Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple

Homemade Thai red curry with chicken and pineapple is one of the simplest and easiest recipes to assemble in less than 30 minutes. The recipe uses minimal ingredients but yet the flavors are so addictive it will be your new favorite Thai curry to whip up for a tasty and easy meal!

This recipe uses my Authentic homemade Thai red curry paste, but you can also use a store-bought paste. And if you are a fan of red curry, try my very popular Authentic Thai red curry recipe or Thai fish curry recipe with cod. Lots of curry goodness is going on today!  

Want more Thai curries? Try these popular recipes; Thai vegetable red curry with vermicelli noodles, authentic homemade Thai red curry paste, Thai red curry with chicken and kabocha squash, Authentic Thai red curry with chicken, and Thai Choo Chee salmon recipe. 

Jump to:

• What is a Thai Pineapple Curry?
• Why This Recipe Works
• What Goes Into Making Thai Pineapple Curry
• How To Make Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple
• Kitchen Notes for Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple
• More Thai recipes you'll love
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Thai Recipes You'll Love
• Thai red curry with chicken and pineapple

What is a Thai Pineapple Curry?

Pineapple curry is a Thai red curry dish that uses fresh pineapple, tomatoes stewed in coconut milk, seasoned with fish sauce and sugar, and topped off with the signature Thai basil to tie it back together. What makes this Thai curry unique is the use of fresh pineapple as a natural sweetener with a tangy taste with a flavor profile that is difficult to stop eating. 

Why This Recipe Works

• This recipe is so fast to put together. It's simply perfect for a quick meal on a busy night.
• Thai pineapple curry keeps well as leftovers and even in the freezer. You can make a double batch and freeze it in small containers for later use.
• The curry is light and not at all heavy. It can be served by itself without any sides and is perfectly fulfilling.
• It's healthy! Just substitute brown sugar for monk fruit sugar, agave, or honey.
• You can add vegetables to the curry if you want a more healthy crunch to the dish.
• Did I mention how simple and fast it is? Bonus points here!

What Goes Into Making Thai Pineapple Curry

Below are the ingredients notes for making Thai red curry with chicken and pineapple. Not All ingredients are listed, but these are worth a note to help you be successful in the kitchen. 

• Red curry paste. Store-bought or homemade. Use more paste and add more fish sauce if homemade.
• Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk with no sugar added. If you have coconut cream, use half the amount requested and add water for the other half.
• Pineapple. Do your best to use fresh pineapples, but if you can't, use canned but drain the liquid before use.
• Chicken. You can easily substitute pork, beef, duck seafood, tofu, or tempeh. Use what you have. It will be delicious! Use less cooking time if using seafood, tofu, or vegetables. 
• Protein. Use any of your favorite proteins for this recipe. If you use seafood or tofu, the cooking time will be less-about 2 minutes only. 
• Sugar. Use light or dark brown sugar. Good substitutes are palm sugar, honey, and agave. Play with the measurement at the end l little bit. White sugar is also fine as a substitute but uses less than all the other sugar as this one is super sweet. 
• Fish sauce. Stay conservative with the fish sauce, as some brands are saltier than others. You can add more at the end too.
• Thai basil. I hope you love Thai basil as much as I do. (: Feel free to add a little extra if you are obsessed like me! More on top, too, for garnish.(: Sub-Italian basil if you need to. Add a little extra; the flavors aren’t as strong as the Thai basil. 

How To Make Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple

STEP 1. Add  ¾ can of coconut milk and curry paste on medium-high meat and stir. Break up the curry paste until bubbles form and the sauce thickens, 2 minutes.  

STEP 2. Add fish sauce and sugar, stir, and cook for 1 more minute.

STEP 3. Add the chicken, water, and coconut milk and cook for 4-6 minutes. 

STEP 4. Add pineapple and tomatoes and cook until soft, 2 minutes. 

STEP 5. Remove the curry from the stove, let it cool, then add the basil. Serve hot with jasmine rice and garnish with more basil and hot peppers if desired!

Kitchen Notes for Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Pineapple

• Using fresh pineapple is always best. Read here on how to cut a pineapple.
• Homemade paste usually requires more paste. You can add it at the end if there are not enough flavors or heat. Make your paste using this authentic homemade Thai red curry paste. 
• The color of homemade curry paste will not be as red as a store-bought paste because of the fewer red chilis used. 
• Great vegetable options to add to the dish are pea pods, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, banana peppers, and jalapenos for extra heat. 
• Coconut milk separation. This is where you’ll get the flavors for the curry when the coconut milk is cooked down to where the oil is separate from the water, making the coconut milk even tastier. If the separation doesn’t happen, no worries; keep on going. Your curry will still taste great. Some coconut milk brands add emulsifiers so the milk won’t separate from the water, and look for another brand with pure coconut milk and water only. 

More Thai recipes you'll love

• Thai vegetarian yellow curry, 

• Thai pineapple curry with chicken,

• Thai yellow curry with pork belly,

• Authentic Thai red curry with chicken, and 

• Choo Chee Salmon with creamy Thai curry sauce.

• Learn how to cut a pineapple with this step-by-step guide. For tasty pineapple recipes, check out these delicious recipes. Pineapple fried rice with shrimp, Thai pineapple curry, Thai sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, and pineapple habanero salsa (with a secret ingredient!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Thai Recipes You'll Love

• Sweet and sour chicken with pineapple
• Authentic homemade Thai red curry paste
• Authentic Thai red curry recipe.
• Pineapple fried rice with shrimp
• How to cut a pineapple
• Easy Thai yellow curry with chicken
• Red Thai curry with chicken and kabocha squash
• Red curry green beans with shrimp
• Pad Prik King recipe with pork belly

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