Crockpot Curry (Thai Coconut Chicken)
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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 flavorful, 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!
Why you'll love Slow Cooker 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 … 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!
Crockpot Curry ingredients
Most of these ingredients are items you likely have on hand. Just grab your chicken and veggies, throw everything in the crockpot, and you’re good to go! Gather these items:
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the way to go.
- Chicken stock: Grab store-bought, or make your own. You can adjust the amount according to the consistency you like – check out the notes section under the recipe!
- Thai red curry paste: Not all curry pastes are created equal. Make your own, otherwise make sure to taste a little bit before adding it to assess the heat and flavor.
- Coconut sugar: You can use maple syrup or brown sugar if you prefer.
- Curry staples: Soy sauce, minced ginger, fish sauce, garlic, and coconut milk.
- Veggies: Kombucha squash (or butternut squash), yellow onion, chili peppers, and kale.
- To serve: I love to serve this with cilantro, chili peppers, and lime!
How to make Thai Curry Chicken
When my crockpot gets pulled out of the cupboard, you know it means I have a busy week and need easy flavor – or that I’m craving the most satisfying of meals! Thanks to our trusty friend, the slow cooker, this recipe couldn’t be easier:
- Toss it in: Put everything except for the coconut milk and kale into the crockpot. Stir, and then set it on high for four hours.
- Finish: After four hours, come back and stir in the coconut milk and kale. Let it sit while you prep whatever you’re serving it with – rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- Serve: Ladle it into your bowls, top it off with any garnishes you’d like, and enjoy!
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 – 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.
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! We've used red, green, and yellow in this recipe and they all work well.
Tips on how to serve this Thai Chicken Curry Recipe
While my Thai chicken curry is finishing, I like to prep whatever I am serving it with. It’s most often cauliflower rice or basmati rice – but you could serve it with quinoa, too! Once the curry is done, I ladle it over the finished rice, and top it off with garnishes: I like chili flakes, a squeeze of lime, and fresh cilantro. You can also add some (delicious but not traditional) naan on the side to scoop up the Thai chicken curry!
Storing Thai Coconut Chicken
First, let your Thai chicken curry cool to room temperature. Once it’s cooled, transfer it to an airtight container, and seal the lid before placing it in the fridge. Keep it in there for up to 3-4 days – I think it tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to deepen!
If you want to store it for a bit longer, you can freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat it, warm it up on the stovetop. If it’s thickened in the fridge, you can add a splash of water to loosen things up.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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 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)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sub maple syrup or 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 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, 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!
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!
Thank you my daughters enjoyed it! Kept the spicy to a minimum due to the girls preference.
It looks fab! Thank you for sharing your photo!
I can’t find fresh chili peppers at the moment. Would chili powder work? If so, how much do you suggest.
I would add a pinch of chili flakes!
Is this freezable?
Yes! It freezes very well.
Loved this recipe! I kept the chicken thighs whole and bought already cut up butternut squash so it was so easy. The flavor was amazing…rich and creamy (only used 1 cup of chicken broth and may reduce to 1/2 cup next time)I am making it for a dinner party this weekend. Thank you, big success!
You’re very welcome, Judy!
I was a little nervous about the heat level so only added 3 tablespoons of curry paste. (Not the recommended brand) will make again but will use 4-6 table spoons of curry will also use Hot peppers and add a little garlic. Overall really good!
Always a good call to start with less and add more to taste!
Thanks for the recipe <3 but how do I convert imperial units to metric as rest of the world are using besides u s n a
I’m Canadian and use imperial. Google is what I use to convert metric to imperial. Hoping to one day have both on my site!
you could also invest in some basic measuring cups stop being a whiny little baby! Just a thought.
Followed the recipe to a T, but the curry came out watery (used only one cup of chicken stock) and flavorless. I love Thai curries, but this was not it. I’m not sure why it’s so highly rated.
I’m sorry this wasn’t a hit for you. Most of the flavor comes from the curry paste, so make sure you are using one you like. I’ve noted my favorite in the notes section.
Hi, I haven’t made this yet and want to add snap peas and water chestnuts. Do you think that will work? If so, when should I add them?
Yes I think both are a great idea! I would add them at the very end as water chestnuts only need to warm through and snap peas cook very fast.
I’ve made this recipe a thousand times, and it’s a family fave. A couple things to note: 1.) We never add the chicken broth as it’s way too watery 2.) the recipe neglects to mention that you should season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper before adding to slow cooker. This is a MUST or else it is very bland 3.) I use Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk. Once I used the Goya Coconut Milk and it was a disaster. The Goy Coconut Milk curdles badly in this recipe, and it won’t come out creamy.
Thank you for sharing your tips and suggestions!
I read there’s already a lot of salt in the fish sauce and another ingredient. Due to health reasons and taste, I will just stick to the regular recipe.
Yummy but wasn’t enough for 4 people! Will make again!
Sooo good. Took to my friends’ & they loved it too!
How the heck did anyone prepare this so quickly. It took me 15 minutes just to cut up the kobacha squash. And did cut up my chicken, just shredded it after the 4 hours and it was cooked through.
Can i use delicata squash in this? Also what would be a good sub for kale?
Yes, that should work well! Spinach is nice instead of the kale. 🙂