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Coconut curry chicken is a mouthwatering dish that combines tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and a blend of aromatic spices, all simmered in a luscious coconut milk sauce. Serve it up with naan and basmati rice for a meal your family won’t be able to get enough of!
Curry is so comforting and delicious. After you try this amazing coconut curry chicken, you’ll have to make chicken tikka masala or massaman curry!
Coconut Curry With Chicken
Made with tender chicken, diced potatoes, flavorful chickpeas, and a medley of spices, this coconut curry chicken will have your taste buds singing. It’s the perfect comfort food and is sure to have you coming back for seconds! Serve it with some fluffy white rice for a meal the whole family will love.
Not only is this coconut curry chicken incredibly tasty, but it’s also a breeze to prepare. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have a wholesome and satisfying meal ready to enjoy in no time. It may even rival your favorite Thai takeout spot! Let’s get started with the ingredients and spices you’ll need to make it.
Ingredients for Crockpot Coconut Curry Chicken
Coconut curry chicken is so flavorful and delicious! The only way to achieve this is by making sure you have all of the necessary spices and seasonings on hand. You may need to make a trip to your local Asian market!
- Chicken Breasts: The main protein of the dish. If desired, you can substitute boneless chicken thighs for a more juicy option.
- Potatoes: No Thai curry is complete without some soft, delicious potatoes!
- Chickpeas: These are packed with fiber and protein, adding some extra nutrition to the dish.
- Diced Carrots: Carrots bring a pop of color and a hint of natural sweetness to balance the spices.
- Vegetable Oil: This oil is used for sautéing the onions, garlic, and ginger in, helping to build the flavorful base of the curry.
- Yellow Onion: Yellow onion caramelizes beautifully when cooked, releasing its natural sweetness and enhancing the overall flavor.
- Garlic: You can never go wrong with garlic. Add some in so your curry has the perfect savory flavor!
- Fresh Ginger: Adds a bright and slightly spicy kick to the coconut curry chicken.
- Tomato Paste: Helps to thicken the sauce and gives it more flavor.
- Curry Powder: Curry powder gives the dish its distinct flavor and adds a mild, warm spiciness.
- Seasonings and Spices: I used a mix of curry powder, turmeric, and salt and pepper to add flavor to the curry.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Tones down the heat of the curry and also adds a delicious creaminess.
- Cilantro and Rice (For Serving): Fresh cilantro is used as a garnish, giving the dish some extra flavor. Serve the coconut curry chicken over a bed of fluffy white rice to absorb all the tasty flavors!
How to Make Coconut Curry in a Slow Cooker
Using a crockpot to cook your curry helps all of the delicious flavors meld together. It’s also great because you can prepare it in the morning, and then have a hearty, delicious meal to come home to in the evening.
- Prepare Chicken, Heat Pan: Prepare your chicken by chopping it into 2 inch pieces and seasoning with some salt and pepper. Then heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Saute the chicken for 5-8 minutes, until just seared on all sides.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: To the slow cooker add your seared chicken, potatoes, chickpeas, and carrots, set aside while you prepare your sauce.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the skillet you cooked your chicken in, heat your oil over medium high heat, then add the onion to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in your garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute more.
- Add Remaining Sauce Ingredients: To the saucepan add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well, then remove from heat.
- Cook: Pour your sauce over your chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, then cover with the lid and cook for 4 hours on high. You can also cook on low for 8 hours.
- Serve: Serve fresh over rice with some chopped cilantro on top.
How to Cook Coconut Curry Chicken on the Stove
You can easily cook this coconut curry chicken recipe on the stove if you are short on time!
- Cook Onion and Garlic: Heat your vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add in your onion and garlic.
- Add Chicken: Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
- Mix in Seasonings: To the pot, add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
- Bring to a Boil: Add in your prepared vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer the curry for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Can I Cook Coconut Curry Chicken in the Instant Pot?
Yes! I love my Instant Pot when I am in a pinch and need to whip something up right away! Here are the instructions on how to easily convert this recipe for the Instant Pot.
- Heat Oil: Select the saute function on your instant pot and heat your vegetable oil.
- Sauté: Sauté your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
- Add Seasonings: To the instant pot, add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
- Cook: Place your prepared vegetables into the instant pot, close the lid, and seal the steam vent. Set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Your instant pot will take a few minutes to heat up and start the pressure cooking process.
- Natural Release: Once the 10 minutes is up, turn off the pressure cooker and use the natural release to release the pressure. Serve over rice.
Cooking Tips
These are a couple of extra tips to help you make the best coconut chicken curry possible. This curry is so creamy, and the chicken is so tender. I know your family will love it as much as mine does. Even my youngest, who is the pickiest eater I’ve ever encountered, can never get enough!
- Sear the Chicken: Don’t skip searing the chicken cubes before adding them to the slow cooker. This step helps to lock in the juices and develop a nice golden color.
- Use Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Go for full-fat coconut milk when making coconut curry chicken. It has a creamier texture and richer taste compared to light coconut milk.
- Adjust Seasoning: Once the cooking time is complete, taste the curry and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional spices if needed. Remember to add seasonings slowly until you reach your desired flavor.
- Low-Carb Version: To make this dish work for low-carb or keto diets, swap the white rice or cauliflower rice.
Storing Leftovers
To store leftover coconut curry chicken, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or airtight freezer bags.
- In the Refrigerator: If stored properly, your curry will stay good for up to 4 days.
- In the Freezer: If you need to keep it longer, you can freeze it for up to 2-3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat: Pop your coconut curry in the microwave or heat it up on the stove until warmed through. If it has gotten too thick, you can add a splash of coconut milk to adjust the consistency.
More Curry Recipes
Take your taste buds on vacation with these other easy and delicious curry recipes! They’re slow cooked to perfection, with flavor exploding in every bite! Serve them up with some freshly cooked rice and garlic naan for a meal the family won’t be able to stop talking about.
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Coconut Curry Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 2 large potatoes skinned and diced
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 15 ounce cans coconut milk full fat
- Cilantro and rice for serving
Instructions
- Prepare your chicken by chopping it into 2 inch pieces and seasoning with some salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Saute the chicken for 5-8 minutes, until just seared on all sides.
- To the slow cooker add your seared chicken, potatoes, chickpeas, and carrots, set aside while you prepare your sauce.
- In the skillet you cooked your chicken, heat your oil over medium high heat, add the onion to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in your garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute more.
- To the saucepan add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well, remove from heat.
- Pour your sauce over your chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, cover with the lid and cook for 4 hours on high, or on low for 8 hours.
- Serve fresh over rice with some chopped cilantro on top.
Video
Notes
- Depending on the size of your instant pot, you may want to halve the recipe so it will fit. Select the saute function on your instant pot and heat up your vegetable oil.
- Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
- To the instant pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
- Place your prepared vegetables into the instant pot and close the lid, be sure to seal the steam vent.
- Set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Your instant pot will take a few minutes to heat up and start the pressure cooking process.
- Once the 10 minutes is up, release the pressure of the cooker using the natural-release method. Stir the curry and serve over rice!
- In a large pot, heat your vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
- Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
- To the pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
- Add in your prepared vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer the curry for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large casserole dish by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat your vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
- Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few more minutes until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
- In a medium bowl, add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
- Pour your sauce into the prepared casserole dish, and add in your sauteed onion, garlic, and chicken, as well as your prepared vegetables.
- Cover your dish with heavy-duty foil, or 2 layers of foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the dish and stir everything. Return the dish to the oven, covered, and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.
- Once your curry is fully cooked you can remove it from the oven and serve!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious although it needs to b a bit sweet, can I add sugar?
Of course, add to taste!
Hi Alyssa. Is there a particular curry that should be used for this dish? Thank you.
Can olive oil be used instead of vegetable oil?
Yes! Olive oil works great and adds a little extra flavor, too.
This was a large amount of food – so lots of leftovers.
The curry was amazing/ loved with jasmine rice. This is wonderful
This was a delicious recipe. I used a hot spicy curry powder because I wanted to add some heat. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly although I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Every bit of this got eaten.
I’m going to try sweet potatoes instead just to change it up some with chicken thighs , thank you for your recipe and instructions.
Can I try sausages instead of chicken ?
I haven’t tried that before, so I’m not sure how those flavors would go together. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Can’t wait to make this! What kind of potatoes do you use?
I used russet potatoes!
I don’t own a slow cooker ,can I cook this stove top?
Yes! In a large pot, heat your vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
To the pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
Add in your prepared vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer the curry for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and serve over rice!
Is it possible to do this without a slow cooker? I have very little time in the morning so the prep makes the recipe seem daunting and not practical; if it was something that could be done later and baked for an hour or even two it seems like it would be more usable. ?
Yes! Here is how you can do it on the stove (there are also instructions in the post on how to cook this in an instant pot as well if that’s better!):
In a large pot, heat your vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
To the pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
Add in your prepared vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer the curry for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and serve over rice!
Hi, do you know what the cook time would be for the Instant pot?
Thank you!
Yes! Here are the instructions for that!
Select the saute function on your instant pot and heat up your vegetable oil.
Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
To the instant pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
Place your prepared vegetables into the instant pot and close the lid, be sure to seal the steam vent.
Set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Your instant pot will take a few minutes to heat up and start the pressure cooking process.
Once the 10 minutes is up, release the pressure of the cooker using the natural-release method, refer to the manufacturers instructions
I don’t understand why you have to cook it for 4 hours
Slow cookers take longer to cook (hence their name!) but they allow all of the flavors to really meld together and make the meat nice and tender.
hello, question.. the curry is it the powdered yellow spice or the red thai paste?? thanks
I used the powdered curry in this recipe!
What if I don’t have a slow cooker, how long to cook on stove top pls
Here you go!
In a large pot, heat your vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few minutes more, until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
To the pot add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
Add in your prepared vegetables and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer the curry for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and serve over rice!
Hi curry looks delicious. What can I substitute the coconut milk with.
You can use regular milk or almond milk instead.
I neither have nor want a slow cooker. Can I cook this in the oven?
Yes! You can also cook this on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. All of the instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here is how you would cook this in the oven:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large casserole dish by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
In a large pan, heat your vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add in your onion and garlic.
Saute your onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in your cubed and seasoned chicken and saute for a few more minutes until you have lightly seared the chicken on all sides.
In a medium bowl, add your tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Whisk everything together well.
Pour your sauce into the prepared casserole dish, and add in your sauteed onion, garlic, and chicken, as well as your prepared vegetables.
Cover your dish with heavy-duty foil, or 2 layers of foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the dish and stir everything. Return the dish to the oven, covered, and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.
Once your curry is fully cooked you can remove it from the oven and serve!