Here's a simple, comforting basic Indian chicken curry recipe you can make in your microwave in under 30 minutes! It's a guaranteed easy meal. Don't forget to prepare some steamed rice in the microwave too, for a complete microwave dinner.
You'll find my basic Indian chicken curry recipe for the stovetop by following this link, and the microwave version is detailed later in this post.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note - easy microwave meals and need
- Ingredients for easy microwave chicken curry
- Microwave Chicken Curry - Recipe steps with pictures
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipments for microwave cooking
- Storage
- Top tip
- Frequently Asked Questions - Microwave Chicken Curry
- Related Microwave Recipes
- Recipe Card
- Have you tried the Microwave Chicken Curry recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Indian Chicken Curry in Microwave recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note - easy microwave meals and need
This is a very basic chicken curry recipe, using simple ingredients. While I have many chicken recipes on my site, I felt it was time to share something more fundamental, something useful for times when you might need to conserve LPG. Yes, this is a microwave recipe! I've made this easy chicken curry countless times with rice (also cooked in the microwave) whenever I wanted to make the most of my microwave.
This post was written in March 2026, a time when it's natural to have basic cooking skills and to know how to use the gadgets we have at home, like a microwave, which many of us might only use for reheating food. I personally cook over 50 different dishes in my microwave. I'm not referring to an oven or a convection microwave (though mine is one), but rather the basic microwave setting.
I want to share all these recipes with you, one at a time. Therefore, you will find many microwave versions of recipes here, including Indian, international, and my specialty, Bengali dishes, which I have already shared using traditional cooking methods. I hope this is helpful! Also, if you are reading this recipe, I would be grateful if you could let me know in the comments which microwave recipes you'd like to see from me. This feedback will help me greatly.
Ingredients for easy microwave chicken curry
- Chicken, curry-cut with bone
- Plain yogurt / plain curd
- Onion
- Ginger paste
- Garlic paste
- Green chilies
- Coriander leaves
- Bay leaf
- Dry red chilli
- Whole garam masala, don't be fussy, take whatever is available from a basic garam masala mix
- Turmeric Powder
- Cumin powder
- Coriander powder
- Red chili powder
- Kashmiri red chili powder, for color, and optional
- Garam Masala Powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Mustard oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Microwave Chicken Curry - Recipe steps with pictures
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Start with 500g of curry-cut chicken; wash it and pat it dry. Place the chicken in a bowl for marination.
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Now, add 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, sugar, and salt.
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Also, stir in 100ml of plain yogurt or curd. Next, add 1 tablespoon each of ginger paste and garlic paste.
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Mix everything well and let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes.
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While the chicken marinates, prepare your other ingredients. Roughly chop two medium onions, a bunch of fresh coriander leaves, and two green chilies. Make sure to have a pair of microwave gloves nearby.
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Now, grab a microwave-safe bowl; a glass bowl works best for cooking chicken curry in the microwave.
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Pour 2 tablespoons of mustard oil into the glass bowl and heat it on high in the microwave for 1 minute.
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Carefully remove the bowl and use a brush to spread the hot oil around.
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Then, add some whole spices to the bowl-I suggest 1 bay leaf, 2 dried chilies, and 1 teaspoon of any whole garam masala you have on hand-and heat them on high in the microwave for another minute.
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Add chopped onion and mix the oil with the onion using a spoon.
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Heat this onion mixture in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.
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Remove the bowl, then add the marinated chicken and mix thoroughly.
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Place the bowl back in the microwave and cook on high heat for another 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, also place a glass cup full of water in the microwave and heat it. Take both the chicken bowl and the cup of water out of the microwave.
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Now, add the chopped coriander leaves, green chilies, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, then mix everything together. For extra color, I also added 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder.
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Pour in the hot water and mix again.
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Put the chicken bowl back into the microwave and cook at high temperature for 10 minutes. If necessary, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
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Your Indian-style microwave chicken curry is now ready to serve.
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Now, simply cook some rice in the microwave or on the stove, and you'll have a delightful meal ready to enjoy!
Remember to use microwave-safe gloves every time you place bowls into or remove them from the microwave.
Substitutions and Variations
- I used mustard oil in this recipe; however, if you don't prefer its strong taste, feel free to use any unflavored oil instead.
- Kashmiri red chili powder adds a beautiful color to the chicken curry, but it's completely optional.
- I included green chilies for extra flavor, though you can omit them if you wish.
- While I opted for a basic spice blend for this chicken curry, you can certainly use a pre-made chicken curry powder.
- For a heartier dish, you can also add small pieces of vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, or carrots to the curry.
Equipments for microwave cooking
When choosing dishes, many types of microwave-safe utensils are available, but for a curry, I prefer using a microwave-safe glass bowl. Be careful when selecting cookware for microwave use, as not all items are suitable for microwave cooking.
Storage
You can store this microwave chicken curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days to safely eat later. All you need to do is reheat it!
Top tip
Keep microwave recipes simple. It's difficult to place and remove bowls from the oven repeatedly. Instead, consider how to cook your meals in the microwave effortlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions - Microwave Chicken Curry
Yes, you certainly can cook curry in the microwave! Just choose a simple recipe that doesn't require a lot of stirring or deep-frying.
Absolutely. You can prepare various chicken dishes in the microwave, including chicken curry.
The cooking time depends on your ingredients, especially the protein and vegetables. Generally, a basic chicken curry cooked in the microwave takes about 30 minutes.
Microwave cooking, like other cooking methods, destroys bacteria, making the food safe to eat. However, food might not cook as evenly in a microwave as it would in a regular oven. This uneven cooking can also happen with frying and grilling.
To remove the curry smell, fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and add a few lemon slices or a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat it on high for 3 minutes. The steam will help loosen any stuck-on food and get rid of the odors.
Related Microwave Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Card
Microwave Chicken Curry Recipe | Indian Chicken Curry in Microwave
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken curry-cut with bone
- 100 ml plain yogurt / plain curd
- 2 onions medium
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 green chilies
- 1 bunch coriander leaves
Whole spices for tempering
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 dry red chilli
- 1 teaspoon whole garam masala Don't be fussy, take whatever is available from a basic garam masala mix
Spices and others
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder for color and optional
- 1 teaspoon garam Masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil
Instructions
Marination
- First, take 500g of curry-cut chicken, wash it, and pat it dry.
- Place the chicken in a bowl.
- Add 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, sugar, and salt.
- Also, add 100ml of plain yogurt and mix everything well with the chicken.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon each of ginger paste and garlic paste.
- After mixing, let the chicken marinate for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare your other ingredients.
Prep Work
- Roughly chop two medium-sized onions, a bunch of fresh coriander leaves, and two green chilies.
- Make sure to have microwave gloves ready.
Cooking Microwave Chicken Curry
- Next, get a microwave-safe bowl; a glass bowl works best for cooking chicken curry in the microwave.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of mustard oil into the glass bowl and heat it in the microwave on high for 1 minute.
- Carefully remove the bowl and use a brush to spread the hot oil around.
- Now, add some whole spices to the bowl-I use 1 bay leaf, 2 dried chilies, and 1 teaspoon of whole garam masala, whatever you have on hand-and heat them in the microwave on high for 1 minute.
- Stir the oil mixture with a spoon.
- Add chopped onion and mix.
- Heat this onion mixture in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl, add the marinated chicken, and mix well. Place the bowl back in the microwave and cook on high heat for another 5 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, place a glass cup full of water in the microwave and heat it alongside the chicken.
- Remove both the chicken bowl and the cup from the microwave.
- Now, add the chopped coriander leaves, green chilies, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder, then mix. I also added 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder for color.
- Pour in the hot water and mix again.
- Put the chicken bowl back into the microwave and cook on high heat for 10 minutes.
- If necessary, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Your Indian-style microwave chicken curry is now ready to serve.
- Now, simply cook some rice in the microwave or on the stove, and you'll have a delightful meal ready to enjoy!
Notes
- Remember to always use microwave gloves when placing bowls into and removing them from the microwave.
- I used mustard oil in this recipe, but if you prefer, any unflavored oil will work just as well. Kashmiri red chili powder adds a lovely color to the chicken curry, though it's not essential.
- I included green chilies for extra flavor, but feel free to leave them out if you prefer.
- While I used a basic blend of spices for this chicken curry, you can certainly opt for a readymade chicken curry powder instead.
- You can also enhance this curry by adding small pieces of vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, or carrots.
- Keep microwave recipes simple. It's difficult to repeatedly place and remove dishes from the oven, so consider how to cook your meals easily in the microwave.
- Many kinds of microwave-safe utensils are available. For a dish like curry, I prefer using a microwave-safe glass bowl. Be careful when choosing a utensil for microwave cooking, as not all are suitable.
- You can store this microwave chicken curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days to eat safely. Just reheat it when you're ready!
Nutrition
Have you tried the Microwave Chicken Curry recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Indian Chicken Curry in Microwave recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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