If you're craving curry, but getting takeout doesn't fit into your plans for the week, try making it at home instead! This Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken combines your favorite curry spices and coconut milk with fresh veggies and peanut butter to make the most delicious comfort meal!
Don't be intimidated to try making your favorite Thai-inspired meals at home. This crock pot coconut curry chicken recipe makes it so easy to expand your kitchen skills, without spending hours at the stove. The whole family can enjoy a favorite meal any night of the week without leaving home. Plus, the flavors are mild, so everyone can enjoy it!
If you like this chicken curry recipe, you will love my Thai peanut chicken and crockpot chicken tikka masala too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Curry, Made Simple: Making curry at home may seem intimidating, but with this crock pot curry, it's incredibly easy. The result is a delicious Thai-inspired homemade meal.
- Flavors the Whole Family Will Enjoy: This recipe makes a delicious curry, that's not overly spicy or complex to the point that kids won't eat it. They may surprise you and gobble this curry up! For more family-friendly Asian flavors, try this Crock Pot Sesame Chicken next!
- Perfect Way to Expand Your Weekly Meal Plans: If you've been looking for a way to expand your cooking regime, this Thai coconut curry chicken is a great way to spice things up. The crock pot keeps it easy, but the flavors make it exciting.
Ingredients
- Onion + Garlic: Aromatics add depth and flavor to every curry dish. They taste even better sautéed before adding them to the crock pot.
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a little fattier and taste richer than chicken breasts. They are ideal for this crockpot chicken curry, though you could also use boneless, skinless breasts.
- Peanut Butter: Smooth peanut butter will help thicken the curry sauce and add a nutty flavor to the dish.
- Curry Paste: This paste is a flavorful blend of ginger, shallot, chiles, garlic, and spices that helps give this curry its flavor.
- Coconut Milk: Every curry needs coconut milk to make it creamy and a little sweet.
- Vegetables: A red bell pepper adds more sweetness and a little color to the dish and russet potatoes make it heartier and helps thicken the sauce.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Make It Vegetarian: Make a vegetarian coconut curry by skipping the chicken thighs and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can add chickpeas and extra veggies to bulk it up. Cook on high for 1½ - 2½ hours for a vegetarian curry.
- Add More Vegetables: Whether you make a vegetarian version or you use chicken, you can always add more vegetables to this dish. Try sweet potatoes, peas, spinach, or chickpeas.
- Make It Nut-Free: If you want a nut-free curry, skip the peanut butter and use half the amount of vegetable broth. Skipping the peanut butter will make the sauce thinner, but it still tastes amazing.
- Try Adding Mango: If you want to make your curry a little sweet, try adding fresh or frozen mango. You could also stir in a cup or so of mango chutney for extra flavor.
How to Make Coconut Curry Chicken in the Crock Pot
This slow cooker chicken curry with coconut milk is a great way to experiment with homemade curry, even when you don't have time to cook. Dump the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook while you finish up your day.
- Step 1: Chop the Vegetables. Chop carrots, onion, and potatoes into bite-size pieces and add them to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Then, place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Make the Sauce. Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and red curry paste until well blended. Pour the sauce into the crock pot.
- Step 3: Cover and Cook. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2½ - 3½ hours or on low for 4-5 hours.
- Step 4: Add the Coconut Milk. Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and chop into bite-size pieces or shred. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch until there are no lumps to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce.
- Add the Chicken and Peppers. Stir the chicken back into the curry sauce and add the red bell peppers.
- Step 6: Cook the slow cooker curry chicken for an additional 15-30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken before serving. Serve crock pot Thai chicken curry over a scoop of slow cooker white rice with crushed peanuts and cilantro on top.
Expert Tips
- Saute the Garlic and Onions: Garlic, onions, and ginger are called aromatics because, as they cook, they release aromas and flavors. This adds an extra step but sauteing them in oil may make the crock pot curry chicken base more flavorful.
- Use Fresh Ginger: Substitute 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger or ginger paste for the powdered ginger and add it with the garlic and onions to build a more robust flavor.
- Use Room Temperature Coconut Milk: To prevent the coconut milk from curdling, be sure to use a can of full-fat coconut milk. Set it out on the counter to ensure it is room temperature and vigorously shake it before using it to make the slurry.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze leftovers for up to two months but the coconut milk may be a bit grainy when thawed.
- Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave in 60-second intervals until it is heated through, or warm it on the stove over medium heat. You can add a little more coconut milk if it is dry while reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Skip the takeout from your local Indian or Thai restaurant and try your hand at making curry at home. This easy slow cooker coconut curry chicken is the perfect hearty meal for a busy weeknight, and the flavors are mild enough that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy it!
- If you don't want to add carrots to the curry, serve glazed carrots and crock pot Brussels sprouts as a side dish.
- Garlic naan, pita bread, or even crock pot focaccia go well with curry because they help you soak up all of the tasty sauce!
- Make this a full Asian-inspired feast by serving it with copycat PF Chang's lettuce wraps in the slow cooker and teriyaki meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
If you use a light coconut milk or don't use canned full-fat coconut milk, your curry may be a little thin. You can thicken it by making another cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water stirred into the sauce.
It will just take a while! You'll need to season the chicken and cook it first. Then saute the aromatics and add the other ingredients. Once the potatoes and carrots are slightly tender, add the chicken back in, and pour in the coconut milk slurry. Allow the sauce to thicken and serve.
If you can't find red curry paste, you can substitute tomato paste and curry seasoning. The curry powder is a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek, which are similar seasonings to those in the curry paste.
More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes
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Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced into ⅛-inch thick rounds
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon ground tummeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup red curry paste
- 2 (13.66 ounce) cans coconut milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and sliced
- ½ cup roasted peanuts chopped
Instructions
- Add carrots, onion, and potatoes to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Then place chicken thighs on top.
- In a bowl, add chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, salt, and red curry paste. Whisk until combined and pour over chicken and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½-3½ hours or low for 4-5 hours.
- Remove chicken and let cool enough to chop into bite-sized pieces or shred with two forks.
- In a bowl, add coconut milk and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. Then, add chicken, coconut slurry, and red bell peppers into the crock pot. Mix until well combined. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice and garnish with chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Be sure to use a can of well-shaken, full-fat, room-temperature coconut milk to prevent separation and curdling.
- Substitute red curry paste for tomato paste and curry seasoning if you have trouble finding it at your local grocery store.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze for up to two months but the coconut milk may become grainy when thawed.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
The flavor is so good and it is so easy to make.