Thai Coconut Chicken Curry (made in your slow cooker)
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We all love an easy, flavorful dinner – enter this crockpot Thai chicken curry. This is my go-to when I have a busy week, but don’t want to skimp on tasty, satisfying meals. I’ll show you how to prep everything so the crockpot does all the work, and you can come back to a winning dinner!
This Thai coconut chicken curry is one of my favorite curry recipes for busy days. Everything goes into the slow cooker, where the chicken becomes fall-apart tender, and the vegetables soak up the rich coconut curry sauce’s flavors. It’s the kind of meal that fills the house with the most incredible aroma and rewards you with a comforting dinner at the end of the day.
The sauce is built from classic Thai ingredients like red curry paste, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and soy sauce. A little brown sugar balances the savory and spicy flavors, while the coconut milk creates a rich, velvety broth that’s perfect for spooning over rice.
Sweet squash, onion, kale, and chili peppers make this curry hearty and colorful, while fresh cilantro, lime, and extra chili add brightness just before serving. It’s deeply flavorful, wonderfully cozy, and one of those recipes that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
A few FAQs
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they’re more flavorful than breasts and usually more reasonably priced. But if you have chicken breasts on hand, you can definitely use those instead.
Can I cook this on low heat for 8-10 hours? Yes, but there’s a caveat. Cooking this curry for longer will make the squash very soft. At least half of it will disappear into the sauce, which isn’t a bad thing! The curry sauce will become thicker and sweeter, with a hint of squash, but it will still be delicious.
Can I make this Thai chicken curry on the stovetop? Yes! You’ll want to simmer the curry for no longer than 1 hour.
Can I use a different color curry paste? Yes! I’ve used red, green, and yellow in this recipe, and they all work well.
Store, reheat, and freeze
Store: First, let your Thai chicken curry cool to room temperature. Once it’s cooled, transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I think it tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to deepen!
Freeze: If you want to store it longer, freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it’s thickened in the fridge, you can add a splash of water to loosen things up.
Thai Coconut Chicken Curry (made in your slow cooker)
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups chicken stock (see notes)
- 2-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 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 crockpot 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 brown 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, 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
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Equipment Used
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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I want to try this recipe, what size slow cooker do you use? I have a small 4 qt and want to know if I should half the recipe.
I have made this successfully in a 4 qt!
I love Panang. How can I adjust this recipe to give it that flavor?
Panang curry is made with panang curry paste, so you could simply substitute that for the red curry paste. The main difference between the two is that there are peanuts in panang curry paste so you could also try finishing the curry with a little peanut butter to see if that gives it the flavor you’re looking for.
I’ve made this recipe many times! So delicious! This comment section is giving me ideas on how to try different variations.
Did you use fresh ginger or powdered?
Fresh!
This might be a silly question, but is the calorie count with or without the rice? I’m excited to try it!
No just for the curry 🙂
I usually make panang curry chicken on stove top but we’re doing a kitchen reno and the crockpot is all I have access to. My question is about the kale. Never had kale in curry? Is there a substitute if one doesn’t care for kale or does it not taste like kale in this recipe?
We add the totally not traditional kale to get some greens in. You can omit it, or use spinach or swiss chard instead. 🙂
Disappointed. Recipe is bland & boring. The red curry paste didn’t add enough flavor. I think it needs other spices too, but I don’t know what. Plus, I don’t think there are enough vegetables in this. I love Thai curry, so I would like to be able to make it myself.
The type of curry paste you use really affects the outcome as it’s where all the flavor comes from. I would suggest trying a different brand. Also, feel free to add any veggie you like. This recipe is very versatile.
Can I double this recipe and is there anything I need to do differently
As long as your slow cooker is big enough than doubling it should work fine!
Excellent recipe! My husband said I could add it to our rotation of meals! Thanks for the recipe.
This was such an easy recipe to follow and it was the first time I’d made something in my crockpot and it was delicious! I did one cup of chicken stock and it turned out well. Definitely going to put this on my rotation of regular meals!
Great recipe with just the perfect spice flavor. I used two Chile de arbol. It came delicious.
So excited to make this tonight… any tips on using chicken breast as my hubby doesn’t care for dark meat? Also, can I use chicken bone broth instead of regular chicken broth?
Bone broth will make this even tastier! And chicken breast will work just as well in this recipe. 🙂
I have made this recipe many times. Sometimes I will do the chicken curry but other times, I will use prawns. It is very tasty. I also add some lemon grass from my garden. This is one of my favorite recipes for curry
Can you use leaks instead of yellow onion?
Yes!
Amazing recipe. I used bone in chicken thighs. I think it adds flavor. I used butternut squash. Served with cauliflower rice. Taste is amazing.
Made this today for myself and my parents. thanks for sharing