Curry Chicken Wings

Jump to Recipe

I call this South Indian style recipe curry chicken wings because it’s an idea a came across while visiting Kerala in Southern India. There and, as I found on other trips all over India, cheaper cuts like wings are often used to make complete curries. Sure, more expensive cuts like breast and thigh are preferred in the west but I promise you, you are going to love this curry chicken wings recipe.

It might be a bit more difficult to eat but you can make it at a fraction of the cost of curries made with other cuts and it is just as good if not better.

About This Curry Chicken Wings Recipe

I have personally tried many South Indian curries like this curry chicken wings recipe. This curry has a lot of the most popular flavours from southern India in it.

This is a recipe you can literally make in 30 minutes or less and it will be just as good as any curry you find at restaurants in Goa and Kerala!

Using chicken wings in the curry is popular all over India. That and a mix of chicken wings and other small cuts of chicken. In India the skin is often removed from the chicken wings. I don’t recommend doing this because it’s not easy and very time consuming. That said, most Indian grocers and butchers will be able to sell you skinless chicken wings if you are eating light.

Ingredients

Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this curry chicken wings recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the recipe card at the end of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin.

See recipe card for quantities.

Coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil
Black mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Kashmiri chillies
2Fresh or frozen curry leaves
Onions
Green finger chillies, finely chopped
Garlic and ginger paste
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Kashmiri chilli powder
Chicken wings
Thick coconut milk
Garam masala
Juice of one to two limes
Salt to taste.

Step by step photos

Below, you’ll see step-by-step photographs to guide you through this curry chicken wings recipe. At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find the full recipe card, which includes the complete list of ingredients and written instructions in an easy, printable format.

Infusing the mustard seeds into the hot oil in a wok.

Step 1: Heat a pan, karahi or wok over a high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, stir in the mustard seeds.

Adding the dried chillies, cumin seeds and curry leaves to the pan to infuse their flavour into the oil.

Step 2: When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the cumin seeds, dried Kashmiri chillies and the curry leaves. Fry, stirring regularly for about a minute.

Stirring the ground spices into the onion mixture.

Step 3: Stir the ground spices into the fried onion mixture. Be careful not to burn the spices. Take the pan off the heat if needed.

Stirring in the garlic and ginger paste.

Step 4: Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and let it all sizzle for about 30 seconds. Then add the chicken wings and stir them into this base masala.

Browning the chicken in the onion and spice mixture.

Step 5:

Adding just enough water to cover and cook the chicken.

Step 6: Add just enough water to cover and simmer the chicken until cooked through. About 250 to 500ml (1 to 2 cups) should do.

Step 7: Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering to cook the sauce down and thicken it to your preference.

Step 8: Stir in the garam masala and add lime juice and salt to taste. Serve hot with white rice or flatbreads.

Variations

There are of course many variations of this dish. Here are a few popular options:

Spicy: The curry is already quite spicy but you can make it South Indian HOT by adding more chillies and chilli powder.
Deluxe: Go ahead and use bite sized pieces of thigh or breast meat. On the bone is best. The chicken wings on the bone made a delicious sauce which is partly down to bone-in chicken meat.
Kid friendly: Leave the chillies and chilli powder out. You could replace them with bell peppers and sweet paprika. The flavour will still be good and it will be mild enough for the kids.

Useful Equipment

Curry chicken wings is an easy, one pan recipe. You don’t need any special equipment but the following might come in handy.

A wok or karahi: Although a frying pan will do, using a wok or karahi will make cooking easier as this is a quick stir fry.

A spatula: A good spatula will be useful for helping to stir the ingredients. If using a non-stick pan, be sure to use either plastic or wooden spatulas.

A Chefs Knife: For finely chopping the onion and chillies.

What do you serve with Curry Chicken Wings?

Other Curries: If you are serving a group, why not make a few other popular South Indian style curries like Chicken Chettindad, Goan Chicken Curry, Kuzhambu Chicken Curry, Goan Chicken Vindaloo, Chicken 65, Kerala Lamb Curry, Kerala Fish Curry,

Rice Dishes: All of these side dishes will go great with dahi chicken curry - Steamed Basmati Rice, Boiled Basmati Rice, Pilau Rice, Mushroom Fried Rice

Breads: Tandoori Naans, Tandoori Roti Chapatis Spiced Chapatis, Stovetop Naans

Dals: Chana Dal, Tarka Dal, Spinach Dal, Dal Makhani

Storage and Reheating

Like most curries, curry chicken wings can be made ahead of time and stored in your fridge or freezer. The flavour actually gets better the day after you make it.

Fridge: Keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: You can freeze this curry for up to 3 months. The texture of the coconut in the sauce might change a little. If batch cooking, add the coconut milk after you defrost the curry to reheat it.
Reheating: Defrost completely and then reheat in a pan over a medium heat until hot. You can use a microwave but you’ll get better results using a pan.

Top Tip

Watch and Stir! Curry chicken wings is a quick stir fry. Before adding the water and coconut milk, be sure to watch it carefully and stir regularly so that you don’t burn the spices. If needed, add a drop of water to cool the pan down.

FAQ

Can you use dried curry leaves?

I get asked this question a lot. I don’t recommend using dried curry leaves. They have next to no flavour. Use fresh or frozen. I often purchase lots of curry leaves and freeze them so that I always have them on hand. They will freeze well for up to 3 months.

Can this recipe be made with other cuts of chicken?

Yes. This recipe is an example of how good a curry can be using cheap chicken wings. Feel free to use more expensive cuts. The sauce is also good with other proteins such as prawns and lamb.

Is this curry chicken wings recipe spicy?

As it’s written, it is spicy but not overly so. When you cook yourself, however, you can decide how spicy it is by adding more or less chilli powder and fresh chillies.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with curry chicken wings:

Have you tried this curry chicken wings recipe?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.

Yield: 4

This recipe demonstrates how good a curry can be even when using cheaper cuts of chicken like wings. Give this a try. The sauce goes well with any cut of chicken.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 dried Kashmiri chillies
20 fresh or frozen curry leaves
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 green finger chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
15 to 20 chicken wings
200ml (3/4 cup) thick coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala
Juice of one to two limes
Salt to taste.

Instructions

Heat a pan, karahi or wok over a high heat and add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, stir in the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the cumin seeds, dried Kashmiri chillies and the curry leaves. Fry, stirring regularly for about a minute.
Add the chopped onions and fry for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Stir the ground spices into the fried onion mixture. Be careful not to burn the spices. Take the pan off the heat if needed.Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and chopped chillies and let it all sizzle for about 30 seconds.
Then add the chicken wings and stir them into this base masala. Brown the chicken for a couple of minutes while stirring often.
Add must enough water to cover and bring to a simmer. Let the chicken simmer for about 5 minutes or until cooked through.
Stir in the coconut milk and again bring to a simmer. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt to taste to serve.