Instant Pot Easy Thai Red Chicken Curry

Instant Pot Thai Red Chicken Curry: An easy restaurant style one-pot curry that’s so outrageously delicious. Cancel your takeout and try this out!

This recipe is quick enough for a weeknight dinner and fancy enough when you have company.

Thai red curry is one dish I have an appetite for any time. I have ordered Thai red chicken curry countless times in restaurants and tried making homemade versions almost as many times.

When I eventually got the proportions right, this recipe AMAZED ME.

What ingredients to I need to make this curry?

 Oil, yellow onion, chicken breasts or thighs boneless and skinless, ginger garlic paste, Thai red curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, red pepper, carrots, Serrano pepper, basil leaves, fresh cilantro, salt and pepper.

Carrots: I used baby carrots since I had those in my refrigerator. I diced them into small 1 inch pieces.

 You can use either chicken breasts or thighs. They need to be skinless and boneless.

I use Thai Kitchen brand for red curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk and fish sauce.

The red curry paste does not make the dish spicy. Combined with coconut milk, the red curry paste makes the curry very flavorful. We eat spicy food at home. I threw in a slit Serrano pepper and my kids could handle the heat. If you’d like to add more heat feel free to throw in 2 instead of 1. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would place this dish at a level of 2.5 in terms of spice levels. i.e if you follow the recipe as is with 1 Serrano pepper. You can up the heat or lower it by adding or eliminating the Serrano pepper.

Ginger garlic paste: I used the combined packaged ginger garlic paste available in Asian/ Indian stores. You can mince fresh ginger and garlic in equal quantities in case you don’t have the paste.

Basil leaves: I alternate between Thai basil leaves and regular basil leaves. I have to drive to an Asian store to look for Thai basil leaves. I have made this recipe with basil leaves since I had those available. These are easy to find in most grocery stores.

Bell peppers: You can use any bell peppers. I have used red. I love the red color in the curry.  You can mix and throw different colored bell peppers as well.

I have used bell peppers and carrots only. You can throw in any other vegetable  that you may have handy for instance green beans, or mushrooms.

How do I make Thai Red Chicken Curry?

Prep: Dice the bell peppers, and onions. Chop cilantro and basil leaves. I have kept the basil leaves whole in this recipe, you can either chop them or keep them whole.

Slit the serrano or Thai green Chili pepper into two halves lengthwise.

I have diced the bell peppers into 2 inch pieces. You can cut them into thin long strips as well. Cut around the stem and core of the bell pepper. Remove and discard the core. Trim the white membrane from inside the pepper and slit them into long slits or small pieces.

Chop the chicken into 2 inch pieces.

Dice the baby carrots into small pieces. Slit the serrano pepper lengthwise into 2 halves.

When ready to cook, select saute on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil.

When the oil is hot, add onions, chicken, and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the pink color from the chicken is eliminated.

Stir in red curry paste and let it sauté for about a minute.

Stir in coconut milk and let it thicken will take about 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.

Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.

When cooking is complete, quick release the pressure. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, bell pepper, carrots, Serrano pepper, fresh basil leaves, and cilantro. Select sauté and let the curry thicken slightly in about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve hot over Jasmine rice.

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