Thai Yellow Curry (Mild Thai Turmeric Coconut Curry with Chicken)

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Thai yellow curry is the mildest of the three major Thai curries, built on a paste that features turmeric as its dominant spice, which gives the dish its distinctive golden color and a warm, earthy undertone.

The paste is dry-fried in a pan until fragrant before coconut milk is poured in to form a creamy, gently spiced base. Chicken pieces, cubed potato, and sliced onion simmer in the liquid until the potato is fully tender, its starch thickening the curry slightly and giving the sauce a comforting body. Fish sauce is added last to season the pot, its salty depth rounding out the turmeric's earthiness and the coconut's sweetness. The result is a mild, aromatic curry with a smooth texture and a warmth that comes more from the spice blend than from chili heat. Yellow curry is often recommended as an entry point for those new to Thai cuisine, yet its layered flavor-turmeric, cumin, coriander, and coconut working in concert-rewards experienced palates as well.

Ingredients (3 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Chicken	400	g
Yellow curry paste	3	tbsp
Coconut milk	400	ml
Potato	2	piece
Onion	1	piece
Fish sauce	1	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Cut 400 g chicken into bite-size pieces.

Cut 2 potatoes into large chunks and slice 1 onion thickly, keeping the potatoes fairly large so they soften without breaking apart too early.
2

Control

Warm a dry pan or pot over medium-low heat.

Add 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the paste smells fragrant but does not scorch on the bottom.
3

Heat

When the paste darkens slightly and smells aromatic, pour in 400 ml coconut milk a little at a time.

Stir well after each addition until the paste loosens smoothly, then bring it to a gentle boil.
4

Control

Once the curry bubbles around the edges, add the chicken and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Stir often until the outside turns pale and the pieces are coated with sauce.
5

Control

Add the potatoes and onion, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer quietly for 15 to 20 minutes.

Press the potatoes into the liquid occasionally and avoid a hard boil, which can break them apart.
6

Finish

Pierce a potato with a chopstick or fork; it should slide in easily.

Season with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, simmer briefly until the sauce looks lightly thickened, then turn off the heat and serve with rice.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Thai Yellow Curry offers a mild profile defined by earthy turmeric and slow-simmered potatoes.
Finish cue: Season with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, simmer briefly until the sauce looks lightly thickened, then turn off the heat and serve with rice.
Avoid this: Press the potatoes into the liquid occasionally and avoid a hard boil, which can break them apart.