Resonantly fragrant with aromatic spices like ginger, black pepper, cardamom, and coriander, this Garam Masala Chicken Curry is a cinch to make. It reheats like a champ. And you can even make it ahead and warm it up right before you plan to serve dinner.
Rich with coconut milk and aromatic, warming spices, this chicken curry is both simple to make and deeply flavorful. Fresh ginger and garlic, sautéed in ghee with sweet onions, form the curry's base while turmeric and garam masala give it a punch of deep, sweet spice. And there's just the faintest hint of cayenne pepper for a little heat.
What spices are in Garam Masala?
The success of this curry depends heavily on its spices. Garam masala is a deeply aromatic spice mix from India. It features various Ayurvedic warming spices thought to warm the body and support digestive fire.
While precise formulations vary from one household to the next, most recipes contain some combination of various warming spices like cumin, peppercorns, and cinnamon.
- Cumin has an earthy flavor and helps to support digestion.
- Black Pepper helps to support digestion and gives the curry a hint of heat.
- Black and Green Cardamom give the curry a fragrant, uplifting flavor.
- Nigella or Black Seed is a spice with an earthy flavor with peppery undertones.
- Cinnamon has a sweet, spicy aroma and helps support blood sugar balance.
- Cloves are sweet and spicy, and also good in mulled wine.
- Ginger has sweet heat and helps soothe the stomach.
- Mace comes from nutmeg and has a bright, peppery note.
Where to Find Organic Garam Masala
When making this Garam Masala Chicken Curry recipe, we used the Organic Exotic Garam Masala Curry from our longtime partner, Pure Indian Foods.
Preparing Your Spices
The more diverse your spice mix, the richer your curry's flavor will be.
The moment you grind your spices, they begin to lose their flavor. So while you can use any garam masala in this recipe, I'd recommend buying or making a mix with whole spices. Then toast and grind the spices fresh right before you make the curry.
How to Make Garam Masala Chicken Curry
After preparing your garam masala, you'll want to warm some ghee in a Dutch oven, and then toss in your chicken. Cook the chicken until it just turns opaque, and then stir in the onions. Cook them both together in the hot fat, and then toss in your spices.
Once the chicken is coated with spices, stir in some diced tomatoes and a can of coconut milk. Simmer it all together until the chicken becomes tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Serve the curry over fragrant jasmine rice. And then top it with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro for brightness.
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Mim says
I love this recipee and my family likes it too even the children under 5 years old. I am about to make it for a friend's birthday dinner, to save from going to the grocery store, can I use ginger paste instead of fresh ginger ?
Jenny says
Hi Mim!
You sure can use ginger paste in this curry. I’ll usually add 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon in absence of ginger root.
Jp says
Very good recipe - will try again with less spices. When I tried this recipe, I only used 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1 tbs of garam masala….. , (your recipe says to use 1 tablespoon turmeric,
2 tablespoons garam masala). I am familiar with Indian curry dishes. If you use so much spices, it becomes too over powering and not edible.
Maria says
I made this a week ago. It was delicious! I used chicken breast because I didn’t have thighs. I skipped the can of tomatoes because I didn’t have any. I used I can of coconut milk and added about 1/4 cup of almond milk to make it 2 cups of liquid. We served it with steamed vegetables and quinoa. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe.
Alexander W Gaddis says
Top 5 recipe of all time in any cuisine!
Tiffany says
This recipe was outstanding (and quick and easy). I will definitely make it again.
Brushjl says
Fantastic chicken curry. Wonderful flavors.
Tara Branham says
Made this today. Not only was it easy to make, it is delicious. I followed the recipe exactly but I added a finely chopped Serrano pepper with the onions because I like the heat. Thank you for a great recipe.
NANCY says
Huge hit in our home! I use bone in, skinless chicken thighs instead of cut up chicken. Easy to make and lots of left overs.
Marie Errington says
Lovely flavour. Appearance was less 'curry' looking than I expected.
But very good flavour.
Robb says
This is one of my favorite masala recipes! It's a rich flavor with very little heat (I always amp up the heat, though). I also prefer to replace the chicken thighs with breasts. I think the texture is better with chicken breast.
Shirley says
Excellent recipe! I used chicken thighs and added peas. Next time I will add other vegetables like potatoes, chopped cauliflowers and carrots. We served it over basmati rice, peas, plus some yoghurt, cilantro and and garlic naan. I highly recommend this recipe as a staple dish.
Randy Renaud says
this was awesome I loved it !! put a little more cayenne and should of added some yogurt so make it more creamy but over all it was an amazing meal 😋
Cooking Mom says
Wow! Over time I've become picky, and this was GOOD. I used about half the salt but used the rest of the spices in the amounts the recipe called for. I always add more veggies - so I put in some leftover bits and bobs, and dropped in a big chunk of frozen chopped spinach. Last, I didn't have ghee but I did have chicken fat skimmed off chicken stock I made a while ago, so I used that. The flavor was really great! The cayenne and turmeric added bite, and it didn't actually need more salt (I love salt). I don't love turmeric, and I wouldn't use any more than the recipe called for, but as it was - DE-LISH.
Halle says
What a great dish! Warm and inviting, this is perfect for company! Easy ~ comes together quickly. I used chicken breast as that's what I had on hand. The perfect blend of spices!
Katie Long says
I made this tonite, followed the recipe, except I had no coconut milk, so I used evaporated milk. It was delicious and for the tomatoes, I used cherry tomatoes. YUMMY
MD says
Uncomplicated, quick and delicious!
LM says
I’ve been using your recipe for years, it is SO DELICIOUS and one of my all time favorite recipes. The ingredients blend so well together and it’s perfectly seasoned. I’m eating a bowl right now!! Yum! It makes my belly so happy! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. ❤️
Nancy Raska says
This is an exceptional dish.
This is a "keeper" to make many times again.
Martha says
Great recipe! Took some of the mystery away and made it easy. I never had a dish like this until last year and have been so excited to try it. I substituted cooked and mashed sweet potato for the tomatoes and added cooked radishes for a “potato” addition. A local restaurant uses fried onions. I may try that next time.
Jack says
I followed the recipe and my family really liked it. We served it with buttered naan and it was delicious.
Amy says
The amounts for the garam masala and turmeric seemed too much but I followed the recipe anyway. It turned out seriously over spiced and with a grainy texture from all the spices. We had to discard the whole meal because it was so overpowering.
Nikhil says
Thank you for this recipe! It was so easy and came out great. I served it with some yogurt and cucumbers on the side.
Fari says
This came out perfect!
Reba says
This recipe was pretty good, but I think it needs to be a little hotter.
Sharon says
Rarely do I post a comment but I must say this recipe is delicious. We will be serving this more often.
Radhika sharma says
I am not someone who obsesses over indian food , ps I am indian myself , but I am obsessed with this recipe of yours, I tried it at diwali (its an indian festival ) and now my siblings want more of it. Honestly you have made my job difficult haha , but seriously , I am in love with this dish. Keep feeding us such delicious recipes .
James says
We really liked this one. But I subbed coconut oil for the ghee because I didn't have any.
Sala says
Loved This Recipe, thank you dear.
Elena says
Thank you for the recipes. It was nice.
James says
Perfect chicken curry.
Judd says
Very good, and easy to make, though I used pre-made garam masala (don´t shame me please) 🙂
Cassius says
I've made this recipe about 10 times over the last year. I often modify recipes to suit my tastes, but to be honest, I've found very little reason to do so in this recipe. I add more cayenne and occasionally chili powder for heat, but that's it. Amazing recipe. I recommend this to all my friends!
Margot says
I like this recipe very much.
Leah says
Awesome recipe. It came out perfect. I might kick up the heat a little more next time.
Jonn says
Lovely dish, very easy to make. I cooked in our Instapot using Saute (low) & added mushrooms to stretch it out a touch, plus clear out the fridge. Embellished as needed with pantry limitations & it still worked wonderfully. Served with rice & naan. The whole family loved it, will be making again soon!
Chris David says
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It's really awesome. Will surely try this.
Shiva says
We tried the Garam Masala Chicken Curry for the first time last night and the food was great and very tasty
MaheshS says
Wow, Very nice and healthy recipe, thanks for it. I doubled the recipe so that I could put it in the freezer, and we served it over cauliflower rice. The flavor is nice with a subtle heat. We used chicken breasts instead of thighs, and it came out fine.
Corey says
Delicious! I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand and added more veggies. Used chicken breasts. I would definitely make again. Thanks for sharing recipe!
Chris David says
I loved this recipe so much . It's really awesome
Cindy Wine Byrd says
Brilliant! Easy to prepare and such an amazing and rich flavour! Thank you SO much!
Linda says
This was phenomenal. I loved the garam masala blend, and it had such a good flavor combined with coconut milk.
Emily R says
I made this the other night, and the kids loved it. It was so good - not too hot - and just had a nice, gentle spice level. We used chicken breasts instead of thighs, and it came out fine.
Beck says
This was so easy to prepare and I am sure I will be making these for get togethers many times in the future. I will let you know how they came out and I plan on checking out a lot more of your recipes.
Sarah J. says
This was SO good. I doubled the recipe so that I could put it in the freezer, and we served it over cauliflower rice. The flavor is nice with a subtle heat.
Nancy says
I got garam masala from a spice store recently knowing I’d use it in a curry dish. This recipe was perfect. I added more cayenne because I love spicy AND hot. I also didn’t measure the tomatoes, just dumped in the entire drained can, it was probably close. If anything, a bit more ginger but that’s just me.
Anna says
Easy to make and super flavorful! The whole family loved it, and it was not too spicy to feed my toddler eaither. Make it! You won't be sorry.
lexee says
so simple and so good! my family loved it so much that i decided to make it for our game night with friends this weekend.
thank you for sharing!
Diana says
Delicious! Even my picky 4 year old tried it and loved it. She asked, "Can we eat this everyday?"
Amy says
Everyone — even the picky kids —loved it! A bit spicy for the 6yo.
As my first foray into Indian cuisine, it was a remarkable experience:)
I followed the recipe almost exactly.
I forgot to grab the coconut milk, so I used whole milk with a pinch of baking soda to prevent curdling.
Thanks!
CeCe says
Tried this recipe for the first time, and loved it. A finicky family member also loved it. I modified it a bit: added vegetables (peas, carrots, celery, cauliflower, one potato diced). I also added curry powder, turmeric and paprika. I pounded & marinated chicken breast in greek plain yogurt for a few hours ahead of cooking time to tenderize. This was so flavorful. We will be using this recipe on a regular basis. Thanks so much!!
Brian says
I don't have ghee or a dutch oven. I used butter instead of ghee, and a crockpot on high for 3.5 hours. It turned out great!
Michelle says
Hi, I’m from Singapore and this is the 2nd time I’m cooking an Indian dish and boy, we nailed the jackpot! I chanced upon this recipe because I bought basmati rice and wanted an Indian chicken curry using Garam masala (recently bought a pack of the spice). This was really easy to cook and tasted so yummy due to the rich spices flavour! I didn’t have cayenne so used chilli powder and added more of it to up the spice. Also added cauliflower to make this a more protein+veg dish. It was superb that my hub and sons ate more rice than usual to go with the yummy curry. I will cut down on the salt in future though but everything else was great! Thank you.
David says
I’m the dad in the kitchen in our house, and both my wife and kids said this is their favorite Indian curry. I recently made this into a stew by adding cauliflower, carrots, and potatoes.
Jeff says
Very good flavor maybe just add a teaspoon of ground cardamum and different chilies of your liking. This taste better than the Indian restaurant near my house
Sven Bråkenhielm says
Very tasty dish and simple to make, especially if you have prepared a garam masala mixture before. For Swedish taste it could have been less hot, but Indian is Indian and you have he option to reduce the chili.
Mary says
Divine! I used 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. Will definitely be making this again!
Cathy says
I am looking over this recipe,but don't see where the curry comes in? What am I missing?
Jenny says
Hi Cathy,
By using garam masala and other spices, you don't need to add curry powder. The dish is a curry.
Jason T says
curry powder is a mixture of spices. most of which are included in this recipe. curry as a food is defined as a variety of dishes originating in the Indian subcontinent that use a complex combination of spices or herbs, usually including ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and fresh or dried chilies
Belsebuub says
Great receipt, however one comment:
If you add the coconut milk too early, it easily boils and the milk curds. If you want the coconut milk to maintain the original texture it should be one of the final ingredients to add in the dish. The actual cooking should be done by adding a bit of water.
Nan says
Yummy! Best coconut curry sauce ever.
This is the first time I write reviews for a recipe even though I followed thousands of recipes online. I'm always lazy. I came across this recipe because I want to use up the 2 Ibs bag Garam Masala I bought from Costco. I tried a couple of Indian recipes online. They don't taste very good and only use 1-2 teaspoon garam masala each time. I also don't like that in most Indian recipes, you always need to mix up so many spices by yourself first. When I saw this recipe, I was hesitant to follow because it's recently posted and there were only 6 ratings. I finally decided to follow since it's the most simple Indian recipe with A LOT garam masala in it, LOL. It tastes so great! My husband and two boys finished all of them! Don't hesitate and try it!
Linda says
Hi. Tried this today and like it. However, I think I’ll cut back to a teaspoon of salt & eliminate the cayenne ( I have trouble with hotter spices). Just personal preferences. Will make again. Thanks for the recipes.
Ray Wang says
Wow this recipe was fantastic! I doubled everything except the coconut milk, onion, and salt and added some hunks of cream cheese as well (cooking keto).
Sabina Burek says
I had nice little old Indian ladies bring me curry they made at home for me to try and since than I was hooked. I made those "easy pre-packaged curries " the ones you add the meat and follow the instructions but nothing compares to the real thing. I looked online for a recipe and there was so many I finally picked this one and I'm so happy I did. It's so delicious! And easy to make. The only difference I made was adding 1/4 teaspoon of extra hot chilli powder I bought from the Indian market but other than that I stuck with it. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Courtney Rose says
I was sad to see this had been updated and altered so much - I loved the old recipe and referred back to it often. Would it be possible to please post the old version somewhere? My family loved the apple and I much preferred the old measurements which were so much simpler easier for the home cook (eg. 3 tomatoes instead of a cup of diced tomato).
I will try this one but the old version was such a firm family favourite it’s hard to go past it
Jenny says
Hi Courtney!
I think you'll really like this version if you try it. But you can find the original version on the wayback machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20180313132733/http://nourishedkitchen.com/garam-masala-chicken-curry.
Courtney says
Thank you so much! We will certainly try both ?? I often made the old one without chicken and just with mixed veggies as we eat mostly vegetarian.
Emma Stone says
Wow! Utterly delicious recipe!
Cam says
I LOVE curries and love cooking them too! I was a bit apprehensive about adding the apple. Could this be optional? Thanks for the recipe. Sundays dinner is organized!
cara says
Oh my, this was sooooo good. I purchased some garam masala recently and then went looking for recipes... I'm so glad I saw yours! This is one I'll make again and again.
Do you happen to know if it freezes well?
Cathy says
this sounds heavenly! going to try it alongside some (lightly) sweet coconut jasmine rice!
Lela says
I just arrived a couple of months ago and this is my first Ramadhan in US. I find it pretty hard to get all the elaborate cooking spices my mom would use in Malaysia for Indian and Malaysian style dishes. I'm glad I came across this simple recipe since I found some Garam Masala and Curry powder at a store nearby. We never use apples in curries but I gave it a try this time and it turned out pretty good! We usually use potatoes and I'll use that when I make it again just because curried potatoes hits my spot haha. My husband loved this dish. Thank you for the recipe!
Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow says
This looks delicious and it sounds like something I would actually make. It really does sound wonderful! 🙂
Jessica says
Made this last night before church. It was SO good. I bought a coconut at my Co-Op and made homemade coconut milk for the base. My two toddlers ate it up (I omitted the sweetener) and my hubby and I ate it with flatbread.
It was filling! Next time I'll add a tad more chicken and let it simmer and thicken even longer.
Thank you so much
Doreen Smyth says
Here I am in Northern Ireland and really enjoyed this recipe. Instead of the coconut sugar I added some mango chutney and also a tin of chick peas. second time I made it I added some fresh peaches. Yum.
Rebecca Bermudez says
So glad to see this recipe! I went to India last fall for my friends wedding and picked up a couple bags of a Garam Masala mix. Luckily, organic and whole spices (so they'll last longer!). But I didn't have a recipe and they've just been sitting waiting. This look delicious, as does the garam masala lentil soup recipe you've linked, planning on making this soon!
Alison D. says
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was delish! My husband loved it and so did my toddler! Success. I even used your garam masala blend because when I reached for my Penzeys bag, I found it empty. I didn't need the sugar (I used mild curry powder), and I added English peas to my basmati rice. Will make again!
Tiffany says
We made this last night and it was so yummy. The spices smelled so good while they were cooking. I made a comment to my husband that I am surprised we don't have the neighbors stopping by and asking if they can join us for dinner!
Alison D. says
I can't wait to make this! I had the same experience of garam masala being a revelation. I think it was Emeril's mulligatawny stew that introduced me to it. That stew's flavor is incredible but is a lot of work. I love that you made this simple and quick.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
This sounds absolutely delicious! My husband and my children do not care for curry dishes, but I love them. The answer, in our home, is that I make a huge pot for me and eat it for lunch each day while I feed them something else. I don't make a habit of doing this often, but curry is the one exception. Thank you for this recipe - I can't wait to try it!