Slow Cookers are the perfect appliance for creating rich and delicious Indian curries! This post is about an awesome Spicy Indian Chicken Curry Slow Cooker Recipe, which features bold and spicy flavors and the most tender chicken you can imagine!
I just LOVE slow cooker recipes and also Indian food! It's a great thing that Indian curries and slow cookers are a match made in heaven. Slow cookers are the ultimate kitchen appliance for creating top notch meals and slow cooking really helps to bring out the flavors in different dishes.
So, just dream of your slow cooker creating a TOTALLY DELICIOUS Indian chicken curry while you enjoy your day. Come home to the most amazing aromas and prepare to indulge in a succulent and spicy chicken curry as good as what you would get at your local Indian restaurant.
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Why You Will Love This Spicy Indian Chicken Curry Slow Cooker Recipe!
You'll love this crockpot chicken curry because:
- The flavors are bold, spicy, and delicious! This curry recipe uses a complex mix of both whole and ground spices typically used in Indian cuisine. These spices create a tremendous depth of flavor in this dish.
- This recipe allows you the flexibility in adjusting the heat level to your spice tolerance level.
- You can go about your day while your crockpot (slow cooker) works to give you the tenderest chicken bathed in a mouthwatering spicy curry sauce.
- Your home will be filled with the most amazing aromas!
- It's so satisfying, colorful, and fun to put this recipe together.
- Yogurt helps to tenderize the chicken while cooking.
So if you're ready for a BOLD and SPICY slow cooker chicken curry recipe, then read on to find out what you'll need for this dish!
🥘 Ingredients
As can be seen above, there is a beautiful and delicious array of spices and ingredients in this great recipe. Many of these spices are used extensively in Indian cooking.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces - I don't recommend using chicken breast meat as it tends to dry out
- Onion, finely minced
- Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely minced
- Garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- Thai chilies finely minced; you can adjust the amount of chilies to your liking
- Roma tomato diced (select a large Roma tomato)
- Plain yogurt - the yogurt tenderizes the chicken as well as adds creaminess to the dish
- Olive oil
Ground Spices
- Garam masala (ground spice) - could also sub regular curry powder
- Red chili powder
- Coriander (ground spice)
- Turmeric (ground spice)
- Cayenne pepper (ground spice; adjust the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes)
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Whole Spices
- 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 each green cardamom pods
- 2 each cloves
- 3 each black peppercorns
Garnish
- Cilantro (garnish)
- Lemon juice (added at the end for a bit of brightness!)
Without doubt this is a fairly long list of ingredients. However, please be assured that the prep for this spicy chicken curry for the slow cooker comes together easily and quickly.
PLEASE NOTE: Using the quantities of ground and whole spices as stated in the recipe card will give you a BOLD and FIERY curry. If you prefer a less spicy hot and milder curry, I recommend you scale back the quantities a bit. You can always add more to taste later if you like.
This recipe uses a fresh Roma tomato. You could also add a little bit of tomato paste or sub tomato puree for the Roma tomato if you like.
🔪 Instructions
The hardest part of this Spicy Indian Chicken recipe is gathering the ingredients. So once you've collected all of the ingredients we'll roll up our sleeves and take care of the prep!
Begin by trimming the fat from the chicken thighs and cut into bite sized pieces. Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
Next, finely mince the onion, garlic, ginger, and Thai chilies (if using). This is easiest in a food processor. Place this mixture in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, and then the ground spices (garam masala, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper) and olive oil. Stir to combine well.
Now add the rest of the ingredients: diced tomato and the whole spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorn, green cardamom). If you are adding tomato paste or subbing tomato puree for the fresh tomato, add it at this time. Stir to combine well.
Pour this combined mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, and stir to combine well. Then place the cover on the slow cooker and set it to cook for 4 hours on low.
Adjusting For Taste and Gravy Thickness
Now remove the cover, turn up the heat to high, and add a small amount of cornstarch slurry. This is made by mixing a little cornstarch with water. Mix this in and cook without the cover for the last 30 minutes, or until the curry has thickened to your liking.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if you desire by adding more salt, pepper, etc.
You will have an aromatic, delicious and rich spicy Indian chicken curry at the end of cooking time. It's fiery hot, as well as spicy in that it is full of complex spices.
Remove and place in your serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and add a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness if you like!
Suggestions For Serving
Enjoy this fiery and spicy chicken curry with the king of rices, basmati rice. It also pairs well with brown rice, garlic naan, or even pita bread. And cauliflower rice is a great option if you are watching your carbs.
These versatile serving suggestions make this recipe adaptable to your dietary needs and your specific tastes.
I hope that this will become a favorite Indian chicken curry recipe of yours!
FAQ
Yes, it's absolutely fine to put raw chicken in a slow cooker. Slow cookers will safely cook raw chicken over a long period of time and will give you tender chicken to enjoy!
Store leftover chicken curry in an airtight container in your refrigerator. This should keep for around 4 days.
If you find that your curry sauce (gravy) is too thin, you can remove the lid of the slow cooker around 30 minutes prior to the end of the cooking time, add some cornstarch slurry, and cook off some of the liquid on a high setting.
If you find that your curry sauce (gravy) is too thick, you can add a little water or chicken broth towards the end of cooking.
Here Are Some Other Indian Recipes You May Enjoy!
If you love Indian food, then here are some other Indian recipes that you may enjoy:
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Cheers!
Grace
Spicy Indian Chicken Curry Slow Cooker Recipe
Equipment
- slow cooker
- Food Processor optional but makes prep of garlic, onion, ginger, and chilies much easier
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 onion finely minced
- 1 inch ginger peeled and finely minced (could sub 2 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste for the ginger and garlic)
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
- 4 Thai chilies finely minced; you can adjust the amount of chilies to your liking
- 1 Roma tomato diced; select a large Roma tomato (you could also add a little bit of tomato paste or sub tomato puree for the Roma tomato if you like)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Ground Spices
- 1 ts garam masala ground (could also sub regular curry powder)
- 1 ts chili powder ground
- 1 ts coriander ground
- 1 ts turmeric ground
- 1 ts cayenne ground (adjust the amount of cayenne to suit your tastes)
- 2 ts salt may add additional to taste
- ⅛ ts black pepper may add additional to taste
Whole Spices
- 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 each green cardamom pods
- 2 each cloves
- 1 each black peppercorn
Garnish
- 1 cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
- lemon squeeze of lemon
Cornstarch slurry
- cornstarch
- water
Instructions
- Trim the fat from the chicken thighs and cut into bite sized pieces. Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
- Finely mince the onion, garlic, ginger, and Thai chilies (if using). This is easiest in a food processor. Place this mixture in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, and then the ground spices (garam masala, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper) and olive oil. Stir to combine well.
- Now add the diced tomato and the whole spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorn, green cardamom). Stir to combine well.
- Pour this combined mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, and stir to combine well.
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and set it to cook for 4 hours on low. Now remove the cover, turn up the heat to high, and add a small amount of cornstarch slurry. This is made by mixing a little cornstarch with water. Mix this in and cook without the cover for the last 30 minutes, or until the curry has thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you desire by adding more salt, etc.
- Remove and place in your serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and add a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness if you like!
Grace
This spicy chicken curry is so satisfying to make and very delicious. I enjoyed the wonderful spicy aromas coming from my slow cooker as this curry is made and the spices meld together so perfectly!