My keto chicken curry is a simple and super tasty one-pan dinner that is ready in 35 minutes. It is only 5.7g net carbs per portion.
This is a keto curry recipe that we make all the time. It is one of these easy dinners that I can whip up after a long day and everyone loves it.
Here is why I never got around to sharing the recipe on the blog until now. When I get that curry craving, I have to cook and eat it straight away. No time for photos! 😂
This Indian-inspired chicken curry is packed with flavor, simmers on the stove with minimal effort and requires only 5 minutes of prep. It has a tomato-based sauce with a nice spice kick without being overly hot - just how I like it.
There are quite a few spices in the recipe. Don't worry if you don't have one of them. Curry is forgiving, and you can omit one or the other spice without losing on flavor. Don't forget to let me know in the comments if you decide to tweak the dish
Love curry? Also try my chicken cauliflower curry, Thai low carb curry and this keto chicken tikka masala.
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Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
Curry Sauce
- Basics: We need onion, fresh ginger, garlic and chili. Fresh ingredients add so much more flavor than dried ones.
- Wet ingredients: Pureed fresh tomatoes, chicken stock and natural yogurt. Choose good quality tomatoes such as tomatoes on the vine. These have more flavor.
- Spices: turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, garam masala, sea salt and black pepper, ground coriander, cardamom pods.
Meat And Vegetables
- Chicken - I used chicken breast, which I cubed into 2-inch pieces.
- Red bell pepper
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) - This tastes so fragrant and goes well with curry.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
It is simple to make a keto chicken curry. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for a detailed method including timings and ingredient amounts.
STEP 1
Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Sauté the onions over medium heat until golden brown.
STEP 2
Add the garlic and ginger and fry briefly. Then, brown the chicken from all sides until it is no longer pink in the middle.
STEP 3
Add the tomatoes, green chilli, yogurt, spices and salt and sauté until the tomatoes start to break down. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Then, let it simmer with the lid on, stirring in between.
STEP 4
Stir in the bell peppers (add more stock if necessary) and cook until they are al-dente. Last, stir through the chopped coriander and remove the cardamom pods, squeezing the seeds into the curry.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 Blend the tomatoes in a food processor until just a little chunky. This will make the curry the best consistency and rich with flavour.
#2 Make sure the onion is really finely minced as this will also massively increase the flavour when you sauté it.
#3 Use a light olive oil, grapeseed or neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point. It’s best not to use extra virgin olive oil or it will flavour the curry.
Variations
More sauce: Add up to 1 cup or 240ml of heavy cream or additional yogurt/tomatoes to make a keto curry with more sauce. You could also add coconut cream. Of course, this will make the dish milder.
Different meat: This recipe would also work well with beef or lamb.
Change the vegetables: Yellow or green peppers go well with this curry. You could also add a handful of spinach leaves at the end, or garnish with green beans.
Serving Suggestion
I like to serve keto curry with cauliflower rice and sometimes with mashed cauliflower. It is also spectacular with my easy keto naan bread.
As for toppings, feel free to garnish the dish with chopped cilantro, chopped spring onion or a wedge of lime.
A spoonful of yogurt or raita will balance the heat. And if you are a hottie, sprinkle over a few additional chili flakes.
Recipe FAQs
It is possible to use canned chopped tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Choose a good quality brand such as Mutti as there are vast differences in quality. However, the flavor will be superior with ripe, fresh tomatoes.
Instead of dairy yogurt, use coconut yogurt or coconut cream.
Yes. Use boneless thighs and cube them into 2-inch pieces.
Storage
Low carb chicken curry keeps fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container. It actually tastes even better on the second day, once the flavors have had time to mingle.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
The recipe is also great for meal prep and I often double the recipe. If you decide to meal prep a larger batch to freeze, I recommend omitting the red peppers. Simply add them when you reheat the dish before serving. This way, they don't become soft and mushy.
More Keto Chicken Recipes
- Keto Lemon Chicken20 Minutes
- Keto Chicken Tikka Masala45 Minutes
- Low Carb Keto Chicken Teriyaki25 Minutes
- Keto Chicken Wings
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Chicken Curry
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Equipment
- 1 large non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon light olive oil or a neutral-tasting oil such as groundnut
- 1 medium onion finely minced (90g)
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- 4 skinless chicken breasts 920g, cubed into 2 inch pieces
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed (185g) or 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 green finger chilli thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon whole milk yoghurt 45g
- ½ cup chicken broth 120ml
- 1 medium red pepper cut into 1 inch chunks (120g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped, plus more to serve
Spices
- ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon mild chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 3 green cardamon pods
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the cubed chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, green chilli, yogurt, spices and salt and sauté for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. Add stock and allow it to come to a simmer again.
- Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between.
- Uncover, and stir in the peppers. Option to add a touch more stock or water if you need to. Cover again and allow the mixture to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers are al dente and cooked through.
- Stir through the chopped coriander. Remove the cardamon pods, squeezing out the seeds into the curry. Serve a side of cauliflower rice or keto naan.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in October 2019 with a different curry recipe that I have now moved to a new URL - this chicken cauliflower curry. You'll find that all comments up to April 2024 refer to the original cauliflower curry recipe.
Ber
I love this, cooked today.
Katrin Nürnberger
Glad you enjoyed the curry!
Ber
Cooked this today, spicy without the heat, loved it.
Sue
Blooming lovely!
Would like to know if the curry paste could be stored in the fridge or even frozen though.
Katrin Nürnberger
What a great idea to freeze the curry paste! That should definitely work - you could freeze it in an ice cube tray and then simply pop a few out when you need. I'd say it would last in the fridge for about a week.
kumbakonamfiltercoffee kufico
looks good!!!
Terence HARRISON
Following instructions and ingredients one of the tastiest meals I've ever cooked
Has to be a 5 star
Susan webb
Really yummy my husband liked it too and he's not on keto diet.
Katrin Nürnberger
That's a double win then!!
Elizabeth
Delicious! What are your thoughts on using boneless skinless chicken breasts that I have so much of in the freezer.
Katrin Nürnberger
The recipe should also work with chicken breast, but I think it would be nicer if they had the skins on, just so they don't dry out in the oven 🙂 I like to wrap my chicken breast in prosciutto ham and bake them in a garlic-wine sauce. Not very Indian, but that way they stay super soft.
Susan
Really good can't believe it's so few calories ?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Susan, thanks for pointing it out! Typo in the calories... it's 370 calories...still fairly low 🙂
Krisanne
This recipe is so delicious and I did add the pumpkin but we don’t have tinned pumpkin here so I just baked some and added it was beautiful, hubby loved it so it will be cooked here on a regular basis, thanks so much
If tagged you on Instagram
Katrin
Wonderful! I must check it out over on Instagram!!
Claire
OMG KATRIN!
This is such a brilliant curry. I made it with the pumpkin as suggested and it really does give the sauce that special little dimension along with some velvety coconut cream to soften the heat. (I used 2 tbs chillies, because we love it hot ) I have just popped some of your 'keto naans' in the oven, so now I think it's time for a very large dry glass of wine.
Thank you Katrin!
Claire xo