Home / Slow Cooker Recipes / Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

Updated:

Jump to Recipe


Warm curry flavors and coconut milk add flavor and moisture to lean chicken breasts to make this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry recipe a delicious one-pot dish.

Slow cooker chicken curry.

When it comes to preparing moist and delicious dishes using lean chicken breasts, I’ve learned that the slow cooker is your friend! By locking in the moisture and cooking the meat slowly, you always end up with tender and juicy chicken without relying on fat, oil, or extra calories from the skin. My Slow Cooker Chicken Curry is a family favorite, as it’s mild enough for anyone to enjoy! It’s also extremely versatile, so you can change it up to be whatever you like!

Ingredients

  • Chicken breasts: While I prefer lean chicken breasts you can use Chicken thighs or any type of dark meat. The darker meats will boost the flavor!
  • Onion: White onion will add great, strong flavor without adding more sweetness.
  • Sweet potatoes: Mild and sweet, they make the curry filling and hearty.
  • Chickpeas: A great source of protein, and makes the curry more hearty and filling.
  • Coconut milk: A staple in many curries, it adds sweetness to balance out the savory and sometimes spicy flavor.
  • Chicken stock: While you can also use veggie stock, I think chicken stock adds the best flavor to curry.
  • Tomato sauce: Slightly sweet and slightly acidic, you could also use crushed or diced tomatoes if you want your curry more chunky.
  • Curry powder: Different brands have different blends, but it usually consists of cumin, turmeric, ginger, and pepper, but they all add a delicious warmth.
  • Green peas: Added towards the end of cooking, they don’t soften too much to add a great pop as well as fiber and antioxidants.
  • Lemon juice: Bright, acidic flavor that adds freshness to the curry.

How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Start your Slow Cooker Chicken Curry by peeling and chopping up your sweet potatoes, and dicing your onion.

Then add the sweet potato to the bowl of your slow cooker.

Followed by the diced onion.

Then drain and rinse your chickpeas, and add them to the pot.

Next pour in the full-fat coconut milk.

And your chicken or veggie stock.

And the tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.

Next add the curry powder and cayenne.

Then place your raw chicken breasts and season with some salt and pepper.

Using a large spoon or tongs, gently stir until mixed and chicken is coated. Then cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.

During the last couple minutes, add the frozen peas until warmed through and the lemon juice. Then serve over rice, garnish with fresh scallions or cilantro, and enjoy your Slow Cooker Chicken Curry!

Easy substitutions

  • Swap the potatoes: If you aren’t a fan of sweet potatoes, use regular or try something new like Brussels sprouts.
  • Make it vegetarian: Swap the chicken out for extra veggies, or follow the recipe for my vegetarian curry.

Frequently asked questions:

Can you put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Yes you can! And you can even start with frozen breasts, not needing to thaw them ahead of time.

Will coconut milk curdle in slow cooker?

As long as you use a good quality brand, you shouldn’t have to worry about curdling.

Can I make this curry in a instant pot?

Yes you can! Follow the first 2 steps the same, then seal and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. Stir in the peas and lemon juice, until heated through. Then serve!
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

More Slow Cooker Meals

Eat It, Like IT, Share It!

Did you try this slow cooker recipe? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your meal.

Liz eating slow cooker chicken curry.

With so many ways to play with curry, let me know how you decide to serve yours in a commet below!

Your fork is waiting.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

4.37 stars average
Warm curry flavors and coconut milk add flavor and moisture to lean chicken breasts to make this recipe a delicious one-pot dish.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
CourseMain Dish
Serves4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion sliced or diced
  • 15 ounces can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
  • ½ cup full-fat coconut milk light
  • ½ cup chicken stock low sodium
  • 15 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder salt-free
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
  • 1 cup green peas frozen
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • cilantro optional garnish

Instructions
 

  1. In the bottom of the slow cooker, whisk together coconut milk, chicken stock, tomato sauce, curry powder, salt and cayenne.
    1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 15 ounces can tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
  2. Add chicken breasts, onion, chickpeas and sweet potatoes. Using tongs, gently toss ingredients together to ensure evenly coated.
    1 pound boneless, 1 medium onion, 15 ounces can chickpeas, 2 medium sweet potatoes
  3. Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Shred the chicken.
  4. Stir in peas and lemon juice 5 minutes before serving.
    1 cup green peas, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  5. Serve over rice and with plenty of fresh cilantro.
    cilantro

Nutrition

Serving: 2.5cupsCalories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 43.1gProtein: 24.4gFat: 4.7gSaturated Fat: 1.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.8gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 1232mgFiber: 8.6gSugar: 12.2g

Video

Liz’s Notes

Serving Size: 2 1/2 cups
 

Have you tried this?

Let us know how it was!

4.37 from 631 votes (523 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *






This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


459 responses to “Slow Cooker Chicken Curry”

  1. Sarah Garcia Avatar
    Sarah Garcia

    Making this today! Do you put the chicken breast in whole or cubed? Thanks! :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Cubed!! I’ll make a note of that!

  2. Claudia ellis Avatar
    Claudia ellis

    THIS was absolutely fantastic!!!! We loved it! I had pinned this recipe a few months ago and finally got around to making it. I only wish I’d made it sooner! Definitely a keeper and will be making this again and again!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so thrilled to hear it!!

  3. Kylie Avatar
    Kylie

    My family really enjoyed this and the leftovers were even better. I’ll be making this again in the near future, as it is easy and healthy and approved by my 4 and 7 year olds. I used a cut up whole chicken and added carrots for sweetness. Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh that is music to my ears!!

  4. Vic Avatar
    Vic

    Hi there,

    I[m in the UK at the moment. Sometimes, the food names vary which is confusing. What do you mean by ‘tomato sauce’? Is it more a tomato pasta sauce or a tin of pureed tomato (or something of the sort.)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      It is pureed tomato – sorry for the confusion! :)

  5. Dana N Avatar
    Dana N

    I tried this today, and I really liked it – very tasty! I made the recipe as written, but like others have noted, I would add the sweet potatoes at about the halftime mark so they still have a bit of texture to them. Leftovers are my lunch tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to it! :) I might also add carrots or cauliflower next time. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making it often.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      SO glad you enjoyed it!!

  6. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    Made this tonight and it was great. We had a curry mix from a local indian grocery and it was excellent. I added carrots and think next time I will include cauliflower. My husband, who is hard to please, said it was better than any Indian takeout he had had in our town. I recommend seeking out an authentic curry powder!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so thrilled to hear it!! Thanks so much for letting me know!

  7. Krista Avatar
    Krista

    Will the chicken still end up cooked properly if they start frozen?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Definitely!

  8. Michaela Avatar
    Michaela

    Thank-you for this recipe! I have been searching for a slow cooker lighter version of chicken curry and this was perfect! I have a 7 year old that insists she doesn’t like spicy food so I really love how the spice was mild but my husband and I were able to easily spice up our own bowls with a little extra curry and cayenne. My while family loved it and will be eating this regularly!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  9. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    Dear Liz, Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!!! I made it for tonight and my family LOVED it!!! My nephew took seconds which he never does and even my Mother loved it!!! My Father had been requesting Curry chicken for a while and I never made it so I looked up a recipe and there yours was so I gave it a try, the only thing I added was about a tablespoon of Turmeric and a little more lemon juice….it was so yummy, thank you again and God Bless you.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it Kathy!! What a blessing to have kids eating so many nutritious veggies without a fight! I hope you make it again soon!

  10. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Yes, I live with an A/C control freak – he can’t stand to be even a little warm, and when he turns on the window A/C I basically freeze. Our main air conditioner is a swamp cooler, which I like a lot (it works well in the desert).

    This chicken curry sounds excellent. Looking forward to trying it.