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 the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- 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. - Thai curries are generally eaten with rice. If you're not planning on eating the curry with rice, you might need to adjust the salt by reducing the quantity of fish sauce.
- 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
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Maurice
I just tried this recipe and it came out incredible! I used some zucchini instead of bamboo shoots and I couldn’t find lime leaves so I used lime zest. I added a touch more fish sauce and curry. I’m going to eat this for dessert!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Maurice, thank you for your comment. I’m happy to hear it turned out well 🙂
Ekta
Hi, I made this and while the curry tasted yummy, the bite sized pieces of chicken tasted bland and flavourless. Can I season them first and will NPR leave it juicier?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Ekta, glad you liked the curry taste. Did you use chicken white meat? – that could be a reason possibly, I prefer thighs, actually. You can also saute the chicken pieces in the thick coconut/curry paste mixture before adding the remaining coconut milk. You can omit the water. You can also do NPR.
Lydia PH
Amazing!! So so good! I had no doubts, as everything you make is incredible. I think this is the 4th or 5th recipe I’ve tried. I waited until I could get to the Asian supermarket before I made this one, because I knew that the maesri paste, lime leaves and Thai basil would really make the dish like you mentioned. Thai is my favourite food also but I have failed many times at making the dishes taste authentic. Thanks for putting so much time into your recipes and details in your posts. Everything you write is so helpful. Thanks again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow Lydia, thank you for your kind words. Comments like yours make me keep putting in the effort to provide detailed instructions! <3
Lisa
I have 2lb of chicken and prefer to bulk cook.
Is it just a simple thing of dubling up ingredients to upscale?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lisa, yes you can double all the ingredients and keep the same cooking time. If you wish to have a thicker curry, leave the broth quantity the same i.e. don’t double.
Tania
I have 3/4 of the coconut milk. If I add more broth will this work? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Tania, yes it’ll work with that quantity of coconut milk. You probably don’t even need to add more broth either but you can if you want to. It will be less diluted with the lower quantity.
Eric K., in Seattle, Washington, USA
Made this last night for the first time. And this was the first time trying to make anything curry-based. Came out great — very satisfying! Did not use any lime leaves, and for basil, I just dumped in some of the common dry flakes from a spice bottle. Thank you for sharing.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Glad to hear it, Eric. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Arlene
My first attempt to making a Thai foods. I didn’t gave the Thai basil so I added more regular basil. Did not have the limes leaves, so left them out.. was a little concerned when I smelled the fish sauce but this dish was absolutely delicious. I also made the jasmine rice. I will make again. Was wondering if anyone has frozen this?
Thank you for this wonderfully flavorful recipe, Neena😋
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay! Thanks for you comment, Arlene. I’m excited to hear that you liked the recipe. All the Thai recipes on the site are as good, so give them all a try 🙂 Re: freezing, I do freeze this and other Thai curries and they do fine. I add vegetables that hold up well to freezing like bell peppers. I also add more fresh basil when I reheat.
Jenny
This was the first recipe I tried on your site, and I seriously couldn’t believe how easy it was to make! It’s the perfect dinner to make when you get home late from work (I’m always mesmerize when the instant pot can cook things in 3 or 4 minutes). I had previously been intimidated to try making Thai food, even though it’s my favorite. I think all the specific details you shared gave me confidence. I wasn’t able to find the Maesri brand at my local Asian market – but they did carry Mae Ploy, so I picked up all the different flavors. I’m so glad I found your site and can’t wait to try more recipes – I’ve been printing them off, and texting links to all my Thai food/Instant Pot loving friends!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jenny, thank you for your kind and generous words. I’m excited that you’ve discovered the pleasures of making Thai curry at home. Just like me 🙂
J
This recipe is perfection! This is a standard dish for me to order in Thai restaurants. This version created a dish that rivals any from a restaurant! Packed with flavor, I didn’t change a thing, and I am so pleased with the result. Quick and easy for a week night dinner, but fit for weekend guests. We inhaled the delicious smells and pretended we were eating at a food stall in the Chiangmai Mai night market.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m glad you agree that this is a restaurant-worthy recipe 🙂
Donna
Serving Size? Based on the nutrition I can make this as a diabetic meal. I know it makes 6 servings but how much is each serving size? I love Thai and can’t wait to try this and your other recipes!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Donna, thanks for your question. Note that the recipe has brown sugar or palm sugar. You can omit it. I would say the curry serving size is about 3/4 cup.
Karen Friscia
Delicious! I added broccoli and red pepper flakes and skipped the bamboo shoots. Also added lime zest in place of lime leaves.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Karen. Yes, you can absolutely swap out the veggies and the meat too!
Kim
This was sooo delicious! Love the convenience of using the instant pot instead.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m glad you liked the recipe – thank you for commenting!
Annie
Easy, quick and every bit as good as restaurant curry. This is going in my regular rotation.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Annie! I’m so glad to hear this.
Rita
My husband and I love this coconut chicken curry. It’s easy to make in my instant pot and always comes out spicy and delicious. A feast for the eyes and palate. I’ve tried a couple other IP recipes but this one has the best flavors. My husband prefers it to restaurant curries.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Rita, I’m thrilled to hear that you love this recipe. I just made it myself last night!
Jenny O.
This was delicious! Nice heat. The only thing we did differently was after adding the veggies, we pressure cooked for 2 more minutes with 10 min of natural release. And we processed some veggies for thickening. Served over cauliflower rice. Definitely will make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jenny, I’ve never tried this curry with cauliflower rice – sounds like a great combination!
Dianna Persun
Can I freeze this recipe?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Dianna, I do freeze my Thai curries and don’t have any issues. However, I add the Thai basil only when I reheat the recipe. Good luck!
Hannah
I haven’t made this yet, but I’m excited to try it this week!
How well does this recipe multiply? I hope to make it for a big family gathering (13 adults, 20 children) and plan to serve it with rice or naan. Any suggestions on X2 or X3 to ensure I maintain good flavor?
thanks in advance!:)
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Hannah, please use the recommended brand of ingredients (especially coconut milk and the curry paste) if you’re making it for guests 🙂 You can easily double it. Tripling it I’m not sure about. Rule of thumb is: make sure the ingredient quantity doesn’t go above the 2/3 mark of the inner pot. I would just do a straight up double or triple but if you want to, you can reduce the quantity of broth. The broth is added to just make sure you don’t get a burn message, and I frequently don’t even add it. So you can just add 1/4 cup of broth if you wish. Good luck!
Terri Wolfrom
I love the flavor, but the fat in my coconut milk always sepates when i cook the chicken, with a little foamy stuff on the sides. Am I doing something wrong?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Terri, what brand of coconut milk do you use? The quality of coconut milk makes a big difference. Also, although the coconut milk *appears* to have separated when you open the Instant Pot, it becomes creamy when you to add the veggies and reheat on Saute mode.
ARUSHA Z
Awesome recipe! I loved it! I made this and used this with oyster sauce instead and it was delicious!
I think I may have added too much coconut milk so I just used a little bit of a thickening agent and set it to “saute normal” let it simmer for few minutes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Arusha. Some coconut milk brands are thicker than others, so you could try a different brand if you didn’t use my recommended ones. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
John S
Amazing flavor, really really spicy. I’d recommend lowering the paste if you’re not use to this kind of spice. I’m not sure what the measurements would be.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, John. Sorry you found it too spicy. You can probably use 2/3 to 1/2 the quantity of paste OR you could increase the coconut milk quantity by doubling or 50% more. You would keep the cooking time the same.
Sharon Burke
This was absolutely delicious..my family loved it!!! I followed the recipe, and the only change I made was to shred the kaffir lime leaves, and add fresh bean shoots at the end instead of using the bamboo shoots. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Sharon! I’m glad to hear you liked the recipe and thanks for sharing your modifications.