Quick Chicken Curry – just 6 ingredients

This Quick chicken curry uses just 6 main ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will give you an easy chicken recipe for dinner with few ingredients. Have you ever wanted to make a quick, simple or non-spicy chicken curry? It is a perfect meal on its own over white rice or with Indian Chapati or naan. My kids even love it with crusty bread.

Quick Chicken Curry – Just six ingredients

Have you ever wanted to make a simple chicken curry? Easy chicken curry? Quick chicken curry? Or maybe you want quick Indian dinner recipes but presume it’s either too much work or too many ingredients or too difficult?

What if I told you, you could make a chicken curry in 20 minutes? I know!! My friend doesn’t believe it either. Most people just assume making Indian food default takes forever. But trust me, there are plenty of Indian food recipes that are quick, simple and easy too. There are many Indian recipes that take long to prepare and are difficult. And yet, today we aren’t discussing those. We want a simple chicken recipe with few ingredients.

Doesn’t that look delicious?

Guess what – it took only about 20 minutes to make and I used only six main ingredients (the others are standard). Also, I made steamed white rice at the same time too! Since steamed rice takes 15 mins to make, it means I actually have a delicious Indian chicken curry with rice in less than 30 mins! If you are a busy mom like me, you know how awesome that is! To put delicious food on the table in less than 30 mins.

Quick Chicken Curry – Just six ingredients – easy chicken curry with few ingredients

About the Indian Spices

What is Curry powder?

This recipe uses curry powder which is very commonly found in almost all grocery stores. You don’t even have to go to an Indian grocery store to find curry powder. Just have a look in your supermarket spice rack and you are bound to find one.

The most common ingredients found in curry powder are coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, chilly powder, and paprika.

If you love Indian food and plan to make it often, I highly recommend you try my recipe for homemade curry powder spice mix. It’s one you will love and always keep coming back for more. And yet, you don’t have to. You can buy a ready-made curry powder.

Since there are so many different curry powder brands in the market, each one has their own recipe for making this mix of spices. Each uses more or less of a certain ingredient and that can make a huge difference. For example, extra cardamon and cumin can make the curry powder very hot – not spicy but very hot. Not everybody can handle that. Also, in my opinion, cinnamon does not belong in curry powder because it’s used in garam masala.

Therefore, my humble advice to you when choosing curry powder is – if you don’t like one brand try a different brand but don’t give up on making chicken curry. Because most often it’s not that you don’t like curry powder but rather that brand of curry powder does not suit your taste buds.

Garam masala

If you love warm spices like gingerbread and pumpkin spice then you will love garam masala. A little goes a long way. The spice is meant to add flavor – but often people use it like curry powder in large amount which makes the dish really hot, not spicy! If you’ve ever eaten a dish that makes you red in the face though it’s not spicy, the culprit often is too much garam masala. Whether you use a commercial brand or my homemade garam masala recipe – use it with caution. If you can’t handle hot – omit it and your dish will still be very much Indian.

Quick Chicken Curry – Just six ingredients

Spicy or non-spicy curry powder

Oh you do get curry powderthat have various different degrees of heat and spice. Some that are mild, spicy and hot. Usually, it refers to the amount of chilly added in – watch for that. Buy something you can handle. A little tip – if you ever add a bit extra curry powder and it turns spicy- add a cup of chopped and boiled potato. That usually help absorb some of the heat.

Quick Chicken Curry – Just six ingredients – Easy Chicken Curry with few ingredients

Did you believe Chicken Curry can be ready in just 20 minutes? Well, you are going to love this one.

Quick Chicken Curry Just Six Ingredients, Easy Chicken curry with few ingredients

Recipe – Quick Chicken Curry – Just 6 ingredients (Save/Pin for later)

Tools

• Sauce Pan
• Spatula
• Chopping board and knife

Ingredients

For the Chicken Curry

• Chicken – 800 grams boneless
• Onion – 1/2 cup chopped
• Ginger – 1 tbsp grated
• Garlic –  1 tbsp minced
• Curry powder – 2 tbsp (commercial or homemade)
• Yogurt – 120 ml (1/2 cup)

Extra – which I didn’t count as the main ingredients

• Canola or cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Fresh herbs – 1/2 cup chopped (cilantro or parsley)
• Water – 250 ml (1 cup)
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garam masala – 1/4 tsp (commercial or homemade)

Method

• Clean and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Saute onion, ginger, and garlic in oil until onions are nicely translucent.
• Add curry powder and a few tbsp of water to help the spices saute’.
• Cook the spices on low adding a few tablespoons water until fragrant (30 secs).
• Add chicken and cook another minutes or two.
• Then add the yogurt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs – stir well to combine.
• Lastly, add water – stir well.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Let come to a boil – cover the pan and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes check if the chicken is cooked and adjust seasoning.
• Check consistency – add more water if needed. Let come to a boil again.
• Once the chicken is cooked and you have the gravy you need – remove from heat.
• I love to have this over white rice or chapati
• Enjoy!

Quick Chicken Curry just 6 ingredients aka Easy chicken curry with few ingredients

Quick Chicken Curry with Just 6 Ingredients

This quick chicken curry uses just 6 main ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes. This simple, easy and effortless recipe will give you an easy chicken recipe for dinner with few ingredients. Have you ever wanted to make a quick, simple or non-spicy chicken curry? 

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Lunch Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: 6 ingredient chicken curry, Quick chicken curry

Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings

Calories: 171kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Total Time: 17 mins

Ingredients

For the Chicken Curry

• 800 grams Chicken boneless 
• 1/2 cup Onion chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger grated 
• 1 tbsp Garlic minced 
• 2 tbsp Curry powder
• 120 ml Yogurt

Extra - which I didn't count as an ingredient

• 2 tbsp Canola or cooking oil
• 1/2 cup Fresh herbs chopped cilantro or parsley 
• 250 ml Water
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice optional
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Garam masala (optional)

Metric - US customary

Instructions

• Clean and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Saute onion, ginger, and garlic in oil until onions are nicely translucent. 
• Add curry powder and a few tbsp of water to help the spices saute'.
• Cook the spices on low adding a few tablespoons water until fragrant (30 secs).
• Add chicken and cook another minutes or two.
• Then add the yogurt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs - stir well to combine.
• Lastly, add water - stir well. 
• Season with salt and pepper. 
  Add the garam masala now if you using it. 
• Let come to a boil - cover the pan and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes check if the chicken is cooked and adjust seasoning.
• Check consistency - add more water if needed. Let come to a boil again.
• Once the chicken is cooked and you have the gravy you need - remove from heat.
• I love to have this over white rice or chapati.
• Enjoy! 

Detailed Video on YouTube - Subscribe for more videos

Nutrition Information

Serving: 130g | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.8g | Protein: 23.4g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1.1g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Tried this recipe?Mention @veenaazmanov or tag #veenaazmanov!

Do you love Indian Food?

Well then you must check out some of my other Indian recipes from slow-cooked curries to quick and easy as well as Indian Biryani and desserts

A Collection of Modern Indian Recipes by Veena Azmanov