Spice Recipes to Celebrate National Curried Chicken Day

Posted: January 12, 2022 12:44 pm

January 12 may be an ordinary Wednesday for many. For home cooks and curry enthusiasts, though, it is a holiday worth celebrating: National Curried Chicken Day. Curry was introduced to the U.S. from Britain. It was used in cooking in the early 1700s, but rose in popularity in the mid-1800s, as, thanks to the longtime British rule in India, the British wanted Indian-influenced spices to flavor their dishes. As more people from British origin came to the U.S., foods and ingredients, such as curry became popular here as well. Today, curry is a popular dish for lunch or dinner.

To celebrate National Curried Chicken Day, consider preparing some new and tried-and-true recipes for snack, lunch and dinner. Perhaps you can host a virtual meal with friends and family to see and rate the various culinary creations that were made. To get you ready to celebrate—and eat— we have rounded up some easy recipe ideas to make the dish that you love. Happy National Curried Chicken Day 2022!

Recipe 1: Chicken Curry

This rich and creamy dish is almost as good as what you can get at an Indian restaurant. Fragrant and hearty, it is best served with naan bread or basmati rice. Use the bread to sop up the remaining sauce so none of it goes to waste. To make this, gather turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, cinnamon, salt, pepper, ground mustard, garlic, onion, ginger, tomatoes, cream, cilantro, olive oil, cornstarch and chicken breasts. For easier prep, make sure the oil is hot and sizzling before adding any ingredients. Dice up the chicken to have it cook faster as well. Place a spoonful or two in a bowl and enjoy. This also makes for a great leftover or workweek lunch. Even kids like it!

Recipe 2: Curried Chicken Thighs

Broccoli and carrots turn this one-pot dish into a meal. A creamy sauce surrounds the chicken thighs, so it can be enjoyed plain, with rice or with bread. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs work well, as does cooking the carrot with the onion, past recipe users say. For more substance, add in some peas. This recipe is on the spicier side, but should be fine when served will tall glasses of milk.

Recipe 3: Jamaican Curry Chicken

Chicken, bell and jalapeno peppers, garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, allspice, potatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, coconut milk, cilantro, cayenne, cilantro and white wine vinegar make a curry that is subtly sweet and easy to make wherever you may be. While the recipe usually calls for Jamaican curry powder and scotch bonnet peppers, those are not the easiest to find in this country, so this recipe substitutes more commonly found ingredients without compromising the flavor. Add some hot sauce to up the heat.

Recipe 5: Curried-Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast

You will only need one pan to make this recipe, but the secret is finding a fantastic curry powder. Many ethnic markets or specialty stores sell them, so you do not need to look far to acquire one. Complemented with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, this is ideal if the twelfth will be a cold one wherever you are—plus, it uses two winter vegetables, which is a huge plus. The yogurt-marinated chicken is an equal star of this dish, which roasts in the oven on top of the veggies until brown. Serve with flatbread, like naan or poori, plus some mint and yogurt for topping and dipping. No need to come up with vegetables to serve as well!

Recipe 6: Curry Chicken Nachos

latter

These nachos are fun and healthy, score! Madras Yogurt Chicken meets a spicy red curry, a mango pomegranate salsa and all the toppings you can gather: we recommend lime, cilantro, Greek yogurt or sour cream and the best tortilla chips you find—fry them yourself or look for “restaurant style” chips during your next grocery run. This recipe makes for a tasty snack before you reveal the curry-influenced dinner.

Recipe 7: Curry Chicken Dip

If you want to celebrate, but do not want to (or have) a bunch of time to devote to making a meal, try this instead. Cream cheese, sour cream, curry powder and shredded chicken are the main ingredients, which makes this super simple and very good. Plus, it can be served with tortilla chips or potato chips, your choice. Or, get fancy and serve it with both. This also tastes great on French bread, recipe reviewers note.

As you can see, curried chicken can take multiple forms, from the traditional to the unexpected. No matter how you choose to mark the occasion, we wish you a happy National Curried Chicken Day. Now, what will you think of for next year?

x

Newsletter

Get a daily dose of cooking inspiration! Be the first to see newly added recipes and holiday ideas.