Bity
The first time I made slow cooker thai green curry I was braced for disappointment. Curry paste needs frying, coconut milk splits, and slow cookers have a reputation for turning everything the same shade of beige. None of that happened, and I have made it roughly once a fortnight ever since.
Slow cooker thai green curry is a genuine dump and go dinner. Everything goes into the pot cold, in one go, with a single stir. Five hours later the chicken is tender, the sauce has taken on that fragrant green edge from the paste, and the courgette has softened without dissolving.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry
- Eight ingredients and one stir. There is no frying, no browning, and no order to worry about.
- The chicken stays in pieces. Because breast holds its shape at a low simmer, you get proper chunks rather than shreds.
- You control the heat. Three tablespoons of paste is medium in my kitchen, so taste your brand and adjust.
- It reheats beautifully. In fact, the coconut and paste settle into each other overnight.
- Feeds four with rice. Meanwhile the hob stays free for exactly that.
Ingredient Notes
- Green curry paste. Three tablespoons. Brands vary enormously in heat, so start with two if yours is fierce and stir more in at the end.
- Full fat coconut milk. One 14 oz tin. However, please do not reach for the light version here, because low fat coconut milk splits into watery curds over a long cook.
- Chicken breast, chopped. About 1.3 lb. Breast is the right choice for once, since it stays firm and does not fall apart the way thigh does.
- Chicken stock. Two thirds of a cup. That is all the extra liquid this needs, as nothing evaporates under the lid.
- Brown sugar. One tablespoon. It is not there to sweeten so much as to balance the salt and the chilli.
- Red pepper and courgette. Diced. They go in at the start and soften right down into the sauce.
Will Coconut Milk Split in a Slow Cooker?
This is the worry that stops most people trying it, and it is a fair one. Coconut milk is an emulsion, so a hard boil will break it into oil and solids.
The good news is that a slow cooker never boils. It holds a gentle simmer, which is exactly the temperature coconut milk is happiest at. So the only real risk is using light coconut milk, which has less fat to hold the emulsion together and separates far more readily.
If your sauce does look a little grainy at the end, stir it hard for thirty seconds off the heat and it will come back together. Adding the paste at the start rather than the end helps too, since the emulsifiers in it stabilise the sauce.
How To Make the Sauce Thicker or Thinner
A slow cooker traps every drop of steam, so slow cooker thai green curry finishes looser than a wok version. That is normal and it is what you want when there is rice on the plate.
If you prefer it clinging to the chicken, lift the lid for the last 30 minutes on HIGH and let some steam escape. Alternatively stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch slaked in cold water and give it 15 minutes.
Going the other way is easier still. A splash more stock at the end loosens everything, and a squeeze of lime brightens it at the same time.
How To Make Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry
1. Chop everything first. First cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and dice the red pepper and courgette to roughly the same size.
2. Everything in together. Next add the chicken, coconut milk, chicken stock, brown sugar, pepper, courgette, oil and green curry paste to the slow cooker.
3. Stir it properly. Then stir well, making sure the paste is fully dispersed rather than sitting in a lump on top.
4. Cook it low and slow. After that cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
5. Taste and adjust. Meanwhile taste the sauce near the end. More paste for heat, a little more sugar for balance, a squeeze of lime for lift.
6. Serve it hot. Finally spoon it over steamed rice or noodles and top with fresh coriander, sliced chilli and a wedge of lime.
Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry Mistakes to Avoid
- Light coconut milk. This is the main cause of a split, watery sauce. Full fat every time.
- Too much stock. Because nothing evaporates, two thirds of a cup really is enough alongside the tin of coconut milk.
- Not stirring the paste in. A blob on top gives you one very spicy mouthful and a bland rest.
- Trusting the paste blindly. Heat levels vary wildly between brands, so taste yours before you commit to three tablespoons.
- Adding lime juice at the start. Still, it belongs at the end, where it stays bright rather than turning bitter.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry
- Start your slow cooker thai green curry with the thick cream from the top of the tin if it has separated. As a result the paste blooms in fat rather than water.
- Cut the chicken slightly larger than you think. It shrinks a little over five hours.
- A tablespoon of fish sauce adds the savoury depth that shop bought paste often lacks.
- Add Thai basil or coriander only at the very end. In addition, a few kaffir lime leaves during cooking are worth hunting down.
- Sugar snap peas or baby corn in the last 20 minutes keep some crunch on the plate.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge. Slow cooker thai green curry keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Because the flavours keep developing, day two is arguably better than day one.
- Freezer. Up to 2 months. However, the sauce can look grainy on thawing, so stir it well as it warms and it comes back.
- Reheating. Gently in a pan, never at a rolling boil. Meanwhile add a splash of stock or coconut milk if it has thickened in the fridge.
Variations and Substitutions
- Thigh instead of breast. Richer and juicier, though it will fall apart more. Breast is what keeps the pieces intact.
- Vegetarian. Swap the chicken for chickpeas and butternut squash, and use vegetable stock. Harvard’s Nutrition Source makes a good case for eating across the colour range, which this curry does easily.
- Prawns. Stir raw prawns in for the final 20 minutes only.
- Sweeter and stickier. For a different sauce from the same pot, my slow cooker honey garlic chicken swaps coconut for honey and soy.
- Ginger and sesame. Try slow cooker teriyaki chicken when you want savoury rather than creamy.
What to Serve With Thai Green Curry
Slow cooker thai green curry wants jasmine rice, and it is worth cooking properly rather than as an afterthought. My instant pot white rice takes four minutes at the end, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains what changes when you switch to brown.
Rice noodles work just as well and soak up more sauce. On the side, garlic butter green beans give you something crisp against all that coconut, and a cucumber salad with lime cools the chilli down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Method and Ingredients
Can I cook Thai green curry in a slow cooker?
Yes, and it is one of the easiest things to make in one. Slow cooker thai green curry goes in raw and cold in a single load, then cooks on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
Is it okay to put coconut milk in a slow cooker?
Yes, as long as it is full fat. A slow cooker simmers rather than boils, which is exactly the gentle heat an emulsion like coconut milk needs.
Can I use chicken thigh instead?
Of course, and it will be richer. However, breast stays firmer and will not fall apart as much over five hours in the pot.
Is this spicy?
It depends entirely on your curry paste, since brands vary a great deal. Start with two tablespoons, taste near the end, and stir in more if you want heat.
Sauce and Storage
Why is my sauce thin?
Nothing evaporates under a lid. So leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes on HIGH, or stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch slaked in cold water.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to two months. The sauce may look slightly grainy after thawing, but a good stir as it reheats brings it back together.
What is the secret to a good green curry?
Balance. Salt from fish sauce or stock, a little sugar, heat from the paste and acid from lime all need to be present, so always taste before serving.
Ingredients
- 1.3 lb chicken breast chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste start with 2 if yours is hot
- 1 14 oz can coconut milk full fat
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 zucchini diced
Instructions
- Add the chicken, coconut milk, chicken stock, brown sugar, bell pepper, zucchini, oil and curry paste to the slow cooker.
- Stir well to combine, making sure the curry paste is fully dispersed.
- Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Taste near the end and adjust with more curry paste, a little more sugar, or a squeeze of lime.
- Serve over steamed rice or noodles and top with fresh herbs if desired.
