This Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken has the perfect combination of flavors: creamy coconut milk, Thai yellow curry paste, chicken, and vegetables. To top it off, curry powder gives this Thai yellow curry its unique taste. This Thai yellow curry recipe is soul-satisfying comfort food perfect for any time of year.
It started with Thai Red Curry, then Green Curry, Massaman Curry, and Panang Curry. One by one, over the past couple of years, I’ve shared my favorite Thai curry recipes with you.
This pressure cooker Thai yellow curry recipe can be made quickly and easily, even on a busy weeknight. I always keep coconut milk and curry paste in my pantry and I use whatever meat and vegetables I have on hand.
[Read More: Instant Pot Pot-in-Pot Cooking Method to cook rice and curry together!]
All my Thai recipes are as delicious and easy as this curry, but with different flavors! Yellow curry and Massaman curry are on the milder side and Green Curry is the spiciest, with Red Curry somewhere in the middle.
Click Below to Check out all my Thai Recipes!
Tips and Substitutions
To make this curry taste like a restaurant-quality curry, you’ve got to get the right curry paste. There are two brands of Thai curry pastes that I really like: Maesri (which I like best) and Mae Ploy. These brands have a much more authentic flavor than the most common brand found in regular grocery stores in the US.
When I use Maesri, I use 3 tablespoons of paste, but with Mae Ploy, I use 2 tablespoons because I find it to be spicier. Adjust to your tastes. If the curry is too spicy at the end, add some more coconut milk when cooking the vegetables. The level of spice in the recipe as written is medium spicy. Vary the spice by adding more or less Thai yellow curry paste.
Do try and find lime leaves (also known as k-lime, makrut and sometimes kaffir lime) at an Asian grocery store near you. They add a unique flavor to the curry. If you can’t find them, just omit and add a bit of extra lime juice.
Thai yellow curry recipes vary widely. I like to use lime leaves but I don’t use Thai basil in this curry. If you’re used to the flavor of Thai basil in your yellow curry, feel free to add some in at the end, after pressure cooking.
For the coconut milk in this Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry, I use the regular fat kind; I don’t care for the light coconut milk – there’s a noticeable taste difference. I like the Aroy-D and Chaokoh brands.
For the fish sauce, I like the quality of Red Boat fish sauce. You can find it at Asian grocery stores. But it is more expensive than other fish sauce brands. Tiparos is another brand of fish sauce I’ve used – it’s more affordably priced.
There’s no substitute for fish sauce. It adds that depth of flavor, the umami, to the curry. But if you’re vegetarian, I’ve had readers recommend the Fysh brand of sauce. I have not tried it. You may need to add a little extra.
Thai yellow curries at Thai restaurants can vary in the amount of sweetness, so feel free to adjust the quantity of sugar. Palm sugar is the more authentic ingredient, but you can use brown sugar without a huge taste difference. That’s what I use.
Curry powder can lose its freshness if kept for too long. So if you have a jar of curry powder that’s been sitting in your cabinet for ages, you should try and get a fresh jar.
You can easily substitute other meats or tofu for the chicken, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time. You will also want to omit the potatoes because they will overcook (with pork and beef) or undercook (with tofu). Replace the potatoes with a quicker-cooking vegetable that can be added in at the end. Here are some approximate times. Note: the timing for meat is for bite-size strips!
- Pork shoulder: 8 minutes Natural Pressure Release (NPR)
- Beef chuck: 12 minutes NPR
- Extra-firm tofu, cubed: 2 minutes, Quick Release (QR)
If you regularly encounter the ‘burn’ message, feel free to add 1/4 cup of broth when pressure cooking the coconut milk. (I frequently do this not because of the ‘burn’ error but just because I don’t like to waste the remnants of coconut milk in the can; I add a bit of broth to the emptied can, swirl it around and use a spoon or silicone spatula to scrape out all the coconut milk.)
[Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message]
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 this Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken.
Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken Ingredients
How to Make Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken (Step-by-Step Instructions)
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the ‘Saute’ function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the ‘Saute’ function and press ‘Start’.
- Stir together 1/2 can of coconut milk and Thai yellow curry paste in the inner pot.
- Saute for about a minute and add curry powder.
- Stir until mixture is bubbly and oil begins to separate, about two to three minutes. *
- Select ‘Cancel’ and stir in remaining coconut milk.
* Use a splatter screen to prevent splatter, if necessary.
- Stir in chicken and potatoes.
Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘3′ (3 minutes).
Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 3 minutes (00:03).
- Press ‘Start’.
- 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 3 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.
Instant Pot DUO Quick Release:
- 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 knob.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot ULTRA Quick Release:
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
- Select ‘Saute’ function (see above)
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, onion, carrot, 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 the residual heat.
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Best Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
Ingredients
- 14 oz. (1 can) regular-fat coconut milk
- 2 to 3 Tbsp Thai yellow curry paste preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand *
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups Yukon gold potatoes about 2 medium, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar or to taste
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup onion cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 4 lime leaves slightly bruised **
Instructions
- Select ‘Saute’ and stir together yellow curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk in the inner pot for about a minute.
- Add curry powder and stir constantly until mixture is bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Press 'Cancel'.
- Stir in remaining coconut milk, chicken and potatoes.
- Pressure Cook for 3 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure (QR) and open the Instant Pot.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, onions, carrots, and lime leaves.
- Select '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.
- 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. - * I use 3 Tbsp of Maesri brand or 2 Tbsp of Mae Ploy brand.
- ** lime leaves also referred to as k-lime, makrut or kaffir lime leaves
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips
Nutrition
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 please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:
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| Instant Pot Thai Red Curry | Instant Pot Thai Green Curry | Instant Pot Massaman Curry |
Carole McCracken
I made this recipe last evening and really enjoyed it. I put leftovers in fridge but noticed today the curry dish is very thick with little liquid left. I like more “sauce” for the rice so think I will add more coconut milk next time. Would I add the milk before pressure cooking it, or just near the end before putting it on saute?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Carole, the curry does thicken upon refrigeration but when you heat it, it should thin out a bit. What I would suggest is that you add the extra coconut milk after pressure cooking, as needed. You can also add 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
Carole
Thanks for the suggestions – I just finished the left overs so nothing went to waste, haha. I will add the extra coconut milk next time though.
Jessica
This was absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it!!!
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Jessica, thank you for letting me know – I’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe 🙂
Jeef
You changed my life.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, thank you – that’s quite an endorsement!
Carly Newsam
First time I made this dish. Was a bit too spicy, so I know to add more coconut milk next time. Thanks for the recipe!!! It’s very delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Carly! I’m glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Denise
Fantastic recipe! I did add an extra can of coconut milk, along with a bit more of the curry paste because my husband loves to have a lot of sauce for his rice. Turned out perfect!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Denise, I’m really happy to hear that you liked the recipe. For some folks, extra coconut milk also works to make the curry less spicy 🙂
Lindsie
Super delicious! I see no need for take out from our local favorite Thai restaurant!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Lindsie! I’m happy to hear that 🙂
Todd
Excellent recipe. I added cut up red pepper along with onions, brown sugar step and I sautéed it a little longer to make sure the carrots were cooked through. I also used fresh lime zest instead of lime leaves. I’ll make this again for guests.
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Todd, thank you for the comment and the details on how you changed up the recipe. I’m so glad you liked it.
Alex
Lime leaves? As in the leaves from the tree? If so, yay for me as I have a lime tree!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Alex, the lime leaves are actually ‘makrut’ lime leaves or k-lime leaves which are sometimes referred to as kaffir lime leaves. I’m really not sure if they can be substituted with regular lime leaves!
Peggy Meek
Rivals the best chicken yellow curry I’ve had in my favorite Thai restaurants!
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I’m so happy to hear that, Peggy! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Boudica
Wonderful curry! I did it vegetarian style by using 3 large potatoes, 1 can drained chickpeas, 1 whole onion chunked and chunks of raw carrot. Put all of it into the pot and added a can of coconut milk and a full can of water, into which I stirred 4T yellow curry paste. It was absolutely divinely flavored, yet thin, so I added about 2C cooked brown rice. Turned out perfectly! Definitely going to become a staple, as well all love curry here.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m happy to hear that you made the recipe your own. Thanks for sharing!
Anthony
I am making this tonight as it is one of my wife’s favorite dishes. If I was to make a double batch, do I double the cook time?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sorry Anthony if this is too late! You will keep the cook time the same and double all ingredients. Enjoy!
Lynn
Flavor was perfect. Used the full three tablespoons of yellow curry paste, a little spicy but delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Awesome, Lynn. You can always add a bit more coconut milk if you find the curry is too spicy. Thanks for your comment.
Cherie
I didn’t have lime leaves or a lime so I increased the lime juice to 1 Tbl. My husband, the yellow curry chicken nut, loved it. I had to add a little extra brown sugar to my bowl to tone down the heat but I also thought the flavor was fantastic. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Cherie – thanks for the review and I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
Mike
Hi, I was just wondering can I used chicken legs with the bone in for this recipes? I have chicken legs but no chicken breasts. I intend to chop the bone in pieces to smaller pieces. My question is should i sate the chicken abit before cooking them on high pressure? 3 mins for bone in may be too little time?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mike, you sure can use bone-in chicken; I don’t think you need to saute the chicken. Just make sure the liquid and spices cover the pieces. And pressure cook for about 10 to 12 minutes depending on if you want it fall-off-the-bone tender. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Christine Piggott
I made this for dinner last night and my husband absolutely loved it! He has requested it for dinner again soon. The recipe was super easy to follow and it turned out great. I had to order the yellow curry paste from Amazon as I couldn’t find any in my local stores but that was pretty easy too.
Paint the Kitchen Red
That’s wonderful to hear, Christine! You should also try the massaman curry; similar but different too 🙂
Lisa S.
Absolutely delish! I’ve tried other Thai curry recipes and was always disappointed. The curry paste is the secret! I added 1/2 cup of chicken broth at the beginning because I was really afraid of getting a Burn warning, and it worked out fine. (A little watery, though – next time I’ll try 1/4 cup as you suggest in the notes.) I didn’t have lime leaves so I added a little extra lime juice, and it still tasted great. Next time I’m going to try doubling the recipe, because it disappears so fast!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, what a wonderful comment! Trial and error is the best way to get good at using your IP, so you did the right thing by adding extra water, so you can reduce it next time. I am able to make it with no added water, and just the coconut milk. All the best!
Hitee
Hi. Love your recipe but would like to try next time with tofu instead. Any suggestions on what changes I should make to the cooking time?
Hitee
I just saw your note about the tofu on the cooking instructions 🙂 ignore me
Beth
Beat EVER! No need to go out when I can make this!
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I’m so glad you liked it, Beth!
Anna
ANy suggestions for doing this without paste and just dry spices? Should I not attempt without?
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Anna, sorry, but these Thai recipes really hinge on the right ingredients. I would say you should try and get the correct spice paste and ingredients.
Alexia Isaak
How many servings are in the recipe to come out to that nutritional value?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Alexia, I calculate the nutrition using myfitnesspal.com and for this recipe it’s 6 servings. You can see the number of servings at the top of the recipe card in the red section.
Diane
This was my first time making curry and I am so glad I stumbled across your yellow curry recipe. It was amazing! It was as good as any yellow curry I’ve had at a restaurant, if not better. I don’t like fish, but I went ahead and used fish sauce based on your recommendation and it came out perfect. I was concerned it would taste fishy, but it didn’t. I doubled the recipe and the only changes I made were to add a pack of mushrooms, a can of chickpeas, and a bunch of kale. I also tried to use tofu instead of chicken, but I wasn’t overly excited about how that turned out. I didn’t want to omit the potatoes, so I just added the tofu at the end while I was sauteing the vegetables. That wasn’t really enough time for the tofu to absorb the flavors. Hopefully the tofu will taste better tomorrow when I reheat the leftovers.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Diane and thank you for the kind words! You’ll need to try all my Thai curries – they’re all equally good.
Courtney
I have thoroughly enjoyed your red and green curry recipes. I will be trying this one next. Thank you for sharing these!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Courtney, you’ll love the panang too – you should put that on your list 🙂 Thanks for your comment.
Siran
Thanks so much for sharing! I would love to make a vegetarian version of this. Do you know what changes I have to make to the cooking steps if I remove the chicken? Could I add mushrooms, broccoli and bell peppers etc and how does that impact pressure cook timings? Sorry for the questions, I’m new to instant pot cooking 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Siran, thanks for your question. Some of those veggies will become mushy if pressure cooked. You could just make the recipe on ‘Saute’ mode if you’re not using chicken. You could use tofu and pressure cook for a minute or two.
Jen
This Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken was amazing!!! My husband made it a little too spicy but my kids and I ate it. Next time less yellow curry paste. I believe he put in 2.5 tablespoons. Next time we’ll try 1.5. This was one on the best meals we’ve ever prepared and LOVED it so much. I purchased all of the ingredients from amazon so I wouldn’t have to hunt them down at several stores in my area. Thank you for this fabulous recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow! What a great comment, Jen! It’s great to hear that y’all liked the recipe. My kids sometimes find the curries spicy, but they just add extra rice 🙂
elaine
Hi Neena…any suggestions how to prepare black mustard seeds…when I purchased them I never realized one has to soak for 12 hours and use lemon juice…isn’t there an easier way? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all your recipes…just need 60 hours a day to cook everything!!!! I’m the one who mentioned to you I only cook my beets for 3 minutes…
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yes, I remember you Elaine! I have never done that with black mustard seeds. The way we use them in Indian cooking is to heat oil (a couple teaspoons) to a high heat, add the mustard seeds and let them pop like popcorn, while covering with a lid until popping stops. Thank you so much for your lovely words – they really do make my day, my week….
Saaz pettitt
Hi Neena, I just finished making your amazing instant pot Thai Red curry. . I was just going to ask you when you were going to share yellow curry recipe. This is such a pleasant surprise. Thank you!,
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Saaz – you discovered it before I’ve had a chance to get the word out 🙂 I hope you like it. Thanks so much for your comment and for visiting the blog.