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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.
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.
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.
More Delicious Curry Recipes
We LOVE our curries and we have a whole section of the blog dedicated to them, if you like this Spicy Chicken Curry then you’ll enjoy:
Oh there’s soo many more to try…
Watch how to make it
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Slow-Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
Ingredients
The Curry:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless diced (approx 500g/17.5 oz)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 large piece of ginger about the size of your thumb, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tsp hot chilli powder use less or mild chilli if you don’t like your curry too hot
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- ½ tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock (water plus a stock cube – or bouillon for gluten-free – is fine)
- 400 ml (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 2 tsp sugar this is to counteract the acidity in the tomatoes
- 400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 5 tbsp cold water to make a slurry – *optional*
To Serve:
- boiled rice
- chopped coriander (cilantro) and finely chopped chillies
Instructions
- Preheat your slow cooker (crockpot) to high. Heat the oil in a large pan (or the Crock Pot if it has a sear function), add in the onion and cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large onion
- Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until just sealed.3 chicken breasts
- Add in the garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, curry powder, paprika, and cinnamon.3 cloves garlic, 1 large piece of ginger, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 3 tsp hot chilli powder, 1 tbsp ground coriander, ½ tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cinnamon
- Stir to coat the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the stock, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, and coconut milk.1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock, 400 ml (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsp sugar, 400 ml (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- Stir, bring to a gentle bubble then pour into your slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Take the lid off and give everything a stir (the oils will have risen to the top, so you can spoon most of it out, or just stir it back in).
- If you would like to thicken the curry, stir in the cornflour slurry. This is optional, you can leave it out if the curry thickness is to your liking.2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- Sprinkle with coriander (cilantro) and serve with rice.boiled rice, chopped coriander (cilantro) and finely chopped chillies
Video
Notes
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 (stove)? 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 (stove) 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. . Nutritional information is per serving, not including rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors for more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
I made this curry first for DIYS.com
Would using boneless, skinless thighs work? Also what do you think about adding zucchini to the chicken at some point?
Hi Sandra, yes, chicken thighs would work. I think zucchini sounds like a great addition too. I would probably add it in the last hour of cooking so it retains a bit of bite.
I made it using the boneless skinless chicken thighs. My family loved it. Would’ve added the zucchini but when I took it out to use, they were bad inside. 😂 a little thinner sauce than I prefer but added some cornstarch with water. It helped.
My daughters absolute favourite recipe!!!
She asks for it every week.
I made this tonight for the first time and there were clean plates all round. Some substitutions were necessary as I had to go with what was in my lockdown store cupboard: chilli flakes for chilli powder, ground ginger instead of fresh root ginger, carton of passata instead tin of tomatoes.
I didn’t add water, but crumbled half a Knorr chicken stock cube directly into the pot. I used four chicken breasts but had enough sauce for another two without upping the ingredients. We like things spicy so I added another tablespoon of curry powder.
The mix of warming spices creates a fabulous smell while it’s cooking (I slow cooked it for 3 hours on high in my Instantpot) but checked it for taste after 2.5 hours and it was ready then.
Thank you for sharing this – it’ll be a regular addition to my meal rota.
Hi
Would you say it’s not necessary. To double up the ingredients if I use 1kg of chickem breasts instead of the 500kgs in the recipe as I am reluctant to double up on the spices in case it’s too much
Just made this recipe and it was delicious! I found it a little watery, so I just added some cornstarch (about 2 tsp and some water) and it thickened up nicely. Wish I thought of putting lentils in to soak up though. Will be trying that next time. As I am not the biggest fan of coconut milk (I find it too sweet) I squeezed some fresh lemon and added some salt and it was perfect for me. I also wanted this pretty hot, so I added some chilli paste!
Very good recipe and would definitely recommend (:
I made this today but found it quite watery, probably because I only had a can of light coconut milk in the cupboard. Knowing the state of the shops right now (Covid-19 lockdown) I decided to improvise, I added the remains of a bag of dried red lentils at the end to thicken the sauce. Amazing. I will definitely be adding this to my recipe binder, i made it all in my instant pot on sauté and then slow for 4 hours. Delicious!!!
I would like to replace the coconut milk but how much heavy cream should I use?
I haven’t tried, but I think you should be able to replace it just find. I’d replace it with 200ml (7oz) of heavy cream.
My favourite slow cooker curry recipe. We love it.
Excellent recipe. My husband and I both loved it. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Hi,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it on the weekend, but did it on the hob as I dont have a slow cooker. The tase was amazing. My only issue was as the chicken is cooked so long, it breaks into strands much like pulled chicken. I’m making it again this week, but this time I am going to cook 1/2 the spices with the sauce, 1/2 with the chicken then introduce the chicken with about 1/2 hour left to go! May try a cheeky bit of ghee with the chicken too!
Hi there,
I live in Canada and I think there may be a difference between our chili powder and the UK version. Is this the case? I don’t want to wreck the recipe!
Thanks,
Tracy
Most standard chilli powders in the UK contain a blend of ingredients with the largest part being dried Chilli Pepper and the rest being made up of other ingredients such as Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Salt, Oregano and Garlic Powder.
Using a pure chilli powder or a blend like this is fine, but it’s worth noting that the heat level differs, so use a lot less, or use a milder chilli powder if you’re not sure.