Thai Green Curry Stir Fry with Chicken and Zucchini
If you’ve ever wanted to make Thai-inspired food at home but assumed it would be super complicated, this green curry stir fry with chicken and zucchini is a great place to start. It uses store-bought green curry paste, which keeps thing simple and adds a ton of flavor without making you buy a ton of…
If you’ve ever wanted to make Thai-inspired food at home but assumed it would be super complicated, this green curry stir fry with chicken and zucchini is a great place to start. It uses store-bought green curry paste, which keeps thing simple and adds a ton of flavor without making you buy a ton of ingredients. The zucchini and other veggies keep things fresh and light, and the chicken makes it hearty and protein-packed.
Pull Up a Chair
Rachel: This dish has all of the bold flavors I love in a really good Thai-style curry. Savory, a little spicy, fresh…It’s really hard to stop eating!
Emily: I really love this dish. It has the floral, herbal, and peppery flavors of green curry paste, mixed with creamy coconut milk and lots of veggies and chicken. It’s super well balanced.
Quick Recipe Snapshot
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
- Flavor: Balanced with savory, slightly spicy, herby, and subtly floral notes
- Time: About 45 minutes (including prep/chopping time)
- Main Ingredients: Chicken, veggies, coconut milk, green curry paste, fish sauce, bamboo shoots, Thai basil
- Best For: Weeknight dinners, meal prep, when-you-want-takeout nights
Why You’ll Love This Green Curry Stir Fry
- One-pan recipe. Everything gets cooked in the same skillet, making this recipe easy to make and easy to clean up.
- Big flavor, low effort. Using good quality store-bought curry paste is the key to getting tons of flavor without spending tons of time or energy.
- Beginner-friendly skill level. All you need is a little time to prep and then some simple sautéing and mixing.
- Fresh and comforting. Fresh ingredients like zucchini, peppers, onions, and Thai basil (optional) give this curry a bright flavor, and the coconut milk makes it creamy and comforting.
- Just spicy enough. This dish has just the right amount of heat without overpowering the other flavors.
- Tastes like takeout, but without having to leave home. Takeout is always good, but sometimes, you want the simplicity of a home cooked meal and the flavors of a restaurant, and this recipe gives you that.
Before You Start (Reduce Overwhelm)
Ingredients in Green Curry Stir Fry
- Chicken – chicken breasts work great, but you can also use thighs.
- Zucchini and other veggies – zucchini, bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), and onions. Note: in a lot of green curries, you’ll see eggplant instead of zucchini, but we like zucchini better and it’s often easier to find.
- Bamboo shoots – you can find canned bamboo shoots at most Asian stores or in the international aisle of large supermarkets.
- Coconut milk – use full fat for the richest flavor, creamiest texture, and the best way to balance spiciness.
- Green curry paste – typically contains green chilies, lemongrass, makrut lime, galangal, shallots, garlic, and salt.
- Fish sauce – for savory, umami flavor. It’s not as salty as regular table salt by volume, so you usually need more of it. Read more here about fish sauce and other Thai ingredients. Note: some brands may contain shellfish, so read the ingredients if you have an allergy.
- Thai basil – if you can’t find Thai basil, you can either leave it out or use regular Italian basil instead. Regular basil won’t give you the same anise-like flavor but will add fresh herby notes.
- Palm sugar (optional) – add palm sugar or granulated sugar for subtle sweetness and balance. Check out our papaya with palm sugar syrup recipe for more info about this sweetener.
- Cooked jasmine rice – you can cook it yourself or use frozen, reheated rice for ease.
A Note on Curry Paste
We use store-bought green curry paste to make things easier here. Our favorite brand is Mae Ploy (find it in Asian stores or get it on Amazon), but we also like Maesri or Aroy-D. We recommend looking in your area for an Asian market since they’re more likely to have authentic items made by Southeast Asian companies. Big grocery stores may have some ingredients from non-Asian companies (like Thai Kitchen, which is owned by McCormick), but these are sometimes more weak in flavor. If that’s all you can find, just use a bit more of the curry paste for this recipe. You can also make your own curry paste or enhance store-bought versions by adding a little garlic, shallots, lemongrass, and thinly sliced makrut leaves. Note: that some brands contain shrimp paste, so be sure to read the ingredients if you have an allergy.
How To Make It
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok set over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard any pan juices.
- Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the onion, zucchini, and bell pepper. Cook on medium for 10-12 minutes or until soft and toasted but not mushy. Return the chicken to the pan and add the bamboo shoots.
- In a separate container, whisk the coconut milk and green curry paste together until combined. Pour it into the pan, then mix in the fish sauce. Add the Thai basil, if using, and stir until fully combined.
- If your curry paste is super savory and peppery, you can add a little palm sugar (or granulated sugar) for balance. Mix the sugar with some of the curry liquid in a separate bowl and then toss it into the pan.
- Taste the curry for seasoning, and add more fish sauce (or salt), if desired. Serve with jasmine rice.
Our Tips for Best Green Curry Stir Fry at Home
Serving and Storage Ideas
We like to serve this green curry stir fry with jasmine rice and a little prik namplaa (a sauce made with fish sauce, Thai chilies, and usually a little lime juice) on top. If you want a side salad too, serve this with our 10-Minute Cucumber Avocado Salad or our Tropical Fruit Salad.
Store any leftover stir fry curry with chicken and zucchini in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days for best results. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQs: Green Curry Stir Fry
Thai Green Curry Stir Fry with Chicken and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 zucchini squash (medium sized) quartered and sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange) sliced into strips and strips cut in half
- 1 yellow onion quartered and sliced
- 8 oz bamboo shoots (1 small can) drained
- 2 cups fresh Thai basil or can sub with regular Italian basil
- 13.5 oz coconut milk (1 can) use full-fat
- 3 tbsp green curry paste Mae Ploy, Maesri, or Aroy-D recommended
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 to 2 tbsp fish sauce plus more if needed
- ½ tbsp palm sugar (optional) shaved into pieces with a sharp knife (or use granulated or brown sugar)
- Pinch of salt
- Cooked jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan or wok set over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard any pan juices.1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, 1 tbsp neutral oil, Pinch of salt
- Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the onion, zucchini, and bell pepper. Cook on medium for 10-12 minutes or until soft and toasted but not mushy. Return the chicken to the pan1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, 2 zucchini squash (medium sized), 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), 1 yellow onion, 1 tbsp neutral oil
- Add the bamboo shoots to the pan and mix with the rest of the ingredients.8 oz bamboo shoots (1 small can)
- In a separate container (you can use a bowl that you plan to serve the curry in later), whisk the coconut milk and green curry paste together until combined. Pour the coconut green curry mixture into the pan and mix in the fish sauce.13.5 oz coconut milk (1 can), 3 tbsp green curry paste, 1 to 2 tbsp fish sauce
- Add the Thai basil, if using, and stir until fully combined.2 cups fresh Thai basil
- If using, mix the palm sugar (or granulated, if that’s what you’ve got) with some of the curry liquid in a separate bowl and then mix it with the curry. Note: Some curry pastes are more savory and peppery than others, so we often add this for balance, depending on what brand of curry paste we’re using.½ tbsp palm sugar (optional)
- Taste the curry for seasoning, and add more fish sauce (or salt), if desired. Serve with jasmine rice.Cooked jasmine rice
Notes
- Cut the chicken and veggies evenly for more even cooking.
- Don’t cut the zucchini too thin or it’ll get mushy.
- Mix the curry paste with coconut milk before adding to the curry. Otherwise, it’ll clump in the curry.
- Add more coconut milk if it’s too spicy. It’ll balance out the spice.
- Add palm sugar (or granulated) if the curry tastes imbalanced. A touch of sugar will round out the flavors, but don’t overdo it.
- Add more curry paste if it’s too mild in flavor. More flavor often means more spice, so mix in more curry paste gradually.
- Taste before serving. Some curry pastes are saltier or less salty than others, so you may need more fish sauce (or salt).
Final Thoughts
This green curry stir fry shows that really good food doesn’t need to be super complicated. It’s fresh, comforting, and easy to make on a weeknight.
