Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry

  • 10MINS
  • 1HR
  • Serves 4
  • 262KCAL

Don’t be fooled by how easy this curry is to make: the simple ingredients transform into a taste bud-tingling fakeaway. We’ve used one of our favourite slimming-friendly hacks to keep the calories down, switching tinned coconut milk for a coconut plant-based drink. With Madras curry powder and chilli powder in the sauce, this one is definitely on the spicy side, and perfect if you love a fiery heat.

  • Batch Cook pinchofnom.com
  • Dairy Free pinchofnom.com
  • Everyday Light pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry pinchofnom.com
5

NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories262
  • Carbs15g
  • Protein34g
  • Fat6.3g
  • Saturates2.3g
  • Sugars10g

The uncooked ingredients for Pinch of Nom's Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry are laid out on a worktop.

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!

There’s no shortage of heat in this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry, so if you like things fiery, this one’s for you! We’ve doubled up on spice by adding Madras curry powder and chilli powder to the pot, and rounded it all off with lip-smacking, aromatic ingredients, including the zest of two limes.

Instead of adding tinned coconut milk or thick creams to make our sauce silky smooth, we’ve used a coconut plant-based drink. It might sound strange but trust us, it really works! Stir it through with the rest of your ingredients until everything’s bubbling away and fragrant.

A gorgeous, taste bud-tingling curry dish, it’ll steal the show at the centre of any Thai-inspired fakeaway night spread. Serve it with a fluffy portion of basmati rice, or make it even more special with a selection of slimming-friendly side dishes (who fancies some Sweet Potato Pakoras?).

What diets is this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry suitable for?

To make this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry recipe suitable for vegan or vegetarian diets, replace the chicken with an alternative protein such as Quorn.

Don’t forget to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies!

Do you need any special ingredients to make Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry?

Garlic paste and ginger paste are really common ingredients at the supermarkets these days, and they make cooking aromatic dishes so much easier! You should be able to find them in the condiments aisle.

Mild Madras curry powder is usually found in the world foods aisle in most supermarkets. If it is not available, you could swap for any medium curry powder.

Hints & Tips

Below we added some of our communities most common hints and tips. We hope you find them useful.

WOW. So tasty, great amount of spice,
New favourite curry! Amazing, satisfyingly spicy, super flavour. Subtle taste of coconut. Will definitely be cooking again and again.

We love hearing from you, submit any tips or tricks you have for this dish and we’ll review them and add some of them here. Just click here.

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‘Lovely curry, spicy citrus kick! Lots of different flavours come through. Even licked the bowl clean! Fabulous’

Anna rowland

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If you can’t find Mild Madras curry powder, any medium curry powder will work.

Alpro coconut plant-based drink is ideal for this recipe.

How many calories are in this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry?

This Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry is included in our Everyday Light category because it contains just 262 calories per portion. For more delicious dishes all under 400 calories, take a look at other Everyday Light recipes!

This Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry recipe is ideal when following any of the larger diet plans such as Weight Watchers or counting calories.

The average woman needs around 2000kcal per day to maintain a healthy body weight, and men typically need slightly more at 2,500kcals, but you may want to reduce these if you are aiming to lose weight. You can find more information on the NHS website.

Step 1

Spray a large, deep frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes, until softened and golden brown.

Step 1 pinchofnom.com

Step 2

Add the green chilli, garlic paste, ginger paste, curry powder, chilli powder, salt, pepper and lime zest. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 2 pinchofnom.com

Step 3

Add the chicken, stir well and cook for 5-10 minutes to seal the chicken on all sides.

Step 3 pinchofnom.com

Step 4

Add the tomatoes, coconut drink, vinegar, sweetener or sugar and the lime juice. Stir well until completely mixed.

Step 4 pinchofnom.com

Step 5

Simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, and the sauce has reduced and thickened. The chicken should show no signs of pinkness and the juices should run clear.

Step 6

Sprinkle with a few coriander leaves (optional) and serve at once with a small portion of basmati rice or other accompaniment of your choice.

Step 6 pinchofnom.com

A close-up of Pinch of Nom's Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry with coriander sprinkled on top.

What could I serve with this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry?

This curry works really well with a fluffy portion of basmati rice (50g uncooked basmati will add approx. 173 calories, bringing your total meal to 435 calories). For a more indulgent fakeaway-style spread, these side dishes are perfect:

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How do you know when Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry is cooked?

You’ll need to cook this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry until the chicken shows no signs of pinkness, and the juices should run clear. This will take around 30-35 minutes of simmering, uncovered, with the rest of the curry ingredients. The sauce will eventually be reduced and thickened.

Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe! 

How long can you keep Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry in the fridge?

Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.

If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill.  You can keep leftovers of Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Can I freeze Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry?

Yes, you can! This curry can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;

  • Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough in individual portions.
  • Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.

Don’t forget to add a label that tells you the name of the recipe, and the date you’re freezing it.

How do I reheat Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry?

To reheat Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry from chilled, place your portion in a microwave-proof container with a loosely-fitting lid, and heat up for 4-7 minutes until piping hot. 

From frozen, allow to defrost thoroughly overnight, and then heat your portion covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Stir and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.

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Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry

With Madras curry powder and chilli powder in the sauce, this Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry is perfect if you love a fiery heat.
  • Prep Time
    10 MINS
  • Cook Time
    1 HR
  • KCals 262
  • Carbs 15G

Ingredients

  • 600 g diced chicken thighs
  • 2 medium onions peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 medium green chilli seeds left in and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp mild Madras curry powder
  • 1 tbsp mild chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • zest of 2 limes finely grated
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 ml coconut plant-based drink
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white granulated sweetener or sugar
  • juice of 2 limes
  • low-calorie cooking spray
  • a few coriander leaves to garnish (optional)

large deep frying pan

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

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Instructions

  1. Spray a large, deep frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes, until softened and golden brown.
  2. Add the green chilli, garlic paste, ginger paste, curry powder, chilli powder, salt, pepper and lime zest. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the chicken, stir well and cook for 5-10 minutes to seal the chicken on all sides.
  4. Add the tomatoes, coconut drink, vinegar, sweetener or sugar and the lime juice. Stir well until completely mixed.
  5. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, and the sauce has reduced and thickened. The chicken should show no signs of pinkness and the juices should run clear.
  6. Sprinkle with a few coriander leaves (optional) and serve at once with a small portion of basmati rice or other accompaniment of your choice.

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Recipe notes

Tip: Mild Madras curry powder is usually found in the world foods aisle in most supermarkets. If it is not available, you could swap for any medium curry powder.

If you’ve made Spicy Coconut and Lime Chicken Curry and love it, let us know by sharing a photo and tagging us on Instagram or in our Facebook group!

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12 comments

See what others have to say

Louise BeaumontSunday 24th March 2024

If I use diced chicken breast for this, will I need to adjust cooking time ? Thanks.

Reply

    HollyMonday 25th March 2024

    Hey Louise, diced chicken breast and diced thigh would cook in the same amount of time. The chicken should show no signs of pinkness and the juices should run clear. Hope that helps!

    Reply

SarahThursday 29th February 2024

Could this be cooked in a slow cooker? Thanks

Reply

    HollyMonday 11th March 2024

    Hi Sarah, we haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker but have a look at our handy slow cooker conversion guide HERE, hope that helps!

    Reply

Fyone DuncanWednesday 28th February 2024

Which coconut based plant drink would you recommend. There are so many with varying calorie count

Reply

    HollyMonday 11th March 2024

    Hey Fyone, a coconut plant based drink in a carton like Alpro, Koko or most supermarkets have their own versions, hope that helps!

    Reply

CherylMonday 26th February 2024

Can you use coconut milk

Reply

    LisaMonday 4th March 2024

    Hi Cheryl
    Yes, you can use tinned coconut milk if you prefer. It’ll have a richer taste and you’ll need to adjust the calories, if they are important to you.

    Reply

Rachael IstedMonday 26th February 2024

Can this be done in the slow cooker?

Reply

    HollyMonday 11th March 2024

    Hey Rachael, we haven’t tested this recipe in the slow cooker but have a handy conversion guide HERE, which you may find helpful!

    Reply

TracySunday 25th February 2024

Does it have to be garlic & ginger paste or can I use fresh if so how much would I use, I live in Spain & can’t always get certain ingredients. TIA

Reply

    LisaMonday 26th February 2024

    Hi Tracy,
    Yes, you can use fresh garlic and ginger. I’d use 4 garlic cloves and a 4cm thumb of ginger. Enjoy

    Reply

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