Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry
Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry is one of the easiest meals to make and is so tasty. Curry paste, coconut milk, and ginger add a ton of flavor to this healthy, low-cal, and paleo + gluten-free dinner. Your family will LOVE it!
Friends! It's crockpot time again! This magical pot of cook-my-food-for-me has become a staple around here. Most days I wonder how the heck I lived without one for so long.
Remember back when I thought that crock pots were the domain of frazzled, minivan driving house moms? Boy, was I wrong! They belong to us all. Frazzled moms, cool moms, single dudes, suburban folks, city folks, country folks … crockpots are bringing us all together.
Seriously, what's not to love about quickly throwing a few ingredients in a pot and then coming back for dinner. It's. The. Best.
That's what this crockpot Thai chicken curry is all about. You literally put a couple of ingredients into the pot then come back 4 hours later for dinner. Read: easiest dinner ever!
Video: How to make Thai Chicken Curry {1 min}
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I have to tell you … making this crockpot Thai chicken curry was a little funny for me. I never put meat in Thai curry. Never ever. There're always lots of veggies, sometimes tofu, but never meat. This was a first.
The odd time when I've ordered curry with meat at a restaurant, the meat always ends up being kind of tough and disappointing. Not here. No way. The crockpot pulls a David Copperfield and turns the chicken into something super tender and delicious. Pure magic.
In this recipe, I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I find they have more flavor than breasts, and they're usually a lot more reasonably priced, too. If you have chicken breasts on hand, you can definitely use those instead.
I've made this recipe so many times now that it has become one of those recipes I don't need a recipe for. That might sound a little strange since I made the recipe. The thing is, after I make a recipe, I often reference it when I make it again.
I swear that's one of the biggest bonuses of having a blog. It's like my own personal recipe folder.
What I've found from making this so many times, is that it's a really flexible recipe. I no longer measure ingredients. I switch up the veggies. I leave the crockpot on a little longer or dig into dinner a little sooner. It always seems to work out.
Those are the best recipes, aren't they? The ones that are flexible enough that you can make on a whim and alter them as you go. They are always my favorite!
What I'm really saying is, “You have the freedom to play around with this recipe.” Or not, it's totally your choice.
Enjoy, my friends!
If you love easy family-friendly chicken recipes, make sure to check out these:
- Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts
- Juicy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Asian Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Saucy Peanut Chicken with Broccoli and Peppers
- Italian Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Cheesy Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Easy Thai Chicken Curry Recipes:
- Best Crockpot Thai Chicken Soup
- Coconut Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Thai Chicken Curry Meatballs with Carrot Noodles
- Thai Chicken Kebabs with Spicy Satay Sauce
Crock Pot Thai Chicken Curry
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Prep Time: 10 mins -
Cook Time: 4 hours
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Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x -
Category: Dinner -
Method: Slow Cooker -
Cuisine: Thai
Description
Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry is one of the easiest meals to make and is so tasty. Curry paste, coconut milk, and ginger add a ton of flavor to this healthy, low-cal, and paleo + gluten-free dinner. Your family will LOVE it!
✨ If you love these Thai Chicken Curry recipe as much as I do, make sure to give it a 5-star review in the comments below!
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (see ntoes)
- 1 3/4 cup of water
- 2–4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free, if needed. Sub coco aminos for paleo and Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon palm or coconut sugar (or sub maple syrup or brown sugar. Omit for Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (see notes)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (each thigh cut into a few pieces)
- 1 large kabocha, cut into 1-inch cubes (or 1 small butternut squash)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1–2 chili peppers, if you like extra heat
- 1 large bunch of kale, torn into small pieces (roughly 2 packed cups)
- Optional: cilantro, chili peppers, and lime to serve
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, except for the kale, into your crockpot and stir together well. Set your crockpot to cook on high for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, stir in the kale and let it sit while you prepare the rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa to serve.
- Top with a little cilantro, lime, and, if you like it extra spicy, some chopped chili peppers.
Notes
I had a reader comment that she's experienced the coconut milk separating when she makes Thai curries in her crockpot. I've never had this happen to me before, but if you want to make sure this doesn't happen you can add water to the pot in the beginning and the coconut milk near the end. (Thank you for the tip, Lynda!)
Not all curry pastes are created equal. My favorite is Mae Ploy. If you are unfamiliar with the brand you're using make sure to taste it before adding it to the pot. Some pastes will be all heat and very little flavor. Make sure to read the labels if you're doing The Whole30 Program.
Fish sauce smelly but it adds an AMAZING flavor to this recipe. Red Boat brand makes a sugar-free fish sauce.
Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice
can I add brocolli and cauliflower?
Yes but I would add them only 30 minutes before serving so they don’t turn to mush.
Can I do this with an instapot?
I haven’t tried but I would assume it would work. 🙂
I love this recipe! The quality / brand of the curry paste makes a big difference.
It sure does!
I went ahead and gave the original recipe the benefit of the doubt despite all of the comments saying it’s runny and a few that mentioned it’s bland. As made according to the recipe, it’s a mildly spicy soup. I’ve eaten Thai and never had anything this watery. Anyway, I can work with it…. When I make it again as a curry, I will cut back significantly on the added water and probably double the curry paste. If I want soup, I’ll keep the original amount of water.
★★★★
Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Made this last night love it. Has anyone tried to freeze the leftovers?
Leftovers freeze well. 🙂
Great substitute for take out during the quarantine! Loved the spicy, creamy flavor! Such an easy and delicious recipe!
★★★★★
That’s wonderful to hear!
I enjoyed this chicken curry as much as the curry at my favorite Thai restaurant! I did substitute yellow curry for the red curry because I prefer over the red.
★★★★★
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for coming back to let us know, Teresa!
If I don’t have curry paste, can I just use curry powder and other spices? Also, how critical is the soy and fish sauce?
Curry powder (which is Indian) is quite different than curry paste (which is Thai). Using one for the other would change the flavor dramatically. Depending on what you have in your fridge, you may be able to make your own using this recipe: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/easy-thai-red-curry-paste-recipe/
The soy sauce and fish sauce both add a ton of flavor to curries. If you don’t have them on hand, you’ll want to use a lot more salt. 🙂
Wish I would have read more of the reviews first. Curry came out too watery. Like soup. Ugh
★★★
I’m sorry to hear that it wasn’t a hit.
i wanted to add seafood (shrimp, oysters, scalps) to this at what point would i do that
I would add them at the end. All of those cook very quickly so they’ll only need a couple of minutes. 🙂
I just tried to make this dish and the coconut milk became a really gross texture… unfortunately I didn’t read your notes until now (my fault). It seemed like it would have been a really good recipe aside from this – it might be worth writing in the body of the recipe instead of the notes. Thanks!
Thank you for the feedback! We will do that. 🙂
This was SO. GOOD. It made my house smell like a Thai restaurant! Really filling and pretty healthy too. Like some others, I chose to omit the water, which was the right move in my opinion. I also added some sliced bell peppers, green beans, and about half a bag of frozen peas and carrots at the 3 hr 30 min mark. I think that when I make this next time, I’ll add another tablespoon of soy sauce (maybe 2), a pinch more sugar, and another tablespoon of chili paste (I used the Huy Fong brand). My only critique is that the butternut squash ended up being pretty mushy – I like mine with a bit of bite to it, similar to the texture of roasted squash. I think I will add it at the 1 hr mark.
★★★★★
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
Can I make this on the stove? If so how long do I let it simmer?
You can! It should only need about an hour (max) for the chicken to be tender.
This recipe sounds so great! How would you suggest adjusting to cook in instapot?
I’m not super familiar with cooking in Instant Pots. Maybe look for an IP chicken curry and use the time on that one and the ingredients on this one. 🙂
I’m going to try this tomorrow I’m so excited
Would I be able to put this on low for 8 hrs instead of on high for 4 ?
I’ve tried this recipe on low for 8 hours, but it doesn’t work as well. The squash will be VERY soft and I find that even the chicken is too tender for my taste. It still tastes great and if you’re not picky about the texture then you could still give it a go. 🙂
I love this recipe! I make a large batch, add mushrooms, water chestnuts, and baby corn and serve it over cauliflower rice for a healthy meal that we can eat for a few days! I do go heavy on the seasonings and (and have added a few), but it’s a definite keeper! For those who say it’s runny- I do cut the water a bit- but that’s just how Thai curry is..let the rice soak it up and enjoy! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Great call on adding water chestnuts!
I love this recipe. We have it at least once a month. We modify, because we light it more creamy so we don’t add the water. Also, we season the chicken with salt before adding into the slow cooker.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for coming back to let us know!
I’m eating this right now, and oh MAN is it good! I ended up adding an additional can of coconut milk toward the end bc the coconut flavor wasn’t strong enough for me, and it was the right move! I also made this with Thai noodles instead of rice, and added green beans toward the end so that they would still be a bit crunchy. Next time I think I will do broccoli instead of kale, but that’s just personal preference. This is delish! Thanks, Kristen!
Noodles with this sound amazing!
hi I am relatively new to cooking and I just want to confirm, the chicken goes in raw or already cooked? Thanks
It goes in raw. It will cook in the crockpot. 🙂
Is this spicy?
It’s mildly spicy. If you’d like more kick, simply add more curry paste. 🙂
Delicious but way too much liquid. I think I’ll omit the water next time.
★★★★
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the flavors. 🙂
I was so excited to make this as I LOVE Thai curry. I ordered the recommended curry paste from Amazon and waited two days, read most of these reviews for tips and then set out to work. Based on so many comments, I actually eliminated the water all together and just used 1 can coconut milk and it was still a runny mess! It tasted good but I was disappointed as I thought it would be thicker and creamier.
★★
I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed. The recipe is not supposed to be the thick, Indian-style curry gravy but rather a thinner curry common in Thai curries. If you’d prefer a thick curry, you could try mashing some of the squash into the sauce. That would thicken it.
Kristen,
I would like to make this today. I want to omit the fish sauce.
Do you recommend a replacement or ok just to leave out?
Tina
You can definitely leave it out. It may need a little extra salt or a splash of soy sauce, but you can adjust the seasoning at the end. 🙂
Hi! Do you think subbing the chicken for cauliflower or tofu would be okay? Any other suggestions on making this dish vegetarian? Thanks!
I’d be careful with the cauliflower as it might become too soft. But adding some tofu at the end would work well. You could even fry it before adding it for extra flavor. 🙂
Was very very liquidy. I used chicken stock instead of water. An hour before it finished I took off lid thinking it would help and it didn’t. I ended up adding the cooked rice to the pot to absorb the liquid. Any advice? When it all went into the bottom the sauce consistency was beautiful.
It’s not supposed to be super thick as normally it is served over rice or (in my case) cauliflower rice. But if it was really liquidy it may have been because of the chicken. Sometimes chicken is pumped full of water to make it look bigger than it is. That’s the only thing I can think of.
Delicious! I did make a larger batch of this and was wondering if you ever froze part of it and if it held up ok when reheating?
Yes! It freezes well. 🙂
Kinda bland… it’s a good base but it really needs a lot more spices or something to make it less bland.
Most of the flavor comes from the curry paste. I highly suggest buying the brand that I recommend. It’s definitely not bland!
This is a KEEPER!!! So tasty and so easy. I followed your suggestions that were in the comments so that I could make it in my InstantPot. 15 minutes on high was perfect! I added the coconut milk and kale after releasing the steam. This was DELICIOUS!!!!
★★★★★
Hooray! That makes me so happy to hear!
I love the flexibility of this recipe! I added snow peas and eggplant – it turned out great!!!
Flexible recipes are the best, aren’t they? So happy to hear you enjoyed this one!
Not as advertised. We followed this recipe to a T and ended up with a watery runny mess, that looked nothing like the photo and closely resembled a chicken squash soup of some sort. I’m not sure why water was added at all, as it only served to water down any creaminess that could have been there.
I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out how you expected.
Great curry, but it was very runny. The can of water thinned the sauce too much. Is there something I am not doing correctly, or should I omit the water?
★★★
You can omit or reduce the water if you want a thicker curry. 🙂
I’m going to try this in a pressure cooker tomorrow (on the balcony) because it’s too hot to cook indoors!
I’ve read the recipe and notes twice but don’t understand about the water. You said a can of water two times. Like a can of coconut water? Or just the coconut water from a can of coconut milk? Or did you mean a cup of water?
Thanks! 🙂
Good call on cooking outside!
After I pour the coconut milk into the pot, I fill the can up with water and add that, too. Since the temperature of the pressure cooker will be so high, I would recommend adding the coconut milk at the end of cooking and adding about a can’s worth of water at the beginning. Most cans of coconut milk are 14 ounces so you’ll need 1 3/4 cup of water. I hope that makes more sense! 🙂
I’m confused…do we put water in it? The video says water but I don’t see anything in the recipe…I feel like I’ll scorch my crockpot without it.
Yes! Step one is to put in all the ingredients except the kale, including one can of coconut milk and one can of water. 🙂
Can I use chicken thighs with their bone in? Does that change the cook time or only affect the end result where I have to deal with the bones?
You can! Bone in chicken thighs work well in this recipe. The cook time will be the same but you’ll need to take the thighs out of the crockpot, shred the meat, discard the bones, then return the chicken to the pot.
Can i omit fish sauce
You can. You may want to add some extra salt at the end as fish sauce is quite salty. 🙂
Absolutely loved this, great recipe, we used
Sweet potato instead of squash and spinach
instead of kale and I added bell peppers
but that’s what is all about making a recipe
your own using what you’ve got in the pantry.
As there are two us this has
made two dinners and two lunches for work.
Just brilliant. Many thanks.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
Can I use chicken breast instead<
You can!
Do you know the time conversions if you wanted to make this in an instant pot?
I don’t but I would guess about 15 mins.
I made this for dinner tonight in my Dutch oven rather than a crock pot (cooked for about 30 minutes) and it was SO GOOD. I’m not a fan of squash, so I left that out and added some green peppers. Seriously I could have drank the sauce. A go-to from now on!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it! Hooray!
Made this for dinner tonight – WOW! So good!
Hooray! So happy it was a hit!
Stepped outside the box and fixed this for my hubs. I chose to use sliced carrots instead of squash since he’s not a fan, and it came out quite good! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe! Next time I’m adding the chili’s too!
★★★★★
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
Could I sub the kale with broccoli?
I think that would be great! You might want to put it in a few minutes earlier to give it a little extra time to cook. 5-10 extra minutes should do it. 🙂
If you were going to add Currie powder to this recipe, how much would you add? Thank you!
Curry powder (which is an Indian spice) is very different from Thai curry paste and using it will completely change the taste of the recipe. But Indian curry is delicious so it should still taste good. I would start with 2 tablespoons, although you may need to add more at the end.
Do you think I could sub sweet potato for kabocha? Thanks!
That would work!
I work all day, would putting this recipe on low work alright? I haven’t worked with curry paste before so I don’t want to ruin it! Lol
While you could do that, the squash will be very cooked after that long and mostly fall apart. 🙂
Hi – do you know what the conversion is if you were to cool this on low instead of high? 8 hours?
This recipe is really best only cooked for 4 hours. When I’ve tried to cook it longer, the squash gets too soft.
Can this cook on low for 8 hours instead?
I find that the squash doesn’t hold up well after 8 hours. So technically you could cook it for 8 hours, but the squash will pretty much disappear into the sauce after that time.