Low Carb Thai Red Curry

This low carb Thai red curry is made with chicken and delicious veggies! It can be made mild or spicy - you choose!

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I started low carbing in 2008 after seeing the success that my cousin Amy was having with it. And I've never looked back! Recently she restarted a low carb diet and of course I was happy to help - after all, if it hadn't been for her this site wouldn't exist! She asked if I had various different recipes, and most I could help with. But when she asked for a Thai red curry - I realized a gaping hole in my blog! Back in the UK I used to cook a lot more Thai food than I do in the US, probably because there was a Thai supermarket nearby.

So there are a few unusual ingredients in this recipe that you might not be familiar with, like fish sauce, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai basil. Where possible, I have given alternatives or suggestions of where to buy them. This one's for you, Ames!

Update: I have now made a Low Carb Thai Green Curry with Beef!

How to Make a Low Carb Thai Red Curry with Chicken

Start by adding some oil to a large saucepan or stock pot. Place over a medium heat and add some red Thai curry paste, garlic paste, and ginger paste. I suggest 2 tablespoons for a mild curry, and 3-4 tablespoons for spicy. You could also add a tablespoon of lemongrass at this point but I couldn't track any down so had to go without. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

Add some chicken broth (I love Kettle and Fire!), and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.

Next, add some unsweetened coconut milk, diced chicken, fish sauce, low carb sweetener (I use Lakanto), and kaffir lime leaves. Lime leaves can be found in Asian supermarkets and although dried is OK (and you can get them on Amazon!), fresh is even better. If you can't find any, add a tablespoon of lime juice instead. Stir to combine.

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced and starting to thicken.

Add some chopped red bell pepper and green beans, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Taste for seasoning and add more fish sauce or sweetener if necessary. Finally, add some fresh Thai basil leaves. Thai basil is a more aniseedy version of regular basil - I love it but it can be hard to find. In a pinch you could use regular basil.

Serve, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Try serving this curry with cauliflower rice or shirataki rice!

📖 Recipe

StepAwayFromTheCarbs.com

Low Carb Thai Red Curry with Chicken

4.75 from 4 votes

This low carb Thai red curry is made with chicken and delicious veggies! It can be made mild or spicy - you choose!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Net Carbs: 9

Calories: 432

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2-4 tbs Thai red curry paste see Notes
• 1 tbs garlic paste or minced garlic
• 1 tbs ginger paste
• 1 tbs lemongrass paste optional
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 14- oz can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
• 4 skinless chicken breasts diced
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs low carb sweetener eg Lakanto
• 6 kaffir lime leaves or 1 tbs lime juice
• 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced
• 6 oz fresh green beans cut into 1" long pieces
• 12 Thai basil leaves or 6 regular basil leaves roughly chopped
• Fresh cilantro to garnish

Equipment

• Dried Kaffir Lime Leaves, 0.5 Oz, Grown in California
• Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Red Curry Paste, 4 oz
• Lucky Brand Thai Fish Sauce 

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

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1. Start by adding the oil to a large saucepan or stock pot. Place over a medium heat and add the red Thai curry paste, garlic paste, ginger paste and lemongrass paste (if using). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
3. Next, add some unsweetened coconut milk, diced chicken, fish sauce, sweetener, and kaffir lime leaves. Stir to combine.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced and starting to thicken.
5. Add the red bell pepper and green beans, and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Taste for seasoning and add more fish sauce or sweetener if necessary. Finally, add some fresh Thai basil leaves.
7. Serve, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 432kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 39gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 1021mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gNet Carbs: 9g

Notes

I suggest 2 tablespoons of red Thai curry paste for a mild curry, and 3-4 tablespoons for a spicy dish.

9g net carbs per (large) serving of a quarter of the curry.

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Let us know how it was!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.