A creamy and mild leftover chicken curry recipe using roast chicken leftovers or store bought rotisserie chicken.
It's quick (prepped and cooked in less than 30 minutes), easy, and perfect for busy weeknights!
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A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Leftover Chicken Curry
🕒 Ready In: Under 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 301 (not including rice or sides)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Leftover Roast Chicken, Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Curry Powder, Crème Fraiche or Coconut Cream, Mango Chutney
📖 Dietary Info: Good source of protein (15g), freezer-friendly
👌 Difficulty: Easy
Summarise & Save This Content On
You can use leftover roast chicken or roast turkey in this easy mild curry recipe.
Serve the leftover roast chicken curry with homemade pilau rice and naan bread for a delicious curry night feast.
Add vegetables to bulk up the curry, so the amount of leftover chicken doesn't matter. Have less chicken? Simply increase the vegetables!
👩🍳Looking for more leftover chicken recipes? Try my easy leftover chicken tacos, leftover chicken fried rice or BBQ Chicken Pizza next!
This was a big hit at our house. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Jon
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- 🛒 Ingredient notes
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 How to make leftover chicken curry
- Top Tips
- 🍴 Serving suggestions
- Storage
- ❓ Frequently asked questions
- Troubleshooting Guide
- More chicken curry recipes
- 😋 More curry recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Easy leftover chicken curry - a quick way to transform yesterday's chicken into a delicious meal.
- Mild and creamy - gentle on the palate, perfect for the whole family.
- Packed with vegetables - bulk it out with carrots, peas, peppers, or whatever you have to hand.
- Freezer-friendly - makes meal prep and batch cooking simple.
- Quick and fuss-free - ready in minutes, ideal for busy weeknights.
A great recipe for using leftover cooked chicken. I used coconut milk and the curry was delicious. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-Andrea
🛒 Ingredient notes
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Chicken - 300 - 400g of leftover roast chicken pieces (you can also use leftover turkey). If you have less chicken, add another pepper, or other vegetables like courgettes or aubergines.
Olive Oil - for frying.
Onion - one brown onion, finely chopped.
Garlic - 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped.
Fresh Ginger - roughly 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
Pepper - red, orange, or yellow pepper, sliced.
Curry Powder - use a good quality mild or medium curry powder with fresh spices, depending on individual taste.
Mango Chutney - gives the curry a fruity flavour boost.
Creme Fraiche - use full-fat creme fraiche or swap for coconut cream or coconut milk. Half-fat creme fraiche may split on heating.
Salt & Pepper - for seasoning.
Coriander - freshly chopped for garnish
Recently boiled water - to loosen the sauce if needed.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Swap the red pepper for a can of drained chickpeas.
- Add a handful of baby spinach at the end of cooking. The residual heat will wilt the spinach in minutes.
- Like your curries hot? Use hot curry powder and add a chopped red chilli or chilli powder.
- Mix in leftover cooked vegetables such as green beans, sweet potato, butternut squash, or cauliflower. It's a great way to bulk out the curry if you don't have much chicken.
- Swap the creme fraiche for coconut milk or coconut cream. If you prefer tomato based sauces, use a tin of tomatoes instead.
- Sprinkle over garam masala, sultanas, natural yogurt, or cashew nuts before serving.
🔪 How to make leftover chicken curry
One: Heat the oil in a shallow casserole or large frying pan and gently cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and sliced red pepper for 4-5 minutes.
Two: Add the curry powder and stir into the onion mixture.
Three: Mix in the mango chutney, creme fraiche, salt & pepper and simmer on a low heat for 4-5 minutes.
Four: Add a few tablespoons of boiling water to loosen the sauce (I used 2 tablespoons) then stir in the leftover chicken. Garnish with coriander before serving.
Top Tips
- This is a great base recipe you can use with a variety of leftover meats, such as turkey, lamb, or beef.
- Double the recipe and freeze half for another day. If you don't have enough chicken, make up the difference with more vegetables.
- Use full-fat creme fraiche only. Half-fat creme fraiche will split on heating and become grainy (or swap for coconut cream).
- Curry often tastes better the day after you make it as the flavours have more time to come together.
🍴 Serving suggestions
This simple leftover chicken curry recipe is delicious with homemade pilau rice, cauliflower rice, or turmeric rice, as well as naan bread, chapatis, lime pickle, and raita. I often serve a vegetarian curry with it too, like this tasty chickpea and spinach curry.
Love dessert? Zingy no-bake lemon curd tarts would be my go-to dessert after a curry.
Storage
Store - The curry can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat - In the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze - Allow to cool and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can! Ensure the cooked chicken has been stored correctly in the fridge in an airtight container.
Yes, you can! It's a quick and easy alternative to using leftover roast chicken.
This recipe has been developed using cooked chicken. If you would like to make a curry with raw chicken breasts, try my mild chicken curry recipe instead!
Troubleshooting Guide
Problem: Sauce is too thick
Fix: Add a splash of recently boiled water, coconut milk, or extra crème fraîche and stir until smooth.
Problem: Sauce has split or curdled
Fix: Use full-fat crème fraîche or coconut cream instead of half-fat crème fraîche. Remove from heat and stir gently to bring it back together.
Problem: Curry is too bland
Fix: Add a little more curry powder, a spoonful of mango chutney, or a pinch of salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime juice can also brighten the flavour.
Problem: Curry is too spicy for the family
Fix: Add more crème fraîche or coconut milk to mellow the heat, and serve with yogurt.
Problem: Vegetables are undercooked
Fix: Fry them for a few more minutes before adding chicken and sauce, or simmer gently in the sauce until tender.
Problem: Leftover chicken is dry
Fix: Warm gently in the curry sauce rather than frying.
More chicken curry recipes
- Mild Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Mango Chutney Chicken Curry
- Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
- Chicken Pasanda
😋 More curry recipes
Tried it? Let me know what you think and rate it ⭐️ below. Tag me @effortlessf00d-I'd love to see! Don't forget to subscribe for more recipes.
Recipe
Easy Leftover Chicken Curry
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger peeled and grated
- 1 Red Pepper Deseeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoon Curry Powder mild or medium
- 150 g Mango Chutney
- 150 g Creme Fraiche or Coconut Cream full-fat
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2-3 tablespoon Boiling Water optional
- 1 tablespoon Coriander chopped
- 300 g Leftover Chicken shredded or sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a shallow casserole or large frying pan and gently cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and sliced red pepper for 4-5 minutes until soft.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Ginger, 1 Red Pepper
- Add the curry powder and stir into the onion mixture.2 tablespoon Curry Powder
- Mix in the mango chutney, creme fraiche, salt & pepper and simmer on a low heat for 4-5 minutes.150 g Mango Chutney, 150 g Creme Fraiche or Coconut Cream, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Add a few tablespoons of boiling water if you wish to loosen the sauce (I used 2 tablespoons) then stir in the leftover chicken. Garnish with coriander before serving.2-3 tablespoon Boiling Water, 300 g Leftover Chicken, 1 tablespoon Coriander
Notes
- This is a great base recipe you can use with a variety of leftover meats, such as turkey, lamb, or beef.
- Double the recipe and freeze half for another day. If you don't have enough chicken, make up the difference with more vegetables.
- Use full-fat creme fraiche only. Half-fat creme fraiche will split on heating and become grainy.
- Curry often tastes better the day after you make it as the flavours have more time to come together.
- Swap the red pepper for a can of drained chickpeas.
- Add a handful of baby spinach at the end of cooking. The residual heat will wilt the spinach in minutes.
- Like your curries hot? Use hot curry powder and add a chopped red chilli.
- Mix in leftover cooked vegetables such as green beans, sweet potato, butternut squash, or cauliflower. It's a great way to bulk out the curry if you don't have much chicken.
- Swap the creme fraiche for coconut milk or coconut cream.
Beth says
Loved this recipe, especially as you added the quantities within the method. Saves scrolling back. Very clever. Thanks, Beth
Jon says
This was a big hit at our house.
Andrea says
A great recipe for using leftover cooked chicken. I used coconut milk and the curry was delicious x
Mimi says
I love it when you can make a new dish from leftovers. This dish was so delicious. Can't wait to make it again.
Toni says
I really love how quick and easy this is!! Perfect for busy nights!
Gloria says
This is a great way to use leftover chicken. Curry is always a hit in our house. I know the family will love this for dinner.
Tara says
Oooh, such a wonderful use of leftover roast chicken! The flavors sound amazing, especially with the addition of the mango chutney.
Roxanne says
My modifications: as I was cleaning out the fridge… chestnut mushrooms, Bradley apple chutney because that’s what I had, sour cream, 1/4 tsp chili flakes, about a half cup homemade chicken broth made from the same chicken, added frozen peas at the end. Will do this again!
Ned says
My wife is a huge fan of curry, so I decided to make this for her and she loved it!