Panang Chicken Curry - Carlsbad Cravings

Pantry Friendly 30 Minute Chicken Panang Curry This Chicken Panang Curry tastes better than your favorite restaurant at a fraction of the price with easy to find ingredients and on your table in less than 30 Minutes!  This Chicken Panang Curry Recipe is lusciously coconut creamy, bursting with layers of flavor, all made in one pot!  You will never need to order Panang Curry again! Servings Prep Time 6servings 18minutes Cook Time 12minutes Servings Prep Time 6servings 18minutes Cook Time 12minutes

Ingredients 1tablespoon coconut/olive oil 1-2tablespoons Panang curry paste(I use Mae Ploy brand)* 2pounds chicken breaststhinly sliced into 1/8” slices against the grain** 3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced 2teaspoons freshly grated ginger 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 14 oz. cans quality coconut milk(Chaokoh is my favorite) 1tablespoon cornstarch 1/4cup light brown sugar, packed 2tablespoons fish sauce 1tablespoon lime juice 1 bay leaf 1/4teaspoon dried thyme 1cup loosely packed basil leavesroughly chopped Garnish (optional)  fresh basil  fresh lime juice  Sriracha/ Asian hot chili sauce

Instructions Heat oil over medium high heat in large nonstick skillet. Add curry paste and saute for 1 minute. Add sliced chicken and cook just until chicken is no longer pink. Add ginger and garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cans coconut milk. Whisk cornstarch into remaining 1/2 can coconut milk then add to skillet. Stir in sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes then add red bell peppers and basil and simmer 2-3 minutes or until peppers are crisp tender. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with additional optional fresh basil, lime juice and Sriracha to taste. Serve with rice.

Recipe Notes

*2 tablespoons is medium-spicy – about a 4 spice level on the Thai 1-10 restaurant scale if using Mae Ploy brand.  I have found Mae Ploy to be a little spicier than other brands so it is possible that 2 tablespoons other brands might just be medium heat.   You can always use less Panang curry paste and add additional Sriracha/Asian hot chili sauce to taste at the end of cooking.  That being said, I found when I used 1 tablespoon Mae Ploy Panang Curry paste it was lacking flavor for my taste.
**Chicken is much easier to slice if partially frozen. It will thaw quickly once sliced.
***You can slice your chicken and red bell peppers in advance for even quicker meal meal prep.