Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Quick chicken curry with brandy, mango chutney, and a creamy sauce made in one skillet. A 30-minute weeknight dinner with bold, complex flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minA chicken curry that tastes like it simmered for hours but comes together in one skillet in about 30 minutes. Seared chicken breasts get finished in a creamy sauce built from curry powder, brandy, chicken broth, and mango chutney for a flavor that’s rich, sweet, and warmly spiced all at once.
Blooming the curry powder in the hot pan drippings for 30 seconds before the brandy goes in is what gives this sauce real depth. Raw curry powder tastes dusty and flat. Toasting it in fat wakes up the spices and makes them fragrant.
The brandy might ignite when it hits the hot pan, which is fine and actually burns off the raw alcohol taste. Just stand back and let the flame die out on its own. Once the flour goes in, the sauce thickens fast, so stir constantly and have your broth and cream ready to pour.
Kitchen Tips
- Sauté the chicken until golden but don’t overcook. It goes back in the sauce at the end, and overcooked breast gets dry and stringy.
- Use a good mango chutney with real fruit chunks. It adds sweetness and texture that sugar alone can’t replicate.
- Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan to soak up every bit of the sauce.
Variations
- Coconut curry: Replace the broth with coconut milk for a richer, Thai-leaning version.
- Spicy kick: Add a pinch of cayenne when you bloom the curry powder for more heat.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and sauté until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, transfer chicken to a plate.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon dripping.
Add curry powder to skillet and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add brandy and cook until almost evaporated, standing back in case brandy ignites.
Mix in flour. Add broth, cream and chutney and stir until smooth.
Increase heat and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce coats spoon lightly.
Return chicken and any collected juices to skillet.
Cook just until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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