Easy Rotisserie Chicken Curry: A Quick Weeknight Meal
Sneak Peek: Mild Chicken Curry is a simple weeknight dinner of mildly spiced tomato-y chicken curry made with leftover rotisserie chicken. It will remind you of Chicken Masala, but it is much easier.
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If you enjoy Indian food but don’t want a recipe that is too rich (no heavy cream) or too complicated, you’ll love this non-spicy version. This is my favorite Indian-like food to prepare at home.
I adapted this recipe from Cotton Country, a Jr. League cookbook from Decatur, Alabama. I know. It’s an unlikely place to pick up a curry recipe. Consequently, I’m not making any claims about the authenticity of this recipe.
This recipe is one of the most straightforward chicken curry recipes I’ve ever found. It tastes like a simple Chicken Masala to me.
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Ingredients and substitutions:
- Coconut oil: If you don’t have coconut oil, substitute vegetable oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or olive oil.
- Onion: Use yellow onions, white onions, or frozen chopped onions.
- Celery: I don’t know of a good substitute for celery. Fortunately, it stays fresh for weeks, especially when wrapped in aluminum foil.
- Garlic: You will get the freshest garlic flavor with fresh garlic cloves. However, the chopped garlic sold in a bottle or jar will suffice.
- Curry Powder: Did you know that curry powder is a mixture of spices in the same way that chili powder is a mixture of spices? That means that every brand uses a different formulation.
Curry powder may contain coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, mustard, and black pepper, among other things. You can even make it yourself with this homemade curry powder recipe. - Garam Masala: I’m guessing this might be the only ingredient you don’t have in your kitchen. It’s an aromatic Indian spice mixture good for many things. At our house, we especially like Garam Masala spice in rice. It’s readily available in most supermarkets, but you can mix some up for yourself if you want.
- Flour: Use either bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Chicken Broth or Stock: If you don’t have any homemade or store-bought canned broth, use a chicken-flavored bouillon cube or paste combined with hot water.
- Tomato Juice: V-8 is a good substitute. Or, make tomato juice with tomato paste: 1 can of tomato paste + 4 cans of water. Whisk well.
- Worcestershire sauce: A dash of Worcestershire adds umami flavor.
- Sriracha sauce: Some people call this rooster sauce. Leave this out if you don’t like spicy food.
- Leftover cooked chicken: Although you could use cooked chicken pieces, I prefer diced rotisserie chicken. It’s easier to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mild Chicken Curry:
I always keep this mildly spicy and saucy chicken in my freezer. It is one of my favorite comfort foods after a long day of work on a cold winter night.
If you want comfort food, try this Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup. If you also have leftover potato chips, make this Easy Potato Chip and Chicken Casserole with Cheese. Want some Tex-Mex? Check out these Simple Baked Flautas with Chicken and Spinach.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and find it helpful when you don’t want to cook fancy. Serve over Basmati rice and add a vegetable or green salad for a balanced and relatively healthy meal. Serve Naan bread on the side to take this dish over the top.
More chicken recipes:
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Easy Rotisserie Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil - or vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato juice or V-8
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Couple shakes of Sriracha sauce - Leave this out if you don’t like spicy.
- 4 cups cooked chicken - diced (I use rotisserie chicken)
Instructions
- Melt oil in a large skillet or shallow saucepan. Add onion and celery to the pan and saute vegetables until soft but not brown.
- Add garlic, curry powder, and Garam Masala and saute one more minute.
- Sprinkle flour over softened vegetables and distribute evenly.
- Whisk broth and tomato juice or V-8 into veggies. Season with Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Add chicken and heat until warm throughout.
- Serve immediately over Jasmine or Basmatic cooked rice.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.