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Chicken Massaman Curry is one of the most delicious, savory Thai curry dishes. With chicken and potatoes cooked into a sweet, slightly spicy sauce, it’s a flavor explosion!
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What is Massaman Curry?
Chicken Massaman Curry is one of my favorite dishes! It is a mild, savory, and slightly sweet curry with the fragrant spice undertones of cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. It typically isn’t a spicy curry, but like most curries, it is easy to adjust the spice level.
The name itself can be spelled a few different ways: Massaman, Masuman, Masumun, Matsaman. No matter how you spell it, the delicious Thai dish tastes the same. I came up with my own version of this tasty Thai cuisine after a girls’ night to our favorite restaurant. My husband helped himself to my leftovers and was hooked. Making your own curry is easy, fun, and rewarding as well as economical.
How to Make Massaman Curry
1. Start with the right Massaman Curry Paste. Massaman Curry Paste is the key to making this recipe successful, it’s the one thing you really don’t want to leave out. Don’t substitute for another curry paste like yellow curry or red curry paste . Using store-bought curry paste is so much easier than trying to make your own paste from scratch. Curry paste is very thick and similar to the consistency of tomato paste. It is quite fragrant and will fill up the room with a strong, yet delicious smelling aroma. Don’t worry, once you stir in the coconut milk, it will mellow out.
You can find Massaman curry paste at most Asian Markets and even at many specialty grocery stores. We use the Maesri brand because it is what’s available at the Asian Market closest to us, but I know there are other brands available. You can’t really go wrong. The kind we use is usually in a small, yellow 4 ounce. can (pictured). It can also sometimes be found in lidded plastic or paper containers, glass jars, or vacuum-sealed packages. You can also find it on Amazon, using the link above.
2. Heat vegetable oil in an extra large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in curry paste; cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes. This is strong, make sure your windows are open and a fan is blowing.
3. Add 1 can coconut milk (shake well and open from the bottom of the can) and stir until well blended. Add ginger, cilantro, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil.
4. Add thinly sliced onion and thinly sliced chicken. A tip here is to use slightly frozen chicken to get really thin slices. Reduce to a simmer. When chicken is white and cooked through (about 5 min or so) add another can of coconut milk and bring back to a boil.
5. Add remaining ingredients (except for the rice) and stir until everything is well mixed. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are no longer crunchy in the middle. See our tip in the recipe notes for pre-cooking the potatoes. Serve hot over Jasmine rice and garnish with extra cilantro and/or limes if desired.
Tips For Making Chicken Massaman Curry
Boil potatoes ahead. It’s not a bad idea to boil your potatoes for three-four minutes before adding them to your curry. This is a great trick for when you are in a hurry and just trying to get dinner on the table and don’t want to wait for the potatoes to soften in the curry sauce.
Soften vegetables in the sauce. If you are adding extra vegetables, allow the vegetables to soften in the sauce for optimal flavor. If you are in a hurry, stir-fry the veggies until tender before adding to the sauce.
Shake the coconut milk really well before opening. If not, it can come out in one big clump. You can also avoid this by opening the coconut milk can from the bottom.
Adjust spiciness to your preference. Make it as spicy or as mild as you would like! Add sriracha while cooking, or serve it on the side if people prefer different spice levels.
Use soy sauce. Instead of adding salt (if needed), try adding soy sauce. It gives you the salty flavor while also deepening the overall flavor of the dish.
Don’t forget the limes! Adding a squeeze of fresh lime right before serving ties all those delicious flavors together. This gives it a little extra boost over other Massaman curry recipes I have had.
Frequently Asked Questions
Massaman curry is very sweet due to the coconut milk and nutty due to the peanut butter. If you like sweeter curries, then you will love this one!
Massaman curry is mild, sweet, and full of Indian spices like cinnamon and cardamom.
The best rice to use with any curry is Jasmine rice. It is a long-grain, dry rice that goes well with every Thai dish. It is more fragrant than most varieties, which is why it is also known as “aromatic rice”. Brown Jasmine rice can also be used. Basmati rice is a common substitute for Jasmine rice as well. If you can’t find any of these varieties, you can just use a simple, long-grain, white rice.
Yes! This chicken massaman curry recipe freezes beautifully. Just make sure to freeze it on its own without rice (the rice won’t freeze as well and will just absorb all the sauce). Just put the curry into a freezer safe container or Ziplock baggie and keep it in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator then heat on the stove in a frying pan.
According to National Geographic, Massaman curry dates back as far as the 16th century when chillies were first introduced to Thai cooking from the Americas through Portuguese traders.
More Delicious Curry Recipes
No need to reach for the takeout menus, just try one of these flavorful recipes and enjoy a good curry right in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Chicken Massaman Curry
Video
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Massaman curry paste (see notes above)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cans (14 oz each) unsweetened coconut milk, full fat
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 onion
- 1 pound chicken
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- sriracha sauce to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
- jasmine rice (cooked)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in an extra large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in curry paste; cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes. This is strong, make sure your windows are open and a fan is blowing.
- Add 1 can coconut milk and stir until well blended. Add ginger, cilantro, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil.
- Thinly slice the onion and chicken, then add them to the sauce. Reduce to a simmer. When chicken is white and cooked through (about 5 min or so) add another can of coconut milk and bring back to a boil.
- Peel and dice potatoes Peel and slice carrots. Add the potatoes, carrots, and remaining ingredients (except for the rice) and stir until everything is well mixed. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are no longer crunchy in the middle. Serve hot over Jasmine rice and garnish with extra cilantro and/or limes if desired.
Notes
- It’s not a bad idea to boil your potatoes for three-four minutes before adding them to your curry. This is a great trick for when you are in a hurry and just trying to get dinner on the table and don’t want to wait for the potatoes to soften in the curry sauce.
- If you are adding extra vegetables, allow the vegetables to soften in the sauce for optimal flavor. If you are in a hurry, stir-fry the veggies until tender before adding to the sauce.
- Shake the coconut milk really well before opening so it doesn’t come out in one big clump. You can also avoid this by opening the coconut milk can from the bottom.
- Make it as spicy or as mild as you would like! Add sriracha while cooking, or serve it on the side if people prefer different spice levels.
- Instead of adding salt (if needed), try adding soy sauce. It gives you the salty flavor while also deepening the overall flavor of the dish.
- Don’t forget the limes! Adding a squeeze of fresh lime right before serving ties all those delicious flavors together.
Hi, Can you leave out the Fish Sauce or is it 100% nessecary?
You can leave it out if you don’t like fish sauce. It adds a salty, tangy flavor that some may not prefer. Totally up to you!
Made this for a load of friends, got 5-star reviews all round!
Hi Michael- That is awesome! So glad your friends loved it! Thanks for the 5-stars!
I can’t wait to try this recipe:). Can I use lite coconut milk?
Yes, you can, it just won’t be quite as thick and creamy. Hope this helps!
Omg so so so good. I omitted Sriracha/red pepper flakes and subbed some of the potatoes for butternut squash and sweet potatoes. This will definitely have me ordering curry from Amazon regularly!
We are so glad you liked it! Thank you for the 5-star review!
This is my favorite dish at a local Thai restaurant and it tasted just like it. It was amazing. Has anyone tried to keeping it warm in a slow cooker for a couple of hours? We are having company and I want to make it again.
I don’t see why there would be any problem keeping it warm in a slow cooker for a couple hours. You should be totally fine! Hope this helps!
This recipe is amazing and easy. I was able to order the curry on Amazon and had all the other ingredients. This is better than the local Thai restaurant. I’m planning on making it for our annual ice fishing event in a couple of weeks, bet there will be nothing left!!
Thanks so much for sharing this.
This would be perfect for an ice fishing festival! Should keep everyone nice and warm 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! So happy to hear you liked it so much!
One of the only dishes I’ll eat from our local thai restaurant is massaman curry. I love the balance of heat and sweetness. It has gotten expensive to eat out so I decided to find a recipe. My husband is usually the cook so to be able to do this on my own was awesome. Super easy to follow recipe. I made some tweaks based on my own likes such as using olive oil instead of vegetable oil and adding snap peas and pineapples. I chopped the peanuts peanuts. I also added 1 small can of unsweetened coconut cream as someone else recommended. Seriously an awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Wow thank you so much for sharing! Massaman is one of my go-to menu choices when I go Thai. You almost can’t go wrong no matter where you go. So glad you found our recipe and that it was a success!
After eating at our favorite Thai restaurant the other day, my family agreed, we will stay home next time and make this recipe. They love it so much better!! Thanks for sharing, It’s delish.
Wow! That is quite a compliment! Thank you so much! 🙂
YUM!
I didn’t have any fish sauce on hand and it still came out awesome. Also added some extra veggies we had to use when we put the potatoes etc in. Everyone loved it ages 5-45.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for the 5-star rating! We are so glad you loved it!
My husband’s words after his 1st bowl “Wow! You’ve mastered this dish on your 1st attempt!” This is 1 of our favorite Thai dishes & now we’ll be having it more often. I actually made it in the instant pot.
On SAUTE mode in Instant Pot, I added ginger, garlic, curry paste and chicken and sauted for 30-45 seconds. Added carrots, onions, sweet potatoes and coconut milk, stir well till the curry starts bubbling. Then I cooked on manual for 10 minutes. Perfection!
I am so glad you loved it!! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!
Does anyone know how to get that thick coconut milk like in the video? All the coconut milk that I bought isn’t thick like in the video.
The coconut milk that comes in cans is thicker. You can usually find it by the Asian foods in your grocery store.
I’m very excited to try making this recipe. I had massaman curry for the first time a few weeks ago and have been craving it ever since.
I’m curious, roughly go much siracha sauce and red pepper flakes do you use? I don’t want to mess it up lol
It really depends on how much spice you like/can handle. I would start out just adding a little bit at a time and taste-testing it until you find the right spice level. Hope this helps!
I didn’t add any sriracha or red pepper flakes. I don’t find that it needed it..
This was AMAZING!! Great recipe, balanced flavors. I add a bit more ginger and cilantro b/c I love it, and I also added some green beans to this for some greens. Will keep in my files for future:) Thank you!!
Oooh sounds yummy!! We are so glad you liked it!!
This was gorgeous! Now cooked this many times and it always gets rave reviews from guests! I dont like fish sauce so use half the amount in the recipe but still tastes fab. Thanks so much.
Thank you for the 5 stars! We are so glad you like the recipe!
Could someone please tell me what kind of onion I’m suppose to use?
Sweet Vidalia, yellow, white, spring onions? There are so many different kinds and I don’t want to use the wrong one and ruin the dish. Thanks!
You can use any of the ones you have mentioned and it will turn out great! Typically we use yellow onions but any will do fine. Hope this helps!
This recipe is amazing, thanks so much for sharing. The peanut butter is a fab touch and gives the dish an extra depth, so yummy and super easy to make.
I’m so glad you like it, Jenny! Thank you for the 5-star rating!
First time making massaman curry. This was delicious. Will def make again. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
So glad you liked it!
I just found this recipe via Pinterest. I’ve made it twice, by request, in the last two weeks. Ohmyyummyness. This rivals any Massaman curry I’ve had in restaurants. Thank you!
So glad you like it!
I just made this a day ahead of when it will be served. Naturally I had to taste and I was not disappointed it was delish. I cannot wait to eat it
Tomorrow it will be even better
Good call! We like to double the recipe and freeze half because it reheats so well. 🙂
Excited to try this tomorrow, I am a little nervous because I bought a different brand, it was what was available. It is Mae Ploy. It is a big can, 2 lbs 3 oz. I am hoping to use the suggested measurement I saw in your comment of 4 oz or 1/2 cup. Have you ever tried/heard of that brand? Wish me luck.
I have heard of that brand but haven’t used a big can like that. You should be fine using the 4 oz measurement. Hope this helps!
Thank you sooooo much, I tried another massaman curry recipe and it was disgusting so in despair I went back to the interwebs and came across your recipe. I made it just as written and it came out absolutely delicious. It was better than the curry at my favorite thai spot. Thanks again I will be making this recipe a lot.
Your comment completely made my day 😀 Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let us know how you liked it! I am so glad you found a winner! I hope you will keep coming back for more recipes. We have lots of good Thai/Indian ones 🙂