Next Post
Peanut Butter Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry with Crispy Shallot Basil Oil. A cozy Thai-inspired chicken curry for cold winter days. Made in the crockpot by mixing chicken with ground turmeric, ginger, and spices, then adding coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and a splash of fish sauce for a Thai-inspired curry. It’s perfectly creamy, spicy, and warming. Serve over rice with crispy shallot oil and fresh herbs. Looks fancy, but is so easy!
The very first recipe of 2023 and it’s such is a cozy one. Oh, how I love this curry. It’s a reflection of how I cook today, simple, but with plenty of flavor and one special element (the shallots you all!). I am so excited to share!
With the short, cold January days, my plan is to share only cozy, yet wholesome recipes. We may all be doing a January reset, but our food should still warm us up inside!
This curry is that perfect dish! And I love how simple it is to create.
My family has all been here in Colorado for the holidays. New Year’s Eve was filled with snow, it was very pretty and so cozy.
The only thing I wanted to cook was soup or curry. Since everyone had been outside in the snow all day, I thought a creamy curry could be perfect. Especially one with some spice to help keep the winter cold away!
I wanted this dish to have flavor, so I used a mix of turmeric, ginger, shallots, and garlic. A touch of fish sauce and lime helped to tie in the Thai flavors even more.
Here are the details
There’s really nothing fancy about this dish. Everything is put together in the crockpot. Mix the chicken (I use a mix of breast and thighs) with ground turmeric, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper. Use the cayenne to your taste.
Then, the fresh ingredients: shallots, garlic, and a handful of ginger slices. Pour over a couple cans of coconut milk and add the sweet potatoes and fish sauce. If you don’t enjoy fish sauce, use a touch of tamari or soy sauce.
Let everything slow cook and allow the crockpot to do its thing. If you’re cooking longer than 4-5 hours, I recommend adding the sweet potatoes about 3 hours before serving. The sweet potatoes get really soft and fall apart the longer you cook. They end up melting into the coconut sauce, which actually makes it even creamier.
So it’s up to you! Just a heads up that they will break up the longer you cook them.
The shallot oil
Technically, this step makes this a 2-3 step cooking process, which I know is annoying when using the crockpot. But the oil is worth it.
First, fry the shallots in sesame or peanut oil. This only takes a few minutes. Next, remove the heat and add Thai red curry paste and lots of fresh basil. I used regular Italian basil since it’s all my grocery had, but if you have access, use Thai basil.
Fry the shallots before serving. Then make a big pot of rice. Enjoy the chicken and curry sauce over the rice with lots of chili oil and shallots. Oh, and be sure to find some naan or your favorite flatbread to really sop up all the sauce.
I always add fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime too. Such a flavorful, colorful dinner to start off the New Year. Fresh, but cozy! Exactly how I want 2023 to feel!
Looking for other cozy, wholesome dinners? Here are some favorites:
Sheet Pan Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce
Easiest Coconut Cauliflower Adobo
Sheet Pan Salmon with Citrus Avocado Salsa and Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry with Crispy Shallot Basil Oil, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Coconut Chicken Curry with Crispy Shallot Basil Oil
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 472 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
- kosher salt
- 2 cups sweet potato chunks, thicker is better
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Crispy Shallot Oil
- 1/2 cup sesame or peanut oil
- 3-4 shallots thinly sliced
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- chili flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai or regular basil
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of the crockpot, toss the chicken with the turmeric, ground ginger, cayenne, and sesame oil. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and fish sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.2. Remove the lid, cook 30 minutes on high to thicken the sauce. Stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt.3. To make the shallot oil. In a skillet, cook the sesame oil and shallots over medium heat until they begin turning golden and crisp, 5 minutes. Using a fork, remove the shallots from the oil. Set aside.4. Turn the heat off, stir in the red curry paste, basil, and chili flakes. Season with salt. 5. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Drizzle with oil and top with shallots.
Instant Pot – done in 30 minutes
- 1. In the bowl of the instant pot, toss the chicken with the turmeric, ground ginger, cayenne, and sesame oil. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and fish sauce. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8-10 minutes. 2. Release the steam, switch the instant pot to sauté, and cook 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt.3. Finish as directed above.
Stove – 45 minutes or so
- 1. In a Dutch oven, combine the chicken with the turmeric, ground ginger, cayenne, and sesame oil. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and fish sauce. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and falling apart. 2. Remove the lid, and simmer over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt.3. Finish as directed above.
Delicious! A tasty, healthier option than take out – perfect cozy winter dinner. I think you could toss in any hearty veggies that you have on hand. The crispy shallots and curry oil are a must!
Hey Erin,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
This is delicious! My husband claims to not like curries but he loved this! I had to make a second batch of the sauce for the leftovers because he used so much of it. Will most definitely make this again and again.
Thank you so much Brenda!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
This was fantastic and very easy. I cooked on the stove and used chicken breasts. I also used Light Coconut Milk; I did add some cornstarch/water at the end to thicken it up, which worked great. I also substituted Penang paste in place of Red Thai Chili paste as we like the depth of flavor much better. Served over cauliflower rice. Very tasty. Thanks so much for the recipes.
Hey Nancy,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing what worked well for you! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This is amazing! I’m always a little cynical when it comes to Thai and other Asian cuisines, bc I’ve never been able to make anything that tastes exactly like something I would get in a restaurant…until now! The shallots and curry oil are really a must, just take the flavor to a whole new yum factor. I only had regular potatoes on hand; and also added some sliced red pepper and both work really well!
Hey Katherine,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
The sauce comes out thin and there are steps missing from the instructions explaining that you have to (at some point) take the whole breasts out and shred them yourself. I feel like the moisture levels were off too. The sauce was so watery that it soaked a piece of naan all the way through just by topping it with a spoonful.
Also, the 1-3tbsp of red curry is too broad a scope. WARNING! It is spicy! And the oil didn’t taste like shallots nor did the addition of it add in any way to the dish, just unnecessary prep and work.
Hi Gina,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! This sauce is not meant to be thick, and I did not shred my chicken, if you view the photos above you’ll see they are just chunks of chicken. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with! xx
Absolutely fabulous. So creamy and delicious. I can’t wait to make this again. I did use venison back strap very good.
Hey Anita,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hi Tiegan!
Could I use green curry paste instead of red?
Thank you,
Heidi
Hi Heid,
Sure, the flavors and coloring with obviously change but yes it will work for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was so good! I substituted udon noodles for the rice. I would add more thai basil as a garnish.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Made it tonight as directed and enjoyed it! Definitely a “make again”.
Hey Sharon,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Incredibly easy and delicious curry. You have to make this!!! Flavors are incredible. The chili oil and shallots are a must.
Thanks so much Eileen! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for trying it out! Happy Friday! xT
Does this curry freeze well and how long does the shallot oil last?
Hey Wendy,
Sure, you could totally freeze this and the oil is good for 2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made this tonight in the Instant Pot. It was really really easy and tasty. The yams melted into the curry sauce which is ideal because my kids don’t normally like yams but they did like this curry. I had it over riced cauliflower and the rest of the fam had jasmine rice. The crisped shallots and basil oil were a nice topper. Thanks again for saving dinner time!
Hey Karen,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
Loved it! Thank you. I think shallots have become my new favorite.
Thanks so much Ali!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xT
I made this recipe tonight. The flavors are amazing!! I used the crockpot and let it cook over 4 hours. I didn’t have shallots in the house so I substituted it with red onions. Also, I used faro instead of white rice. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. I agree that the fried onions and chili oil were a nice touch. My family loved the dish! Definitely a keeper recipe.
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Hi Tieghan, delicious recipe! I only had Lite Coconut Milk on hand and the sauce came out a little runny. If I were to use this type of coconut milk again, do you have a suggestion to thicken the sauce?
Hey Celia,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! This sauce isn’t meant to be thick, so sounds like everything came out correctly! xT
Made this for dinner last night. So, so good! Made it on the stove top and it was super quick and easy. Only change I made was to use butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. We’re not big fans of sweet potatoes (shocking, I know). But it still turned out super tasty. The Crispy Shallot Oil really takes this dish over the top. I will happily continue to make this dish!
Hey Ann Marie,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx