Crazy how easy this dump-and-cook actually is!
This chicken curry recipe was first created over 10 years ago for my annual Christmas party and has become a family (and reader!) favorite.
It’s super quick to put together. Easy to meal prep ahead of time. And tastes JUST as good as your favorite Indian restaurant’s yellow curry dish (without a ton of weird or hard-to-find ingredients!)
Yup! You can enjoy a big ole’ Crockpot full of this soupy goodness with little effort. Just dump, slow cook, and sit down to a delicious dinner the whole family will love!
Want a few other easy curry recipes? You might also enjoy this Chickpea Curry, Salmon Curry, Pumpkin Curry, and Chicken Korma Curry.
OMGOONESS this is seriously delicious. I made it for my family recently & each one of the just LOVED it. This will be on the menu at our house at least every couple of months since it is so tasty and so very simple to make. Thank you for sharing 🙂
– Lynda
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Yellow Curry Seasoning. A blend of a few simple Indian spices make up the bulk of the flavor in this recipe.
- Chicken. One pound of chicken breasts are used in this recipe. There is no need to pound them thin or tenderize them before cooking since the slow cooker does the work for you. You can swap this with 2 cans of drained chickpeas to make a vegan yellow curry.
- Coconut Milk. Two cans of full-fat and lite coconut milk were both tested in this recipe. Using all full-fat milk will make the curry more creamy, whereas two cans of lite milk will be lower in fat and calories but a bit runny. You can also choose to use a combination of the two.
- Sweet Potatoes. Unlike a traditional yellow curry recipe, this one uses sweet potatoes instead of Russet or Idaho potatoes. Feel free to substitute these orange beauties with their whiter cousins if that’s what you have on hand. Yams work too, but will have a starchier texture. (Here’s more on Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes.)
- Onion. A sweet onion was used to test this dish, but a white, yellow, or red onion can also be used.
- Garlic. Crushed garlic adds a nice flavor to the dish. Garlic powder can also be substituted.
The Slow Cooker I L❤️VE!
Not all slow cookers are created the same. I’ve used and loved my Crockpot 6-quart one for YEARS. It holds heat great, is easy to use, and the lock and carry lid is so handy!
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Make the seasoning.
To make a curry seasoning mix you will need to mix together in a small bowl the salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander, and sugar.
Pro Tip: While you can technically buy the yellow curry paste (along with green curry paste or red curry sauce) at your local grocery store, I much prefer to blend up my own curry spice mix at home.
Prep the potatoes.
Cutting the sweet potatoes to the right size makes a big difference. For softer potatoes, cut them into ½-inch cubes; for firmer bites, go with 1-inch cubes. And always peel them first so the skins don’t separate during cooking.
Add everything to the slow cooker.
Pour all but 1 cup of the coconut milk into the bottom of the Crock-Pot bowl. Save the rest of the milk for when the curry is finished cooking. Carefully add the butter, garlic, and seasoning mix to the milk, then stir to combine.
Place the chicken breasts into the mixture. Be sure they are completely submerged in the liquid. Add the sweet potatoes and onions on top, and stir to combine.
Slow cook the curry.
Cover Crockpot with the lid and cook on High for 4-5 hours, or Low for 5-6 hours.
Shred the chicken using two forks during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Pour in the remaining 1 cup of coconut milk. Stir until well combined.
Pro Tip: If you have a pressure cooker, you’ll want to check out this Instant Pot Yellow Chicken Curry recipe. It’s super similar to this one, except it uses white potatoes and carrots instead of sweet potatoes and you cook it on high pressure.
But you can always sub sweet potatoes instead!
Serve the curry.
Once the chicken is shredded and the potatoes are tender, let the curry rest in the Crockpot for about 20 minutes to thicken and bring the coconut milk back together. Serve with basmati or brown rice, fresh cilantro, and naan—or swap in cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option.
FAQs
Yes! It is definitely fine to put raw chicken in a slow cooker. The Crockpot is a great tool for tenderizing chicken and creating warming, easy dishes.
You can easily use coconut milk in the slow cooker. In fact, you can sub coconut milk for cream and other dairy in a variety of recipes.
To avoid a watery curry, be sure to pay attention to how much liquid you are adding before cooking. If you add too much water, milk, or broth, the end result will be loose.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freeze leftover yellow curry in a freezer-safe container for up to 4-6 months.
What to serve with it?
You just can’t beat a big scoop of this on a bed of rice. Try any of these recipes when you’re ready to dig in.
Stick with classic rice dishes like Basmati Rice or Jasmine Rice. Or, add some flavor with Coconut Rice or Mango Coconut Rice.
Keep it simple with Instant Pot White Rice or Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
Cauliflower Rice is the best when you’re going low-carb.
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Crockpot Curry Chicken Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons curry powder mild
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 15 ounce cans coconut milk lite or full fat
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 cups sweet potatoes peeled, cut into ½ to 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
- Rice cooked
- Cilantro optional
Instructions
- Combine seasonings and coconut milk: Whisk together curry powder, turmeric, coriander, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Pour all but 1 cup of coconut milk into the bottom of a 6-quart Crock-Pot. Reserve remaining coconut milk until after curry is done cooking.3 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 15 ounce cans coconut milk
- Add butter, chicken, and veggies: Add butter, garlic, and the seasoning ingredients. Stir to incorporate the seasonings. Place chicken breasts into the slow cooker, making sure to submerge them in the liquid. Add sweet potatoes and onions. Stir to combine.1 pound chicken breasts, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, 4 cups sweet potatoes, 1 medium sweet onion
- Cook in crockpot: Cover slow cooker and set to Low for 5-6 hours, or High for 4-5 hours. Check on curry during the last hour of cooking and stir the ingredients if the curry is starting to stick to the sides.
- Shred and serve: Shred chicken using two forks during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Pour in reserved 1 cup of coconut milk. Stir until well combined. Turn off slow cooker and let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. This will help thicken up the sauce. Serve chicken curry with basmati rice and additional cilantro, if desired, and enjoy! See this recipe in Meal Plan #6.Rice, Cilantro
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Video
Notes
- Nutritional info is calculated with “lite” coconut milk and no rice.
- Coconut milk: For a creamier texture, go for the full-fat coconut milk.
- Cleanup: Use a liner to make cleaning a breeze.
- Veggies: This dish is delicious with sweet potatoes, but you can easily include more hearty vegetables.
- Serving: Scoop this on a bed of rice for the perfect dinner. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro or even some fresh lime juice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Easy Curry Recipes
You might also enjoy these other tasty curry recipes:
Chicken Korma Curry
45 mins
Salmon Curry in Coconut Milk
30 mins
Thai Green Chicken Curry
30 mins
Massaman Chicken Curry
45 mins
This is fantastic- the closest I have found to a copycat of my favorite meal at a restaurant in Tyler, TX (Juls). I add baby bok choy to mine since it was in the curry at Juls :). Thank you!
Oh I LOVE that addition, Tammy! I will be sure to check out Juls the next time we’re in the Tyler area 🙂
Thought I would come back and add another comment since I seriously make it about once a month! 🙂
I also sub homemade chicken broth for the water & coconut sugar for the sugar (or just leave it out). This makes it paleo friendly and even more nutrient dense. Thank you again for such a fantastic recipe!
Wow, Tammy!! That’s such a great idea. I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks so much for the comment and rating!
Curious. A few folks mention replacing the water, and the video also shows adding water. But, the recipe ingredients and instructions do not call for any additional liquid aside from the coconut milk. Did I miss something? is there supposed to be additional water, and if so, how much? Thanks!
Sorry for the confusion! It’s an older video, and since then I’ve made it without the water with great success! You only need to add it if you want a more liquidy sauce. Hope this helps. 🙂
I tried this recipe yesterday and it was wonderful to come home with this delicious and aromatic dinner waiting for me! It turned out perfectly (even if I got home a little later from work than planned). I think I might try it with boneless skinless chicken thighs (I like the flavor in slow cooker recipes) and add some cauliflower and peas. Have you tried it with additional vegetables? I also think this is a great recipe for prepping and freezing ahead of time to make life simple! Thanks for spicing up my winter/fall menu!
Yay!! I am so happy it turned out well for you. I have not tried it with additional veggies, but totally think you can. If adding cauliflower and peas I would add them in during the last hour or two of cooking so they don’t get overcooked. Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Omg this is one of my new favourite dishes of all time! The flavours are perfect! Had it with quinoa..so good????
Oh I love the idea of having it with quinoa!! Thanks so much for your comment, Chantal!
Hi I would like to use chicken tenderloins instead, would I need to change how long I cook it for or anything like that?
Hi Lauren! Yes, but not by much. You will be cooking yours on the shorter side (so 3-4 hours if on High and 5-6 hours if on Low). Hope this helps!
This was wonderful! I used about 1.5lb of chicken and it still came out with a great texture. I used three different kinds of curry: mild, hot, and coconut; and I used chicken broth (water + base) instead of water. It came out wonderful, and even the hard-to-please in the family enjoyed it!
Your version sounds amazing! I love the changes you made. Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this recipe today, it was beyond amazing. The flavour, texture and look were exceptional. So easy to make too. I have very little experience cooking and this turned out to be a speciality grade. So pleased! Thank you for this.
I made my rice with dried coriander and veg. seasoning for an extra taste.
So so happy you enjoyed it, Petra!! Your rice sounds absolutely amazing 🙂 Thank you so much for commenting!
Couldn’t tell….do you use boneless chicken breasts or bone in? Thanks!
I used boneless!! You can definitely use bone in and just remove the bones when you shred the chicken ????
hi there, i was wondering if you have the calorie fat etc breakdown and serving size, i have the chicken in the slow cooker right now, it smells amazing
thanks
sara
Hi Sara!! I do not at the time. Adding nutritional information is something I have been heavily considering. You, as well as a few other readers, have become very interested in those recently. In the meantime, if you have a recipe you would like the nutritional info for you can plug it into MyFitnessPal’s recipe calculator. I hope you enjoy the chicken curry!
Hi! We are dairy free here too! Could we use coconut butter in place of butter?
Thanks,
Heather
That sounds like a wonderful idea! The butter does not play a HUGE role in the dish, so you could even leave it out! I do think the coconut butter would taste delicious, though 🙂
I regularly use coconut oil; it seemed more fitting than butter to me. This is a part of our regular meal rotation; everyone who has tried it, loves it! We make both the chicken and vegetarian versions.
What a great idea, Ashton! So happy to hear that everyone enjoys it! Thanks so much for your comment and rating!
Could I leave out the turmeric without affecting the recipe too much? I can’t get it where I live 🙁
Hi Grace!! The turmeric carries a lot of the flavor in this curry. Would you be able to order some from Amazon or some other online grocery storee? Here is a link to one I like. Let me know if you do substitute and what you use! I would love to hear. 🙂
I just made this and it came out perfectly! Delicious! Tumeric is a must. Also might try to add some carrots and more veggies next time . Thank you London- this was my first time on your blog and you nailed it!
Hi Suzy!! I am so happy you enjoyed the curry so much 🙂 I totally think carrots and more veggies would be a great addition!! Thanks so much for your comment!