The long hot summer is finally coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. Although I have enjoyed plenty of refreshing salads and cold noodles over the last couple of months, I can’t wait to dig into some hearty soups and stews as the cool weather sets in.
Curry is one of my favorite dishes for a weeknight dinner. It can be quite easy to put together, it’s super flavorful, and the leftovers only get tastier. I’ve shared some easy curry recipes in the past including Thai-style salmon curry and Instant Pot curry beef. Today I want to share this comforting chicken sweet potato curry recipe that’s perfect for the fall.
Chicken sweet potato curry ingredients
Chicken sweet potato curry uses many pantry staples that you either already have on hand or are available at most grocery stores.
- Onion: The base for the curry, adding natural sweetness.
- Aromatics – fresh ginger and garlic: It immediately makes your stew extra fragrant.
- Chicken: Thigh pieces are the best for stew, which stands the cooking without getting dry.
- Sweet potato: Regular works well. For an even sweeter taste, use Japanese sweet potato.
- Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): It adds texture to the stew.
- Spice mix – curry, cumin, black pepper, paprika, turmeric: I like to use a few extra spices to make the curry more flavorful.
- Chicken broth: Use a low sodium type if you want to reduce sodium.
- Coconut milk: It adds creaminess and sweetness to the curry.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Other vegetable oil works as well.
- Butter: Used together with oil to add richness to the dish.
What type of curry powder to use
Instead of using 20 ingredients to make my own curry mix, I prefer to take a shortcut and used pre-mixed curry powder for quick weeknight meals like this. One of my favorite curry powder is Japanese S&B curry. It is very balanced, a little sweet and not too spicy. Madras curry powder another favorite.
How to make chicken sweet potato curry
- Brown the chicken to develop flavor.
- Add the aromatics and saute to release fragrance.
- Add the spice mix and gently saute to toast the pieces until very fragrant, but not burned.
- Pour in the broth and add the rest of the ingredients, simmer, then finish it up with coconut milk.
The whole process will take less than 20 minutes from start to finish. When the chicken sweet potato curry is simmering, you can steam some rice at the same time to make yourself a complete meal.
The chicken sweet potato curry is so comforting to eat. The chicken pieces are tender and juicy. The sweet potato and chickpeas are soaked with the rich curry flavor. The curry will be delicious when it’s freshly made, but if you store it in the fridge overnight, the spices will blend together even more, and the ingredients will become more flavorful.
How to serve
My favorite way to serve chicken sweet potato curry is to top it over steamed rice.
If I want a lighter meal with more vegetables, I also like to serve the chicken curry with a lot of steamed vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli. Since the curry already contains sweet potato, the meal is quite satisfying by itself. The curry makes the steamed vegetables extra delicious.
For leftovers, I like to serve the curry “Japanese Doria style” by assembling a small bed of rice with the curry on top, then add plenty shredded cheese and bake until the cheese melts. The leftovers tastes even better the second day!
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken breast?
You can. However, chicken breast is prone to overcook and usually becomes tough in a stew. The best way is to take the chicken out after browning, then add it back at the end of the braising. They will cook through in 2 to 3 minutes in the stew and remain juicy.
Can I make this dish ahead and freeze it?
Yes you can! All the ingredients in this dish is freezer friendly so it’s a perfect dish for meal prep.
Can I make this dish in a crock-pot (slow cooker)?
Yes you can! Cook the dish in crock pot on high for 4 hours then added the coconut milk after turning it off.
Why my sweet potato turned out tough?
You might have cut the sweet potato pieces too big. This recipe uses a fairly short braising time so the chicken won’t be overcooked. So you want to make sure the sweet potato is not too big – I like to cut the sweet potato into 1/2″ (1 cm) thick wheels, then further quarter them into smaller pieces.
Is this dish spicy?
It depends on the curry powder you use. If using a mild curry such as a Japanese blend or Madras curry, the dish will be quite mild. The coconut milk also adds sweetness and further mellow out the spices. I’ve had readers reported that their 2-year old enjoyed it without any issues!
More easy weeknight meals
- Scallion Beef Stir Fry (葱爆牛肉)
- Air Fryer Garlic Ribs (蒜香排骨)
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli (牛肉炒西兰花)
- Pork Lettuce Wrap (San Choy Bow)
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Chicken Sweet Potato Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs , cut to bite-size pieces (*Footnote 1)
- 1 white onion , minced
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 thumb ginger , minced
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (Optional, *Footnote 2)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb sweet potatoes (2 small or 1 big) , cut into pieces that's about 1/2" (1 cm) thick and 1” (2.5 cm) long
- 1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) (15 oz / 425 g can) , drained
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 oz / 400 ml can) (*Footnote 3)
- 1/2 cup cilantro , chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 9” dutch oven or a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken pieces without overlapping. Cook for 1 minute without disturbing, or until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip to brown the other side.
- Add the butter, onion, ginger and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onion turns light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the curry powder, cumin powder, black pepper, paprika, and turmeric powder. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 30 seconds, until the curry powder is evenly coated.
- Add the chicken broth, sweet potato, garbanzo beans, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes turn tender.
- Pour in the coconut milk and cook over medium heat until the sauce just starts to simmer. Turn off heat and garnish with cilantro, if using. Serve hot over steamed rice or by itself as a main dish.
Notes
- I highly recommend using chicken thighs in this recipe, so the meat will stay juicy and tender. If you use chicken breast, you should remove it from the pan once you finish browning (step 1), and then add it back at step 3, after the broth returns to a simmer.
- Turmeric adds a beautiful bright yellow color to the dish. You can skip it and it won’t affect the taste of the dish much.
- Sometimes coconut milk separates, and the thick cream is floating on the top. To make the curry extra creamy, I prefer to only add the thick creamy layer to the curry and leave the coconut water behind. If you’re unsure, add half a can of coconut milk, stir and taste the curry. If you prefer the curry to be milder, you can add the rest of the coconut milk.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
And if you snapped a photo, don’t forget to tag @omnivorescookbook on Instagram. I can’t wait to see your creations!
Steve Gaskell
Well that tasted better than expected!
Thought we’d try something different to our usual go to dinners this evening and found this recipe.
Very easy to follow and it really did hit the spot! Have saved it to use again for a simple midweek dinner option 👍
Marie
Delicious though took a bit more work than at first glance. I too used heavy cream instead of coconut milk and my husband prefers more spice so might add some red pepper/curry powder next time though plenty spicy for me. Also used chicken breast meat. would make again and seems like wold be good for a large group or buffet.
Julia
Hya, I used this recipe about 1 1/2 yrs ago and love it, to thicken the soup I take a small sweet potato and bake it then peal of the skin and blend the potato with the coconut milk, then add it to pot realy thickens up the soup. One if my faves💕
Eva J
Question: can I make this ahead of time (2-3,fays) or freeze?
Maggie Zhu
Yes you can!
Beth
Easy delicious recipe. Lovely spice combo.
I made it a day ahead (except for the milk). Heated with milk the next day for an easy meal.
Dannii
This recipe was amazing to make. I did change a little of the recipe (chick peas). This is a forever recipe.
Allie
I am not Indian, but growing up my mom would make curry almost once a week. I made this recipe the other day and my mom ate the leftovers for lunch. She absolutely raved about it and asked me for the recipe. I made this recipe almost exactly as written just adding an extra tablespoon of curry powder (mine was a bit old so the flavor was a smidge weaker) and added diced carrots when I put the sweet potatoes in. It was fantastic. I even appreciated your helpful tip about not adding the coconut water as it helped keep a stronger flavor. Im definitely keeping this recipe on rotation! It was so easy and honestly a pretty well written recipe. 10/10
Anna
This recipe was divine! I could only find a carton of Friendly Farms coconut milk at Aldi so I tried it that and it turned out great. I also added a little cardamom and a bag of frozen green peas for some more veggies. My husband hasn’t stopped talking about this dish!
Anna
This recipe was divine!! I could only find a carton of Friendly Farms coconut milk at Aldi so I tried it that and it turned out great. I also added a little cardamom and a bag of frozen green peas for some more veggies. My husband hasn’t stopped talking about this dish!
Mila
My family really liked this recipe. The only change I made /because I didn’t have it/ was to use heavy cream instead of coconut milk.