Chicken Breasts With Curry

By Pierre Franey

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 5(1,312)
Notes: Read community notes

Here, standard weeknight chicken breasts are transformed into a dish that's fragrant and spicy. It's very easy to prepare: just make a quick stew of butter, onions, celery, garlic, apple, tomatoes and curry powder. Blend that together in a food processor until it forms a thick sauce, then combine with chicken breasts that have been lightly browned. Simmer until heated through, and enjoy with a snowy pile of rice. It beats takeout curry by a mile.

Featured in: 60-Minute Gourmet

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons butter
½cup chopped onions
2teaspoons chopped garlic
1apple, cored and finely cubed, about 1 cup
½cup finely chopped celery
2tablespoons curry powder
½cup canned crushed tomatoes
¾cup chicken broth, more as needed
1bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4skinless boneless chicken breast halves, about 1¼ pounds total
4tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan. Add onions, garlic, apple and celery. Stir until wilted.
Step 2
Add curry powder, stir. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
Step 3
Discard bay leaf and put mixture through a food processor or food mill and process to a fine texture. If necessary, add more chicken broth to just reach pouring consistency.
Step 4
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Heat remaining butter in a nonstick skillet and add chicken. Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned. Turn pieces and cook about 5 minutes more. Do not overcook.
Step 6
Pour sauce over chicken, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,312 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

kheminway6 years ago

Yes, I've done this many times with excellent results. My family loves this dish so much that I make double or triple the recipe of sauce (through Step 3) and freeze the extra amount. Then, on a rushed day all I have to do is pull the sauce out and add the chicken for a quick but delicious dinner.

Mon6 years ago

A couple of quick enhancements:
Add ginger along with garlic
Make ahead and let it soak a day. Curry is always better the day after.

rach6 years ago

Very good. I cut up the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and toss with another tablespoon of the curry powder before browning.

Marshall6 years ago

Cilantro is the American English word for the stems and leaves of coriander. "Cilantro" is the Spanish translation of coriander. Here in the US we only use "coriander" for the seeds. In British English the word "coriander" is used for stems, leaves, and seeds. "Cilantro" does not exist in British English.

Stacey6 years ago

Sublime! I I switched out the chicken breasts for thighs which I prefer in curries and stews (far more moist and flavorful). I therefore added in about fifteen more minutes of simmering and as suggested by other reviewers (thanks!), added in fresh grated ginger during the vegetable wilting step. For the curry powder, I used Penzey's Spices newest curry blend, The Now Curry, which was perfection (I did add in about a 1/4 teaspoon of hot cayenne chili pepper for a little extra kick).

Jamie6 years ago

I used coconut milk instead of chicken broth.

Rory5 years ago

I cooked as written except that I cubed the chicken and cooked it right in the sauce after blending with an immersion blender (skipping the separate cooking process for the chicken). Easier. Just as good. If you made a double batch of sauce for freezing half of it, just remove half the sauce before adding the chicken.

aadler6 years ago

My prior comment referenced a banana, which is not in the NYT version of the recipe. I had the original 60 Minute Gourmet cookbook, and that version of the recipe called for both the apple and 1/2 a banana, and that's how I made it. Very good!

Bonnie6 years ago

Can the sauce be prepared a day earlier..then heated and added later?

Emily6 years ago

This dish is so delicious! I use cut up chicken cutlets to make it faster to cook the chicken (2 min per side), and we prefer the smaller pieces vs. The full breasts. I also do not bother to puree the sauce, I just chop finely all the sauce ingredients. The chunkiness is good!

Maddy Parker5 years ago

Easy and delicious. I cut my chicken breasts into equal size pieces of about 1 1/4 inches wide and tall. The cooking time in the recipe was spot on for this size - a perfect 165 degrees. I left out the apples and celery (didnt have them). For a side I added broccolini to the pan while the chicken cooked for the last five minutes. For those who found this dish bland, of course it is important to use a good curry powder. If you don't have a tasty curry powder on hand, don't cook this.

Stephen6 years ago

This chicken not only tasted great, it was very tender for boneless, skinless breasts, which can be as tough as a shoe. My four half-breasts totaled 1 1/3 pounds, so the cooking times in this recipe were perfect. But be very attentive to how much your chicken weighs, and adjust carefully. You'll be glad you did.

Moegoe6 years ago

Same thing

Ronkie6 years ago

I've made this a half dozen times now. I took Mon's advice and added some fresh ginger. This is a total winner recipe.

Jules6 years ago

Whether you call it "cilantro" or "coriander," I leave it out. HATE the stuff.

Marcia B5 months ago

I was intrigued by the apple and was not disappointed that it added a sweetness to the heat. I added more garlic (always) and some ginger paste with a serrano chili. Absolutely loved it. Hubby would have appreciated the raita so recommend that for those who are on the edge about spicy food. Served with a green salad. Definitely will make again!

Beth6 months ago

I guess I was expecting more curry flavor but maybe my curry powder is not the best. I will make this again using thighs - cubed, as well as ginger and more garlic. It definitely will be on the rotation.

M. Peterson6 months ago

Added one of my smoked cayenne peppers for some heat and smokiness. Really worked well.

nancy6 months ago

Wonderful and delicious- but must double the recipe for the sauce.

MAinCC8 months ago

Great sauce! Great dish! Cut heat with raita next time. Yogurt, cucumber, dill. Served with brown rice and green veg. Lovely dinner, definitely make again.

Marcy Shomo8 months ago

I also made it with thighs and sauteed them after coating with chili and curry powders, S and P. I used 3 bay leaves, more garlic and curry-mine may have been old but it was too mild before adding extra. My family LOVED it and want it in our regular meal rotation.

Connie1 year ago

Delicious! Need to have the chicken stock handy for a bit of thinning.

Juliana V1 year ago

Didn’t have an apple so used unsweetened apple sauce - perfect! Also added a banana, carrots, garam masala, and a bunch of Thai chili flakes. Delicious!

Jeanette R1 year ago

Enjoying all the notes about coriander/cilantro! I learned via a genetic test for revealing my heritage that one’s love or hatred of cilantro is genetically linked. No in-between there! You really can blame it on Mom :< ).

Lisa Starnes1 year ago

I used canned tomatoes from the garden, cooked down. I added only half a cup, but in hindsight should have added more since I ended up needing more broth to make the sauce horrible.

Southwest Carol1 year ago

Doubled recipe: used about an inch fresh ginger, minced. Plus,had no canned crushed tomatoes other than a giant can, so I used fresh tomatoes and crushed them using my citrus squeezer tool. I used my immersion blender after the first simmer, then added the chicken which I cut into largish pieces. Finally, served over rice with a small sprinkling of crushed almonds on top. VERY TASTY!

kar03191 year ago

Read the recipe and realized that this (plus a dollop of peanut butter) is the chicken curry I had cobbled together in the ‘80s as a sort of homage to the “chafing dish curry” that was the centerpiece of ‘60s dinner parties, surrounded by little bowls of condiments. Made it again after seeing this (great with rotisserie chicken, btw), and my adult daughter went crazy for it. Served with shredded coconut, green onions, slivered almonds, and chutney - and of course rice. Don’t omit the apple!

Annie1 year ago

This is an easy weeknight dinner that’ll be fun to riff on. Followed the tips to cut chicken smaller, add ginger to the sauce, and skip the blending. I also added about 1/2 tsp tamarind paste and 1 T brown sugar to up the sweet/tangy factor. I might skip the sugar and add currants next time. And or dredge the chicken in flour before browning.

Adam1 year ago

everyone loved it. I followed the advice of adding a banana and ginger. I used chicken tenderloins

Bex_mylife1 year ago

This is amazing, simple and easy peezy. We added ginger paste per the recommendations of everyone else. Served with white rice and kale. I plan to add chunks of red bell pepper and potatoes next time. Maybe serve with indian rice and naan too. Highly recommend.

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