Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Since school started up again, our afternoons and evenings have become increasingly busy. With the girls’ extracurricular activities and sports, we often get home close to 7 pm. That leaves little time to make healthy, home-cooked meals. All of this running around has restored the appreciation I have for my slow cooker, despite my rocky relationship with it in the past. We’ve broken up several times. I’ve gone through periods where I felt that it left food tasting washed out and oddly textured. However, that has changed (again) since I’ve learned a couple of tricks that make a big difference in the foods that it lovingly, patiently cooks. This Slow Cooker Chicken Curry is a perfect example of just how good slow-cooker meals can be. It’s a new favorite at our house.

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker cookbook, which I was gifted last Christmas. My plan is to experiment more with it in the coming weeks. I’ll share my favorites with you in an effort to simplify and de-stress your evenings, regardless of whether or not you have kids to chauffeur around. We can all use the help.

If you like yellow curry, you’ll love this chicken. Curry is widely used in Indian, Southeast Asian, and Caribbean cuisines. However, its popularity has spread all over the world in recent years as more home cooks experiment with the spice at home. Curry powder, like the one used in this recipe, is actually a blend of different spices. Although they can vary, typically, those include turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili powder.

This Slow Cooker Curry Chicken is also flavored with fresh ginger and coconut milk, which create a light yet creamy sauce. All of these ingredients are usually easy to find. I modified the recipe a bit to my taste by adjusting some of the ingredient amounts and also by adding in some fresh spinach at the end. You can leave it out or easily substitute your favorite greens (kale would be great too).

Here are the lessons I’ve recently learned about using my slow cooker with great results. First, be careful with the amount of liquid. Unless you’re cooking beans or soup, go easy on it. This is especially true when cooking meats. I believe that washed out flavor and undesirable texture is often due to boiling foods rather than braising them in smaller amounts of liquid. Chances are the foods you’re cooking will release a good bit of juice anyway. I’ve noticed a much better result when I use less liquid. In this recipe, coconut milk is added toward the end, once the chicken has already cooked. This way, the flavors are preserved and there’s still plenty of sauce for spooning over rice or for dipping bread.

The second thing I’ve learned is that foods are usually best way before the time specified in most recipes. Of course, there are always exceptions and I’m not saying that a brisket, for example, will be done in 5 hours. But, in the majority of cases, I believe most foods don’t need to cook for 8 hours.

Also, keep in mind that slow cooker heats vary. This recipe, for example, states to cook the chicken on low for 8 hours. My chicken was completely cooked and tender after cooking on low for about 5 hours. Sometimes, slow cooker recipes are written in such a way to make it convenient to be away for a long period of time (work, school, etc.) while food is cooking. I completely understand that, but if you’re home or using your cooker on a weekend, it’s just something to keep in mind. Thank you for listening to my lecture on Slow Cooking and I apologize if it made you sleepy 😉

I hope you try out this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry. It really could not be easier, as it requires no prior stove-top prep. It’s great served with rice or any type of bread you like. Everyone in my family loves it, including my 9 year old daughter, who is brutally honest and my toughest critic.

You might also like:

Chicken Peanut Stew

Recipe adapted (slightly modified) from Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker cookbook