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Curry came to Vietnam a long time ago, and while it’s a little less well known than its Thai cousins, it’s no less delicious and super easy to make. There might be nothing in the world better than traditional Vietnamese chicken curry served with a giant pile of fresh, warm, and pillowy-soft Vietnamese baguettes.

Cooking Notes
Leaving the chicken out while you marinate it lets it come to temperature for more even cooking. If the idea of this makes you squeamish, you can marinate in the fridge, but then you’ll need to add additional cooking time.

You can add any kind of vegetables to this in addition to the potatoes. Tradtionally we go with carrots. The optional powders are just if you have these items in your pantry. The chili powder we use is Indian red chili powder, which is very very spicy.

Because this is dinner & chill, we leave out the lemongrass because it’s not too common at the average grocery store, but if you come across some while shopping, pick a stalk or two up, slice into 2” long lengths, and add it to the broth.

What do you need?
Just a pot.

How do you serve it?
Serve with rice or baguettes to dip. Bonus points if you can find fresh Vietnamese baguettes from a local Vietnamese deli. It’s also traditional to serve this with pho noodles, in which case you should double the chicken broth and seasoning to make enough for two bowls.

Vietnamese Curry Chicken Recipe

Serves 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

• 2.2 lbs chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp curry powder
• 1 lb potatoes + other root vegetables of choice, cubed
• 1 shallot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 5.6oz (165ml) coconut milk (the small can)

Optional

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder

1. Marinate your chicken with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. If you’re using garlic and chili powder, add one teaspoon of each as well. Let sit on the countertop while you to prep the vegetables or for as long as 2 hours.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan or saute pan over medium high, heat up 1 tablespoon of oil and brown your chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and remaining garlic and fry for a minute or two. Stir in the vegetables, the remaining curry powder, and the remaining chili and garlic powder, if using. Fry for a few minutes more.

4. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the chicken, bay leaves, and enough chicken stock to just halfway cover the chicken (about 1 cup, but it depends on the size of the pot you use). Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Add the coconut milk and simmer, partially covered, for another 15 minutes, then adjust seasoning and serve.

curry