Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry
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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 dinner recipe. Put everything into your crockpot then walk away until dinner!
Complete the meal with a side of perfect basmati rice or cauliflower rice. Also make sure to check out our favorite crockpot Thai chicken soup!
Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry
Friends! It's crockpot time again! This magical pot of cook-my-food-for-me has become a staple around here. Most days we wonder how the heck we lived without one for so long.
Remember back when we thought that crockpots were the domain of frazzled, minivan-driving moms? Boy, were we wrong! They belong to us all. Frazzled moms, cool moms, single dudes, suburban folks, city folks, country folks ā¦ 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}
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
We like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they're more flavor than breasts, and they're usually a lot more reasonably priced, too. But if you have chicken breasts on hand, you can definitely use those instead.
Can I cook this on low heat 8-10 hours?
Yes, but there's a caveat. Cooking this curry for a longer time means that the squash will be very soft. At least half of it will disappear into the sauce ā which isn't a bad thing!
The curry sauce will become thicker, sweeter, and taste a little like squash, but it will still be very tasty.
Is this chicken curry thick or thin?
We prefer our curry to be more like a traditional Thai curry, which is on the thin side.
But most Thai restaurants here in North America cater to our tastes and make their curries thicker and creamier, more like traditional Indian curry.
So if you would like yours thicker, all you have to do it reduce the water. (So easy!) There is a note about the exact amount in the recipe card.
Can I make this Thai chicken curry on the stovetop?
Yes! You'll want to simmer the curry for no longer than 1 hour.
What kind of curry paste should I use?
Not all curry paste is created equally. And since the curry paste is the base of the flavor in this recipe, the better the curry paste you can find, the more flavorful the dish will be.
We like Mae Ploy curry paste. When in doubt, look for where the curry paste is made and choose one that is made in Thailand; it's your best bet.
Another option is to make your own curry paste.
Can I use a different color curry paste?
Yes! We've used red, green, and yellow in this recipe and they all work well.
Can I use curry powder?
No, curry powder won't work in this recipe. Curry powder is an Indian spice mix made from ground turmeric, coriander, cumin, and other spices and is very different than Thai curry paste.
Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups chicken stock (see notes)
- 2-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free, if needed. Coco aminos for paleo and Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sub maple syrup or brown sugar. Omit for Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (see notes)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 1 large kabocha squash (cut into 1-inch cubes (or 1 small butternut squash))
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 1-2 chili peppers (if you like extra heat)
- 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 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 coconut milk and kale, into your crockpotĀ and stir together well. Set your crockpot to cook on high for 4 hours.1-2 cups chicken stock, 2-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 large kabocha squash, 1 medium yellow onion, 1-2 chili peppers
- After 4 hours, stir in the coconut milk and kale and let it sit while you prepare the rice, cauliflower rice,Ā or quinoa to serve.14 ounce can coconut milk, 1 large bunch of kale
- Top with a little cilantro, lime, and, if you like it extra spicy, some chopped chili peppers.Optional: cilantro, chili peppers, and lime to serve
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our curry recipes!
Can you store this in for how long?
This will keep for 3-4 days in a container in your fridge.
This looks real yummy. Can you use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead?
Absolutely!
Wouldn’t 4 hrs on high be too long for chicken breasts?
That’s what worked best for us in recipe testing!
Since finding this recipe post, I have made this twice already! It is so delicious and easy to prepare.
I opted out of using kale, and used green veggies that I like instead.
This also freezes well too. I froze half of each batch because I was the only person eating this in my house.
The second time I made this, I doubled the chicken stock to make it into a soup, and it was great as well! This seems like a pretty versatile dish š
Can you do this in the Instapot?
I’ve never tried it, but it should work in an instant pot!
Yum! Needed 3 T of curry paste. I like the soupy result with 2 c broth. I added salt and pepper; lime, siracha, and sliced red chilies a must for toppings. I donāt think it needed the cilantro with the kale and squash. Great addition to my collection.
It took only 30 minutes to prepare. We used Thai Kitchen brand curry paste and served it over rice. I was very happy with it. Two thumbs up.Ā
Can this recipe be frozen?Ā
Yes! This freezes very well.
Can I cook this on the stove top instead of the crockpot?
Definitely! Simply follow the directions but cook everything in a pot until the chicken and squash are fully cooked.
Hello
I used coconut powder that I added water to. My curry split, any suggestions?
I’ve never used coconut powder that needs to be mixed with water so I can’t give suggestions or advice on how that may have affected the recipe. Sorry!
I am going to make this today. Do you recommend using sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
We use unsweetened!
I’m going to make this recipe tonight, it looks delicious. I’m wondering if you can sub the coconut milk with coconut cream for a creamier curry? Would that work?
That should work just fine!
This was delicious š. My 7-year-old liked also. the entire house smell sweet. I omitted the squash & peppers. Used brown sugar. I cooked the chicken thighs whole, & the meat was falling off the bone. Served with sticky rice, lime slices & Naan.
Delicious! Subbed red peppers green beans and sweet potato for kale. Chicken comes out perfect and cubes itself like magic. Youāre right – any flavor paste works. Chefs kiss!
Hi, first crack at making this , love the ingredients, just would like some guidance with respects to leaving skin on kabocha ? Thanks for your wisdom and time , DougĀ
I personally like leaving the skin on kabocha squash!
this looks delicious! I have fresh cubed pumpkin (currently frozen). Can I use pumpkin instead of another squash?
We haven’t tried it with pumpkin but I think it should work. Let us know if you give it a go!
I tried this last week, and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for putting it together!