Every country has its own curry — and Vietnamese Chicken Curry, or cà ri gà, has to be one of the best. It's a flavor-packed punch in the face. I love eating this with a delicate, crispy Vietnamese baguette, and ladling leftovers over rice. I can easily go several loaves of bread!
This is a popular recipe to serve at parties, but I was lucky to grow up eating it regularly. It's thinner than Thai or Japanese curries, with a subtle sweetness from the coconut oil. Whole, bone-in chicken adds richness of flavor. Tender carrots and potatoes round out the soup.
Jump to:
🐔 Ingredients
You will need:
- whole, bone-in chicken
- red potatoes
- carrots
- fish sauce
- shallot
- garlic
- salt
- pepper
- lemongrass
- Vietnamese curry powder (I like the Anh Hai brand)
- chili flakes
- water
- coconut milk
- neutral oil
See recipe card for quantities
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Cut the chicken into its separate parts: Thighs, legs, wings and breasts. Cut the individual parts into large chunks.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken with fish sauce, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, ground lemongrass and curry powder. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
Step 3: After marinating, sear the chicken in small batches on medium-high heat until lightly browned.
Step 4: Return all of the chicken to the pot and fill it with water until fully submerged. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Step 5: While the chicken cooks, peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into chunks similar to the size of the chicken.
Step 6: Deep fry the potato and carrot chunks until lightly browned. This is optional but will help the vegetables hold their shape
Step 7: Once the chicken is almost cooked to your desired tenderness (I prefer tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken), add the fried carrots and potatoes. Add more water to cover the ingredients if needed. Bring the heat up to boil, then lower it again to maintain a low boil.
Step 4: Once the potatoes and carrots have reached their desired doneness, add the coconut milk. Bring the heat up until the pot boils, then turn off the heat.
Step 7: Heat oil in a small pan. Add more curry powder and chile flakes to the oil and toast on medium-low heat until fragrant. Pour the curry oil over the pot of curry to give it color.
Hint: Don't toast the curry powder for too long, or else it will burn and become bitter. For the best texture, use a free-range chicken. At Asian or Vietnamese grocery stores, this may be labeled "Gà Đi Bộ," or walking chicken.
💭 Substitutions
- Chicken: You can use boneless chicken if you prefer, but you will need more oil to make up for the lack of natural chicken fat. I recommend thighs, as chicken breast may be too dry.
- Vietnamese Curry Powder: I've been told that a madras curry blend is a good substitute for Vietnamese curry powder. I have not tried this. Other brands that I have seen at Asian grocery stores that would be acceptable substitutes are Kim Tu Thap, Indian Chef, and S&B
- Potatoes: For a sweeter curry, you can use sweet potatoes instead of red potatoes. They'll need to cook longer. Use any other waxy, white potato. Don't use russet potatoes, as they won't hold their shape.
🍳 Equipment
For the curry, use a heavy-bottomed pot or a stock pot. A cleaver is needed to cut through the chicken bones.
👪 Serving suggestions and storage
Like many soups and stews, this dish tastes better the next day. If you have time, let it cool, store it in the fridge and heat it up the next day.
Vietnamese chicken curry is best served with fluffy French or Italian bread. You want something with a nice crust but still fluffy and soft on the inside. The best bread to use is a Vietnamese baguette. If you're lucky enough to live by a Vietnamese bakery, snag some for this dish!
I like to eat any leftovers over rice or vermicelli noodles.
Store this soup in its pot or an airtight container for up to five days. Reheat over the stove for the best results. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
✏️ Top tip
I recommend using bone-in chicken for this Vietnamese chicken curry. The bones will add some heft to the broth, and the skin will release a little fat that will color the broth beautifully.
Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Cà Ri Gà)
Equipment
- cleaver
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 3 lbs
- ½ lb red potatoes
- ½ lb carrots
- 4 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup minced lemongrass
- 3 tablespoon curry powder, divided
- 2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- water
- 13 ½ oz coconut milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into its separate parts: Thighs, legs, wings and breasts. Cut the individual parts into large chunks.
- After marinating, sear the chicken in small batches on medium-high heat until lightly browned.
- Return all of the chicken to the pot and fill it with water until fully submerged. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- While the chicken cooks, peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into chunks similar to the size of the chicken.
- Deep fry the potato and carrot chunks until lightly browned. This is optional but will help the vegetables hold their shape
- Once the chicken is almost cooked to your desired tenderness (I prefer tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken), add the fried carrots and potatoes.
- Add more water to cover the ingredients if needed. Bring the heat up to boil, then lower it again to maintain a low boil.
- Once the potatoes and carrots have reached their desired doneness, add the coconut milk. Bring the heat up until the pot boils, then turn off the heat.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a small pan. Add more curry powder and chile flakes to the oil and toast on medium-low heat until fragrant.
- Pour the curry oil over the pot of curry to give it color.
- Serve with Vietnamese baguettes, sliced French bread or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition facts are estimated based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Diane says
What’s the name of the Vietnamese curry powder you use? Do you have a picture of it?
Suzanne Nuyen says
Hi Diane! The brand I use is from Vietnam, but popular brands that are readily available in the U.S. are Marhaba, Sing Kung Corp, D & D Gold Product and Anco Indian Chef. You can find photos on google!
Faith md says
So truly delicious! Wish I could get my spouse and kids to eat it too!
Suzanne Nuyen says
I'm glad you enjoyed it Faith!
Amy says
I hate being one of those people that say they love the recipe then list all the ways they've changed it so I'll start off saying that this recipe is really yummy as per the recipe. For those that want to streamline the ingredient list ..I realised halfway into the recipe that I didn't have shallots or coconut milk. Still amazing!
Oh...I like to add coconut juice (not milk) in place of some of the water too.
Suzanne Nuyen says
I'm all for reasonable changes to recipes to fit your lifestyle and what you have in your kitchen! So glad you like the recipe 🙂
Rory Allstott says
I'd constantly want to be update on new posts on this web site, saved to my bookmarks!
Kim says
Great Vietnamese curry recipe! Didn't have chance to cook curry for couple years. Your recipe reminded me how to prepare it.
I made it with few modifications. I used Yukon Golden potatoes instead of red potatoes, didn't have lemon grass because it wasn't available, cooked with Mc Cormick Curry Powder. The curry dish came out very delicious; all guesses complimented and enjoyed it. Thank you for posting the recipe online.
Suzanne Nuyen says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! McCormick Curry Powder should work great. If you ever find yourself with lemongrass in stock I highly recommend trying it!
cate says
Can you please help with the searing step? How much oil and what kind? thank you!
Suzanne Nuyen says
Hi Cate! Use any oil with a high smoke point, like canola, vegetable or avocado. You can use as much as needed depending on the size of the pan you're using to sear the meat. A few tablespoons will do.
Anonymous says
How important is ammato powder to the success of this recipe?
Suzanne Nuyen says
Annatto powder isn’t used in this recipe.
Courtney says
I wish there were some comments about how the recipe turned out. I just went to a very small Vietnamese restaurant I had heard good things about. I didn’t realize that it was a James Beard winner!!!! I had this soup and it was AMAZING!!! Been crazing it ever since. Would love to try to make it myself. Just get nervous spending all the money on ingredients and not knowing if it will turn out.
Suzanne Nuyen says
Hi Courtney! There are some reviews from people who have made this dish on my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/354034685470612/posts/423687618505318/?d=n
Linda says
Hi there!
I just finished making this curry and it is the first Vietnamese curry that I've ever cooked. It is by far the best curry I have ever tasted in my 30 years on this earth, and to think that I use to wrinkle my nose at the sound of Vietnamese curry!
I followed the directions exactly with the exception of butchering my own chicken and removing all the bones (husband has a lifelong aversion to bone-in chicken), blooming the curry powder AND Vietnamese curry *paste* directly in the pot after frying the chicken and setting it aside. I then proceeded to deglaze the pot with the 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It is seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted in terms of curry, i don't think any curry can compare to the flavours of this. The curry is so complex, but at the same time savory and offering hints of freshness, preventing thrpalate fatigue that often goes hand in hand with heavy curries.
I also used D&D Gold Brand for the curry powder and paste, I feel that it is worth the hassle to get this specific curry powder to get the taste spot on. Thank you so much for posting this recipe Suzanne!
Suzanne Nuyen says
Thank you for trying my recipe Courtney! You described Vietnamese curry so lovingly. Even better than I could have explained myself!
Heidy L. McCallum says
I am so excited to try this recipe out. I have had Japanese Curry and LOVED it, but I was really looking for something special to make for my daughter in law. Terri loves Vietnamese Cuisine and I really want to surprise her. I hope she enjoys it. I'm kind of nervous! I will let you know how it comes out.
Sapana says
This curry looks amazing! Love how simple it is to make!
Veena Azmanov says
This is surely a comfort meal. I would surely enjoy it with my crusty loaf.
Whitney says
This looks great, thanks for the tips!
Sara says
This looks like a great meal for fall. I have never tried curry, but I think I would love it. We don't have any Indian restaurants around here and I have been looking for a few dishes to make at home.