliced into thin bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste
- 2 tsp brown sugar or to taste
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper cubed
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1/2 cup onion cubed
- 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots
- 4 lime leaves slightly bruised *
- 12 Thai Basil leaves
Instructions
- Select ‘Saute’ and stir in red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk until mixture is bubbly, about a minute or two.
- Press 'Cancel'.
- Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth.
- Close Instant Pot and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 4 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, bell pepper, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, and lime leaves.
- Press 'Saute' and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be sure not to overcook. Vegetables will continue to cook in the residual heat.)
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- Use a
splatter screen, if necessary, to guard against the coconut milk bubbling up. - You can choose to substitute the vegetables with your choice e.g. green beans, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and you can also increase the quantity of vegetables.
- My chicken was thinly sliced. If your pieces of chicken are larger, you'll need to add on a few more minutes of cooking or just do a natural release of pressure.
- * lime leaves also referred to as k-lime, makrut or kaffir lime leaves
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 246 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Sodium: 705 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 6 g
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed hashtag #paintthekitchenred
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and/or share on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you!
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DOREEN KENNIE
Delicious recipe to the T
Jennie
Can’t wait to try this! Have you tried using chicken drumsticks? How long do I cook it for and would that be too long for the coconut milk? Should I cook it beforehand instead?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jennie, if you’re using drumsticks, you would need to pressure cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. You might also need to add some extra water to avoid sealing issues.
Shahla
Hello! If I was adding (uncooked) potatoes, which step would I do this?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Shahla, you can add the potatoes with the chicken, but don’t cut them too small or they’ll become too mushy. If you wanted to pressure cook both for just 3 minutes, that would be fine too.
Sharmaine Spaulding
I’ve made this multiple times and everyone loves it! We love spice so I add a bit of red pepper flakes and I change up the veggies, adding sweet potato and various colored peppers, but it is always absolutely perfect. Thank you for sharing this with all of us!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe, Sharmaine. It’s funny, but I just spoke to a friend who found it a bit too spicy 🙂 I guess spice tolerance is all over the place!
Maya
I don’t have the lime leaves and thai basil.How can I substitute it?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Maya, you can use lime juice and regular basil. It won’t taste exactly the same but will be good nonetheless. Enjoy!
Charlotte
I just made this with leftover veggies: potatoes, red bell pepper, asparagus and frozen chicken pieces I prepared for stir-fries. I followed the directions exactly except added 2 minutes to pressure cook. I tasted the flavor after pressure cooking and added more sugar and a splash of fish sauce and it tasted delicious, just like the one I usually get at restaurants. I have made your yellow curry recipe too, but this tastes better 🙂 Do you have an instant pot recipe for Thai Pineapple curry with shrimp, this would be awesome !
Thanks for the delicious and easy recipes, it makes sheltering in place so much more yummy. :)))
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great to hear, Charlotte! Sounds like you had a meal-in-one with all the veggies. And what you did is exactly what you need to do for Thai curries: taste and adjust sweet, salt, spice and sour 🙂
Charlotte
I just made this, I used leftover veggies: onions, red bell peppers, asparagus, potatoes and frozen chicken pieces I prepared for stir-frys. I followed the directions exactly and add a 2 minutes more to pressure cook. I tasted it after pressure cooking and added a little more sugar and a splash of fish sauce, it was really good just like the ones I get from Thai restaurants. It was so easy, this would also taste delicious with shrimp. I also like your yellow curry recipe too, but I think this tastes better.
Do you have a recipe for Thai pineapple curry with shrimp in the instant pot this would be an awesome recipe to be able to make. 🙂 Thanks for the delicious recipes, it makes staying in shelter so much more yummy!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Charlotte, unfortunately I don’t have a separate pineapple curry recipe. But I think you could easily add 1 cup of pineapple to the curry and get a good result – let me know if you try it out!
Abby Fernandez
This recipe is amazing and delicious! After I found it I’ve made it at least 10 times. With those I’ve shared it with, they say it tastes as good as a restaurant. I am never able to find Thai basil even at the Asian grocery store, so I use regular Basil. It’s an easy and yummy dish! Thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Abby – thank you so much for commenting. I’m really happy to hear you like the recipe 🙂
Annie
Absolutely the best!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Annie!
KDH
This instant pot technique is solid, but 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (I used red boat brand) made it way too salty! Next time I’ll start with a teaspoon. I ended up adding more coconut milk to balance the flavors. I also added a minute to the pressure cooking time because I live at 6000+ feet. Unfortunately I couldn’t get to an Asian market for the lime or basil leaves because corona virus.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your feedback. I guess the level of saltiness is a personal preference. Sorry to hear you found it too salty – hope that you’ll have a better experience next time. Edited: I just thought of something – this curry is meant to be eaten with rice. If you’re not eating it with rice, you would find it to be salty.
Nancy
Simple and delish!
STEVEN Ludwig
Can I make Shrimp Mei Fun in my IP?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Steven, you’d have to change the recipe up by using spaghetti. Rice noodles become gloopy and one big mess when pressure cooked. Check out my Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles recipe for an idea on how to adapt your recipe.
Purva
So easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing
Paint the Kitchen Red
Purva, thanks so much for your comment – give some of the other Thai curries a try; I’m sure you’ll like them.
Beth
I love this recipe and would like to double it next time- any recommendations? Would it be the same cook time or should I increase the time?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Beth, I double it frequently. I don’t always double the broth. And I keep the cook time the same.
Nancy
Our favorite Thai place closed a few years ago. I haven’t found anywhere that equals their Red Curry Chicken – until tonight, when I made this. OMG. It’s PERFECT. My mouth is so happy. 😍
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wendy, I apologize for not including the quantity in each serving. Going forward, I’ve made a note to measure my recipe servings. However, for this recipe, it would have to be 1/6 of the total quantity. I would say about 2 cups.
Gary OKIMOTO
Delicious and received nothing but compliments on this easy to make dish!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Gary, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. The best part about cooking is when you have happy diners!
Victoria Gelberg
Easy, delicious and because it’s for the Instant Pot, the chicken is tender. I finished with potatoes and rather than ending with saute, I used manual pressure cooking for 4 minutes. It was perfect!
I doubt I’ll order this in a restaurant again. We LOVED this!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting, Victoria. I don’t normally add potatoes to this curry but do to massaman and yellow 🙂 So I’m sure it was tasty!
Lorrie
We started eating this to prep for our Thailand trip, gotta say it’s pretty spot on! The only change I make post Thailand trip is to add a whole Thai pepper (spicy) to the pot and serve over rice noodles instead of rice. Making it tonight for my parents so they can can get the whole experience while looking at our trip pictures!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lorrie – now that’s an awesome comment because you ate the real deal! Thank you so much for sharing and take care.
Trish
This was an easy recipe aside from finding certain ingredients such as Thai basil and lime leaves. Figured out substitutes for them and the dish came out delicious! My kids loved it and it even impressed my husband. Will definitely make again and will check out what other recipes you have to offer. Thank you for this recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Trish, I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Please keep me posted on what you try out 🙂
Linda Sheehy
Oh. My….made this last night and it was just FANTASTIC!!!! I could only find Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste, but I do love this brand for all things Thai!! Disclosure: Increased Thai Curry to 4 1/2 TBLS.; could not find this ype of Lime, so I used the zest of 1/2 Lime;could not get Thai Basil, so used fresh Basil; I did not use Fish Sauce ’cause…ewwww!! lol!!….absolutely great & looked just like the picture!!!~~~
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Linda, glad to hear it worked for you with the “other” brand 🙂 Don’t knock fish sauce – it’s amaaaaazing! 🙂