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A flavorful, warm, and cozy pineapple curry with coconut milk and shredded chicken you can make in under an hour. Perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner served with jasmine rice.
On our honeymoon in Hawaii, we tried a macadamia nut crusted brie that came with pineapple garam masala chutney. It tasted incredible – and we fell in love with the unique combination of pineapple, garam masala, and fresh mint! This became the basis of our pineapple curry recipe, which funnily enough turned out tasting almost exactly like another dish we enjoyed on our vacation called Thai Thai special curry.
It’s creamy, warm and comforting with powerful notes of pineapple and spices. Shredded chicken helps make this curry extra satisfying so you can enjoy it as a main dish for a healthy comfort food dinner. There’s a hint of spice to it, thanks to the curry powder and cayenne, but it’s just enough to complement the sweet pineapple flavor without overpowering the dish. All in all, it’s one of our new favorite kinds of curry, especially during pineapple season!
What This Recipe Entails
You can make this curry in under an hour. You’ll need to poach chicken, steam rice, and simmer the curry, but these can all easily be done at the same time.
- Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Chicken – Any kind of plain shredded chicken works great for this curry. You can poach it, cook it in an Instant Pot, or use a rotisserie chicken. Go with whatever fits your schedule and preferences!
- Aromatics – Onion, ginger, and garlic create a flavorful base for curry.
- Seasonings – You’ll need curry powder, garam masala, ground red cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, and salt to add flavor and depth to the curry.
- Pineapple – Fresh pineapple is a must! It will take some time to cut up but it’s absolutely worth it for the flavor.
- Tomato – Fresh or canned tomatoes work fine here. We prefer to use canned for convenience, since we don’t notice much of a difference in flavor.
- Full fat coconut milk – This gives the curry a creamy texture and a Thai inspired flavor profile.
- Fresh mint – Fresh herbs are a great way to brighten a creamy curry. Mint complements the flavors of pineapple and garam masala nicely.
- Rice – We like to serve pineapple curry with jasmine rice for a Thai style meal, but it would also taste great with white rice or basmati rice.
How To Make Pineapple Curry
- Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onions, ginger, and garlic in vegetable oil until softened. Add the seasonings and cook until fragrant, just a minute or so.
- Simmer. Add the pineapple, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Cover and simmer until the pineapple is soft.
- Blend. Remove some of the pineapple and tomato chunks with a large slotted spoon and set aside. Carefully blend what’s left in the pan with an immersion blender, or transfer to a traditional blender and blend until smooth.
- Finish cooking. Return the pan to low heat and stir the pineapple and tomato chunks back in. Stir in the chicken, fresh mint, and additional garam masala and adjust salt to taste.
- Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.
If you’re poaching chicken and steaming rice, you’ll want to start both of those before getting the curry on the stove. They’ll both take about 20 minutes and don’t need much attention, so they can cook while you focus on the curry.
Equipment Spotlight: Braun MultiQuick Immersion Blender
If you make a lot of soup or curry, an immersion blender is a must! It makes it so quick and easy to puree anything while cooking. This one plugs into the wall so you never have to worry about dead batteries.
Serving Suggestions
- On top of rice – The absolute best way to enjoy this pineapple curry is by adding a few spoonfuls of jasmine rice to the bottom of a bowl and serving the curry on top. The rice will absorb some of the curry and become so flavorful and moist, adding just the right texture to every bite.
- Rice on the side – You can also serve the curry in a bowl with a small side of rice in a separate dish if you prefer your rice to be less saucy. You may want both a spoon and a fork so that you can easily scoop up the more liquidy bites of curry.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Store leftover pineapple curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the curry separately from any leftover steamed rice so the rice doesn’t get soggy.
- Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can reheat larger portions in the microwave for longer, or on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
We hope you enjoy this pineapple curry as much as we do! If you try the recipe, let us know what you think by rating and commenting below. We’d love to hear how it goes for you!
Expert Tips
- Prep the chicken in a way that makes most sense for your schedule and budget, whether it’s making Instant Pot shredded chicken ahead of time, poaching the chicken while making the curry, or using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- To check if the pineapple is cooked enough, try spearing a cube of it on a fork. The fork should slide into the pineapple chunk easily, with little resistance.
- Remember to remove some of the pineapple and tomato chunks before blending so the final dish has a nice variety of textures. (You can of course blend all of it if you prefer a smoother texture.)
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:
- Coconut Red Lentil Soup
- Crockpot Pina Colada Chicken
- Spicy Butter Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
- Thai Drunken Noodles
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Pineapple Curry
Equipment
- Large sauté pan with lid 14 inch
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala plus ½ teaspoon for finishing
- 1 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 to 3 pinches salt
- 1 medium pineapple diced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
- ½ ounce fresh mint chopped
- 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken breast shredded
- 4 cups steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, combine the curry powder, garam masala, cayenne, and turmeric in a small bowl. Once the onions are softened, add the seasonings and a few pinches of salt. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, just a minute or so.
- Now, add the pineapple, tomatoes, and coconut milk to the pan. Stir to combine, then cover the pan and simmer until the pineapple is soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and remove about two-thirds of the pineapple and tomato chunks with a slotted spoon. Set this aside as you'll stir it back in later.Puree the remaining contents of the pan with an immersion blender, or transfer to a traditional blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the reserved pineapple and tomato back to the pan. Add the shredded chicken, fresh mint, and extra ½ teaspoon of garam masala to the pan and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until warmed through.Adjust salt to taste and serve hot over steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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