Turmeric Chicken Curry (Paleo, Whole30, AIP) (2024)

Jump To Recipe // January 4, 2019 // 77 Comments »

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Thank you to Sprouts for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.

This turmeric chicken curry is flavorful, filling, and packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients! It’s paleo, whole30, and AIP compliant.

If you’re looking for a nourishing and warming dinner option, look no further than curry! It’s made with flavorful herbs and spices, dairy-free coconut milk, and can be fairly simple to make.

However, traditional curry can sometimes sneak in sugar, dairy, and almost always has nightshade spices. Though there’s nothing inherently wrong with nightshade spices for most people (read about why it may be an issue for some here), it’s still nice to mix it up with a different option. That’s why I made this turmeric chicken curry that’s nightshade free along with being paleo, whole30 and AIP!

I had planned to share this curry with a family member who was sick, but when I went to go get it on my way out the door to their house I discovered that my husband ate the rest of it! If my spice and dairy loving husband loved this curry, I knew it was a winner!

Every ingredient in this turmeric chicken curry was purchased at Sprouts, which is a storethat I really love shopping at! I rememberhaving a Sproutsfirst open near my parent’s house when I was still in high school, and it’s been a huge staple in my life ever since. Sprouts carries a myriadof organic produce, paleo & AIP approved pantry staples and more that really make eating healthy simple to help you start fresh in the New Year, and beyond! Here are just three of my favorite ingredients that I used in this recipe…

My Three Favorite Paleo Ingredients from Sprouts used in this recipe…

Turmeric Powder

I never let myself run out of turmeric! Turmeric is a powerhouse anti-inflammatory spice that’s nightshade free and has such an amazing color and flavor. I use it in soups, drinks, and more, and have found it to be one of my favorite staples while following a healing diet.

Coconut oil

Another great paleo staple, and one that I can’t be without! Coconut oil is amazing for higher heat cooking, baking and it’s perfect for recipes like curry.

Cece’s Cauliflower Rice

Don’t like the extra step of making your own cauliflower rice? I love buying pre-riced cauliflower rice like Cece’swhen I want a shortcut!

The rest of the ingredients in the curry…

Chicken breast

Boneless and skinless chicken breast is best for curry.

Onion & garlic

Coconut aminos

This is a soy sauce substitute that you can easily find at Sprouts!

Fresh ginger

Ginger is another anti-inflammatory spice that adds some more heat to the dish.

Coconut milk & cream

Traditional curry has coconut milk and yogurt, so coconut cream is the dairy free alternative to yogurt in this recipe.

Cilantro & Lime

Fresh cilantro and lime give a hint of freshness.

Print

Turmeric Chicken Curry (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

★★★★★5 from 27 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

For the cauliflower rice

  • 2 tbsp Sprouts Virgin Coconut Oil
  • 16 oz. (about 3 ¾ cups) Cece’s Veggie Co. Riced Cauliflower
  • ½ tsp sea salt

For the chicken curry

  • 2 tbsp Sprouts Virgin Coconut Oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1-inch ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup coconut cream
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • Juice of half a lime (reserve the other half to serve)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp Sprouts organic turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

For the cauliflower rice

  1. Using a large deep pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Add the cauliflower rice and lightly salt. Sauté for about 6-8 minutes or until tender. Set aside to serve with chicken curry.

For the chicken curry

  1. Using a large pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Add the diced onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the coconut oil in the pan.
  2. Add the chicken to the pan and lightly salt. Sauté until the internal temperature reads 165 F.
  3. Add the onion back to the pan along with the coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut aminos, lime juice, and seasonings to the pan (reserving the fresh cilantro) and stir. Simmer and stir for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the sauce the thicken.
  4. Season further to taste and top with fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with cauliflower rice and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Category: One pot meals
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 511
  • Fat: 38.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.8g
  • Fiber: 3.9g
  • Protein: 29.9g

Main Dishes One pan

posted by Michelle on January 4, 2019

77 Comments / Leave a Comment »

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77 comments on “Turmeric Chicken Curry (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)”

  1. Laura January 4, 2019 @ 8:15 pm Reply

    Wow this sounds amazing, I will definitely try this tomorrow 🙂 Do you think there is any chance that you add metric measurements as well? That would be so amazing! Keep up the great work and have a lovely weekend!

    • Michelle January 4, 2019 @ 8:42 pm Reply

      Thank you, Laura! I’ll look into if there are any plugins I can use for that 🙂

  2. Whitney January 4, 2019 @ 9:01 pm Reply

    This looks amazing! I will have to give it a try ????

    • Michelle January 17, 2019 @ 8:36 pm Reply

      Thank you, Whitney!

    • Candice December 5, 2019 @ 11:51 pm Reply

      So fast and easy and SO good! Such great flavour! I didn’t have coconut cream so I used coconut “yogurt”. Turned out perfect, will be a top recipe weekly, thank you!

  3. Cathy January 12, 2019 @ 3:36 am Reply

    I’ve made this twice now. LOVED IT
    After being advised by my Dr to do the AIP due to many health issues . So glad I found your sight, doing the salmon patties tonight .
    Thank you for making delicious recipes with normal ingredients can’t wait to try more.

    • Michelle January 17, 2019 @ 8:28 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Cathy!!! I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you for your comment and for the kind words!

  4. Lisa January 14, 2019 @ 10:09 pm Reply

    Getting ready to make this and realized I’m out of coconut aminos!! Is there something I can use other than tamari? Thanks!

    • Michelle January 17, 2019 @ 8:23 pm Reply

      Technically, you can try to leave it out or use fish sauce. The coconut aminos adds a lot of umami flavor though, so if you do it with that, I would recommend using it 🙂

  5. Amanda January 26, 2019 @ 1:45 am Reply

    I thought I had ginger and did not, also I forgot to add the black pepper… was still SUPER YUM! The fresh cilantro and lime juice really made it perfect!

    • Michelle February 11, 2019 @ 5:50 pm Reply

      Yay!! So happy you liked it!!!

  6. Heather February 2, 2019 @ 11:47 pm Reply

    Planning on making this for a friend with breast cancer. My question is would you recommend anything in storing overnight or reheating?

    • Michelle February 5, 2019 @ 7:34 pm Reply

      So sorry for your friend <3 It will store fine overnight in the fridge. I would just try reheating in a pan for a minute or two on low heat. Sending love!

  7. Gerard Wahlman February 9, 2019 @ 2:35 am Reply

    What do you do with the onions, etc. we reserved?

    • Michelle February 11, 2019 @ 5:32 pm Reply

      Thanks for checking that! Just updated 🙂

  8. Katy February 17, 2019 @ 1:57 am Reply

    This curry was amazing! My 1-year old clapped at the end of dinner. Thanks for a great recipe! My husband just got a Hashimoto’s diagnosis, so I’m working on changing out our meals. I’m so grateful to have resources like your blog to use for help!

    • Michelle February 18, 2019 @ 4:41 pm Reply

      Ahh, thank you so, so much Katy!!! I’m so happy you liked it!

  9. Christine April 15, 2019 @ 10:38 pm Reply

    Do you think this can be done in a slow cooker? The recipe sounds amazing!

    • Michelle April 18, 2019 @ 4:31 pm Reply

      I haven’t tried it, but it would likely work. Let me know if you do 🙂

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  13. Stephen September 11, 2019 @ 10:34 am Reply

    Another home run! Seriously, I have never had the unanimous love for meals that I get from cooking your food. Thank you Michelle! : >

    • Michelle September 15, 2019 @ 11:42 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Stephen!! So glad you like them!!!

  14. Kimberlee September 23, 2019 @ 10:41 pm Reply

    This is delicious! We loved it.

    • Michelle September 24, 2019 @ 7:17 pm Reply

      Thank you so much!!

  15. Karen October 22, 2019 @ 3:40 am Reply

    Made this tonight and excited to try it again tomorrow as leftovers (the flavors are usually better on day 2)!

    I made this in my Instant Pot, and I think I overdid it on cook time (the chicken was a little dry) and I need to get coconut cream to thicken the sauce (used some arrowroot flour instead). If I get the timing right next time, I’ll re-post!

    This was my first step in going paleo/AIP.

    Thanks!

    • Michelle October 22, 2019 @ 3:50 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Karen!!

  16. Tracey October 30, 2019 @ 2:33 pm Reply

    Made this last night and it was wonderful! Had to make substitutions due to lack of ingredients and had no problems. Used ground turkey (my chicken breasts were frozen) and didn’t have coconut cream so used canned unsweetened coconut milk for both coconut ingredients. Will definitely make this again!

    • Michelle October 31, 2019 @ 2:32 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Tracey!!!

  17. Jamie November 19, 2019 @ 4:10 am Reply

    Super yummy! I’m transitioning into AIP and this was only like my 3rd recipe so far. Loved it and so easy, especially during a flare when I don’t have the energy to cook something difficult and time consuming. I think I went a little too light on the ginger and lime juice. I’ll add a little more next time. 🙂

    • Michelle November 19, 2019 @ 6:14 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Jamie!!

  18. Mari January 5, 2020 @ 5:10 am Reply

    Ohhhhh Myyyy goodness!!! This was absolutely amazingly delicious!!! Thank you so much for creating this recipe!

  19. Jess January 6, 2020 @ 12:16 am Reply

    made this recipe for the first time tonight. I added a tablespoon of curry powder to the recipe and a tad bit of tapioca starch (because I didn’t have coconut cream) and it came out amazing!!!!!! My husband told me to save the recipe. we love it!!!

  20. Amy January 13, 2020 @ 3:53 am Reply

    I just made this and it’s abso-friggin-lutely delicious!! How do you think it would be if I added carrots, bamboo shoots, broccoli, etc??

    • Michelle January 13, 2020 @ 3:58 am Reply

      Those sound like good additions!! Thank you!

  21. Liz March 3, 2020 @ 3:43 am Reply

    This recipe was amazing! I’m on day two of AIP and my husband and three boys even gobbled this up. This was also my first attempt at making curry at home. So delicious. I couldn’t find coconut cream, instead I used two cans of coconut milk (the kind that has cream on top when you open the can). I’ll be making this again soon! Thank you so much for this recipe!

  22. Dina May 16, 2020 @ 2:46 am Reply

    Thank you so much for the recipe! Came out great 🙂

    • Michelle May 20, 2020 @ 4:04 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Dina!! 🙂

  23. Squills July 29, 2020 @ 3:32 am Reply

    Great recipe, so much flavour.
    I used fresh minced turmeric for the increased benefits, and just a pinch of powdered for colour. Added veggies. Will be making again

    • Unbound Wellness April 27, 2023 @ 6:38 pm Reply

      So glad you enjoyed!!

  24. Gabriella August 19, 2020 @ 3:31 pm Reply

    I started AIP 4 days ago and have been using all of your recipes!!! I made this last night and I was beyond nervous serving this to my family since my kids dont eat a single thing I ever cook (I’m 100% Italian and cook some pretty great meals) but they devoured this! My husband asked to put this on our rotation and was even disappointed that I didnt make a ton extra for him to take to work. Thank you for making my wellness journey an easy and pleasurable one!

    • Michelle August 20, 2020 @ 1:39 am Reply

      Yay! Thank you so much, Gabriella! 🙂

  25. Ligia October 5, 2020 @ 4:37 pm Reply

    Anyone try with crockpot or instant pot?

  26. Carmen November 5, 2020 @ 10:00 pm Reply

    Not a typical meal I would make but OMG!! Delicious!!!

  27. Janice Toms November 29, 2020 @ 8:50 am Reply

    Easy and very tasty.

  28. Melanie Kulig January 12, 2021 @ 11:27 pm Reply

    This was fantastic! My daughter who loves spicy Thai curry, when she saw it excitedly asked, “Is this curry?” I told her it was curry, but not the spicy curry she was expecting. She made a sad face. After tasting it she responded, “This is good!” DH also said said it was good! This is definitely going on a regular rotation! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  29. Jenn January 31, 2021 @ 7:14 pm Reply

    One of our favorite AIP meals! So delicious and pretty easy to put together too.

  30. Shannon April 3, 2021 @ 10:24 pm Reply

    This was amazing!!! I added more ginger and turmeric than written but otherwise recipe as written. I loved it.

  31. Mikayla June 1, 2021 @ 12:14 am Reply

    I cant keep telling people about this recipe! I was a bit nervous about this one but I couldn’t believe how good it was, I wish I made more!! But I added it to my meal plan for this week!!

    • Unbound Wellness June 3, 2021 @ 5:25 pm Reply

      So happy to hear that!!

  32. Zoe Royston June 6, 2021 @ 5:34 pm Reply

    This was wonderful. Added some mushrooms .

  33. Janet Rice January 31, 2022 @ 2:22 pm Reply

    This is surprisingly good. I used a whole chicken. May just use thighs next time. I forgot to buy coconut cream, but it didn’t seem to suffer

    • Unbound Wellness February 16, 2022 @ 6:54 pm Reply

      So glad you enjoyed it!!

  34. Brandie March 7, 2022 @ 1:57 am Reply

    Seriously SO good!!!! The lime and cilantro really make this dish. It might be one of the only AIP recipes I could serve my family without grumbling and weird faces. Thank you!

    • Unbound Wellness March 11, 2022 @ 3:40 pm Reply

      Aww, so glad!!

  35. Valerie Carlson March 8, 2022 @ 2:24 am Reply

    This was so easy and delicious! Thank you!

    • Unbound Wellness March 11, 2022 @ 3:39 pm Reply

      thank you!!

  36. Julie March 20, 2022 @ 11:14 pm Reply

    Love this! Better than take out! Sauce is rich and complex

    • Unbound Wellness April 14, 2022 @ 5:00 pm Reply

      yay, so glad you loved it!

  37. Elisa July 6, 2022 @ 2:27 am Reply

    That sauce is SO good! Loved this dish, the flavors are out of this world. My husband doesn’t eat meat, so I plan on making him a tofu version next time. Thanks for another great recipe.

    • Unbound Wellness July 18, 2022 @ 6:24 pm Reply

      So glad you enjoyed!!

  38. Scarlett July 17, 2022 @ 1:06 am Reply

    I’m trying some new cooking ideas that hopefully will be more healthy for my husband following his heart attack. Paleo, anti-inflammatory recipes, dairy-free, low salt, etc all appear to be good choices. I got to these recipes by searching for authentic Hungarian Goulash which he loves. Do you have a recipe for Chicken Jalfrezi?

    • Unbound Wellness July 18, 2022 @ 6:28 pm Reply

      I don’t have one now, but do have a recipe for Chicken Paprikash to try!

  39. Suzi August 17, 2022 @ 7:23 pm Reply

    This looks really good! I look forward to trying it. Question…. Would you mind sharing the brand of coconut milk you use? I have tried a couple in the past. One was good, but didn’t write down the name – ugh, and the next one I bought tasted so bad I had to throw it out!

    I think half the battle of any diet is finding quality ingredients that taste good. Just because it says “gluten free” or whatever, doesn’t mean it will be tasty. :o)

    Thank you!

    • Unbound Wellness August 22, 2022 @ 3:53 pm Reply

      I like Native Forest Simple Organic Coconut Milk! You can find it here: https://amzn.to/3xIA4yK

  40. Leigh December 19, 2022 @ 8:25 pm Reply

    Delicious!! I am so glad I found this recipe. It can be hard eating AIP when you feel like your food can’t also be good tasting. This was amazingly flavorful. I made my own homemade cauliflower rice and everything went so well together. I also ate some sugar snap peas with it. Plenty of lime and cilantro really enhanced the flavor profile. Thank you for this recipe.

    • Unbound Wellness January 3, 2023 @ 6:52 pm Reply

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!

  41. Jamee January 23, 2023 @ 11:35 pm Reply

    Fantastic recipe! I wouldn’t add a single thing to make it better. Thank you!!

    • Unbound Wellness January 25, 2023 @ 6:33 pm Reply

      Thank you so much!!

  42. Barb April 13, 2023 @ 1:08 am Reply

    This was incredible!! I swapped the coconut cream with unsweetened coconut yogurt and it was just so creamy and flavorful. I will make this regularly!!

    • Unbound Wellness April 27, 2023 @ 5:27 pm Reply

      Ahh, so glad!!

  43. Renee Ellis April 26, 2023 @ 12:25 pm Reply

    First ever AIP meal ever as I’ve just started prepping for this diet and OMG this was delicious and I have no doubt this will become a staple. It has given me confidence that I can still enjoy yummy food. Thank you for sharing these amazing meals

    • Unbound Wellness April 27, 2023 @ 5:21 pm Reply

      So glad! Thank you so much!!

  44. Josianne October 15, 2023 @ 12:01 am Reply

    Made this tonight. Should have taken a photo but was too busy chowing down. Really delicious and relatively easy. Will be going on my rotation.

    Do you have other Indian dishes that you’ve made over to be allergen-friendly? I’m going to go looking among your database. There’s sure to be something delicious there!

  45. Simone February 3, 2024 @ 12:11 am Reply

    My kiddo picked this recipe for dinner, most likely because of the beautiful yellow pics. I’m not a big curry fan and didn’t have high hopes, but this is awesome! And so easy! I used 1 cup of full fat coconut milk because I didn’t have coconut cream. Was maybe a tad salty for us, but that is easily adjusted. Will definitely make again! Thank you!

Turmeric Chicken Curry (Paleo, Whole30, AIP) (2024)

FAQs

Is turmeric allowed on the AIP diet? ›

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a completely natural healing spice. You'll find more this article about how it can be helpful in arthritis management, skin conditions, and more. They're nut free, grain free, and totally AIP and paleo.

Is red curry whole 30 compliant? ›

Coconut red curry soup might be your new favorite weeknight dinner. Not only is it Whole30, dairy-free, and full of veggies, it's also absolutely delicious. Red curry paste is such a powerful secret ingredient.

Does curry have nightshades? ›

I love curry dishes, but curry powder typically contains chili peppers (a nightshade vegetable).

Does turmeric go in curry? ›

Turmeric is also found in curry powder. Curry powders are made with a variety of bright yellow spices including, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili pepper, and curry leaves. If adding spice to food isn't for you, you can find turmeric and curcumin supplements.

Why is cumin not allowed on AIP? ›

Since cumin is derived from seeds, it is not included in AIP before a reintroduction period (for more information about the science behind this guideline, see my post The WHYs Behind the Autoimmune Protocol: Nuts and Seeds).

Is Indian food Whole30 compliant? ›

Back to Why Indian Food is so Whole30 friendly.

Fats – For those of you who don't know, ghee or clarified butter comes from India! Obviously, I was thrilled that ghee was Whole30 compatible. Other Whole30 cooking fats that are common in Indian cuisine are coconut oil and coconut milk.

How do Thai restaurants make curry so creamy? ›

Often, Thai curries are made using coconut milk as the main liquid, which results in a creamy consistency. You can use as much or as little coconut milk as you wish based on your preference for texture, spice, and flavor.

Can you have acai bowls on Whole30? ›

Acai bowls are a refreshing and delicious option for both Whole30 and non-Whole30 eaters. Packed with superfoods and super flavor, these bowls are great for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. Try a new twist on an old favorite by getting PB&J acai bowls for your team.

Is curry powder ok on an AIP diet? ›

Unfortunately, because of the nightshades standard curry powder is off limits to those following an AIP diet.

Is curry good for autoimmune? ›

Since curry, chilies, pepper, and eggplant are all nightshades, they aren't allowed during the elimination phase of the autoimmune protocol. I had to leave them all out and looked to other ingredients to come up with this Thai inspired dish. This recipe is AIP friendly and totally nightshade free.

Is turmeric a nightshade? ›

Paprika and Cayenne Spices: In order to get the spicy flavor without using nightshades, the best options are white and black pepper, ginger, turmeric, mustard powder, horseradish, garlic, and onion.

Is yellow curry anti-inflammatory? ›

Turmeric, one of the main spices in the blend, contains a pigment called curcumin. Curcumin is well known for its ability to fight inflammation by regulating inflammatory proteins, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) ( 2 , 3 ).

What is the main ingredient in turmeric curry? ›

Curcumin, derived from the rhizome curcuma longa, is one of the primary ingredients in turmeric and curry powders that are used as spices in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, especially on the Indian subcontinent.

What to do if too much turmeric in curry? ›

Add coconut milk which will mellow the overpowering flavour. Acidic ingredients such as tamarind paste, lemon juice, or tomato sauce can be effective in balancing the taste. Prepare a mixture of curd, salt, red chilly powder, and water, and add it to the curry.

Is turmeric an inflammatory food? ›

Turmeric is widely used in cooking and gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color. It is also used in mustard and to color butter and cheese. Turmeric has been used in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive and liver problems, skin diseases, and wounds.

What sweeteners are allowed on AIP? ›

  • ‍ In this article: What is the AIP diet? ...
  • Honey. Ideally, you will want to use local raw honey to get the most benefits from this natural sweetener. ...
  • Blackstrap Molasses. ...
  • Maple Sugar. ...
  • Date sugar. ...
  • Coconut sugar. ...
  • Related articles:
May 9, 2022

Is black pepper ok on the AIP diet? ›

Note: *Peppercorns*, meaning Black, White and Pink Pepper Corns that are normally served table side are actually *not* nightshades but berries from an entirely different family. However, they can still be problematic and are no longer accepted as part of a strict AIP protocol.

Is honey OK on AIP diet? ›

Despite being allowed, some protocols further recommend that you moderate your intake of salt, saturated and omega-6 fats, natural sugars, such as honey or maple syrup, as well as coconut-based foods. Depending on the AIP protocol at hand, small amounts of fruit may also be allowed.

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