Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry
The Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry we’ve ever made! An authentic Thai Panang Curry Recipe, straight from Thailand. Cancel your takeout order and give it a try!
Authentic Thai Cuisine
What’s your favorite type of food?
That is a question I get a lot. Especially when I meet new people and they find out I write a food blog.
Although my answer is likely to change on any given day, swayed by my current cravings, Asian cuisine is always at the top of my list.
There are a few Asian dishes I cannot get enough of. Dishes that make me squeal with delight at the sheer thought of them… Vietnamese Bun Cha Gio Bowls, Thai Pad Kee Mao, and Korean Bulgogi to name a few.
Many of these are meals that can be ordered at Asian restaurants. Yet I find they are often even tastier when made at home.
Thai Panang Curry Recipe
Thai Panang Curry is another dish I swoon over.
It’s rich and spicy with a distinctly unique flavor from the addition of kaffir lime leaves and panang curry paste. I could eat this every day of the week and never get tired of it!
To top it off, the fragrance of a good Panang curry is so intoxicating, it should be bottled in my humble opinion.
I have ordered Panang chicken curry numerous times at Thai restaurants, and experimented with homemade version nearly as many times.
After much testing, I have finally come up with a recipe I feel is The Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry I’ve ever made, and possibly the best we’ve ever eaten.
I know that sounds braggy, and I do apologize, but this recipe is flipping amazing!
Just taste it and you’ll forgive me.
Best Panang Curry Recipe
The Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry is extremely simple to make. The catch is, that you will most likely have to go to an Asian market to gather the ingredients.
But trust me, The Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry recipe is worth the trip!
If you live in a large multicultural city, your standard grocery stores may have everything you need.
Panang Curry With Chicken
If not, google Asian markets… Even small towns usually have one.
Once there, hand your grocery list over and ask the clerk to help you find the best brand of panang red curry paste, thick coconut milk, and fish sauce. Be sure to also pick up Thai basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves.
You can substitute other types of basil, however, the kaffir lime leaves cannot be replaced. The flavor is too unique to swap another ingredient, or to leave it out. The Panang curry paste has some kaffir lime leaf in it, but it’s not enough.
Find a Local Asian Market
When I go to the Asian market, I usually stock up on panang curry paste, the thickest coconut milk I can find, and kaffir lime leaves.
Fresh kaffir lime leaves can be frozen for longevity. They do turn dark in the freezer, but retain their vibrant flavor.
Panang curry paste is a type of red curry specific to Thailand and Laos.
It is less spicy and more aromatic than standard red curry paste. In a pinch you could substitute red curry paste, but the flavor will not be quite the same.
Panang Curry Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breast)
- Sweet onion
- Red bell pepper
- Orange bell pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Coconut oil
- Panang red curry paste – made with lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, coriander seeds, lime zest, cumin seeds, and chilies
- Peanut butter
- Kaffir lime leaves
- Thick coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- Fish sauce
- Thai basil leaves or sweet basil
How To Make Panang Curry
Ready to make The Best Thai Red Curry you’ve ever tasted?
- Start by cutting chicken thighs, onions, and bell peppers into bite-size pieces.
- Then crush the kaffir lime leaves to help release their oils. They are tough little leaves so smash and twist away, until they smell very strong.
- Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in a large skillet. Then add the panang curry paste and a spoonful of peanut butter to the center of the pan. Sauté the curry for a couple of minutes to intensify the flavor.
- Then add the kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, fish sauce, and chicken to the pan.
- Simmer the curry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Stir in Thai basil leaves and you have a dish worth drooling over.
- Bold, fragrant, and oh-so delicious! Your local takeout joint has nothing on The Best Thai Panang Chicken Curry.
Get the Full (Printable) Best Panang Curry Recipe + Video Below!
Panang Chicken Curry FAQ
As mentioned above, you will need to make a stop at a local Asian market. However, this recipe is worth the trip… And Asian markets are tons of fun to explore!
Yes! As long as the curry paste and fish sauce you buy are gluten-free, the entire recipe is as well. Most are, but be sure to check the ingredients. P.S. This recipe is dairy-free as well!
This recipe will keep well for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Keep in an airtight container. That makes this a fabulous MEAL PREP dish!
More Thai Recipes You Will Love
- Thai Pad Kee Mao
- Red Lentil Curry
- Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
- Easy Chicken Pad Thai
- Tom Yum Soup
- Thai Larb Rolls (Keto)
- Thai Turkey Meatballs
Thai Panang Chicken Curry Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 ounces Panang red curry paste (1 can)
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 12 kaffir lime leaves, crushed
- 13.5 ounces thick coconut milk, unsweetened (1 can)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves or sweet basil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Chop the onions and peppers into rough 1-inch pieces. Mince the garlic. Then crush the kaffir lime leaves to help release their oils.
- Place a 14-inch skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil. Once the oil melts, add the onions. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the peppers and garlic. Sauté another 2-3 minutes.
- Move the veggies to the sides of the skillet and add the panang red curry paste and peanut butter to the center of the pan. Sauté the curry for 2-3 minutes to intensify the flavor, moving around the pan. Then add the kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Stir to blend.
- Stir in the chopped chicken and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves. Serve with rice, quinoa, or noodles.
The Asian store near my house had the exact brands you posted! This recipe was phenomenal, especially since our local Thai restaurant is closed while the owner’s family visits relatives back home. I added 2 chopped longhorn peppers for extra spice.
This really impressed a lot of foodie! I doubled the portion as I needed to serve 13 people and it worked out perfect.
Wonderful recipe! Made it twice, the second time with Shrimp. I substituted lime zest from one lime and added twice the fresh basil. Really wonderful flavor. My supermarket didn’t have the Penang curry paste so I used Asian Gormet Red Curry paste and it worked well!
Hi I can’t see the exact recipie here? How do I know how much of everything to put in?
Sorry I found it I’m blind! I can’t wait to try this!!
I love this recipe – I don’t have it very hot so put way less curry paste in, but the flavour was still delicious.
I’m looking forward to making this recipe this week. Can you please advise on best way to make it “hotter” — red pepper flakes, or something else?
thanks!
Hi there! Make sure to taste your curry paste before adding more heat. Some brands are distinctly hotter than others. Then yes, I would add crushed red pepper.
thanks!
Bill, I keep fresh frozen Thai chilis in my freezer. I got them at my local asian market for a pittance. This is the absolute best ingredient to spice up a Thai curry. The heat profile is much better than crushed red pepper, its more of an intense flash on the tongue but not a constant ever increasing build up of heat that you get with crushed red pepper. IMO
Very Good. We also added in some Thai eggplant.
Forgot to add my stars!
The flavor is SPOT ON! It tastes like the panang from my longtime favorite Thai restaurant. I couldn’t agree more with the other commenters on the curry paste to coconut milk ratio. Using the entire can of curry paste is VERY spicy (this coming from someone who considers herself to be spice intermediate). To be safe, use half the can of curry paste to begin with… if you feel like you could use a bit more spice, add more in as you see fit. Other than that, bravo! I’m going to start making this in bulk batches.
What is the difference between Panang Curry and Thai Red Curry ?
Hi Lareb!
They are similar, however, the curry pastes have slightly different ingredients. Panang usually includes nuts and is a little less spicy.
Holy cow! I made this last night and my kitchen smelled like a Thai restaurant. The flavors in this dish rival any panang I’ve had in any Thai restaurant. Even before tasting it, my wife and I knew it was a winner, just from the smell. The Kaffir lime leaves and the fresh Thai basil (I got it right from my garden) make this dish as authentic as it comes. And it’s dead easy!
This will go into my favorites folder in recipes……..
I forgot to rate it on my last post. Whoops.
I made this last night and it was fantastic! The curry paste makes a huge difference. I too have always sworn by this brand. I have never thought to add peanut butter. I always just add crushed peanuts to the top, but I loved it! This will be my new go-to panang recipe. Thank you so much!
Love this!! Added some fresh lime juice as well as some fresh ginger (and reduced spice for little kids)! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I made this recipe exactly how it was written but mine came out super thick and so spicy. It seems to me like it was wayy too much curry paste. However the brand I used was Mae Ploy and I dont know if that is just different.. I was sad, yours look so good. Any suggestions?
I ran into similar problems in the past. Always try adding more coconut milk and less paste
I use mae ploy and only use half a tablespoon of curry paste to a tin of coconut milk – you can always add more, much easier than taking it away.
I made this today, it was great. I ordered the same panang curry paste you used from Amazon, and I also ordered dried kaffir lime leaves from Amazon as well as I didn’t want to deal with trying to find them at the market. They definitely added a lot of flavor. I did however pick them out as best I could after, wasn’t sure eating one would be very pleasant.
How would you recommend making this dish like a level 5 spicy! I love my curry spicy! Thank you!
Hi MaKenna!
You could add in some thai red chiles and that would definitely up the heat. For 5-star spice I would buy dried chiles, then crush them, and add the seeds and all. :)
Is Kaffir lime the same thing as kefir lime?
Hi TJ!
I believe so. It’s possibly just a different spelling? They are thick, waxy, and usually have two leaves attached on one stem.
This looks amazing, Sommer!!!!