I made a Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Instant Pot that delivers silky coconut sauce, fork-tender chicken, and sweet potato sweetness in a healthy bowl you actually want for dinner, keep scrolling.
I am obsessed with this Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Instant Pot version because it’s loud, creamy, and actually sane for weeknights. I love how the coconut milk makes everything silky without feeling like a dessert.
And that sweet potato? It soaks up the curry and becomes wildly comforting while still being light.
Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry gets spicy where it should, mellow where it needs to be, and never sloppy. I crave leftovers.
Serve it over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice and watch people quiet down. No fluff, just good, deep curry that actually tastes like real food daily.
Ingredients
- Chicken: basic protein, it soaks up curry and stays juicy.
- Sweet potato: adds natural sweetness and soft, cozy chunks.
- Coconut milk: creamy base, it’s rich and silky.
- Yellow curry paste: punchy spice, brings warm curry notes.
- Fish sauce: salty umami hit, a little goes far.
- Lime juice: brightens things up, it cuts the richness.
- Onion: sweet and savory backbone, gives mild crunch.
- Red bell pepper: fresh color and crisp, juicy bites.
- Garlic: toasty aromatics, it’s essential for depth.
- Ginger: zippy warmth and a light spicy kick.
- Chicken broth: thins and rounds out the sauce.
- Coconut or avocado oil: for cooking, subtle tropical notes.
- Arrowroot or tapioca starch: thickener, makes sauce cling better.
- Sea salt: basic seasoning, brings everything to life.
- Black pepper: simple heat, it’s subtle but needed.
- Cilantro: fresh herbal pop, add at the end.
- Jasmine rice: fragrant, fluffy bed for spooning curry over.
- Cauliflower rice: low-carb swap, it soaks flavors differently.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large sweet potato (about 2 cups), peeled and cubed
- 1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste (use Whole30 compliant if needed)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch (optional, for thickening)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh cilantro for garnish (about 1/4 cup chopped)
- Jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for serving (optional)
How to Make this
1. Heat the coconut oil in the Instant Pot on Sauté until shimmering, add the sliced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and grated ginger, and cook about 3 minutes until soft and fragrant, stirring so nothing burns.
2. Add the yellow curry paste and stir into the veggies for about a minute to bloom the spices, then pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth or water, fish sauce and lime juice, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.
3. Stir in the cubed sweet potato, then nestle the cubed chicken breast pieces into the sauce so they are mostly submerged, sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper over everything.
4. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes; when the cook time finishes let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
5. Open the lid and check that the sweet potato is tender and the chicken is cooked through; if pieces are large or undercooked, simmer on Sauté for a few minutes until done.
6. If you want a thicker curry, mix 1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the hot curry while simmering until it thickens to your liking.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with more sea salt, lime juice or fish sauce if needed; a little extra lime brightens the whole dish.
8. Serve over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice, spoon lots of the coconut sauce over the top and scatter the chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.
9. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, add a splash of water or coconut milk if it’s too thick.
Equipment Needed
1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (6 quart)
2. Cutting board
3. Chef’s knife
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
7. Can opener (for the coconut milk)
8. Ladle (for serving over rice)
FAQ
Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken breasts: swap with firm tofu (press and cube), peeled shrimp (cook a few minutes less), or boneless thigh meat for more flavor.
- Sweet potato: use butternut squash, regular Yukon gold potato, or carrots for a slightly different sweetness and texture.
- Full fat coconut milk: use lite coconut milk (check for added water), coconut cream diluted with water, or unsweetened cashew milk plus a splash of coconut extract.
- Fish sauce: substitute tamari or low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos for a soy free option, or a mix of soy sauce and lime juice if you want more tang.
Pro Tips
1. Cut the chicken and sweet potato into pretty much the same sized pieces so everything cooks evenly, otherwise you’ll have some mushy potato and some dry chicken. Try about 1 inch cubes, and don’t crowd the pot.
2. Bloom the curry paste with the onions and ginger like the recipe says, but don’t skip frying it for a full minute or two. It brings out way more flavor. Stir constantly so it doesnt burn, you just want it fragrant.
3. Use natural pressure release for those 8 minutes, it keeps the chicken juicier and the sweet potato from falling apart. If it still seems a bit underdone after opening, simmer on sauté for a couple mins rather than overcooking in the pressure cycle.
4. Finish smart: mix your arrowroot or tapioca with cold water first, and add it off heat while stirring to avoid clumps, then simmer briefly to set. Taste and balance with a splash more lime or fish sauce at the end, not during cooking, because acidity and salt change a lot while it rests.
Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe
I made a Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Instant Pot that delivers silky coconut sauce, fork-tender chicken, and sweet potato sweetness in a healthy bowl you actually want for dinner, keep scrolling.
4
servings
517
kcal
Equipment: 1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (6 quart)
2. Cutting board
3. Chef’s knife
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Medium mixing bowl
6. Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
7. Can opener (for the coconut milk)
8. Ladle (for serving over rice)
Ingredients
-
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
-
1 large sweet potato (about 2 cups), peeled and cubed
-
1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
-
2 to 3 tablespoons yellow curry paste (use Whole30 compliant if needed)
-
1 tablespoon fish sauce
-
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
-
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
-
1 red bell pepper, sliced
-
3 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
-
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
-
1 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
-
1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch (optional, for thickening)
-
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
-
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-
Fresh cilantro for garnish (about 1/4 cup chopped)
-
Jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for serving (optional)
Directions
- Heat the coconut oil in the Instant Pot on Sauté until shimmering, add the sliced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and grated ginger, and cook about 3 minutes until soft and fragrant, stirring so nothing burns.
- Add the yellow curry paste and stir into the veggies for about a minute to bloom the spices, then pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth or water, fish sauce and lime juice, scraping any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in the cubed sweet potato, then nestle the cubed chicken breast pieces into the sauce so they are mostly submerged, sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper over everything.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes; when the cook time finishes let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and check that the sweet potato is tender and the chicken is cooked through; if pieces are large or undercooked, simmer on Sauté for a few minutes until done.
- If you want a thicker curry, mix 1 to 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the hot curry while simmering until it thickens to your liking.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more sea salt, lime juice or fish sauce if needed; a little extra lime brightens the whole dish.
- Serve over jasmine rice or cauliflower rice, spoon lots of the coconut sauce over the top and scatter the chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, add a splash of water or coconut milk if it’s too thick.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 421g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 517kcal
- Fat: 22.1g
- Saturated Fat: 15.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 1g
- Monounsaturated: 5g
- Cholesterol: 144.5mg
- Sodium: 457mg
- Potassium: 900mg
- Carbohydrates: 21.5g
- Fiber: 3.3g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 55g
- Vitamin A: 5000IU
- Vitamin C: 41mg
- Calcium: 50mg
- Iron: 2.8mg