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30 Minute Chicken Rogan Josh

Mar 26, 2023 | 0 comments

Juicy, succulent chicken thighs swimming in a rich, glossy, super spiced gravy makes this easy chicken rogan josh recipe one you’ll want to repeat again and again. And the bonus? It takes just 30 minutes to make.

Chicken rogan josh on a bed of white rice on a green plate, with more curry in a small silver dish on the side.

Rogan josh is most commonly paired with lamb (so much so that my boyfriend was convinced this WAS lamb rogan josh when he was eating it!), but here I’m pairing it with juicy chicken thighs and it might just be my new favourite curry.

Plus, using chicken thighs means it can be on the table in just 30 minutes, so it’s wonderful for a weeknight treat (or a fun fakeaway night in). And most of that time is hands-off – we’re just letting the curry simmer away and make magic on the stove.

It’s PACKED with glorious spices and really does taste just like rogan josh you’ll get at a restaurant, or from an Indian takeaway. Serve with steamed rice, garlic naan or cheese naan for a very special night in.

As with any curry, the flavour only gets better with time so it’s also a great option for meal prep – make a double batch and enjoy throughout the week, or freeze half for a super easy meal you can defrost in minutes in the microwave.

Ingredients

There are a lot of spices here, but don’t be intimidated! Most of them you probably have in your cupboard, and all are easy to find at a regular store.

Ingredients for chicken rogan josh laid out on a grey marble background and labelled.
  • Chicken thighs. We’re using skinless, boneless chicken thighs here, and always free-range. You can use chicken breast if you like, but they are prone to drying out. If you do use chicken breast, let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes before adding it for the last 15 minutes to cook in the sauce.
  • Spices. I am aware there are A LOT of spices here but I promise they’re worth it. There are, however, a couple of swaps you can make if you can’t find something. Kashmiri chilli powder is a bright red, mild spice that brings a gorgeous colour to the curry, but you could replace it with paprika. If you can’t find garam masala, you can use curry powder, and if you can’t find ground cardamom or cloves, just use more cinnamon. You can leave out the ground fennel if you can’t find it.
  • Passata. This is known as tomato puree in the US – it’s super smooth, pureed, uncooked tomatoes that makes a wonderful base in this curry.
  • Stock. If you don’t have chicken or vegetable stock, you can use water mixed with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce.

How to make it

Chop your chicken into bite-sized pieces, then toss them with a bit of salt. Cook the onion in butter until soft and translucent (it’ll be looking more transparent). At this point, add your garlic and ginger and stir through the onion. Add all the spices and cook for another minute, until they’re smelling super fragrant and a kind of paste forms. Add your chicken and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, just to brown it (it’ll finish cooking in the sauce).

Add the passata and the stock, bring to a simmer then turn the heat down and pop a lid on the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for another 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced into a thick, glossy gravy and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with rice and naan and enjoy!

Got a question?

How long will the curry last?

Curry actually gets even BETTER after a couple of days in the fridge – and this curry will keep well for 5 days, stored in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or on the stovetop over low heat.

Can I freeze the curry?

Yes! This curry freezes really well. Freeze in ziplock bags or in a plastic or glass container. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave on low.

Can I use chicken breast?

You can, but chicken breast loves to dry out when cooked like this. Chicken thighs are much juicier and can hold up to longer cooking times. If you do use chicken breast, let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, then add the chicken breast, cover for 5 minutes and then simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Like this recipe? Here are some more chicken favourites

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.

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Chicken rogan josh on a bed of white rice on a green plate, with more curry in a small silver dish on the side.

30 Minute Chicken Rogan Josh


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Low Fat

Description

Juicy, succulent chicken thighs swimming in a rich, glossy, super spiced gravy makes this easy chicken rogan josh recipe one you’ll want to repeat again and again. And the bonus? It takes just 30 minutes to make.

Serve with 2-ingredient dough garlic naan or cheese naan for a proper fakeaway night in.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the curry –

  • 500g/1lb chicken thighs (boneless, skinless and free-range)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter (or use oil)
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated (or use ginger paste)
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel
  • 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder (or use smoked paprika)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup tomato passata

To serve –

  • 1 cup long-grain rice (like basmati)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken. Chop the chicken into bite sized chunks, then add to a small bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
  2. Cook the onion, ginger and garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large, high sided frying pan or skillet over medium heat, then add the diced onion. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften nicely and looks translucent (more see-through). At this point, add the 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of ginger, then stir through the onion for another minute.
  3. Cook the spices and chicken. Add all the spices, and stir through the onion, garlic and ginger for another minute to create a fragrant paste. Add the diced chicken pieces, and spread them out onto a single layer if you can. Let them cook for a couple of minutes on one side, undisturbed, then turn them over and cook for another minute. Add 1/3 cup of passata and 1/2 cup of stock, then stir the chicken through the liquid.
  4. Simmer and reduce the curry. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then pop a lid on your pan (or use a large plate or a wooden board), reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, then simmer the curry for another 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced nicely into a glossy gravy and the chicken is cooked through.
  5. Make the rice. While the curry is simmering, add 1 cup of rice, 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a small pot that has a lid. Set over medium heat, and when the water starts to get a little foamy, reduce the heat to low and pop the lid on. Let it cook for 12 minutes, then remove from the heat and keep the lid on until you’re ready to serve.
  6. Garnish and serve. Divide the rice between plates, the top with the curry. Scatter over fresh coriander leaves then dig in.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Tomato passata is known as tomato puree in the US. If you’d like to use chicken breast, add the stock and passata right after adding the spices, and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Then add diced chicken breast, cover the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and let it simmer for the last 10 minutes. This will help prevent the chicken breast from drying out.

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder, use paprika. Use more ground cinnamon in place of ground cardamom and cloves, use curry powder in place of garam masala and you can leave out the ground fennel if you can’t find it. If you don’t have chicken or vegetable stock, just use 1/2 cup of water and add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Curry actually gets even better after a couple of days – the flavour has more time to develop. It will last well for 5 days, stored in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or on the stovetop over low heat. You can also freeze it. I like to freeze it in ziplock bags or in a plastic or glass container. Defrost it in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave on low.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Category: fakeaways
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: indian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 125g

Keywords: rogan josh, chicken curry

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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