
Two weeks ago my husband and I moved into a new apartment in Manhattan. We love everything about our new place, but (there’s always a “but”) the kitchen is tiny. I mean really tiny. I have about two square feet of counter space and I can’t open my oven and dishwasher at the same time. But I loved the rest of the apartment so much, I told myself it would be okay. My friends and fellow cooks reassured me that sometimes the best food comes out of small kitchens and I would find a way to make it work. And I did.
Four days later my oven broke and it’s been out for nearly a week now. As my Nanny always says, “you just have to make do and mend.” But to tell you the truth, I’ve hardly missed my oven. I’ve made some delicious stove top meals (the cook top still works) and of course my slow cooker has been working overtime.
This recipe called out to me because I love anything with coconut milk in it. And my husband is a curry fanatic. This Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry was everything Ayalla (Tasty Kitchen member saltandpaprika) said it would be: easy to prepare, delicious and “mild but complex with deep flavors.” This recipe gets two big thumbs up from me. I’ll definitely be making it again.

The recipe calls for chicken, onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato paste, coconut milk, curry powder, garam masala, optional red chili peppers, and cornstarch. Click the link at the end of this post for the printable recipe with all the measurements.

Start by cutting your chicken breasts into large cubes.

Cut your onion in half and remove the skin, then cut the green peppers into quarters.

Place the onion and pepper into the food processor.

Then add the coconut milk …

Tomato paste …

And garlic cloves. Also add the optional chilies at this time.

Add the garam masala, curry powder, and salt. Food process until smooth.

Put the chicken in the slow cooker.

Cover with the sauce, stir to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

One hour before you’re ready to eat, mix the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to the curry and mix well. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for the remaining hour.

Serve with a big bowl of aromatic rice (such as jasmine or basmati) and garnish with lots of fresh, chopped cilantro.
This will keep for a couple days and is even better the day after!

Thank you, Ayalla, for this wonderful recipe. Ayalla Weiss-Tremblay is the cook behind the Canadian food blog, Salt and Paprika. She’s a wife, mother, administrator and an excellent cook! Stop by her blog to see what’s she’s cooking up this week!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
by saltandpaprika on January 31, 2011 in Main Courses, Slow Cooker
See this recipe post on saltandpaprika’s site!
Recipe Description
This delicious chicken curry recipe is dairy-free, relatively low fat (no butter, cream or heavy yogurt!) and definitely hassle free. It couldn’t be easier to prepare. All the ingredients except the chicken are pulverized to form a creamy sauce in the food processor and poured over the chicken. Done!
The taste is the antithesis to the ease preparation. Mild but complex and deep with flavour. It is exceptionally yummy!
Preparation Instructions
1. Place chicken cubes inside the slow cooker.
2. Place therest of the ingredients (except chili peppers, cornstarch, water and coriander) in a food processor bowl and process together until the mix is smooth(ish). Pour sauce mix on top of the chicken, mix well, add hot peppers if using any, then close the lid. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3. An hour before serving, mix together water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely disolved. Add to the chicken curry and mix well. Place the lid back on for the rest of the cooking time.
4. Serve on top of steaming white rice, something wonderfully aromatic like jasmine or basmati rice. Decorate with lots of chopped coriander. Inhale. So good!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds, 3-⅓ ounces, weight Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Large Cubes
- 1 whole Onion, Peeled And Halved
- 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- 1 whole Small Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Quartered
- 1 can (156ml Can) Tomato Paste
- 1 can (about 400ml Can) Coconut Milk
- 1-½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix)
- 2 whole Dry Red Chili Peppers (optional For Extra Heat))
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1-½ Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 bunch Coriander (optional, For Decoration)
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Three Many Cooks is the always-entertaining food blog of Pam Anderson and her two daughters, Maggy and Sharon. Pam is a well-known and much-respected food writer and author, Maggy is a “hippy adventurer meets 1950s housewife,” and Sharon refers to herself as a recovering food snob learning to survive on a graduate student’s budget. Theirs is a strong relationship both inside and outside the kitchen, and it shows in the food they create and the stories they tell.












Carol on Wednesday, March 30
Oh, my. That looks yummy & I may have to try this, although I have no curry powder or garam marsala. Or coconut milk or green peppers, for that matter. I may have to make a trip to the grocery store soon!1
Heather (Heather's Dish) on Wednesday, March 30
i've been craving curry chicken for the longest time, and now i have no excuse NOT to make it :)2
sharebear on Wednesday, March 30
Wow this sounds and looks amazing! I have never tried curry before but im drooling looking at this picture. I will be adding this to my menu this weekend. Thanks for sharing!3
Lesa on Wednesday, March 30
What's in the Penzey's bag in the ingredient picture? Don't see it listed in the recipe and I can't quite read what it says.4
ThreeManyCooks on Wednesday, March 30
Oh Lesa, that's the optional hot chilis! They're dundicuts.5
Amy | She Wears Many Hats on Wednesday, March 30
Oh my! This takes slow cooker recipes to a whole new level. Trying this soon - very soon.6
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo on Wednesday, March 30
I made chicken once before in the slow cooker, cut into cubes like this, and it turned out totally dried out. Did you find that the chicken was still moist in this recipe?7
Catharine on Wednesday, March 30
This is a great post and the recipe looks yummy! In the future, would you mind including the recipe in the post so we don't have to go to another site to find it? I read this blog in Google Reader and it is great when I can copy a recipe straight from there. Just a thought! Thanks again for this recipe. I'm excited to try something like this in my slow cooker that doesn't use canned soup.8
Travis Cotton on Wednesday, March 30
How strong is the coconut flavor? I sort of detest coconut but I like curry. Dish looks great but I dunno about that coconut lol.9
Ade on Wednesday, March 30
O. M. G. I must make this in the very near future...10
EatLiveRun on Wednesday, March 30
looks divine! Thank you for sharing the recipe!11
ThreeManyCooks on Wednesday, March 30
Travis, the curry is so delicious - but the coconut flavor did not come through as much as I had hoped it would (I love the stuff!) So that's good news for you :) I think you will really love this.12
Kari on Wednesday, March 30
Look forward to trying it this weekend! Have you tried it with any other protein? I always get worried about chicken (especially chicken breast) in a slow cooker because it dries out so easily.13
Anne on Wednesday, March 30
Okay, I REALLY have to stop reading this while I'm at work! Totally forgot my lunch today and now I'm craving curried chicken on top of being hungry! Dang nab it! Someone eat something for me!! ;)14
CDarolM on Wednesday, March 30
This sounds awesome! I will have to try it while my husband is away as he is doing a low carb diet-No rice. I try very hard to accommodate him.15
Gloria Mc on Wednesday, March 30
I'm definitely trying this recipe! Hope the chicken doesn't dry out..16
romansmom on Wednesday, March 30
I've made so many version of chicken curry (my 3yo likes curry), but never a slow cooker one. Hmm, maybe that's because I don't own a slow cooker. I'm definitely gonna try this one with a regular pot and a few modifications to compensate. I think it will turn out just as delicious.17
ThreeManyCooks on Wednesday, March 30
I found that the chicken was very tender and not dry at all. I haven't tried it with any other protein - but I'm going to! I think it would work great with lamb or beef, maybe even pork. The protein is almost secondary though, the curry sauce is where it's at ;)18
April O. on Wednesday, March 30
Oh, perfection! Thank you so much for sharing this!19
Cathy on Wednesday, March 30
I read too fast at first and thought you wrote that your tiny kitchen was so small you couldn't open your eyes and your dishwasher at the same time. Now that would be small! I love curry recipes and the slow cooker - so this looks like a win win!20
joy on Wednesday, March 30
Is the similar to Butter chicken in flavor? It looks very similar. If you are concerned about the white meat drying out then use some boneless skinless chicken thighs. I use both in my slow cooker and have- never had any problems IF I use the low setting and make sure there is plenty of liquid. Thanks for a great looking recipe!21
outnumberedbyboys on Wednesday, March 30
Can you substitute something else for the green pepper? Green peppers and I do not get along well.....22
Darcy on Wednesday, March 30
I've got it in the slow cooker now!! Looking forward to it!23
Natalie (Perrys\' Plate) on Wednesday, March 30
I love coconut chicken curry, and I love my slow cooker! Thanks for finding this TK gem!24
Audrey on Wednesday, March 30
Just made the sauce - didn't have time to slow cook it today - I'll just add the chicken thighs in the morning. I've been hankering for something like this - thank you for the recipe!25
ClaireS on Wednesday, March 30
This sounds like another winner! Can't wait to try it soon (missing a few key ingredients in the pantry)26
Carol on Wednesday, March 30
Looks delicious! We need more slow cooker recipes featured :)27
MargaretMS on Wednesday, March 30
This is pure warmth & comfort & fresh in a dish. Mmmmm looking forward to trying it out.28
iambigmac on Wednesday, March 30
Gurrrrrrrl! We somewhat made this tonight. YUM! My three year old ate my last bell pepper so instead, I put spinach in the sauce along with cumin, chili powder and turmeric because I didn't have any garam masala or curry powder. We sautéd shrimp in a little bit of olive oil then added the sauce to the cooked shrimp to heat it up. We served it over whole wheat noodles and my husband, 3-year-old and I gobbled it up! Thanks for the recipe!!!29
Happy When Not Hungry on Thursday, March 31
This curry looks delicious! I actually just made a peanut chicken curry in the slow cooker. Love anything in my slow cooker!30
Kim in MD on Thursday, March 31
YUM! I love that it is made in the slow-cooker!31
Erin Stackhouse on Thursday, March 31
That looks amazing and easy! I can't wait to try it!32
tinafromtexas on Thursday, March 31
I'm happy to see that Penzey's bag of spices up there, I'm a huge Penzey's fan! I can't live without their cinnamon! Are those dundicut peppers? Wow, you're brave! :)33
Gail on Thursday, March 31
We had it last nite and it was SO good! Thank you for a great slow cooker recipe I know I'll make again and again. Smells great and tastes better. Just what I've been looking for. Similar to a restaurant recipe that we haven't had since they closed and moved across town.34
amanda Bailie on Thursday, March 31
Yum! I'm making this right now and just realized I forgot to get the garam masala at the store yesterday!! Any suggestions, fast!?35
ThreeManyCooks on Thursday, March 31
So glad it turned out well! For quick, easy, homemade curry that tastes authentic - this recipe can't be beat.36
urbanwife08 on Thursday, March 31
This recipe is now on my weekend cooking menu, even though we had tikki masala last weekend. I never tire of ethnic foods! Thanks for sharing. :)37
newmom101 on Friday, April 1
Why the cornstarch at the end... what does that do?38
Lori W. on Friday, April 1
This is in my slow cooker RIGHT NOW and I CANNOT WAIT until it is done. My house smells amazing.39
Stephanie C on Monday, April 4
Are the chili peppers the source of heat in curry? I love curry but my family won't like it if it's spicy/hot. newmom101 - the corn starch will thicken the sauce. Can't wait to try this out!40
jordantheginger on Monday, April 4
Just put together this recipe and started the crockpot!! I made a few tweaks because I didn't have any coconut milk, I used chicken stock instead. I used 2 T Curry Powder, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 T Garam Masala. I also added a few more cloves of garlic and a 1-inch piece of peeled, minced ginger! I didn't have any red chiles and I love spice so I added 1 whole, seeded jalapeno I had in the fridge. Just before serving I am going to add 1/2 to 1 cup of plain greek yogurt. I can't wait to see how it turns out in 6-7 hours, I'll let you know. At the moment it smells absolutely amazing :)41
Meghan on Monday, April 4
This sounds delicious- except I hate coconut! I am going to try the chicken stock like jordan suggested. Any other suggestions for an alternative to the coconut milk?42
Tricia on Monday, April 4
I made this tonight, and the sauce is definitely delicious, but I was also concerned about the chicken getting over-cooked and dry. I have never had success with chicken in the slow cooker - it is always dry. BUT, I decided to give it another shot with this recipe. I checked the chicken after 3 hours, and I had to shut off the cooker. It was very dry and barely edible (but we're eating it because I don't want to waste 2 pounds of chicken. :). I think it has to do with the quality of the slow cooker one is using. I don't have a top of the line cooker, and I'm wondering if my low setting isn't necessarily low. At any rate, the sauce is wonderful, and so very easy. If I use my slow cooker for this recipe again, I would probably cook for only 2 hours or cook in a dutch oven.43
Amanda M. on Tuesday, April 5
Just turned on my crock pot. Hope it looks & tastes as good as yours!44
jmelynnou on Tuesday, April 5
I am making this tomorrow night...just bought all the ingredients...questions though: the recipe says a 156ml can of tomato paste...I looked that up online and that comes out to a 5.something oz can. I see above you have an 8oz can which is the smallest I could find. Did you use the whole 8oz????45
Chrissy on Wednesday, April 6
This looks so so so good! We will be making this tonight! Also, we feel you on the tiny kitchen issue. It's rough, but definitely manageable.46
stephanie on Wednesday, April 6
Made this last night and it was wonderful! Smelled so great and my kids liked it as well. I made a few modifications. 1lb bonesless/skinless chicken thighs + 1 cup lentils, light coconut milk for the regular coconut milk, used a yellow pepper since that's what I had on hand, and I only added 1/2 Tbsp of the curry powder because I thought it would be too spicy for the kiddos. I also totally forgot about the cornstarch at the end, and it wasn't too soupy. This is a great sauce and next time I think I'll add cauliflower and/or potatoes.47
Brenda on Wednesday, April 6
I don't have a food processor. Would dicing/chopping very small and then mixing everything still work?48
Katrin on Thursday, April 7
OMG ... I prepared the sauce last night and it's in the slow cooker right now. I can't wait. The sauce already smelled delicious which made me super excited. Can't wait to try it later. Thanks so much for this easy to prepare recipe!!!49
Carole Martin on Friday, April 8
This was so delicious! I made it for dinner on Tuesday and I was in Indian food heaven! And healthy too! Thanks for sharing!50