Chicken & Poultry

Serving

Chicken Curry

Name: Chicken Curry
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chicken & Poultry
Ingredients: 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 tablespoon grated ginger; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Bone-in chicken simmered in an aromatic onion-tomato curry sauce with warming spices.

50 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

18 min prep

28 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

8 steps

1
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook onions until golden, about 8 minutes.
2
Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute.
3
Stir in coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
4
Add tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
5
Add chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
6
Pour in broth and salt; bring to a simmer.
7
Cover and cook 30-35 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened.
8
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Chicken Curry — plated and served — Serving moment. How Chicken Curry looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 48

Budget-friendly 78

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 24

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

575

Calories

61 g

Protein

7 g

Carbs

32 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Chicken curry is not one fixed dish; it is a broad home-cooking idea shaped by many regions and migrations. This recipe follows an onion-tomato masala style common in North Indian and Pakistani kitchens, where ground spices bloom in oil before the chicken simmers until the sauce thickens around it.

Listahan note

This version keeps the pantry list straightforward and leans on sequence: brown the onions, wake up the spices, soften the tomatoes, then let bone-in chicken give the sauce body. It is built for a weeknight pot of curry that still tastes layered.

Technique cues

Golden onions are the base of the sauce, not just an aromatic step. If they stay pale, the curry will taste flatter and sharper.
Cook the ground spices briefly in the oil-onion mixture before adding liquid. That short bloom helps the coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala taste round instead of dusty.
Keep the simmer steady but gentle once the chicken goes in. A hard boil can tighten the meat and make the sauce reduce before the thighs are tender.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start rice once the onions begin cooking; it should be ready while the chicken finishes simmering.
Make-ahead: Cook the curry fully, chill it with the sauce, and reheat gently the next day when the spices have settled into the chicken.
Leftover move: Pull extra chicken from the bone and fold it into rice with a spoonful of sauce for a quick curry rice bowl.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the spice measuring spoons right after they go into the pot, then soak the pot after serving so the onion-tomato sauce releases easily.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

Main protein

Purpose: Bone-in thighs stay moist during the simmer and add body to the onion-tomato sauce.

Handling: Remove the skin and nestle the pieces into the masala so each piece is coated before the broth goes in.

Adaptation: Bone-in drumsticks work with a similar cook time; boneless thighs cook faster but give the sauce less depth.

Onions, finely chopped

Sauce foundation

Purpose: Cooked-down onions give the curry sweetness, thickness, and a savory base for the spices.

Handling: Chop them finely and cook until golden, stirring more often near the end so they do not scorch.

Adaptation: Thinly sliced onions work too, but the finished sauce will have more visible strands.

Minced garlic and grated ginger

Fresh aromatic base

Purpose: Garlic brings depth while ginger adds a warm bite that keeps the sauce from tasting heavy.

Handling: Add them after the onions are golden and cook only briefly so the garlic does not burn.

Adaptation: Garlic paste and ginger paste can stand in; use a little less if the paste is very concentrated.

Ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala

Spice structure

Purpose: Coriander and cumin form the savory backbone, turmeric adds earthiness and color, chili powder brings heat, and garam masala finishes the curry with warmer top notes.

Handling: Measure the spices before you start so they can go into the pot together without pausing over the heat.

Adaptation: Use a mild chili powder for a gentler pot, or add a pinch more garam masala at the end if the sauce tastes muted.

Tomatoes, diced

Acid and sauce body

Purpose: Tomatoes loosen the onion-spice mixture and add brightness before the broth and chicken simmer together.

Handling: Cook them until they slump and the oil starts to show around the edges of the masala.

Adaptation: Canned diced tomatoes work when fresh tomatoes are bland; cook them a few extra minutes to concentrate the flavor.

Chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh finish

Purpose: Cilantro lifts the warm, cooked sauce right before serving.

Handling: Chop it just before serving and scatter it over the finished curry off the heat.

Adaptation: Sliced green onions give a different fresh finish if cilantro is not your preference.

Technique notes

Do not rush the onion stage. The difference between soft onions and golden onions shows up in the final sauce.
If the spice mixture sticks after blooming, add a spoonful of the diced tomatoes and scrape the bottom before continuing.
At the end, uncover the pot for a few minutes if the sauce looks thin, or add a splash of broth if it has tightened before the chicken is tender.

Ingredient swaps

Milder heat path: Use a mild chili powder and keep the garam masala amount the same so the curry stays warm and aromatic without becoming very hot.
Boneless shortcut: Use boneless chicken thighs and begin checking for tenderness after about 18 minutes of simmering.
Tomato backup: Use canned diced tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes and cook them until the sauce no longer tastes raw or watery.
Richer finish: Stir in a small spoonful of plain yogurt or cream off the heat for a softer, rounder sauce.

Serve alongside

Steamed basmati rice
Jeera rice
Warm naan
Kachumber cucumber-tomato salad
Mango lassi
Iced black tea with lemon
Sparkling lime water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the chicken with plenty of sauce in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water, turning the chicken so it warms evenly.
Freeze the curry in sauce for up to 2 months; thaw overnight, then simmer uncovered until the sauce comes back together.

Equipment

Large heavy pot with lid
Sharp knife and cutting board
Microplane or box grater for ginger
Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula

Make this household-aware

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