Chicken Curry in a Hurry

A quick, tasty, and filling recipe for chicken curry.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 05, 2023
Elise Bauer
Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Elise Bauer

We first encountered "Chicken Curry in a Hurry" in Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times.

The concept is simple. You're looking for maximum flavor in minimal time.

We've made a few small changes to Mark's original recipe—cutting the chicken into easier to cook pieces, salting the chicken first to intensify its flavor, plumping the raisins, and doubling the amount of curry powder.

It's an easy curry dish, with lots of flavor, that can be made in about 30 minutes!

Recipe updated May 27, 2014

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings

The cutlets should be about 1/2-inch thick. If you are starting with full chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally, or pound them to 1/2-inch thickness with a meat hammer between two layers of wax paper.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets

  • Kosher salt

  • 3 teaspoons your favorite yellow curry powder or combination of curry spices (such as garam masala), divided

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)

  • 1/3 cup golden raisins, optional, placed in a bowl and covered with water to plump them

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup sour cream or a mixture of plain full-fat yogurt (or Greek yogurt) and whipping cream or sour cream

  • Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

  • Toasted slivered almonds, optional, for garnish

Method

  1. Cut the chicken cutlets and rub them with curry powder:

    Cut the chicken breast cutlets in half or into thirds or quarters to make smaller serving pieces (they'll cook more quickly too). Sprinkle them on both sides lightly with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon).

    Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, lightly rubbing the curry powder into the chicken on all sides.

    coat chicken cutlet pieces with curry powder
    Elise Bauer
  2. Sauté the onions, with raisins and curry powder:

    Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper while the onions are cooking.

    Drain the raisins from the water and add them to the onions.

    Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle the onions with the remaining 2 teaspoons of curry powder. Continue to cook for another minute or two.

    saute onions with curry powder
    Elise Bauer
  3. Sauté the chicken:

    Push the onions to one side of the skillet. Place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and just cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. (Bunch them together so they retain their heat.)

    saute chicken cutlets for chicken curry in a hurry
    Elise Bauer
  4. Add the sour cream or yogurt:

    Add the sour cream and/or yogurt mixture and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture has heated through. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water to thin it.

    If you are using yogurt, or low-fat sour cream, be careful not to let the mixture simmer or it may curdle!

    make sour cream onion curry sauce
    Elise Bauer

    Return the chicken to the skillet (and any juices from the plate the chicken has been resting on), turn over the pieces in the sauce. When all is heated through, it's ready to serve.

    coat chicken cutlets in sour cream sauce for chicken curry in a hurry
    Elise Bauer

    Garnish with cilantro and toasted slivered almonds and serve alone or over rice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
518 Calories
24g Fat
17g Carbs
57g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 518
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 179mg 60%
Sodium 227mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 57g
Vitamin C 7mg 33%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 770mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.