Instant Pot Vietnamese Chicken Curry

This Instant Pot Vietnamese Chicken Curry (ca ri ga) is a quick and easy version of the classic Vietnamese dish. This aromatic and most flavourful chicken dish is made with yellow curry, lemongrass, fish sauce, vegetables and tender chicken simmered in the most flavourful creamy coconut broth. The Vietnamese chicken curry is a lighter version of the Indian curry.

What sets the two curries apart is the lemongrass, the fish sauce, the curry sauce is lighter and is not as thick as the classic Indian yellow curry.

When I was creating this Vietnamese Chicken Curry recipe, I wanted to add a little more veggies, not only for the added flavour but also for extra textures. So I added bell peppers and mushrooms…this is optional.

By using Instant Pot, this Vietnamese curry cooked at a fraction of the time that you would generally need to make this recipe, making this an easy weeknight family meal. Most Vietnamese dishes are naturally gluten-free, and so is this chicken curry.

you will need only 30 minutes from start to finish to make this Vietnamese chicken curry…

The instant pot is becoming more and more popular. Not only because it cooks food at a fraction of the time, but because by using Instant Pot, you will retain more nutrients and flavour. 

3 easy steps to make Vietnamese chicken curry…

What inspired me to make this Vietnamese recipe is that I am usually pretty burned out from creating recipes, cooking, food styling, photography, and writing at the end of the week. I wanted to make something easy, flavourful, comforting, and with very little mess in a short time.

In comes this Instant Pot Vietnamese chicken curry.

1) First, grab a medium-size bowl, add the chicken and the marinate ingredients. Stir to combine and set the bowl aside.

2) While the chicken is marinating, this takes about fifteen minutes, prepare the veggies.

3) Get the Instant pot out and first add the marinated chicken with the sauce. Then, add everything else in the same order as listed except for the coconut milk. I like to add coconut milk at the very end. By adding the coconut milk at the end, it will keep the curry sauce super creamy. 

Once everything is in the Instant Pot, set to the pot to manual setting and cook under high pressure for 12 minutes. You are done 🙂 nothing to it. The only thing that takes a little extra time is heating the Instant Pot.

Honestly, this chicken curry recipe is super easy, and the results are outstanding.

what to serve with Vietnamese chicken curry?

In Vietnam, local places always serve the ca ri ga with Vietnamese baguette dipped in the creamy curry sauce. This bread is very similar to the French baguette, the bread is airy with a crispy crust.

You can also serve this curry with rice or just as is. But if you want a truly authentic Vietnamese experience, here is the recipe for a gluten-free baguette. 

things to know when making Instant Pot curry,

The most important thing is you don’t want to overcook the veggies, and you want to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. To do this, I used boneless chicken thighs and cut them in half, allowing them to cook faster.

To keep the shape of the veggies, especially potatoes, I added fresh lime juice. The acidity of the lime juice creates a thin crust protecting the veggies from falling apart. And lastly, add the coconut milk at the very end. By doing this, the sauce will be creamy and delicious. 

Why is this probably the easiest chicken curry recipe?

The answer is, once you mix the marinade with the chicken, all you have to do is add everything to the instant pot and press start 🙂 There is no frying and no stirring. Just start the Instant pot and walk away. You can put the curry on and relax.

Once the curry is finished cooking, just leave it. The chicken curry will keep warm until you are ready to enjoy the most delicious Vietnamese chicken curry meal. I like to add fresh basil, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers and some extra fresh lime juice. But this is my preference, you can serve this tasty curry just as is. This dish is a great way to start the list of fall recipes. Enjoy!

Here are some of my favourite gluten-free Vietnamese soup recipes 🙂

Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Pho Recipe

Vegetables in Clear Broth Hot Pot

Gluten-Free Vietnamese Pho Soup Recipe