CRAZY Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry 6 hrs 10 mins 6
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This incredible slow cooker chicken curry recipe is SO easy to make it will blow your mind! Just like my slow 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.
It's the same with this air fryer chicken curry too.
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 + ⅔ 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)
Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.
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 teaspoon Salt + Extra for seasoning
- 3 tablespoon Curry Powder
- 2 tablespoon Corn Flour
- 2 tablespoon Water
- Chopped Coriander and Fresh Red Chilli, to serve (Optional)
*I found coconut cream at Sainsbury's. If you can't source it, coconut milk is fine as a substitute but only use 400ml (1 + ⅔ 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 tablespoon 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.)
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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe
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 teaspoon Salt + Extra for seasoning
- 3 tablespoon Curry Powder **
- 2 tablespoon Corn Flour
- 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon 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.
If you would rather use a more in depth picture recipe, please see the main body of this post. Where you’ll also find lots of extra FAQs and helpful tips, should you need them.
Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.
Storage
If you're not eating immediately, you can cool completely, divide into individual portions and freeze for a later date. Defrost thoroughly before reheating, and use within 1 month of freezing.
Tips
- 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 + ⅔ 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!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount 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 Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
Other tasty slow cooker chicken recipes
Emma is a British recipe writer, home cook, and founder of Kitchen Mason. For over 15 years, she has been creating simple, comforting recipes and practical kitchen tips that help tired, everyday people make dinner feel easier and more enjoyable again. Passionate about British home cooking, Emma shares reliable recipes, comforting classics, and realistic kitchen guidance designed for real life. Her work has also been featured in publications including Food Network, Cosmopolitan, and The Huffington Post.
Knowledgeable On: British home cooking, Easy dinner ideas, Comfort food recipes, Recipe writing
Hi, i was wondering i dont have a food processor, can i use a normal blender?
Hi Nicki. Yep! That should do the trick too 🙂 Emma x
Hi I made this yesterday and it was very tasty but my sauce came out too thick and it wasn’t the creamy sauce that I wanted. I was going to add some liquid near the end but didn’t want to make it watery. Any suggestions?
Hi Lisa. If the sauce wasn't as thin or creamy as you like, you can absolutely stir something like yoghurt or double cream through near the end. (Don't forget to check your seasoning after though!) If it ends up being a little too thin as a result - you can always let it simmer with the lid off for a bit to reduce the sauce. Hope this helps! Emma x
I did actually add double cream towards the end and then left it for 1 more hour but I felt that thickens it even more? Unless I need to add it right at the end before serving?
Hi Lisa. Hmmm, in that case maybe you could try using single cream instead? It's much thinner than double cream but still adds a creaminess to the overall flavour. Emma x
Hi Emma,
Yes it was single cream not sure if I used too much coconut cream. I used 200? As was only making for 2 of us?
If you reduced the coconut milk did you reduce all the other ingredients to the same ratio? If not, that could be what caused it. (i.e. might have been too much corn flour.)
This recipe ends up tasting exactly like Sherwood's Tikka cooking sauce, so props for creating a homemade version of a commercial product.
Unfortunately, Sherwood's taste rubbish and so does this recipe. All this recipe makes is an overly tomato and onion tasting sauce.
I really have no idea what everyone in this comments section is raving about, this is just a very bland and mediocre recipe which left me extremely disappointed to waste 1 kg of chicken on it.
Hi Simon. As you can see from the other comments, lots of people have really enjoyed this recipe. I'm so sorry that you don't feel the same way. One of the most wonderful things about cooking is that everyone's tastes are different, which leads to some great experimenting in the kitchen! If you have any suggestions on how this recipe could be improved I'd love to hear them. It's all part of the fun of cooking 🙂 Emma x
One word, AMAZING! Simple to put together and a massive hit with my children which is always a winner for me!
Thanks so much!
Hi Annemarie. Thank you SO much for your lovely comment! You’ve honestly made my day 🙂 Emma x
Afternoon, just wanted to say I’m currently making this recipe as I write and my kitchen smells delicious. Just wanted to note I got bit a confused with “tin of purée” .... between tinned tomato’s and purée lol (I’m also from the UK) and tomato purée I've only seen in squeezable tubes. So bought a Tin of tomatoes then used tomatoe purée I already had. Oh and why if from UK not use our metrics ie tablespoons and such I always run my searches on UK as don’t know “cups” metrics ... bit old fashioned I guess lol but thanks for the recipe as love trying different things with the slow cooker than just casseroles and stews. Thank you
Hi Rob. Glad your kitchen is smelling amazing! I'm from Nottingham and I can get both tins and tubes of tomato puree - it's all the same stuff so you've done the right thing there. As for ingredient measurements - I add both UK metric AND US cups/oz to my recipes so everyone can use them. If you look a little more closely you'll see that our standard UK measurements are there 🙂 Hope it turns out great for you! Emma x
I love this recipe! I've used it a few times now and I love how easy it is and so delicious! Thanks so much for sharing. Out of interest, why is it important to not stir the chicken once the sauce has been added on top? Obviously this worked out great so wanting to understand why in case I should be doing this with all my slow cooker recipes! Thanks 🙂
Hi Sarah. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely comment! I’m SO happy you love my recipe 🙂 The reason I leave it on the bottom is, that’s the hottest part of a slow cooker. So anything you place there will absorb the most heat. In other recipes I usually place any items that take the longest to cook there, so it’s kind of become habit! Hope that makes sense? Emma x
Thanks so much for your reply and getting back to me so quickly! That's really helpful - thanks! x
You’re so very welcome Sarah! Emma x
Your recipes always look so delicious!
Aww thank you so much Julia!! Emma x
Thanks for this recipe. I can't wait to try it but I am confused with the coconut cream. Goya makes coconut cream but it has sugar in it. Is that the correct product or should I use coconut milk (just less)? Thanks for your help.
Hi Denise. In all honesty, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed whether the coconut cream I use has sugar in it or not! It’s down to your personal preference really. If you decide to use coconut milk instead, only use 400ml so it doesn’t make the curry too runny. Thanks! Emma x
I am not sure where you live-this is my first time to your website and this dish looks yummy. I agree with Denise-in the USA there is a HUGE difference between coconut cream and coconut milk. The cream is very thick and EXTREMELY sweet-used mostly in sweet tropical drinks like pina coladas, etc. or in desserts. It is coconut flavored sweetened condensed milk here. Is it possible you include a photo of the brand you are using? I find it hard that you would use 2 cups of what Denise and I are referring to. It would make your dish inedible because of the sweetness. I would never use 2 cups of coconut cream in a drink or a dessert but am very interested in making your recipe. Thank you.
Hi Vickie. I’m based in the UK - here, we can get little cartons of coconut cream which is quite a thin, unsweetened liquid. If you can’t find anything similar where you are based, you can always switch it for 14oz (400ml) coconut milk instead which should yield a similar and equally delicious result 🙂 Hope that helps? Emma x
Thanks Emma can’t wait to make! If I’m short on time, how long would you recommend cooking it on high?
Hi Morgan. Hmmm, if I was in a pinch, I’d try 3 hours on high then 30-40 mins for the corn flour to thicken it. Make sure you check that the chicken is cooked before you serve it though as I’ve not tested this theory! Emma x
Perfect, that’s what I was thinking too. Thanks!
I made this yesterday, first time making a curry from scratch. A bit too salty for me so I will use less next time! Thank-you for sharing it!
Hi Ceri. Everyone has different tastes, especially when it comes to salt! (My husband always adds more salt to my cooking!) I'm so happy you enjoyed it though 🙂 Emma x
What is that beautiful rice underneath?
Hi Sue. From memory I think it was basmati 🙂 Emma x
Should the curry powder be added in step 2? Many thanks.
Absolutely! Thank you for spotting that one - I've added it in now 🙂 Emma x
Hi there, thanks for reply. Doubled up recipe, it was lovely, and cooked, enough left to freeze. Just left it on warm after it was cooked until needed. I used a 6.5 slow cooker. Will use recipe again. Many thanks
You’re very welcome Dawn, Glad it worked out well for you! Emma x
Hi there have just done your curry recipe and doing a double up presume it still only takes 6 hours. Looks lovely. Thank
Hi Dawn. I’ve personally never doubled it so not sure - just check that the chicken is cooked through at the end of the cooking time to be certain before serving. Emma x
This recipe sounds amazing! I really want to try making this with shrimp and maybe scallops - any tips?? 🙂
Aww thank you Racheal! I've not actually tried it with shrimp or scallops. I feel like shrimp/scallops would cook a little faster than chicken though so I'd possibly reduce the cooking time a little. Emma x
I'm a "some like it hot" kind of person! I can't wait to try this!
I love that you're excited about my recipe Susan! Thank you so much for sharing this with me 🙂 Emma x
Hi there .... it’s currently cooking, smells amazing! I halved everything as there is only 2 of us! Assume it won’t take so long to cook? I also popped in some mushroom and sweet pepper in with the chicken ... hope it works ok!
Thank you for sharing the recipe
Jo xx
Hi Jo, that's wonderful! I'm so happy you've enjoyed my recipe and your additions sound delicious too! Thank you for your kind words 🙂 Emma x
I need to make this for 9 people..... which includes 5 hungry men.... so could I just double everything??
Hi Katie. I would absolutely double it! If you have any leftovers, you can always freeze them for a later date anyway. Always better to have more than less in my opinion. Just make sure you have a large enough slow cooker. Emma x