Chicken Saag (Chicken and Spinach Curry)

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This Chicken Saag recipe is delightfully fresh, earthy and intensely flavorful. Made with fresh ground spices, spinach and a creamy coconut curry sauce, this recipe is both flavorful and easy to make!

Don't be intimidated by the large ingredient list, this is an incredibly easy recipe to make. And the smell while it's cooking it's just pure heaven - almost as good as the smell of this Instant Pot Chicken Curry (also ultra easy to make), Instant Pot Chicken Curry Soup or this Butternut Squash Curry (a vegetarian favorite).

All those spices together with juicy chicken thighs and a creamy spinach sauce is just LIFE. It's so good and even better, it's on the table in 30 minutes.

Perfect for busy weeknights...AND to top it off, chicken saag is packed full of protein and nutrients. What more can you ask for?

Well...maybe an Instant Pot curry like this Instant Pot Chana Masala. It's even easier to make than this recipe!

Serve it over top of some basmati rice, this amazing Coconut Rice and/or with some naan bread. You can even serve it with a raita (yogurt sauce) to counteract the heat a bit.

Don't forget to check out the chicken saag story!

What is Saag?

Chicken saag is a leaf based dish made with a mixture of spices served with bread such as naan or roti.  The dish is most commonly made with spinach, however, can also be made with chopped broccoli, mustard greens, or collard greens, and often includes paneer (an un-aged non-melting cheese).

Ingredients

Like I said, don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients. It's mainly just spices that are toasted then ground together. It's easy! Most of the spices (if not all) can be found at your local grocery store. I also included links to buy them at my favorite online spice shop (The Spice House) in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

I do HIGHLY recommend buying fresh spices to use as it makes a difference to the overall flavor of the dish.

Even better, make your own garam masala AND your own homemade ghee for an amazing flavor!

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are used in this recipe. I do recommend using high quality free range as there is a difference in flavor. Chicken breasts can be substituted, but I much prefer the thighs as they stay tender and juicy.

Full fat coconut milk is an absolute must when making this dish. The lite yields watery, less rich results.

I use frozen spinach because it's easy and convenient. I recommend using the frozen as you will need to cook the fresh before using it so it releases it's excess water.

The full list of ingredients and quantities is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Step By Step Instructions

Thaw and drain the frozen spinach and squeeze out any excess water. Combine spinach, chilies, cilantro and ½ cup water in blender or food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.

Toast the whole spices (excluding the bay leaf) in a sauté pan on medium low heat until fragrant. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Toss occasionally to ensure they don't burn.

Remove the spices from the skillet and grind with mortar and pestle OR a spice grinder. Combine with remaining ground spices and set aside.

Cut the chicken thighs into quarters and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. The pieces will still be larger than a bite, but that's ok as it helps keep it moist and tender.

Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thigh pieces for 3 minutes on each side; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium, add the green onions, garlic and ginger to the sauté pan and cook until they soften, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the ground spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to ensure they don't burn.

Stir in the salt, tomatoes, tomato paste and coconut milk.

Add the browned chicken thighs to the pan and pour the spinach mixture over top.

Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Use a thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 160F degrees. 

Add additional salt to taste and serve with basmati rice, Coconut Rice and/or naan bread.

Make it a meal by serving it accompanied with these Indian inspired dishes:

• Cranberry Chutney or Apple Chutney
• Indian Fried Chicken
• Tandoori Chicken Pizza
• Whole Roasted Indian Chicken

Expert Tips

• Be sure to squeeze out ALL the excess water you can from the spinach so you can control the water content.
• If the spinach sauce is too thick, add additional water until it is blendable.
• When browning the chicken, let it cook without disturbing it to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
• Use a large covered skillet so the pan won't be overcrowded.
• Use a thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160F degrees.
• To make it spicier, add 1-2 sliced jalapenos or ½ to 1 teaspoon more of chili powder.
• You can make this dish vegetarian by substituting tofu or paneer for the chicken.

This dish is actually incredible made in advance as it gives time for the flavors to meld together. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in t a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or in the microwave.

Did you make this chicken saag? Rate it and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!

This recipe was originally published in March 2017. It has been updated for photos and content. 

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