This Creamy Curry Chicken and rice is a one-skillet dinner made with Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Soup, full-fat coconut milk, yellow curry powder, and turmeric. It goes from cutting board to table in 30 minutes.
The sauce comes out thick and golden, with tender chicken and sweet green peas spooned over white rice.
My kids love Indian food, so this one is on repeat at our house. They also eat whatever vegetables I stir into the sauce.
The soup does the heavy lifting. It thickens the coconut milk into a sauce that clings to the rice, and the turmeric gives it that deep yellow color. Add a pinch of cayenne if you want heat.
For a curry made without canned soup, my Coconut Chicken Curry with green beans is great. More one-can weeknight dinners are in my roundup of Campbell's cream of chicken soup recipes.
Ingredients for Creamy Curry Chicken and Rice
- Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Soup. One 10.5 oz can is what makes the sauce creamy. It thickens as it simmers, so you don't need flour or extra cream.
- Coconut milk. Use a 14 oz can of regular, unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk works, but the sauce will be thinner. Heavy cream is the swap if you don't have coconut milk.
- Chicken. Boneless, skinless breasts cut into 1-inch pieces. Thighs work just as well.
- Yellow curry powder and turmeric. The curry powder brings the flavor, and the turmeric brings the color.
- Frozen peas. Add them straight from the freezer. There's no need to thaw or precook them.
- Other vegetables. Green beans, broccoli, snap peas, peppers, or mushrooms all work in place of the peas.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Creamy Curry Chicken and Rice
Brown the Chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook it in olive oil over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. It's fine if it's still a little pink. It finishes cooking in the sauce.
Soften the Onion and Garlic
Remove the chicken, then cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and cook 1 minute more.
Build the Sauce
Stir in the soup, coconut milk, and frozen peas until smooth. Return the chicken to the pan.
Simmer
Cook about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick.
Serve
Spoon over white rice, brown rice, or quinoa and top with chopped cilantro.
Pro Tips
Shake the coconut milk. Canned coconut milk separates in the can. Shake it or whisk it before it goes in so the sauce stays smooth.
Don't rush the spices. That 1 minute in the pan with the onions is what wakes up the curry powder. Don't skip it.
Start the rice first. Start the rice before the chicken hits the pan, so everything finishes together.
If you love creamy chicken dinners, try my slow cooker chicken pot pie pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
With the soup and coconut milk. Add them frozen. They only need a few minutes to warm through.
Unsweetened. Use regular full-fat canned coconut milk.
You can, but the sauce will be runnier and have less flavor. Heavy cream is the better swap. Skip skim.
Sure. Beef, shrimp, or pork all work in place of the chicken.
I haven't tried that, but I'd love to hear how yours turn out.
White rice is the classic. Brown rice and quinoa work too.
Creamy Curry Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 10.5 oz can of Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 14 oz can of coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet set to medium.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. It's okay if it's still a little pink, because it will continue to cook later.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add garlic and onions. Cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and curry powder, stir and cook about a minute.
- Add the Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Soup and the coconut milk. Add the frozen peas. Stir well. Add the chicken back to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is thick.
- Sprinkle with chopped cilantro if desired and serve with rice.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.
Adapted from my Easy Beef Curry Recipe.
Karen Kelly
Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated food and travel writer, founder of Seasonal Cravings, and co-founder of The Roam Report. She develops approachable seasonal recipes and covers travel and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets, including Yahoo, Taste of Home, Apple News, NBC, FOX, and other national and regional publications.
Nancy B says
When do you add the frozen peas? Do you pre-cook them before adding? Thanks.
Karen Kelly says
You add them when you add the soup. I added them frozen and gave them a few minutes to cook and warm up!
Linda says
i like your recipe. It sounds really simple. I want to add potatoes and carrots in place of the peas. How can I cook it with these vegetables?
Kaine says
worked out good turned out a bit nutty tasting but still delicious
Francis Bercher says
Do I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Karen Kelly says
Regular full fat canned coconut milk. Thanks!
Francis says
Sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Karen Kelly says
Unsweetened. Thanks!
Stella Peters says
Substitute drained canned tuna
Been making that away for over 50 years
Too easy!!