Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken

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Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

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Saucy Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken with sweet red peppers, tender potatoes, and crunchy cashews make right in your crockpot! So easy and INSANELY delicious!  

Love this recipe? Try these other Asian inspired recipes! Mango Chicken Curry, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, and Slow Cooker Sesame Beef.

close up of slow cooker coconut curry cashew chicken in a cooking pan.

The way I see it, you’re either Type A, Type B, or Type C.

And no, I’m not talking about those relentless color-coded personality tests you took 173 times in school. I’m talking about your curry personality.

close up of slow cooker coconut curry cashew chicken and a wooden serving spoon.

If you’re Type A – you love it. You think curry is the greatest thing since (before) sliced bread and you crave its presence in your life.

Type B – You haven’t tried curry and you’re kind of skeptical about the whole thing. Maybe it’s the smell, the blinding color, or just the fact that it’s not typically used in American Sunday potroast dinners so it sort of feels like an alien ingredient to you.

Let me put your mind at rest. Curry is a spice. Just like cumin in Mexican dishes or garlic in Italian dishes, curry is the salt and pepper of Indian food. And it’s crazy-amazingly-delicious.

Type C – You hate curry. (Do you people actually exist??)

slow cooker coconut curry cashew chicken in a cooking pan.

If you’re already on board with curry – you Type As – good! Make this dish. That’s pretty much all I have to say to you.

If you are on the fence – stop giving it dirty looks and actually eat curry. You’ll feel much better just knowing that you’ve tried it and have a real, honest-to-goodness based-on-true-life opinion about the stuff. And I’m just going to say… I’ll be shocked if this slow cooker coconut cashew chicken version doesn’t turn you into a Type A prontissimo.

And for you Type Cs…. (hellooooo?? anybody out there….???) I think you should consider giving it another go. Or at least don’t leave my blog forever because I scare you off with one (freaking a-mazing) curry dish. Come back tomorrow – we’ll talk something a little closer to home.

close up of slow cooker coconut curry cashew chicken.

Oh did I mention you can make this in your slow cooker?? Yeah, you crockpot addicts should be excited. And if you don’t have a slow cooker – not to worry! – you can whip up this heavenly stuff right on the stove. Just steam your potatoes (microwave works great) before tossing them into a pot with everything else and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until your chicken is cooked through.

Bada-bing-bada-boom!

Coconut curry. Plus chicken. and cashews.

YUM.

top view of slow cooker coconut curry cashew chicken and rice with a spoon in a bowl.

What people are saying about this Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken

“I LOVE CURRY!!! 🙂 I never attempted to cook it until I saw this recipe… I loved the outcome even though I think I was being a little stingy with spices (given it was more first time I wasn’t too generous) I could have definitely added more” – Trudi 

“I loved this!!! Turned out great! I followed directions completely and did the notes; the sludge to thicken and the paste to powder conversion. The paste I used was Thai and I felt it gave it a Thai taste instead of Indian curry. Still great! Cilantro really made a difference too, but cilantro and nuts I just added to individual servings. My chicken was really tender and perfect (the pounding it thin helps). Thanks keep your recipes coming!” – Susan 

“Wow!!! Great recipe, I’ve made this twice now…My 3 year old daughter loves it!!! love this in the crock pot – Thanks again <3” – Renee

“Made this yesterday. It was amazing!!! I’ve been looking for a good curry recipe for a long time now and have found it. House smelled amazing, even the Google Fiber installer commented on it. Thanks!” – Stephanie 

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken | Creme de la Crumb
4.78 from 70 votes

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken

Saucy coconut curry chicken with sweet red peppers, tender potatoes, and crunchy cashews made right in your slow cooker!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
0 minutes
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin and chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 2 small potatoes , (I used red), peeled and chopped
  • ½ white or yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk , (or one 14-ounce can + 1/2 cup chicken broth)
  • 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder , (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • optional: corn starch slurry , (see note)
  • cashews, cilantro, cooked rice for serving

Instructions 

  • Add chicken pieces, red peppers, potatoes, and onions to the slow cooker.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together chicken broth, curry powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into slow cooker and stir to coat chicken and veggies. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours.
  • About 10-15 minutes before serving, stir in coconut milk. Stir just before serving and top with cashews and freshly chopped cilantro.

Notes

*If you have red curry paste on hand, I like to swap out 1 tablespoon of curry powder for 1 tablespoon of the red paste. You can also add up to 1 tablespoon of garlic powder for an extra flavor boost. 
*If you prefer a little bit thicker curry (like I do) whisk together 3 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Stir into crockpot about 30-45 minutes before serving and cook on high until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1138mg | Potassium: 1247mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1116IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this?Leave a star rating or comment below!
Tiffany of Creme de la Crumb in the kitchen

Welcome!

Hey there, I’m Tiffany – chef, photographer, mother, and avid taco eater. I am passionate about turning simple flavors and ingredients into tasty meals the whole family will love, with minimal prep and cleanup so there’s more time to spend eating and enjoying. Stay awhile, and help yourself to a taco or two!

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4.78 from 70 votes (46 ratings without comment)

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201 Comments

  1. Rachel says:

    What is the approx. calorie count per serving?

  2. Sarah says:

    Hi! This looks delicious! Would this work with light coconut milk, do you think?

    1. Tiffany says:

      Hi Sarah, I think it should work!

  3. Hannah says:

    Hi! I have made this recipe a few times and love it– so delicious! One problem I have each time, though, is the curry is really watery although I used the corn starch. Any tips on how to thicken up the curry a bit more? Thanks!

    1. Tiffany says:

      Hi Hannah, I have found that some brands of coconut milk are thicker than others, I can’t think of the thicker brand names at the moment but if you shake the can at the store (it won’t explode or anything ha) you might be able to tell if it is really thick or more watery. Also if you like your curry REALLY thick, like my husband, you can transfer the whole contents of the slow cooker to a large skillet and add the corn starch slurry there – just bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until thickened. This is a great way to get a really thick sauce!

  4. Staci says:

    The dish was fantastic, but the potatoes were not done when I cooked them on low for 5 hours. They were cut in 1 inch cubes. I threw it all in the skillet and finished it off. If I were to do it over again, I would plan for longer cook time and throw the peppers in the last 1/2-1 hour (too mushy for us). Thanks for the recipe!

  5. Tammy says:

    My family absolutely LOVES curry! We just moved back from Japan and one of our favorite places to eat were Thai and curry restaurants. I have curry powder and paste but I am wondering if there is a certain powder you use? I just use the mc cormick powder. I don’t even think I noticed any special powder while shopping at the Japanese stores. Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it!

  6. Stephen says:

    Hey, I tried the recipe and it was pretty good. However, I enjoyed it a lot more once I added fish sauce. I thought it was just what it needed because it really added the umami element. But overall, I really enjoyed it. I loved using the slow cooker too!

  7. Stephanie says:

    Made this yesterday. It was amazing!!! I’ve been looking for a good curry recipe for a long time now and have found it. House smelled amazing, even the Google Fiber installer commented on it. Thanks!

  8. Jay says:

    I just made this last night and it ended up being way too runny even after adding the corn starch and the flavor was hotter yet very bland.

    I have no luck with slow cookers. 🙁

    1. Tiffany says:

      Dang I’m sorry to hear that! I haven’t had those issues but upping the amount of salt would bring out more of the flavors in the dish and you could always transfer the dish to a pan before adding the corn starch slurry and bringing it to a boil – this will help it to thicken quicker!

  9. Nicole says:

    Could I put in frozen chicken, if so do I need to add time to cooking; or do I need to thaw it first?

    1. Tiffany says:

      Hi Nicole, my instructions are for using thawed chicken, you could try it with frozen but yes you’ll need some extra cooking time!

  10. Jennifer 43 says:

    Do I used cooked chicken breast or are you putting it in there raw?

    1. Tiffany says:

      Raw chicken – it gets cooked in the slow cooker.