Air Fryer Chicken Curry (Super Easy & Delicious!)
, Updated Sep 06, 2025
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Spice up your weeknight dinner with this easy and delicious air fryer chicken curry recipe. With minimal prep time and maximum flavor, you’ll never go back to traditional cooking methods again. All that AND it is ready in just 30 minutes! Serve with garlic naan bread for the ultimate curry night!
I am fascinated by the long way air fryers have come. When I first started using one all the way back in 2014(!) I would never have imagined how incredibly versatile they can be!
You can, of course, cook frozen fries and chicken fingers in an air fryer… but why rely on convenience foods when you can make this incredible chicken curry in just 30 minutes?
It’s so EASY to make and tastes absolutely amazing – proof positive that you can cook all types of recipes in your air fryer (have you checked my Easy Air Fryer Bakes cookbook btw?). I love it served with pilau rice, my easy yogurt flatbreads and some kachumber salad.
Air Fryer Chicken Curry Ingredients
I made this recipe in my Instant Vortex air fryer which has a tub with a removable rack. If your air fryer comes with a perforated basket, you will need to cook the curry in a cake barrel insert or any baking dish that fits comfortably in the basket of your air fryer model.
For the curry paste
- Red onions, roughly chopped.
- Garlic cloves and peeled fresh ginger.
- Lemon juice and chicken broth (or stock made using a cube or stockpot).
- Concentrated tomato paste (or tomato purée).
- The all important spices: garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne.
- Salt, pepper and a little brown sugar or Sukrin Gold sweetener.
For the curry
- Ghee (clarified butter) or unsalted butter: butter or ghee add richness to our curry and balance out the flavors but you could leave it out if preferred.
- Chicken: skinless and boneless chicken thighs, diced and trimmed off any fatty bits.
- Chickpeas from a can, drained and rinsed.
- Coconut milk or coconut cream (full fat).
- Chopped cilantro (coriander), red pepper flakes, sliced onion to serve.
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Curry
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Prepare the curry paste
- Place the onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, lemon juice, chicken broth, salt, sugar and spices in a food processor and blend to form a paste.
Make the curry
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 2 minutes then add tablespoon of ghee or butter directly in the air fryer basket or the cake barrel insert and heat until melted. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir the diced chicken thighs and broth into the curry paste and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cooking so that the chicken cooks evenly in the sauce.
- Add the coconut cream and chickpeas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Have a taste to check the seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with pilau rice, naan or flatbreads and the kachumber salad.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Store any leftover curry in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The flavors will intensify as the curry matures so it will taste EVEN BETTER when reheated.
- You can freeze the curry, in portions, for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
You will also enjoy…
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken
Side dishes
Easy Pilau Rice Recipe
Slow Cooker
Ground Beef Curry (Keema Matar)
HAVE YOU MADE MY AIR FRYER CHICKEN CURRY RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Air Fryer Chicken Curry
Video
Ingredients
For the curry paste
- 2 red onions
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 thump-sized piece fresh ginger , peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (purée)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or Sukrin Gold sweetener
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) chicken broth or stock
For the chicken curry
- ½ tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
- 2 pounds (900g) skinless chicken thighs, diced
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) chicken broth or stock
- 14 oz (400g) chickpeas, drained
- 14 oz (400g) coconut milk or coconut cream, full fat
- cilantro (coriander) chopped, to serve
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ red onion finely sliced, to serve (optional)
For the kachumber
- 4 tomatoes , seeded and diced
- ⅓ cucumber , seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 small red onion , finely diced
- 1 green jalapeno , seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- handful coriander eaves , chopped
- salt , to taste
Instructions
Prepare the curry paste
- Place the onions, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, lemon juice, chicken broth, salt, sugar and spices in a food processor and blend to form a paste.2 red onions, 5 garlic cloves, 1 thump-sized piece fresh ginger, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp brown sugar , 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ⅓ cup (80 ml) chicken broth
Make the curry
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 2 minutes then add tablespoon of ghee or butter directly in the air fryer basket or the cake barrel insert and heat until melted. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes.½ tbsp ghee
- Stir the diced chicken thighs and broth into the curry paste and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice so that the chicken cooks evenly in the sauce.2 pounds (900g) skinless chicken thighs, diced, ⅓ cup (80 ml) chicken broth
- Add the coconut cream and chickpeas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Have a taste to check the seasoning and adjust if needed.14 oz (400g) chickpeas, drained, 14 oz (400g) coconut milk
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Garnish the curry with chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes. Serve with pilau rice, naan or flatbreads and the kachumber salad.cilantro, pinch red pepper flakes, ½ red onion, 4 tomatoes, ⅓ cucumber, 1 small red onion, 1 green jalapeno, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp lime juice, handful coriander eaves, salt
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Never thought something so easy would taste so darned good!