This quick & easy leftover chicken curry is a perfect way to use up leftover roast chicken. Mildly spiced so the whole family can enjoy, it's great for a quick midweek family dinner!
I always cook a roast chicken as part of my weekly meal planning, so I'm often looking for easy ways to use up the leftovers. This leftover chicken curry is one of my favourites - it turns those extra leftover bits into a brand-new dinner!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Scatty Mum.
Using leftovers is a great way to save money and cut down on food waste. Another of my favourite leftover recipes is this leftover lamb shepherd's pie.
It's on the table in just 30 minutes, and naturally gluten, dairy, egg, and nut-free.
I've made this curry delicately spiced (like this mango chicken curry and salmon katsu curry) so even the kids will love it, but if you prefer things with more of a kick, I'll give you some easy ways to up the heat further down.
Serve with some pilau rice, air-fried vegetable samosas and fluffy gluten-free naan breads.
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed to make this leftover chicken curry. To find out how to make it allergy-friendly, simply scroll down to the section below this one.
Don't let the long list of spices put you off. They are all store cupboard staples that you will probably already have at home!
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Leftover Cooked Chicken - This curry is a great way to use the leftovers from a roast chicken. Thigh meat, breast meat & wingbeat can all be used. You can also make it with a rotisserie chicken or buy pre-cooked chicken slices. If you would like to try a curry where you cook the chicken from scratch, check out this chicken & aubergine curry.
- Chicken Stock - You can either use a fresh chicken stock made from the chicken carcass or use a ready made stock.
- Tinned Tomatoes - Chopped Canned tomatoes help to form the curry sauce.
- Mango Chutney - Adds a slight sweetness to the curry. Depending on how spicy you would like the curry to be, you can either use a mild or hot version.
- Aromatics - onion, garlic and ginger.
- Spices - I have used mild curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin & ground coriander. For more heat, swap the mild curry powder for hot curry powder.
- Cornflour - Also known as cornstarch, this is used to thicken the curry sauce. Despite "flour" being in its name, cornflour is gluten free.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥜 How Can I Make This Allergy-Friendly?
✔️ Make It Gluten-Free: Check the ingredients on the stock cube to make sure it doesn't contain gluten.
✔️ Make It Celery-Free: Check the stock cube packaging. Knorr chicken stock pots are free from the top 14 allergens. (Always double check packaging as ingredients can change)
⚡ Variations
- ✔️ Swap the Protein: Any leftover meat will work, or use a tin of chickpeas instead to make it veggie.
- ✔️ Adjust The Spice: For a milder curry, leave out the chilli powder and use mild mango chutney. For more heat, use hot curry powder and spicy chutney.
- ✔️ Add Vegetables: Baby spinach, mushrooms or bell peppers will all work really well.
- ✔️ Make It Creamy: Stir in full-fat coconut milk towards the end of cooking. It tastes sooo good!
✏️ How To Make Leftover Chicken Curry
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Start by prepping the vegetables. Finely slice the onion and then grate the garlic and fresh ginger, using either a zest grater or the smallest holes on a box grater.
Step 2: Heat a large saucepan or frying pan on a low to medium heat and add the olive oil.
Once the olive oil is hot, add in the onion and cook until the onion has softened and slightly browned.
Step 3: Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Keep stirring to make sure the garlic doesn't stick to the pan and burn.
Step 4: Stir the spices into the aromatics mixture, let them toast and cook out for a couple of minutes.
Step 5: Next, pour in the tinned tomatoes, made-up stock and mango chutney.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and leave to simmer for 20 minutes to allow the spices to meld together with the sauce.
Step 6: Once the sauce has been bubbling away for 10 minutes, add the cooked, sliced chicken to the pan and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken has warmed through.
Step 7: Make a cornflour slurry by combining the cornflour with 2tsp of cold water in a small bowl.
Slowly pour the slurry into the curry sauce, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens up.
Step 8: Serve immediately and enjoy!
💡 Lauren's Top Tip
- 🌟 Make Day Before: If you can, make the curry the day before serving, leaving it in the fridge overnight before reheating when you are ready to eat. This will give the flavours time to really come together and shine through.
🔨 The Meal Planning Toolbox
🗒️ Make Ahead
Prepare the curry up to the point before adding the chicken.
Cool and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce, add the chicken & cook until the chicken has warmed through.
🗒️ Batch Cooking
This is a great batch cooking recipe! Just double the amounts in the recipe card and freeze into portions for future meals.
🗒️ Leftovers, Storage & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, warm on the hob over low heat or in the microwave until piping hot.
🗒️ Freezing
Cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating as above.
📖 More Curry Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Leftover Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) leftover roast chicken or cooked rotisserie chicken
- 300 ml (10 fl oz) chicken stock (knorr stock pot) check packaging to ensure its gluten free
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned tomatoes
- 1 heaped tbsp mild mango chutney
- 1 medium onion finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Garnish
- handful fresh coriander finely chopped
- ½ red chilli finely sliced
Instructions
- Finely slice the onion, then grate the fresh ginger and garlic.
- Add the oil to a large saucepan or frying pan a heat on a low to medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and fry for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the spices to the pan and toast for another 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes, made-up stock & mango chutney, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the leftover chicken and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the chicken has warmed through.
- Mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with 2 teaspoon of cold water in a separate small bowl. Slowly pour the slurry into the curry, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens up.
- Garnish with free coriander & sliced red chilli. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Make Day Before: If you can, make the curry the day before serving, leaving it in the fridge overnight before reheating when you are ready to eat. This will give the flavours time to really come together and shine through.
Mr Ed says
Excellent curry, Quick and easy to make. Very tasty and practical.
Lauren Woodger says
So glad you enjoyed it! : -)