Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry

This simple made-from-scratch slow-cooked spicy chicken curry is delicious! Cooked in the Crock Pot to intensify the heat and flavour.

Everyone loves a good take-out curry, but homemade chicken curry is something special. Even more so if you raid that spice cabinet and make everything from scratch.

Served up in the middle of the table with a mountain of rice, some pita bread and mango chutney and you have a feast that’ll beat anything on that take-out menu!

I make this one in my slow-cooker – but you could also cook it in a dutch oven or oven-proof pan.

Here’s what you’ll need

We made the video for this one a few weeks ago, before we got our new Crock Pot (which I absolutely  L-O-V-E  by the way. You can sear the meat, cook the onions etc on the sear setting, so there’s no need to do any pre-cooking in a pan first. If there’s a way to save on washing up you can always count me in).

So whilst we videoed it with some initial frying, I’ll be using the Crock Pot for the whole thing next time.

First we soften the onions, seal the chicken and stir in the garlic and spices:

Cook for a few minutes until the spices release their fragrance:

Then add the stock, coconut milk, tomatoes and a little sugar, before slow cooking for 3-4 hours.

Serve it up with boiled rice and Garlic Naan or Chapatti.

The curry uses a fair number of spices as well as 3 teaspoons of HOT chilli powder to give you a medium-hot curry. If you want to dial down the heat, just use less or replace with mild chilli powder.

If you want to make enough for leftovers, you can double the amounts of everything no problem, If you do this, you may need to stir in a little cornflour slurry at the end to thicken it (1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp cold water).

Any leftovers can be cooled, covered and refrigerated or frozen for a super-quick mid-week meal.

My friend Katherine over at Veggie Desserts has an easy naan bread recipe that would be great with this too!

Equipment

In order to make this delicious Slow-cooked spicy chicken curry you will need:

• Slow cooker < we absolutely LOVE our Crockpot!
• A good Kitchen knife.  In the video I use my Leiths knife however I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
• Chopping Board
• Measuring Jug
• Fying Pan/Skillet or a Wok.
• Measuring Spoons
• Garlic Press
• Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons.  We have just bought these and love them.

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FAQ’s

Can I make this curry gluten free?

Yes! If you’re using a stock cube or store-bought stock, simply make sure it’s a gluten free version (bouillon is a good replacement for stock cubes).
The rest of the ingredients are usually gluten free, but it’s best to check the particular brands you use.

Can I cook it in the oven or on the hob?

Yes. If you want to cook this in the oven, preheat it to 150C/300F. Place a lid on the pan at step 6, and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours – check and stir once or twice during cooking.

Cook on the hob over a low heat with a lid on the pan for 1-2 hours. Check and stir a few times during cooking to ensure the chicken doesn’t stick to the pan.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Yes – I like to replace the chicken with chunks of courgette (zucchini) and mushrooms. Add in a tin of chickpeas ( drained) during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking.

You could also use quorn pieces, tofu, bell peppers, green beans, aubergine (eggplant).

Replace the chicken stock with vegetarian stock too.

Can I refrigerate or freeze the leftovers?

Yes – quickly cool, cover and refrigerate/freeze the leftovers. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pan until piping hot throughout.

Can I replace the coconut milk?

Yes. Add a little extra chicken stock during the cooking process then stir in some double (heavy) cream at the end. Make sure you add the cream after the cooking process so that it doesn’t split and separate.

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Serve With:

I like to serve mine with Homemade Chapati and boiled rice (I have a tutorial on How to Cook Rice < HERE).  You could also serve this delicious curry with Pilau rice, a simple Tomato & Onion Salad and homemade cucumber raita.

Watch how to make it

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This post was first published in February 2016. Updated in Oct 2018 with step by step photos, recipe video and tips.

More Slow-Cooked Recipes

If you have a slow cooker (affiliate link) them why not try it some of my other slow cooker recipes like these:

• Slow Cooked Beef & Pork Chilli
• Healthier Slow Cooked Spicy Beef Curry
• Healthier Slow Cooked Spicy Chicken Rogan Josh
• Slow Cooked Beef Ragu with Rigatoni
• Slow Cooker Short Ribs
• Pork Gyros Recipe
• Ramen

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I made this curry first for DIYS.com