Homemade Curry Chicken Roti
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Homemade Curry Chicken Roti
Get ready to spice up your mealtime with our Curry Chicken Roti! This savory delight features tender chicken cooked in aromatic curry spices, served on a bed of torn, soft, fluffy roti. It's a comforting and flavorful dish that's sure to satisfy your cravings for something hearty + delicious. Totally Dairy-free. Vegetarian option.
I can't even begin to express how incredibly satisfying this Curry Chicken Roti recipe is—it's just that good! I took your usual curry spices and added a touch of Jamaican flair. Now, you know I'm a sucker for my Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken, but this time, I felt like switching things up a bit.
This curry boasts tender chicken chunks bursting with flavor, alongside perfectly cooked potatoes, all served on a bed of soft, fluffy torn roti. And the best part? You can adjust the spicy kick to suit your taste buds! If you're after an easy-to-whip-together meal, packed with flavor, spice, and guaranteed to please the whole family, then this curry is definitely the way to go!
If you're a true curry lover, then this Vegan Pumpkin Curry Butternut Squash, Spicy Butter Chickpeas, Spicy Curry Vegan Meatballs + Orzo, and Vegan Curry Chickpea Mashed Potato Bowl are a must-try next for a delicious dinner.
Jump to:
- Why You Will LOVE This Curry Chicken Roti
- How To Make Curry Chicken Roti
- Ingredients
- Tips To Making the Best Curry Chicken Roti
- What is Curry Powder?
- What is the Difference between Curry and Jamaican Curry?
- What To Serve With Curry Chicken Roti?
- What Is The Ideal Chicken Cut To Use?
- How to Make Curry Sauce Thicker?
- What Meats or Meat Alternatives are Best with Curry?
- Curry Chicken Roti Q + A's
- More Curry Recipes That You'll Love!
- Curry Chicken Roti
Why You Will LOVE This Curry Chicken Roti
- Tender, flavorful chicken chunks + perfectly cooked potatoes
- Served on soft, fluffy torn roti
- So well seasoned and full of texture.
- Customizable spice level to suit your taste
- Easy-to-whip-together meal using simple ingredients
- Packed with flavor + spice
- Guaranteed to please the whole family!
How To Make Curry Chicken Roti
We'll marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours, but overnight is even better if you have the time! After marinating, we'll sear the chicken and then add in all the other ingredients—easy peasy! Feel free to make your own roti or save time by using store-bought.
Ingredients
CURRY CHICKEN:
- Chicken breasts. Choose organic whenever possible. Simply cut the chicken breasts into medium-sized cubes or chunks. If you don’t have chicken breasts, you can always use chicken tenderloins which are pre-cut and just cut those into chunks.
- Herbs + seasonings. I love to season my dishes in "layers" which means that marinating your chicken overnight in seasoning is best! Generally, you'll need a combination of sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder + dried parsley.
- Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use avocado oil or Grapeseed oil, if you prefer.
- Onion. Chopped.
- Garlic cloves. Minced
- Tomatoes. I like to add diced tomato for a bit of acidity and flavor to the curry sauce.
- Potatoes. Peeled + chopped into medium chunks. This is a nice thickening agent in your curry sauce and adds a hearty bite in this dish. Keep things traditional with russet, baby red, or yukon potatoes.
- Fresh ginger. Minced.
- Thyme sprigs. I recommend fresh, but if you only have dried, use a half teaspoon.
- Coconut milk. You can use either full-fat canned coconut milk or cream.
- Chicken stock or water. You can also use chicken bone broth.
- Curry powder. I like to use authentic Jamaican curry powder.
- Jamaican Pepper Sauce. Optional. You can make your own or substitute with your favorite brand of hot sauce.
- Turmeric powder. This adds a beautiful color and has tons of health benefits.
- Red pepper flakes. You can reduce or omit for less spicy flavor.
- Ground cinnamon. Adds a nice subtle sweetness.
- Ground allspice. Adds depth + warmth.
- Sea salt + black pepper. To taste.
- Scotch bonnet pepper. Minced (Adjust to your level of spiciness; You can also use habanero peppers)
ROTI SKINS:
- Homemade or restaurant roti skins. For homemade roti skins, I like Immaculate Bite's recipe.
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS CURRY DISH!
Here, I’ve curated a list of baking + cooking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite dishes, especially with this Curry Chicken Roti. Everything from my fave loaf pan, wooden spoons, parchment paper, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Tips To Making the Best Curry Chicken Roti
The following tips + tricks will make cooking this curry chicken easier and with greater results:
Marinate the chicken. This is a VERY IMPORTANT step that most overlook but makes a world of a difference. Traditionally, Jamaicans will clean, rinse, and season their chicken 1-2 days prior to making this dish. Simply add your seasoned chicken to a ziplock bag or airtight container and refrigerate overnight (or for up to 2 days). When ready to cook, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
Remove the skin. Keeping or removing the skin of the chicken is an individual preference for many, however, removing it for curry chicken helps the flavors to soak into the meat better, especially during marination.
Chop the chicken into smaller pieces. Since you can use various pieces of chicken for this recipe, chopping them up into smaller pieces helps the chicken to cook through better and makes for an easier bite.
Slow + simmer is BEST. With any Jamaican dish, slow and simmer is always the best. Once you add all of the ingredients (including the chicken), cover the pot and reduce the heat to simmer everything until it's all cooked through, tender, and the sauce has thickened nicely.
What is Curry Powder?
Basically, curry powder is a combination of dried spices often used in Indian cuisine, however, is rather popular amongst other cultures like Asian, Caribbean, etc.
What is the Difference between Curry and Jamaican Curry?
The main difference between curry and Jamaican Curry Chicken is that Jamaican curry is made with actual curry powder. Despite the newest variations of Indian curries, traditionally, it's usually made as a sauce base and consists of a blend of coconut milk, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and spices.
What To Serve With Curry Chicken Roti?
I chose to serve this with torn fluffy roti ----- However, you could also serve it with a side of white rice, brown rice, Basmati rice, naan bread, or sautéed veggies for a healthier twist. It's definitely up to you---even serving it with a side of orzo is also a thing. Just have fun with it----neutral sides work best!
What Is The Ideal Chicken Cut To Use?
For this Curry Chicken, I prefer using boneless and skinless thighs. However, if you prefer bone-in chicken, you can use it by cutting it into pieces and removing the skin. It's best to chop larger chicken pieces into smaller ones. I advise against using only chicken breast for this recipe as it contains less fat and can quickly become dry during cooking.
How to Make Curry Sauce Thicker?
If you find that your sauce isn't thick enough, I definitely recommend covering the pot and allowing it to simmer a bit more. Usually, with a slow simmer over time, the sauce will automatically thicken. However, if it's truly not doing that, add 1 tablespoon of flour with 3-4 Tbsps warm water to a small cup or bowl, stir until smooth and "milky" and add to the sauce to help aide it.
What Meats or Meat Alternatives are Best with Curry?
If you aren't a fan of chicken, want to switch things up, or just try something else entirely--no worries! The following meats + meat alternatives are perfect with curry and can easily be substituted for chicken:
- Shrimp
- Fish
- Meatballs
- Beef
- Mushrooms
- Beans & Legumes
- Scallops
- Tofu
- Vegetables (i.e. peas, carrots, potatoes, etc.)
Curry Chicken Roti Q + A's
Any curry chicken can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can do this easily in the microwave or over the stovetop (adding ½ cup or so of chicken stock if needed) until warmed through and saucy.
When using Jamaican curry powder, it's important to burn the powder first to avoid digestive issues for some people because of its potency. In addition, the "burning" process releases better flavor + color.
Yes, it uses coconut milk for the creaminess so if you are dairy-free this recipe has you covered!
While traditionally scotch bonnet peppers are used in Jamaican dishes, unfortunately, they might not be found easily in some areas, therefore, substituting them with habanero peppers, jalapeños, etc works just fine! For equal spice to scotch bonnet, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper and a few drops of hot sauce when substituting.
Unlike regular curry powder, Jamaican curry powder contains more turmeric (hence the bold yellow color) and allspice. Therefore, if you don't have Jamaican curry powder handy, simply use regular curry powder and add additional turmeric powder and a few pinches of allspice powder.
Yes! However, you can create a milder dish by reducing the amount of scotch bonnet peppers used or substituting with milder peppers like jalapeños, etc.
More Curry Recipes That You'll Love!
Do you love this Curry Chicken Roti and want more curry recipes? Here are some reader faves!
- Weeknight Jamaican Curry Chicken + Gnocchi
- Spicy Curry Vegan Meatballs + Orzo
- Spicy Coconut Curry Chicken Bowl
- Vegan Chickpea Curry Bowl
- Vegan Pumpkin Curry Butternut Squash
- Spicy Curry Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas
Curry Chicken Roti
Ingredients
CURRY CHICKEN:
- 1 ½ lbs. organic chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 organic tomatoes, diced
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled + chopped into medium chunks
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk, organic
- ½ cup organic chicken stock or water (You can also use chicken bone broth)
- 2 Tbsps curry powder (I like to use authentic Jamaican curry; See Notes for link)
- 1 Jamaican Pepper Sauce, optional (You can substitute with your favorite brand of hot sauce)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (You can reduce or omit for less spicy flavor)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- sea salt + black pepper, to taste
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced (Adjust to your level of spiciness; You can also use habanero peppers)
ROTI SKINS:
- Homemade or restaurant roti skins (For homemade roti skins, I like Immaculate Bite's recipe)
Instructions
ROTI SKINS:
- You can choose to make your own roti skins or purchase high-quality skins (I love the Buss Up Shot roti skins for the best flakiness). For homemade roti skins, I like Immaculate Bite's recipe)
MARINATE THE CHICKEN:
- In a bowl, add your freshly cleaned + rinsed chicken chunks along with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and parsley. Add coated chicken to a securely sealed ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours (minimum). Best if marinated overnight. When ready to use, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before cooking.
SEAR THE CHICKEN:
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and once fully heated, add the chopped onions, minced ginger, and garlic, sautéing until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook on each side until seared, about 3-4 minutes each side. Once brown on each side, add in the curry powder, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, allspice, minced scotch bonnet, diced tomatoes, and chopped potatoes, stirring everything together until combined.
- NOTE: If using authentic Jamaican curry powder, it's super important to first "burn" your powder. SEE NOTES FOR MORE.
COOK EVERYTHING TOGETHER:
- Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock, and pepper sauce, stirring until combined. Let the mixture boil for a minute or so before adding in the thyme sprigs and reduce heat to simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until sauce thickens and the chicken + potatoes are cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat once done.
ASSEMBLY:
- To serve, open up your roti skins (best if warmed or made fresh) and add a few spoonfuls of the curry chicken with potatoes. Carefully, fold the sides up, then roll it up front to back and wrap it with parchment paper for an easier storage or to-go situation. Repeat until all chicken rotis are made.
- Bon Appétit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Any curry chicken can be kept in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can do this easily in the microwave or over the stovetop (adding ½ cup or so of chicken stock if needed) until warmed through and saucy.
- TURMERIC: You can actually use only turmeric for the curry sauce, if desired. While using just turmeric is optional, it definitely has benefits: powerful medicinal properties, natural anti-inflammatory ingredient, increases antioxidant activity in the body, and more.
- JAMAICAN SEASONINGS: If authentic Jamaican seasonings aren't readily available near you, they are available for purchase on my Amazon Shop. Otherwise, substitute with your favorite brand.
- BURNING THE CURRY POWDER: When using Jamaican curry powder, it's important to burn the powder first to avoid digestive issues for some people because of it's potency. In addition, the "burning" process releases better flavor + color.
Nutrition
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This was a hit!! I love curry anything and this was it!! Thank you.
Hi Rita! YESS! It's definitely one of my faves! Thanks so much! 🙂