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This Copycat Thai coconut curry chicken recipe is actually a pretty typical Thai red curry that Pei Wei just gave a fancy name. It is so similar to many of the red curry recipes we have made, with a few changes in details. You can make it in a minimum amount of time and less money, not to mention, not having to get out in the craziness of the world.
Copycat Pei Wei Thai Coconut Curry Pinterest Image
You can use whatever protein you like but we used chicken. Just use an equivalent about when you pick your ingredients. You can pick your protein at Pei Wei. You can do the same at home. You can also opt for brown or long grain rice. At home, you actually have more options obviously. You could use salmon and basmati rice if you wanted to. We always change a few things to make our dishes healthier. I will say that when Pei Wei makes a new dish all the ingredients are carefully tested so you are probably better off going with their style if you want the tried and true.
Adaptations We Used to Make it Healthier
You can use canola oil or olive oil to make it healthier. Using light coconut milk will also make it healthier as it has less saturated fat. There are arguments as to how good or bad coconut milk is. Some call it a superfood and say it helps with cognition. Others worry it contributes to cardiovascular disease with all the saturated fat.
It's definitely a fuller flavor with the full-fat version, so that is up to you to decide. Our adaptations brought it down to under 300 calories if you don't eat it with rice. You can totally opt out of the rice although I think that is part of the 640 calories they state it has on the website.
Using a home-made red curry paste
As one of the optional variations to make it healthier you can make your own curry paste. Making it from scratch ensures you get the freshest oils and flavors from the herbs and spices. You also delete some of the stuff they use to increase shelf life when you make it from scratch. It takes more time and usually restaurants just use a store-bought red curry paste. Here is our recipe to make it at home if you have time and energy.
Adjusting the spice level
You can easily make it spicier or less spicy by adding curry paste after you cooked it to make it spicier or adding coconut milk to cool it off.
So, with all that said, here is our recipe.
Copycat Pei Wei Thai Coconut Curry
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. canola oil Optional
- 8 oz. red bell pepper Approximately 1 red pepper
- 10 oz. Broccoli Broken into bite sized pieces
- 4 Garlic Cloves Sliced
- 2 Onions White and sliced
- 1 tbsp. Red curry paste
- 1 lb. chicken breast Cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp. Fish sauce
- 2 tsp. Light brown sugar
- 2 cups Water
- 2 cans light coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat a wok on medium-high and add a tablespoon or so of oil if you want.
- Add in the garlic and curry paste and stir fry, about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in half the coconut milk and stir in bringing to a boil.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients other than the coconut milk and stir in and continue to cook.
- Taste and add in the rest of the coconut milk, stirring in, taste again to check the spice level.
- Add more coconut milk to make it less spicy or more curry paste to make it spicier.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love Thai red curry try one of these recipes!
Garlic Butter and Red Curry Brussels Sprouts and Crab Flambé
Please share this recipe if you love us and want to help us! Thanks!
KimS says
The coconut milk seems to be missing from this recipe... your picture has 2 cans of coconut milk--the recipe says 2 cups water...is that a typo?
Adam says
Holy cow, thanks! Yes it was an error.