This slow cooker Chinese chicken curry is an easy family dinner made with tender shredded chicken thighs, peas, and a thick, mildly spiced Chinese-style curry sauce.
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Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry
I deliberately leave the thighs whole in this Chinese chicken curry rather than chopping them before cooking. After six hours on LOW, they're beautifully tender and pull apart easily with two forks, which also means there's less prep to do at the beginning. Beth (Effortless Foodie)
🕒 Ready In: Prep Time - 10 minutes, Cook Time - 6.5 hours LOW / 4.5 hours HIGH
👪 Serves: 4 (with leftovers)
🍽 Calories: 391
🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken thighs, onion, garlic, fresh ginger, mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, chicken stock, soy sauce, light brown sugar, cornflour, frozen peas, and spring onions.
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
👌 Why this recipe? This slow cooker Chinese chicken curry is an easy, family-friendly alternative to a Chinese takeaway, with tender chicken thighs and peas in a thick, mildly spiced curry sauce. There's no browning required, the sauce is made from scratch with simple ingredients, and it takes just 10 minutes to get everything into the slow cooker.
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Inspired by the classic curry served in British Chinese takeaways, this slow cooker version makes the sauce from scratch with mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, fresh ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. There's no curry paste or packet sauce mix needed.
There's no need to brown the chicken either. Simply dredge the whole chicken thighs in cornflour (cornstarch), add everything to the slow cooker (Crock-Pot), and leave it to cook until the chicken is fall-apart tender.
Shred the chicken with two forks, stir in the frozen peas, then leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes to help the curry sauce thicken. Serve with rice, chips (fries), or both for an easy homemade alternative to Chinese takeaway or takeout!
Love slow cooker curry recipes? You might also like my slow cooker chicken curry, slow cooker beef curry and slow cooker lamb curry!
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Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry
- What is Chinese chicken curry?
- Why you'll love this Chinese chicken curry
- Ingredient notes
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- Variations
- Make it even better
- How to make Chinese chicken curry in a slow cooker
- Beth's top tips
- Serving suggestions
- Storage
- Troubleshooting guide
- Slow cooker Chinese chicken curry FAQs
- More slow cooker chicken recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is Chinese chicken curry?
Chinese chicken curry is particularly popular in British Chinese takeaways, where pieces of chicken are served in a thick, savoury, mildly spiced curry sauce, often with onions and peas.
It's quite different from an Indian chicken curry and may also be different from the Chinese-American dishes US readers are familiar with.
My slow cooker version makes the curry sauce from scratch with mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and chicken stock (broth), rather than using a prepared Chinese curry sauce mix.
Why you'll love this Chinese chicken curry
- No browning - the chicken goes straight into the slow cooker.
- Made from scratch - there's no need for Chinese curry paste or packet sauce mix.
- Juicy chicken thighs - boneless, skinless thighs are ideal for slow cooking and become beautifully tender.
- Mild and family-friendly - plenty of flavour without lots of chilli heat.
- Thick curry sauce - cornflour (cornstarch) and a lid-off finish help create a lovely thick sauce.
- Minimal prep - you'll only need about 10 minutes to get everything into the slow cooker.
- Freezer-friendly - ideal for batch cooking.
Ingredient notes
A full ingredients list along with Metric and US Customary measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Chicken thighs - you'll need 1 kg (2.2 lb) of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I leave them whole during cooking and shred them at the end. Chicken thighs are particularly good for slow cooker recipes because they stay juicy and tender during the long cooking time.
Cornflour (cornstarch) - dredging the chicken thighs in cornflour before slow cooking helps thicken the curry sauce. US readers should use cornstarch, not corn flour.
Onion - one medium onion, peeled and chopped.
Garlic - three fresh garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped.
Fresh ginger - freshly grated ginger adds warmth and flavour to the curry sauce.
Mild curry powder - gives the sauce its distinctive curry flavour while keeping it mild enough for a family dinner.
Ground fenugreek - adds an earthy, slightly bittersweet flavour. Make sure you use ground fenugreek, rather than dried fenugreek leaves.
Light brown sugar - just two teaspoons help balance the savoury and spicy flavours.
Chicken stock (chicken broth) - forms the base of the curry sauce.
Soy sauce - adds savoury umami flavour to the sauce.
Frozen peas - add these towards the end of cooking so they retain their colour and texture. There's no need to defrost them first.
Spring onions (green onions) - slice and scatter over the finished curry for a fresh garnish.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
Variations
- Make it spicier - swap the mild curry powder for medium or hot curry powder, or add a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Add more vegetables - sliced red or green peppers (bell peppers), mushrooms, or baby corn would all work well. Bear in mind that some vegetables release additional liquid as they cook.
- Use chicken breast - boneless chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs.
- Add Chinese five spice - add a small pinch alongside the curry powder if you enjoy its distinctive flavour.
- Make it sweeter - add an extra teaspoon of light brown sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter takeaway-style curry sauce.
Make it even better
More fibre - serve the curry with brown rice.
More vegetables - add extra frozen vegetables with the peas towards the end of cooking.
Healthy fats - scatter a small handful of unsalted cashews over the curry before serving.
More protein - the chicken thighs already make this a protein-rich dinner, but you could add shelled edamame alongside the peas.
Less salt - use reduced-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium chicken stock/broth.
How to make Chinese chicken curry in a slow cooker
One: Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker, sprinkle over the cornflour, then mix well until each thigh is evenly coated.
Two: Put the mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, and light brown sugar into a jug.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock (broth) and soy sauce until combined, then whisk in the salt and black pepper.
Three: Add the chopped onion, garlic, and freshly grated ginger to the slow cooker with the chicken.
Pour over the stock and mix.
Cook on LOW for 6 hours or 4 hours on HIGH.
Four: Use two forks to shred the tender chicken thighs directly in the slow cooker, then stir the shredded chicken through the curry sauce.
Stir in the frozen peas and cook for a further 30 minutes with the lid OFF.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then garnish with sliced spring onions (green onions) and serve.
Beth's top tips
- Leave the chicken thighs whole. They'll stay juicy during slow cooking and are easy to shred once tender.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs rather than bone-in thighs for this recipe.
- Don't skip the cornflour (cornstarch). It helps thicken the curry sauce during cooking.
- There's no need to brown the chicken first.
- Add the frozen peas towards the end rather than at the beginning so they don't become overly soft.
- Leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes to help reduce and thicken the sauce.
- Want it even thicker? Continue cooking without the lid until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
- Slow cookers vary, so the cooking times are a guide. The chicken should be thoroughly cooked and tender enough to shred easily.
Serving suggestions
Classic British Chinese takeaway-style dinner, serve the chicken curry with steamed white rice and chips (fries).
You could also serve it with egg fried rice, noodles, stir-fried vegetables, prawn crackers, spring rolls, or prawn toast.
For a lighter meal, serve it with steamed broccoli, green beans, or cauliflower rice.
Storage
Fridge - cool leftovers quickly and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer - once completely cool, portion the curry into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating - reheat in the microwave or gently in a saucepan until piping hot throughout. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so add a splash of chicken stock/broth or water if necessary.
Troubleshooting guide
My slow cooker Chinese chicken curry is too thin
Slow cookers retain moisture rather than allowing it to evaporate, so sauces can sometimes be thinner than expected.
Once you've shredded the chicken, stir in the frozen peas and leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes. This allows moisture to evaporate and the sauce to reduce.
If it still isn't as thick as you'd like, continue cooking with the lid off for a little longer.
My curry sauce is too thick
Stir in a splash of hot chicken stock (broth) or water until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
The chicken thighs won't shred easily
They probably need a little longer to cook. Properly cooked thighs should be tender enough to pull apart easily with two forks.
Slow cookers vary considerably, so yours may cook slightly faster or slower than mine.
My curry isn't spicy enough
This recipe deliberately uses mild curry powder to keep it family-friendly. For more heat, use medium or hot curry powder or add chilli flakes to taste.
My curry tastes too salty
Both chicken stock and soy sauce contain salt. Try using reduced-sodium soy sauce or low-sodium chicken broth and adjust the added salt to taste.
Slow cooker Chinese chicken curry FAQs
Yes. There's no need to brown the chicken thighs before making this curry.
The raw chicken goes directly into the slow cooker and cooks in the curry sauce until thoroughly cooked and tender enough to shred.
This recipe uses two methods.
First, the chicken thighs are dredged in cornflour (cornstarch), which helps thicken the liquid as the curry cooks.
Second, the lid is removed for the final 30 minutes after the chicken has been shredded and the peas added. This allows some of the excess liquid to evaporate.
For an even thicker curry sauce, leave the lid off for a little longer.
No. This easy slow cooker Chinese chicken curry recipe makes the sauce from scratch using mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and chicken stock.
More slow cooker chicken recipes
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry
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Equipment
- Jug
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- 1 kg Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 Garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger grated
- 2½ tablespoon Mild Curry Powder
- 1 tablespoon Ground Fenugreek
- 2 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
- 300 ml Chicken Stock (Chicken Broth)
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 200 g Frozen Peas
- 2 Spring Onions (Green onions) sliced
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker, sprinkle over the cornflour, then mix well until each thigh is evenly coated.2 tablespoon Cornflour (Cornstarch), 1 kg Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Put the mild curry powder, ground fenugreek, and light brown sugar into a jug. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock (broth) and soy sauce until combined, then whisk in the salt and black pepper.2½ tablespoon Mild Curry Powder, 1 tablespoon Ground Fenugreek, 2 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar, 300 ml Chicken Stock (Chicken Broth), 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, and freshly grated ginger to the slow cooker with the chicken. Pour over the stock and mix. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or 4 hours on HIGH.1 Onion, 3 Garlic, 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger
- Use two forks to shred the tender chicken thighs directly in the slow cooker, then stir the shredded chicken through the curry sauce. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for a further 30 minutes with the lid OFF. Serve with the chopped spring onions (green onions).For a thicker curry sauce, continue cooking with the lid off until it reaches your preferred consistency.200 g Frozen Peas, 2 Spring Onions (Green onions)
Video
Notes
- I tested this recipe in a 3.5-litre slow cooker (approximately 3.7 quarts).
- Leave the boneless, skinless chicken thighs whole during slow cooking and shred them at the end.
- There's no need to brown the chicken first.
- Cornflour is called cornstarch in the US.
- Dredging the thighs in cornflour/cornstarch helps thicken the curry sauce.
- Add the frozen peas for the final 30 minutes; there's no need to defrost them.
- Keep the lid off for the final 30 minutes to help the sauce reduce.
- For a thicker sauce, continue cooking with the lid off for a little longer.
- The recipe is deliberately mild and family-friendly. Use medium or hot curry powder for more heat.
- Slow cookers/Crock-Pots vary, so cooking times are a guide. The chicken should be thoroughly cooked and tender enough to shred easily.
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
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Beth Sachs says
The chicken thighs are really tender after slow cooking and shred easily, and I love how the cornflour and lid-off cooking time created a lovely thick curry sauce without needing to make a slurry at the end. The peas add a nice pop of sweetness and colour too. It’s mild enough for a family dinner, but still has plenty of flavour from the ginger, garlic, curry powder and fenugreek.