This slow cooker coconut chicken curry is so flavourful and easy to make, it will become a go to for busy weeknights when you’re looking for delicious comfort food. Made with chicken thighs that become so tender they just fall apart, creamy coconut milk and a combination of vibrant Indian spices, you’re going to love this simple dairy-free slow cooker recipe.
One of the biggest benefits of using a slow cooker is that it can make a recipe completely hands off. That is exactly what this recipe is as we don’t need to do any browning or pre-cooking of any of the ingredients – it’s a dump and go situation.
The only prep you’ll need to do is cutting up the onion, garlic and ginger. Other than that it’s just the time to go through your spice rack and pull out the combination of flavours that are going to make this a super delicious and fragrant curry.
For this coconut chicken curry, I am not using curry powder but rather garam masala which is a spice blend commonly found in Indian cuisine. Blends tend to differ a fair bit based on brand and region, but you can expect flavours of cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, caraway and fennel.
The curry is quite mild as well despite the addition of chilli and cayenne pepper but it’s certainly still bold in flavour. It has a super thick and creamy finish thanks to the coconut milk and the chicken is so tender and just falls apart.
Is this an authentic Indian curry? Absolutely not. But I’ve taken inspiration from those combinations of spices to create a delicious and easy dairy-free meal at home.
If you like this recipe, make sure to also try my slow cooker honey mustard chicken. And if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, try my chickpea and lentil curry instead!
Key Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need a well stocked spice rack! Other than that, you really don’t need too much to whip up this coconut chicken curry making it a great option for when you’re short on time.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thighs – I recommend using skinless and boneless chicken thighs for this recipe as they will break down and become so beautifully soft and tender when slow cooked. Chicken breast doesn’t have the same amount of fat so is more likely to dry out when slow cooked.
- Onion – the onion will add so much flavour to your curry and basically completely breaks down when slow cooked for this long.
- Garlic and ginger – the addition of fresh aromatics of garlic and ginger make this curry so flavourful.
- Spices – the ground spices are everything in this curry, ensuring the heat level is mild but the flavour level is high! For a bold flavour combination, we are using garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chilli, and cayenne pepper.
- Salt – to really make the flavours pop in this curry, it needs to be well salted. Add a bit with the spices but make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning at the end after shredding the chicken.
- Coconut milk – Use a good quality, full-fat coconut milk for the best results. Pictured above is the brand I use and love – I buy it from the grocery store and always have several cans in my pantry!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Honestly I love this slow cooker coconut chicken curry recipe because all you need is the slow cooker. The prep time is so minimal and the effort level low, making this a perfect recipe for busy people or beginner cooks who are still looking for wholesome, homemade comfort food.
Start by prepping your onion, garlic and ginger. You don’t need to be too precise, just peel and chop them and add them to the slow cooker with the chicken thighs.
Sprinkle over all of your spices and give the chicken a good mix with a wooden spoon to coat them in the spices. Pour over the coconut milk and mix again.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Once cooked, the chicken should literally fall apart when touched so just gently shred it with some tongs and mix well through the sauce.
Taste and season with additional salt before serving over white rice with some homemade naan and maybe a little plain dairy free yoghurt.
Recipe FAQs
Store the chicken curry and rice in individual containers in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove until steaming.
I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe as they have a higher fat content and therefore break down and become tender and juicy when slow cooked. Chicken breast on the other hand can dry out when slow cooked so if you want to use it instead, try cooking for less time and check the level of doneness to ensure it doesn’t get too dry.
More slow cooker recipes:
Slow Cooked Curried Sausages
Slow Cooker Vegan Chilli
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 1 brown onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground chilli
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 400 ml can coconut milk
To serve:
- Cooked white rice
- Dairy-free naan
- Fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl of the slow cooker with the sliced onion and chopped garlic and ginger. Sprinkle over all of the spices and give the chicken a good mix with a wooden spoon to coat them in the spices. Pour over the coconut milk and mix again.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Once cooked, shred the chicken with some tongs and mix well through the sauce.
- Taste and season with additional salt before serving over white rice. Best enjoyed with homemade naan!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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