If you’re looking for the BEST chicken curry recipe, then this authentic Sri Lankan Chicken Curry recipe will tick all the boxes! I’ve also provided some tips on how to cook this incredibly flavorful chicken curry and how to adapt it to your taste!
The BEST Chicken Curry recipe you’ll ever need!
- Why you should make this amazing chicken curry
- Sri Lankan chicken curries (or other curries) can be made in one of two ways.
- Can I make a whole chicken curry or can I use boneless chicken?
- Curry Powder for this Chicken Curry
- Is this Sri Lankan chicken curry spicy?
- What an authentic Sri Lankan curry should be
- Here are some tips + variations to follow to make the BEST Sri Lankan chicken curry.
- How to serve this Chicken Curry
If there’s one dish that I could quite literally make with my eyes closed, this is it. This Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is one that I make and have made AT LEAST once a week for many years now. It’s quintessential comfort food for K and myself, and we are instantly reminded of Sri Lanka, of our childhood, of home, of full and comforting meals, every time we eat this Sri Lankan chicken curry.
We do like any kind of curry, but this chicken curry really is our go-to. Besides, chicken curry is probably the most common type of curry eaten in Sri Lanka and any other part of the world for that matter.
If you’re new to the world of curries, or even if you are a seasoned pro, this curry is must try!
Why you should make this amazing chicken curry
- This is an easy recipe that is also truly authentic!
- Many recipes use store bought curry powders, that change the flavor of the curry depending on the brand. This is CONSISTENTLY delicious, because YOU MAKE the curry powder.
- While it is authentic, it is also so adaptable! Don’t have coconut milk – no problem! Don’t like chili? No problem! Don’t have tomatoes? Just don’t add it!
- This is a step by step recipe, so it’s easy to follow even for novice cooks.
A great Sri Lankan chicken curry is a very versatile and easy to make dish. Sure, there are plenty of slow cooker versions and quick versions of this chicken curry that you could find online with a google search. These recipes mostly employ the “dump and cook” method of adding all the ingredients into one pot at the same time and then cooking all the way through. That’s how you get the difference between a mediocre chicken curry and a truly mind-blowingly flavorful curry! HOW you cook the curry determines the flavors just as much as the ingredients.
So here I’ll share the inside scoop, some of the well-known “secrets” to cooking a fantastic chicken curry. Plus, I’ll also share some variations to standard Sri Lankan chicken curry as well.
Sri Lankan chicken curries (or other curries) can be made in one of two ways.
- “කිරට” (kirata = milky). A chicken curry made with coconut milk, and can be less spicy, richer in taste because of the creamy coconut milk component. OR
- “මිරිසට” (mirisata = chili/spicy). A chicken curry made without coconut milk, so can be spicier, and lighter.
You can easily adapt this same chicken curry recipe to make either of these versions of chicken curry. We prefer the “kirata” style with the coconut milk that is a richer tasting curry because of the coconut milk. However, we make the “mirisata” style more often so that I don’t use too much coconut milk in everyday cooking.
Can I make a whole chicken curry or can I use boneless chicken?
You can make this chicken curry with bone-in pieces from a whole chicken, or just bone-in pieces of just chicken legs or chicken thighs. Or for convenience, you can just use boneless pieces of chicken. Obviously, boneless chicken will cook faster, and is my choice when I want to cook a quick curry that can be ready in less than 30 minutes. BUT, a GOOD chicken curry uses bone-in chicken pieces because the bones flavor the curry sauce (or as we call it – curry gravy).
If you’re using boneless chicken, I recommend using the red meat over white meat of chicken. Chicken thighs (red meat) has more flavor and won’t overcook easily and can withstand the cooking time.
For a healthier option you can use sliced boneless chicken breasts too. But make sure to cook them for a shorter amount of time OR braise them for a longer time to make it tender. Otherwise the pieces will be too dry.
To cook with sliced chicken breasts for a quick curry, make sure to make the curry sauce FIRST and then add the chicken at the end and only cook it until the chicken is cooked through.
Some choose to remove the chicken skin to lessen the fat in the chicken curry as well. I have always loved eating the skin, so I compromise and add half with the skin, and half without. So that’s totally up to you!
Curry Powder for this Chicken Curry
Arguably, curry powder is the most important ingredient for this chicken curry. So, I use my own homemade ROASTED Sri Lankan curry powder to make this delicious chicken curry. It’s made with,
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Black peppercorns
- Cardamom seeds from cardamom pods
- Mustard seeds
- Cloves
- Fennel seeds
It’s got a robust flavor and is the perfect combination of spices for any curry, especially for classic Sri Lankan curries. And since it’s not a very spicy curry powder, you can control how much chili powder you add as well. The first four ingredients mentioned above, are crucial for a curry powder. I sometimes leave out the mustard and fennel seeds out from this curry powder and still get fantastic results.
I would highly recommend making this curry powder for this curry. You can use store bought curry powders too, but remember that you may need to adjust the amount you add depending on how strong/weak the curry powder is. Some supermarket curry powders are really quite weak, and makes your curries taste extremely bland. So taste and adjust if that’s the case.
Is this Sri Lankan chicken curry spicy?
Yes, we usually add 2 tsp of cayenne pepper (yup! that’s TWO teaspoons, we really do like it spicy), and 1 tbsp of regular (not sweet or smoked) paprika. In Sri Lanka, you’d only use chili powder that is pretty strong, and very vibrant in color, so it flavors the curry while making it beautifully red colored as well.
The additional cinnamon stick adds a nice sweet spiciness that also helps balance the heat.
BUT, you can adjust the spice level in this curry.
If you’re not a fan of spicy, you can adjust this level to suit your preferences.
You can add less black pepper to the curry powder. Don’t eliminate it completely because black pepper is an important part of this Sri Lankan chicken curry.
If you want that characteristic red color of the curry, but not the heat, then increase the paprika and reduce the cayenne pepper. But if you can handle spicy curries, or prefer them that way, then go ahead and add 2 tsp of cayenne pepper as I do.
And if you choose not to add chili powder/cayenne pepper OR the paprika, that will be fine too. The result will be a very mild Sri Lankan chicken curry, that’ll be mostly brown in color (and not a red curry), with a slight red tinge (from the tomatoes), but it will still be just as delicious without the heat.
What an authentic Sri Lankan curry should be
To me and my family, a basic, authentic Sri Lankan chicken curry,
- is spicy (and therefore more red in color than brown),
- there’ll be some oil floating on top (especially, if the curry is made with coconut milk. The coconut milk is cooked with the chicken to the point where the coconut milk splits and the oil separates from the milk).
- The gravy is just so damn flavorful, you can drink it on its own!
This Sri Lankan chicken curry ticks all the boxes! It’s a versatile recipe that you can adapt to your taste and still be absolutely delicious.
Here are some tips + variations to follow to make the BEST Sri Lankan chicken curry.
- For best results, use a whole chicken cut into pieces, OR bone-in chicken (like legs or thighs).
- Use Sri Lankan curry powder. If you can’t find it, you can easily make your own following this recipe. Lots of recipes will say that you can use madras curry powder, but that tastes different from Sri Lankan curry powder, and will not give you authentic results. Sri Lankan curry powder has a lot of coriander seeds, and doesn’t have turmeric. You can substitute Sri Lankan curry powder with madras curry powder if you really must, but just remember that the taste will be different. I recommend making your own Sri Lankan curry powder, which genuinely tastes better and is quite versatile too.
- Since there is pepper in the curry powder, you do not need to season with salt and pepper at the end too. Just season with salt to your taste.
- Use coconut oil and good quality coconut milk whenever possible.
- After you cook the chicken curry, let the chicken curry sit for a while. This allows the chicken to absorb the flavors of the curry gravy. This is why this chicken curry tastes even better the next day.
- Curry leaves are preferred for curries, but if you can’t find them you can use bay leaves or pandan leaves.
- Layer the flavors for best results – don’t dump in all the ingredients at once. Soften the onions and garlic and ginger first before adding the spices. This lets different flavors grow and strengthen. Using roasted spices adds an extra layer of flavors.
- For an added twist (which is not traditional) – roast the chicken curry in the oven towards the end. It caramelizes the chicken (which you cannot do on the stove-top), giving it an extra layer of texture that enhances the flavor.
- This is more of a caution than a tip. Be mindful of your preferred spice levels. Adjust the cayenne pepper to your taste.
How to serve this Chicken Curry
We serve it with rice and some vegetable side dishes. My favorite is beetroot curry! I always loved chicken curry and beetroot curry together. I highly recommend that combination of sweet beetroot curry with the spicy chicken curry.
Another option is to serve it with roti. Sri Lankans love and prefer to eat Pol roti, which is a flat bread made with coconut and wheat flour. But we also love godhambara roti (or roti canai / roti paratha), and maybe even some naan bread if we have some at home.
If you have chicken curry leftover, here is my absolute favorite way to re-purpose them! Turn it into Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti – a very popular Sri Lankan street food!
You can also make a really easy chicken curry fried rice or a curried chicken salad sandwich too!
If you’re a fan of curries and Sri Lankan food, then you may love these recipes too!
- Sri Lankan Crab Curry
- Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry (Prawn Curry)
- Authentic Black Pork Curry
- Cashew Curry (VEGAN)
- Mango Curry (VEGAN)
- Sweet and Spicy Apple Curry (VEGAN)
- Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Sharp knife to cut a whole chicken into pieces.
Spice grinder to make the curry powder – I like to use an inexpensive coffee grinder to make my spice powders.
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Sri Lankan Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
- 2 – 3 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ onion yellow or red, diced or sliced.
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 6 – 7 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 small regular cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder (less if you like it less spicy. PLEASE SEE NOTES)
- 1 tbsp paprika not smoked or sweet paprika
- 2 lbs chicken, whole chicken cut into sections OR any bone-in chicken thigh or leg pieces (large thigh pieces should be cut in half)
- 2 serrano peppers (or regular green chili) cut length-wise, with or without seeds
- 3 roma tomatoes cut into cubes (or 2 medium-sized regular tomatoes)
- 2 tsp brown sugar see notes
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar PLEASE SEE NOTES
- ½ cup coconut milk PLEASE SEE NOTES
- ½ cup water
Instructions:
- Add the coconut oil in to a large saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger to the heated oil and cook until softened.2 – 3 tbsp coconut oil, ½ onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger
- Add curry powder, chili powder/cayenne pepper, paprika, cinnamon, curry leaves and mix to combine. Cook for a few minutes until you start to smell the spices.6 – 7 curry leaves or 2 bay leaves, 2 ½ tbsp roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp paprika
- Add the chicken, serrano peppers/green chili peppers, salt, 3 roma tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, and mix to coat. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid off, on medium high heat. Stir frequently to make sure the chicken or the spices don’t burn.½ tsp salt, 2 lbs chicken,, 2 serrano peppers (or regular green chili), 3 roma tomatoes, 2 tsp brown sugar
- Add coconut milk, water, vinegar, and bring the curry to a boil. If you want less gravy, add less liquid.½ cup coconut milk, ½ cup water, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Lower the heat, and let it simmer with the lid closed, for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste. The chicken should be completely cooked by this point. Taste the curry and season to taste if needed. You can add the rest of the sugar or more salt, or vinegar to your taste. Remember that curries can be adjusted to your taste!
- If the chicken curry gravy is too thin, or there's too much of it, uncover and simmer the curry for a further 10 minutes or longer. This step is optional, but it will allow the water to evaporate and the gravy to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool down slightly. Serve with rice or roti.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Tracey says
This is a delicious curry. I was feeling so lazy and no of what to make with a whole chicken I had bought, and somehow – thankfully – a google search brought up this recipe. I roasted my seeds and made the curry powder so now have it on hand for the next time. Because I didn’t want my breast to turn to dried up leather, I cooked the rest of the chicken cut up into pieces (on bone) and then poached the entire breast (both sides and on bone) at the end. This way, everyone was satisfied- some got their dark meat, some got their white meat, and everyone got this delicious curry and, here’s the kicker, LIKED it. Now, it is officially a part of our meal plan. Thank you!
graham roper says
great recipe this is now staple ingredient for all my curries gives me a good base to work around.
José Abarca says
You weren’t exaggerating, this was the best curry I’ve ever made! Thank you!
Sonia Jayatissa says
As a Sri Lankan-born living in London, I absolutely love this recipe and swear by it! I always pull it up when I make a Sri Lankan chicken curry and it reminds me so much of home. I put added coconut (kirata) for my non-Sri Lankan friends and it’s perfectly spiced.
I really hope you make a Sri Lankan cookbook someday, the images and thorough descriptions are perfect and I can’t find anything like it in the book shops. It would make a lovely accessory to a kitchen shelf too!
Just a question though, I see that it is simply 187 kcals but it doesn’t mention whether it’s for 100 grams or per serving. I’m assuming it’s for a serving, is that right?
Dini says
Hi Sonia
I’m glad that you like this recipe! 🙂 It’s what I make whenever I miss home too! Thank you for your lovely comments… it made my day!
As for the nutrition information – it is per serving! But also please note that the nutritional information is an estimate and not 100% accurate. A serving size in a chicken curry is also hard to calculate when you make it with a whole chicken too.
I hope that helps!
Leo Jones says
My first go and from the first stages a really nice smell and taste and clearly different to the Thai and Indian recipes I am used to. That lack of Tumeric seems to make quite a difference. Lovely. Yum.
Tnieuwoudt says
I’m from South Africa and completely Curry mad! Definitely going to try this recipe but I have two questions:
Can I use Tamarind instead of the vinegar?
Can I use Kashmiri Chilli Powder instead of the Cayenne Pepper?
Thanks a ton!
Dini says
Hi Tnieuwoudt!
You can absolutely use tamarind instead of vinegar! You can also leave it out if you want 🙂
As noted in the recipe, we do use Kashmiri chili at home, but cayenne pepper is easier to find for some. Kashmiri chili adds a deeper red color as well as the spice!
Hope that helps!
Ken says
Love this. We made room in our spice cabinet so that we always have a batch ready to go.
Sineidin ONiall says
The recipe looks really delicious. When I lived in Colombo I remember the curries being seriously spicy hot.
Georgia Munro Ford says
Hello, I’m thinking of making this recipe but I was wondering if I could do it ahead of time and freeze and then put it in the oven to reheat?
Dini says
Hi Georgia
Absolutely! You can cook this curry ahead of time, and reheat it in the oven if you like.
I personally prefer to let the curry thaw out in the fridge too, to ensure more even heating/ cooking.
If you’re reheating from frozen, I recommend reheating the chicken with a foil cover to help “heat the chicken” and then uncovering the foil to help with caramelizing the chicken slightly.
I hope that helps!
Georgia Munro Ford says
thank you so much!
Jonathan Savage says
I made this in Kilifi Kenya last week and …..WOW just turned out fantastic.
I made the Roasted curry Powder, It was so good
Thank you
Sasha R says
Thank you this is my go to Sri Lankan chicken curry. I never thought I’d find a curry that could rival my dadda’s
Llyander says
Absolutely beautiful, made this (and the curry powder) last night and it’s one of the nicest curries I’ve made in quite some time. Will definitely be making this again.
David says
I made this tonight for dinner and it was fabulous! I used about 1½ teaspoons of Indian extra hot red chilli powder. I also replaced the tablespoon of paprika with an equal amount of Kashmiri Mirch powder. The result was that the curry was “5 alarm” hot. We really like spicy food, but I will probably tone it down just a bit the next time. I really liked the flavor of your curry powder. It was a different flavor profile than other curries I have made.
David says
Hi, Dini: I don’t want to bed a pray, but I’m making this chicken curry ricochet and I can’t find an instruction anywhere on how to prep the onion. I assume it should be diced or chopped, but I guess sliced is also a possibility. Can you please advise me? Thank you!
Dini says
Hi David!
Thank you for pointing that out!
You can actually chop finely, or dice in larger pieces or even slice! If you prefer not to have onion pieces, then it’s better to have smaller onion pieces. I usually slice it.
Hope that helps!
Cate holm says
Superb – I did add some celery/carrot. Raisins to replace the brown sugar.
Leeanne Gray says
Absolutely delicious. I’m going to cook this regularly, it’s so good.
Matt T says
This recipe deserves to BEST in its title. Amazing chicken curry. Super easy instructions. Curry powder is A+
Maria Q. says
I love this recipe as my base for Chicken Curry. I just tend to add my own spin to an existing recipe to make it my own… I am never able to give recipes because of the way I cook, so thank you for the WONDERFUL start to what becomes “the best” curry, according to my family & friends.
K Slubb says
This is the best curry I’ve ever made! We have it with home made paneer. It’s worth making your own spice mix. Once you have all your ingredients organised it is a very simple process. Delicious!!
Val says
I have never been a fan of making any curry, as I thought it was too complicated to prepare! Well! I made a small amount to try it myself… delicious!!! So when some of my family visited very recently I made it for them… with plenty of side dishes in case they didn’t like it!!! This Sri Lankan dish was so well received, I am just about ready to prepare another potful, for my Granddaughter and partner who are coming here tomorrow!! Thank you so much for a fabulous, pretty easy to follow recipe. Full of flavour, fantastic aroma, and very yummy….!
Dave says
Recipe was great!
Coming from Singapore i am not new to curries, but this was fantastic and we really enjoyed it.
It was grainier – but i think that we had to grind the spices a bit better .
The only question i have is the colour – mine was more of a brownish colour.
Reading the comments, was this due to me not adding enough Paprika that lends the bright red colour to the dish ?
Thank you , for a great recipe !
Dini says
Hi Dave
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Yes, the color will be more brown-ish without the paprika. Traditionally we don’t use paprika, as the chili powder we find in Sri Lanka is bright red in color usually. Plus we add more chili powder which makes it red as well. But I adjusted the recipe for what is more widely available, without making it too spicy.
I hope that helps!
Annie says
Great recipe and the curry powder makes it. I added Kashmiri powder instead of paprika to made it more red.
Dee says
Amazing flavours and so easy to make. This recipe is a regular favourite in our house
Vanessa says
I have made this several times and it is delicious! I have only used it with chicken but I’m sure it would be lovely with other proteins as well. Sri lankan curry powder is so flavourful and has great depth.
Shankar Siva says
I made this recipe for my family. They all loved it so much that everyone in my family and extended family (Sri Lankan Tamil) are now asking for some of the chicken curry.
Amazing recipe. A good amount of heat with lots of flavour. Great balance of spices. Goes great with roti or naan
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Shankar, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Madeleine Fewster says
I’m losing my mind this is soooo good! The chicken has turned out so tender and flavoursome (even though I substituted a few ingredients) This is possibly the best thing I’ve ever cooked for myself, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Dini says
Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Madeleine! 🙂
Priya says
Made the masala as per your recipe and tried it with chicken and lamb. Both turned out delicious!
Wendy says
Absolutely delicious! So full of flavor. This was my first time making chicken curry and your recipe was very easy to follow.
Jane says
I’ve made this “chicken” curry three times in three weeks. First time, with pork chops because the chicken was at the back of the freezer and the pork chops were at the front. The second time with beef that I cut into chunks. Same reason as the pork chops. Third time, with chicken cutlets that I could finally reach. Each time with each meat, it was absolutely delicious. I also made enough of the roasted curry powder to fill a 24 oz. Jar. The next time, I will sub chick peas for the meat. I expect that to be delicious as well.
Rebekah Singleton says
This recipe is delicious and authentic. My husband is from India and always makes delicious curry and I wanted to make something for him that was authentic but a little different. This was hit, a go to for me now 🙂
Emma Louise says
I am making this but I am using the spices from the supermarkets in the little packets. I didnt roast either but this is my first time making it and it already smellls so good and my son said Mum that smells amazing!!! Thankyou Dini X
Karen Nutter says
I’ve made this a few times now, seriously the best curry ever, made for friends and family and 5* reviews every time, making the curry powder doesn’t take long and definitely worth doing, fabulous recipe.
Laureen says
I would love to make this curry powder but only have powders of the spices not seeds. Can you give me the recipe using powdered spices? My daughter in law is Sri Lankan and I want to surprise her. Thank you!
Beth says
This curry is epic. Seriously — you need to try it. I didn’t have time to roast the curry spices in her spice blend, but it was still amaaaazing. (I’m definitely going to do it next time.) I was salivating just smelling it cook and it makes incredible leftovers.
I love curries, but had never tried a Sri Lankan one before. Thank you SO much for the introduction, I can’t wait to try more.
Katherine says
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it several times and my entire family of 6 devours it- even the toddlers! Have you ever tried it with chickpeas, to make like a chana masala? I have a vegetarian friend I’d love to make this for.
Dini says
Hi Katherine!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
You can make this curry with chickpeas too. It won’t be quite a channa masala, but it will be a different variation of chickpea curry.
There are other very unique vegetarian curries as well. Like this beetroot curry, jackfruit curry, pumpkin curry, apple curry, or cashew curry.
I hope that helps!
Margz says
This is the second time I made this delicious curry! This is one of our favourites. Thank you for the recipe!
kd says
I made the spice mix from your other recipe and omg this was amazing! Best curry I’ve ever made (i also added red bell peppers instead of green peppers)