This Crockpot Chicken Curry is perfect for the next time you're craving Thai food. One of our favorite healthy meals, this dump and go meal is made with a handful of ingredients that can be found at almost any grocery store. The whole family will love this delicious meal!
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Crockpot recipes and busy days go together like this slow cooker Thai chicken curry goes with coconut jasmine rice. PERFECTLY!
Meet one of my go-to recipes for weekdays.
It is fuss-free. No steps besides chopping prior to throwing everything in the slow cooker. And you can even use frozen vegetables to skip that step. A definite busy day dinner winner!
It is delicious. While I won't make the claim that this recipe is authentic, it is incredibly rich, flavourful and satisfies my Thai restaurant cravings. The lusciously creamy sauce really is the star of the show (as it is in this Thai Curry Pizza as well), especially considering how it is made with no effort.
And it is nutritious. Packed with vegetables, tender chicken and not much else, it is made with wholesome ingredients but is the kind of recipe that you will look forward to eating.
And as a bonus, it makes great leftovers. Make a big batch, pack it up into individual servings and your lunch is prepped for the week. (And maybe a batch of Rice Cooker Coconut Rice to go along with it- truuuust me!) Or freeze it and enjoy it at a later date.
If you've been in a dinner rut, this slow cooker chicken curry is your ticket out!
The Ingredients
- Coconut Milk- Use canned full fat coconut milk for this recipe. I don't recommend using lite coconut milk as the sauce may be too thin.
- Water- We need just a bit of water to achieve the right consistency with the sauce.
- Yellow Thai Curry Paste- Found in the Asian section in most grocery stores, this little jar packs so much flavor! Can't find any? You can try making your own with this easy recipe instead.
- Turmeric
- Fine Sea Salt
- Vegetables- Use 6-8 cups of chopped fresh (or frozen) vegetables. Keep in mind that the cook times for vegetables can be different so chop vegetables such as potatoes or carrots smaller than vegetables such as bell peppers. The day that I photographed it, I used 2 cups each carrots, broccoli, peppers and white onion.
- Spinach- Frozen, thawed and drained spinach can be used in place of fresh.
- Lime Juice- Adds an extra pop of freshness to the sauce! It can be left out if you don't have any on hand.
- Chicken- I usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work as well.
The Method
1. Mix. In the bottom of a large slow cooker or crockpot, mix together the coconut milk, water, curry paste, turmeric and sea salt. Stir in the vegetables. Finally, add the chicken and submerge in the sauce.
2. Slow Cook. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through to 165 F.
3. Cut Chicken. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and dice into bite sized pieces or shred.
4. Finish Sauce. Stir the lime juice and spinach into the crockpot, cover and allow the spinach to wilt for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir to coat.
5. Serve!
Leftovers and Storage
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: This yellow Thai curry can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Rewarm in the microwave until heated through.
Make it Your Own
- Change Up the Veges! This recipe is easily customizable to use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Kale (works great in place of the spinach!)
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Peas (stir in frozen peas in the last 30 minutes)
- Zucchini
- Green Beans
- Baby Corn (drain and add in the last 30 minutes)
- Butternut Squash
- Make it Vegetarian- Omit the chicken. Feel free to add 1 can of chickpeas to up the protein.
- Use a Different Curry Paste- Omit the turmeric and substitute Thai red or green curry paste for a different flavour.
- Add Nut Butter- To make the sauce extra rich and creamy, stir in 2 tablespoon of smooth natural peanut butter, cashew butter or almond butter at the same time as the lime juice.
Serving Ideas
Serve this crockpot Thai chicken curry topped with:
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Sliced green onions
- Toasted chopped nuts
- Lime wedges
And alongside:
- Coconut Rice, white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice
- Or some crusty bread for soaking up the sauce
- Or check out this list of 29 Perfect Ideas for What to Serve with Thai Curry!
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Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon yellow Thai curry paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 cups fresh vegetables such as carrots, onions, broccoli, peppers
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 cups spinach
Instructions
- In the bottom of a 5 quart (5L) or larger slow cooker, mix together the coconut milk, water, curry paste, turmeric and fine sea salt. Stir in the vegetables. Place the chicken in the centre of the sauce and push down to submerge in the sauce.
- Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, dice into bite sized pieces or shred.
- Meanwhile, stir in the lime juice and spinach into the sauce. Cover for a couple of minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker, stir and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Delicious Dinners!
Savita says
Loved this chicken curry, so flavourful and delicious!
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Savita!
gunjan says
We love Thai and so I had to make this recipe. It was the best Thai chicken recipe so far and we loved it so much. Definitely making it again.
Janessa says
Yay, I'm glad you liked this recipe, Gunjan!
Suja md says
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! I went perfect with my dinner meal. So good!
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this slow cooker curry, Suja md!
Shadi says
Love how easy this recipe is. Can’t wait to try it this weekend.thank you for the recipe!
Janessa says
I hope you enjoy this curry, Shadi!
Tayler says
Our favorite Thai restaurant closed, so I can't wait to try this curry for dinner tonight! It's in the slow cooker now and smells amazing!
Janessa says
I hope you love it, Tayler!
Stacie says
Love this recipe. Sooo easy. Unfortunately I had 2 cans of coconut milk. Didn’t realize the difference in the fat content so used the lighter one and the heavy one for the coconut rice. Next time I’ll make sure I use the heavier one in the crockpot. Still delish. Had to use red Thai paste because the store didn’t have yellow. Looking forward to seeing the difference in taste. Will be a go to meal for sure as I can get it all ready the night before and have a hot meal after work. Thanks
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stacie! Thank you for your kind review.
melinda says
The curry was the easiest i have ever made. so nummy and easily changed .i used kale instead of spinach and it turned out great.
Janessa says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Melinda! Thank you for your kind review.