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(This post has been updated from the original September 2018 version to provide a better experience for you)
This incredible slow cooker chicken curry recipe is SO easy to make it will blow your mind! Just like myslow cooker meatballs recipe,you don’t need to precook anything. There’s almost zero chopping to do and minimal pots to wash as well! Read on to learn everything you need to know to make this slow cooker chicken curry perfect for your family!
Face it, you know you’re onto a winner. This is a great, time saving, family recipe that is perfect for batch cooking and ideal for freezing! In actual fact, it tastes even better after being frozen.
It would also make a great addition to a weekly midweek meal plan. Slow cooker recipes always do!
There’s something so wonderful about being able to switch on the slow cooker, go to work, then come home to a barrage of delightful aromas! This slow cooker chicken curry is no exception. The positives to this recipe are endless…
What makes slow cooker chicken curry so good?
- There’s NO precooking required. I repeat – NO precooking required!
- The prep will take you no more than 10 minutes maximum.
- It’s a great batch cook recipe.
- You can freeze it in portions for another day. (When it actually tastes even better!)
- There’s hardly any pots to wash.
- It needs the bare minimum of chopping – a food processor does almost ALL the work.
- It’s much healthier than shop bought.
- There are no preservatives, additives or added sugars.
- It’s perfect for getting vegetables into fussy eaters.
- Set it and forget it!
- It’s easy to adjust the heat/spice level for your family’s tastes.
- No need to buy lots of expensive herbs and spices that you’ll never use again!
If you’re trying to keep things even healthier though, my slow cooker vegetarian chili, and slow cooker vegetable curry recipes are exactly that and more.
I freeze individual portions and take them to work in a flask. It’s feels SO good having a healthy hot lunch in Winter!
And if I’m in the mood, I make some super easy no yeast flat bread. As it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish and makes a great accompaniment!
Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?
Yes, absolutely! That’s exactly what I do in this recipe. No need for precooking – just dice, season and place at the bottom of the slow cooker and it will be perfectly cooked at the end of the cooking time.
How do I thicken curry sauce in a slow cooker?
This is very simple to do. One hour before the cooking time has ended, mix corn flour and water together then gently stir this through the curry. Cook for the final 1 hour and your curry sauce should have thickened up nicely.
While you’re waiting, why not make your own 2 ingredient naan bread to go with it?!
Is it ok to put coconut milk in a slow cooker?
I have done this many times and never come across a negative side effect. We use coconut cream in this recipe but I have also made it with coconut milk (you can substitute the cream for 400ml of coconut milk) and it worked like a charm!
Ingredients and substitutions
Here’s everything you might need to know about the ingredients needed to make easy slow cooker chicken curry.
- Chicken – Skinless and boneless make your life a lot easier in this recipe. Don’t worry if there are little pieces of fat on the chicken, that will only add to the flavour.
- Onion – A regular medium white onion is perfect. I wouldn’t substitute this for other types of onion.
- Garlic – Always use nice large garlic cloves!! If you only have small, consider adding an extra clove for more flavour.
- Pepper – A large firm green pepper works best. At a push you could use a different colour pepper but it will affect the flavour.
- Tomato Puree – Any kind will work really. The tubes and cans all contain the same sort of thing.
- Coconut Cream – This is key for a luscious creamy sauce. I found mine at Sainsburys but, if you’re struggling, you could swap it for 400ml of coconut milk.
- Curry Powder – This is down to personal preference. I used a mild Asda own brand as my whole family enjoy the flavour. So use one your family like the taste of!
- Corn Flour – Simply used to thicken up your sauce towards the end of the cooking time.
Recipe tips and troubleshooting
Not made a slow cooker chicken curry before? Fear not! Here’s some tips to help you along the way.
- Make sure you season the chicken before switching on your slow cooker. It’s a little thing that can make a HUGE difference to the taste!
- Want to add more veg? You absolutely can! Just discard any peel, seeds or inedibles etc before tossing into the food processor.
- I highly recommend using coconut cream instead of milk. However, if you can only find milk – just use 400ml (1 + 2/3 Cup) so the curry doesn’t become too runny.
- Don’t be alarmed by the pale colour of the sauce before cooking. It will become darker as it cooks.
- If freezing, allow to cool completely before dividing between plastic containers/freezer bags. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before heating again. Use within 1 month of being frozen.
- Don’t like waste? Freeze in individual portions so nothing ever has to go in the bin.
- Want even more flavour? Try using chicken thighs instead of breasts. They’re cheaper and have a higher fat content – which is where all the best flavour comes from!
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Slow cooker beef massaman curry
- Slow cooked sausage casserole with beans
- Slow cooker jacket potatoes
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to serve 6.
- 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, diced
- 1 x Onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 x Garlic Cloves, peeled
- 1 x Green Pepper, deseeded and quartered
- 1 x 140g (5 oz) Tin of Tomato Puree
- 500ml (2 Cups) Coconut Cream *
- 2 tsp Salt + Extra for seasoning
- 3 tbsp Curry Powder
- 2 tbsp Corn Flour
- 2 tbsp Water
- Chopped Coriander and Fresh Red Chilli, to serve (Optional)
*I found coconut cream at Sainsbury’s. Ifyou can’t source it, coconut milk is fine as a substitute but only use 400ml (1 + 2/3 Cup).
Essential equipment
- 3.5 litre Slow Cooker
- Food Processor
Slow cooker chicken curry instructions
First, dice the skinless boneless chicken (1 kg | 2 lb 2 oz) into evenly sized pieces (about 1 inch/2.5 cm) and place it into the bottom of the slow cooker. Season well with salt, mixing it around to ensure every piece is included.
Then place the onion (x 1 peeled and quartered), garlic (x 3 cloves peeled), green pepper (1 x deseeded and quartered), tomato puree (1 x 140g | 5 oz), coconut cream (500ml | 2 Cups), salt (2 tsp) and curry powder (3 tbsp) into a food processor.
Don’t like hot curries? Only use 2 tbsp of curry powder. Like it hot? Increase it to 4 tbsp. You could also add some chilli flakes. Somewhere in the middle? Stick to 3 tbsp.
Then give it a good blitz until everything is nice and smooth.
Perfect! Now pour the sauce over the chicken but don’t mix it. We want that chicken to stay near the bottom of the slow cooker for a bit so just leave it as it is and pop the lid on.
Wow, that was 10 mins of serious hard work right?! (Haha that’s what we’ll tell everyone else anyway!) Now it’s time to switch your slow cooker on low and leave it for 5 hours. Tic toc tic toc…
But Emma, your timer says 6 hours – why is that?
Well. After 5 hours is up, there’s still 1 hour left of cooking but we need to do something before we can finish. It’s looking a little watery right now isn’t it? Let’s see if we can fix that. Take the corn flour (2 tbsp) and mix it with the cold water (2 tbsp) until completely dissolved. Pour it into the slow cooker and give everything a really good (but gentle) stir.
That should help thicken things up a bit! Pop the lid back on, restart your timer at 1 hour and wait for the finish line…
Is the timer beeping? I bet your house smells amazing round about now doesn’t it? Well it should, because we’re done. Hurrah!
Serving and storing suggestions
You can serve it straight away with some pilau rice, scattered with a little chopped coriander and red chilli.
Or you can allow it to cool completely, and freeze in portions for a later date. (Refer to recipe tips section earlier in the post for freezing advice.)
Loved this recipe? Pin it!
CRAZY Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry - Printable Recipe
Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
With NO precooking required, minimal pots, minimal prep and incredible results - this tasty slow cooker chicken curry recipe is one you need in your armoury!
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb 2 oz) Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, diced
- 1 x Onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 x Garlic Cloves, Peeled
- 1 x Green Pepper, deseeded and quartered
- 1 x 140g (5 oz) Tin of Tomato Puree
- 500ml (2 Cups) Coconut Cream *
- 2 tsp Salt + Extra for seasoning
- 3 tbsp Curry Powder
- 2 tbsp Corn Flour
- 2 tbsp Water
- Chopped Coriander and Fresh Red Chilli, To Serve (Optional)
Essential Equipment
- 3.5 litre Slow Cooker
- Food Processor
Instructions
- Put the diced chicken into your slow cooker and season well with salt.
- Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, tomato puree, coconut cream, salt and curry powder to a food processor. Blitz until nice and smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken (don't stir!) and put the lid on. Cook on low for 5 hours.
- Stir the corn flour into the cold water, and pour into the curry. Mix well, but gently, so as to not break up the chicken. Cook for 1 more hour.
- Give it a final astir, then serve immediately with rice. Sprinkle over some chopped coriander and chilli if you like.
Notes
*Coconut cream is best for flavour and thickness. However, you can substitute for 400ml of coconut milk instead.
Don't like hot curries? Only use 2 tbsp of curry powder. Like it hot? Increase it to 4 tbsp. You could also add some chilli flakes. Somewhere in the middle? Stick to 3 tbsp.
You can also cool completely, divide into individual portions and freeze for a later date. Defrost thoroughly before reheating and use within 1 month of freezing.
See the main post for a more detailed, step by step picture recipe.
Be sure to read the sections Ingredients and Substitutions and Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting for lots of helpful information before you begin making this recipe. You can find them in the main body of this post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 790Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1275mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 4gSugar: 58gProtein: 60g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.
Have you made this recipe?
Have you made this glorious slow cooker chicken curry? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagramor email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
