This slow cooker chicken korma curry is so mild and creamy that even my fussiest eater asks for seconds.
It's a regular on our dinner table, right alongside my Slow Cooker Butter Chicken and Slow Cooker Satay Chicken - all three are just as easy and just as loved.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Korma Curry
🕒 Ready In: 40 minutes prep (including a 30 minute marinate) + 3 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW
👪 Serves: 4
🍚 Calories: 746kcal per serve
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken thighs, Greek yogurt, curry spices, coconut milk, almond meal
📖 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free (double check your stock and spices are GF-certified), easy dairy-free swap available
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Mild and creamy enough for the kids, full of flavour for the grown-ups, and the slow cooker does most of the work.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This one's a proper set-and-forget dinner - marinate the chicken while you're at work, then let the slow cooker do the rest.
Dish it up with fluffy rice, a warm piece of Roti Bread or a side of Curried Rice Salad, and if you love an easy slow cooker dinner as much as we do, my Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken is another one on high rotation here.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Genuinely mild. There's only ¼ teaspoon of chilli powder in the whole marinade, so it's got flavour without any heat that'll scare off little mouths.
- Barely any hands-on time. Marinate it, sear it, dump it in the slow cooker and walk away.
- Rich and creamy from the coconut milk and almond meal, with a hint of sweetness from the sultanas.
- Freezes beautifully, so it's a genuine save-your-future-self dinner too.
Chicken Korma Ingredients
Nothing too fancy here - most of this is just spices you've probably already got in the cupboard.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the exact ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Chicken thighs - they stay so much juicier over a long slow cook than breast. If you only have breast, it'll still work, just check it a bit earlier.
- Greek yogurt - this is what tenderises the chicken in the marinade. Natural yogurt works just as well if that's what's in the fridge.
- The curry spices (cumin, paprika, garam masala, ginger, coriander and a touch of chilli powder) are what make this taste like a real curry without any real heat.
- Coconut milk or coconut cream - go for full-fat if you can, it makes the sauce properly creamy instead of thin and watery.
- Almond meal - this is what thickens the sauce at the end, no flour needed. Worth knowing if anyone eating has a nut allergy.
- Sultanas - they melt into the sauce and add a natural sweetness that the kids love (and that most curry pastes don't have).
Equipment needed: a slow cooker (a standard 4-5L is plenty for this amount) and a frying pan for searing the chicken and onion first.
Variations
- Turn up the heat for the grown-ups. Stir a pinch of chilli flakes or extra curry powder through your own bowl once it's plated, so the kids' serves stay mild.
- Going dairy-free? Swap the Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt in the marinade - it works a treat.
- Bulk it out with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or frozen peas, stirred through in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Make it a freezer dump bag - combine the raw marinated chicken with the onion, tomato paste, sultanas and stock in a freezer bag, lay it flat and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then tip it straight into the slow cooker (add the coconut milk and almond meal fresh at the end, as normal).
- Loving the easy slow cooker life? My Slow Cooker Honey Soy Garlic Chicken is another one worth adding to the rotation.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Korma Curry
Four easy steps, and the slow cooker does most of the actual work.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the exact ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Marinate the chicken. Whisk the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken and mix until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours if you want to prep ahead).
- Step 2: Sear it off. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and marinated chicken until the onion has softened and the chicken is seared on both sides.
- Step 3: Slow cook. Tip the chicken and onion into the slow cooker with the remaining marinade, tomato paste, sultanas and stock. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Step 4: Finish it off. With 30 minutes of cook time left, stir through the coconut milk and almond meal. Serve with basmati rice, fresh coriander and flaked almonds.
Recipe Tips
- Don't skip searing the chicken and onion first. It only takes a few minutes and it makes a real difference to the depth of flavour.
- Add the coconut milk and almond meal right at the end, not the start, or the sauce can split over a long, slow cook.
- A standard 4-5L slow cooker is plenty for this amount of chicken.
- Storage - keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing - cool it completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, with a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened up.
Slow Cooker Chicken Korma Curry FAQs
It's genuinely mild - there's only a quarter teaspoon of chilli powder in the whole marinade, so it's more fragrant than hot. It's one of the reasons this is such a popular one for toddlers and fussy eaters. If the adults want more heat, stir some chilli flakes or extra curry powder through your own bowl once it's plated.
Yes, and it's a great one to prep ahead. The marinade needs at least 30 minutes, but you can leave it in the fridge for up to 12 hours - so marinate it the night before or first thing in the morning and it's ready to sear and slow cook whenever you need it.
Yes. Cool it completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce needs loosening up.
A standard 4-5L slow cooker is plenty for this amount of chicken - you don't need anything oversized for this one.
You can. Swap the ground spices in the marinade for 2-3 tablespoons of a mild, good quality korma paste and keep everything else in the recipe the same. It won't taste identical, but it's a handy shortcut on a really busy night.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Looking for more set-and-forget chicken dinners? These are all favourites around here.
Slow Cooker Chicken Korma Curry
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 200 g greek yoghurt natural yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground chilli powder or more (to your taste)
- 2 teaspoon caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the curry
- 600 g chicken thighs cut into half
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- ⅓ cup sultanas or raisins
- 200 ml chicken stock liquid
- 400 g coconut milk or coconut cream
- 6 tbs almond meal ground almonds
Instructions
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and mix until well coated.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes (up to 12 hours).
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat (or in a searing slow cooker). Cook the onion and marinated chicken pieces until the onion has softened and the chicken is seared on both sides.
- Place the seared chicken and onion into the slow cooker bowl. Add any remaining marinade, tomato paste, sultanas and liquid chicken stock. Stir.
- Cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.
- With 30 minutes cooking time remaining, add the coconut milk and almond meal. Stir through.
- Serve with basmati rice, fresh coriander and flaked almonds (optional).
Notes
- You can use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Sear the chicken pieces prior to slow cooking to seal the juices in.
- Use full fat coconut milk (or coconut cream) rather than light coconut milk for the creamiest and richest flavour.
- This is a mild curry, so if you want a little extra spicy heat, add a pinch more chilli powder.
- Serve with basmati rice, fresh coriander, flaked almonds (optional) and lots of warm naan or roti bread to soak up all the delicious fragrant curry.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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