Instant Pot Thai Green Curry Chicken & Vegetables
This version of Thai Green Curry loads up on vegetables for a hearty and tasty meal. Made in one pot, so clean-up is a snap!
Recipe Steps
This recipe for Instant Pot Thai Green Curry Chicken & Vegetables may introduce you to some new ingredients, but they’ll be a valuable addition to your pantry.
Contrary to a common misconception, not all Thai food is excessively spicy. This dish offers a hint of spice, and you have the flexibility to adjust the heat by adding more or less green curry paste. The flavor profile is a delightful blend of sweet, salty, and subtle citrus notes.
One of the advantages of using an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, is the ability to cook frozen meat. In fact, I started this recipe with frozen chicken breasts. They’re slightly easier to cut when they’re still partially frozen.
I like to kick off this recipe by dry roasting the spices to release their oils and enhance their flavors. Preheat the Instant Pot using the sauté button, or you can use a separate pan to sauté the spices and fresh garlic until fragrant, which usually takes around 30 seconds.
When adding ingredients to the Instant Pot, follow a specific order and do not stir. Add in the following sequence: cubed chicken, chicken broth, diced potatoes, and coconut milk. This helps prevent a ‘burn notice’ and ensures that the bottom of your dish won’t scorch.
For this part of the recipe, set the Instant Pot to ‘Manual’ mode at high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take approximately 12-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, which is included in the overall cooking time.
Once the pressure cooker reaches the desired pressure, the display will show the 6-minute cooking time and then start counting down. When it’s finished, the pot will beep three times, display ‘L0:00,’ and then begin counting upward. This indicates that the pot is in the ‘Keep Warm’ phase.
CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS: In the slow cooker, place the chicken, spices, chicken broth, diced potatoes, and coconut milk. Cover it with the lid and set it to ‘HIGH’ for 2 1/2 hours.
After the cooking cycle is complete and the Instant Pot displays ‘L0:00,’ perform a quick pressure release by opening the steam release valve. Be cautious of the hot steam. The pressure release typically takes 2-4 minutes. Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid and check to ensure the potatoes are fork-tender.
To complete the recipe in the Instant Pot, switch to the sauté mode. Add the green curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
Note: If the dish is too spicy for your liking, simply add more coconut milk. For a spicier kick, add more green curry paste.
Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning as needed. Typically, I add lime zest, lime juice, and fish sauce. Once the flavor suits your taste, proceed to the next step.
Add the vegetables and garbanzo beans to the pot. Sauté until the beans are heated through, and the vegetables reach your desired level of tenderness.
For the best experience, serve the Green Curry over a bed of rice. You can prepare Instant Pot Rice using long-grain white or jasmine rice. Garnish your dish with cilantro and serve it hot, accompanied by a lime wedge.
Instant Pot Thai Green Curry Chicken & Vegetables
Equipment
- 6 Qt. Electronic Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 - 1 ½ lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 C Chicken Broth
- 1 Yellow Onion sliced
- 1 Green Pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Red Pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Zucchini sliced into half moons
- ½ - 1 Yellow Squash sliced into half moons
- 2-3 Red Potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 ½ tsp. Cumin
- 1 Tbsp. Curry Powder
- 2-3 Tbsps. Green Curry Paste
- ¾ tsp. Ground Coriander Powder
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Lime zested
- 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
- 2 ½ Tbsps. Fish Sauce
- 4 tsp. Brown Sugar
- 1 Can Organic Coconut Milk
- 2 Tbsp. Oil for sautéing
- Cilantro, to taste
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes and mince the garlic, then set them aside.
- Step 2: Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes. One of the benefits of cooking in an electric pressure cooker is that you can often cook frozen meat. My chicken breasts were frozen when I started the recipe. They are actually a little easier to cut when frozen and just slightly thawed.
- Step 3: If making this recipe in an electric pressure cooker, press the saute button then press the adjust button until it is set to MORE. When the pot displays HOT, pour the dry spices into the pot and saute until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Then press cancel. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, and coconut milk, to the pot and stir. Next, add the cubed chicken and diced potatoes DO NOT STIR. Close and lock the lid and set it to seal. Press the Manual button and adjust the time to 6 minutes. It will take approximately 12-15 minutes to come to pressure. This is part of the cooking timeWhen the pressure cooker comes to pressure the display will show the 6-minute cook time and then will begin to count backward. When complete the pot will beep three times and then display L0:00 and then begin to count upward. This indicates the pot is in the keep warm phase.CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS: Put the chicken, spices chicken broth, diced potatoes, and coconut milk into the crock. Place the lid on and set it to HIGH for 2 ½ hours.
- When the pressure cooker reaches L0:00 perform a quick pressure release by turning the steam release valve. Be careful of the steam. The pressure release can take 2-4 minutes. The front of the pot will begin counting up. Once the pin drops, press the Cancel button, open the lid, and give the contents a stir. The potatoes should be fork-tender.
- Press the saute button and then the adjust button to less or normal. Stir in the green curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. I usually use a whole 4 oz jar of Thai Kitchen Green Curry paste, but start with a couple of teaspoons, you can always add more.
- Add the zest of one lime and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.NOTE: If the dish is too spicy for you, simply add part of a second can of coconut milk to tone down the spice.
- Add the vegetables and garbanzo beans. Continue to saute until beans are heated through and veggies are to the tenderness of your liking, approximately 5-7 minutes. Press cancel when done.CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS: Stir in the green curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Add the zest of one lime, lime juice, vegetables, and garbanzo beans. Replace the lid and let the crock pot cook for another 30 minutes. The dish is done when the beans are heated through and the veggies are to the tenderness of your liking, Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over a bed of rice with a lime wedge.
Notes
Nutrition
Victoria Cook
Victoria is a passionate home cook who became the host and chef of over 100 episodes of a private cooking show tailored for wellness practitioners and their patients. With a love for ethnic cuisines, she enjoys using a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to create flavorful, healthy meals for her husband and son. Always up for a culinary challenge, Victoria finds joy in experimenting with new recipes—and if she can whip them up in an electric pressure cooker, she’s even happier.