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 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?Ā
I haven’t tried but I would assume it would work. š
I love this recipe! The quality / brand of the curry paste makes a big difference.Ā
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. š
Made this last night love it. Has anyone tried to freeze the leftovers?
Leftovers freeze well. š
Great substitute for take out! 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 donāt 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. š
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. š
I just tried to make this dish and the coconut milk became a really gross texture… unfortunately I didnāt 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. š
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? Ā
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. š
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. š
I love this recipe! Ā 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! Ā I do go heavy on the seasonings and (and have added a few), but itās a definite keeper! Ā For those who say itās runny- I do cut the water a bit- but thatās just how Thai curry is..let the rice soak it up and enjoy! Thank you for sharing!
Great call on adding water chestnuts!