This easy slow cooker lamb curry is a creamy, mildly spiced, fragrant curry made with tender diced lamb shoulder, sweet potato, coconut cream and mango chutney.
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Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Lamb Curry
I love how little effort this lamb curry takes. The lamb shoulder becomes beautifully tender while the sweet potato, coconut cream and mango chutney make the sauce rich, creamy and slightly sweet. Beth (Effortlesss Foodie
🕒 Ready In: Prep - 10 minutes, Slow Cook Time - 5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 468 (not including rice)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Diced lamb shoulder, onion, garlic, fresh ginger, sweet potatoes, passata (strained tomatoes), coconut cream, korma curry paste, mango chutney, garam masala, beef stock cube, fresh coriander.
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
👌 Why this recipe? A genuinely easy dump-and-go lamb curry with no browning or pre-cooking - just add everything to the slow cooker and let it do the work.
Summarise & Save This Content On
It's a true dump-and-go slow cooker recipe, with no browning or pre-cooking needed. Simply put everything into the slow cooker, give it a stir and leave it to cook until the lamb is beautifully tender and the sweet potato has softened into the rich, creamy curry sauce.
It's an easy family dinner that's perfect for busy weekdays and chilly weekends, especially served with fluffy basmati rice and warm naan bread.
Love lamb curries? Try my lamb tikka masala and lamb balti recipes.
If you love easy slow cooker lamb dinners, you might also like my slow cooker lamb breast - another fuss-free way to cook lamb until beautifully tender, with minimal hands-on preparation.
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Jump to:
- Quick Summary - Slow Cooker Lamb Curry
- Why you'll love this slow cooker lamb korma
- Ingredient notes
- Need to substitute an ingredient?
- Variations
- Make it even better
- How to make lamb curry in slow cooker
- Beth's top tips
- What to serve with crock-pot lamb curry
- Storage
- Troubleshooting guide
- Slow Cooker Lamb Curry FAQs
- More slow cooker recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why you'll love this slow cooker lamb korma
- Dump and go - there's no need to brown the lamb or fry the onions first. Everything goes straight into the slow cooker.
- Minimal preparation - just chop the onion and sweet potato, then let your slow cooker do the rest.
- Tender lamb - slow cooking diced lamb shoulder makes it beautifully soft and tender.
- Family-friendly - the sauce is milder than many lamb curries. The exact heat will depend on the curry paste you use. I used korma.
- Freezer-friendly - make a batch and freeze portions for quick and easy dinners.
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.
Diced Lamb Shoulder - lamb shoulder is ideal for slow cooking because its connective tissue breaks down during the long cooking time, resulting in tender, succulent pieces of lamb. Buy ready-diced lamb shoulder to make preparation even quicker.
Onion - one medium onion, peeled and finely chopped.
Garlic - three fresh garlic cloves add plenty of flavour to the curry sauce.
Fresh Ginger - use a thumb-sized piece, peeled and finely grated or chopped.
Korma Curry Paste - provides most of the spices and flavour without needing a long list of individual spices. Different brands vary in strength, so use your favourite.
Passata (Strained Tomatoes) - forms the tomato base of the curry sauce. Passata gives you a smoother sauce than chopped tomatoes.
Coconut Cream - makes the sauce thick, rich and creamy and complements the mild korma spices.
Beef Stock Pot or Cube (Beef Bouillon Cube) - Put the stock pot or cube directly into the slow cooker. Don't make it up with water. The lamb, vegetables, passata and coconut cream provide sufficient liquid as they cook.
Sweet Potatoes - peel and cut them into roughly equal-sized chunks so they cook evenly. They add a lovely natural sweetness and make the curry more substantial.
Mango Chutney - adds sweetness and fruity flavour that works particularly well with the korma spices.
Garam Masala - stirred into the curry mixture for an extra layer of warming spice.
Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) - scatter over the finished curry before serving.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
Variations
- Make it hotter - this is intended to be a mild korma-style lamb curry, but you can add chilli flakes, fresh red chilli or a little chilli powder if you prefer more heat.
- Swap the sweet potato - use peeled cubes of ordinary potato or butternut squash instead.
- Make it nuttier - stir in a couple of tablespoons of ground almonds towards the end of cooking for an even thicker, richer korma-style sauce.
- Add freshness - squeeze over a little lime juice just before serving to contrast with the creamy coconut sauce.
- Use leftover vegetables - quick-cooking cooked vegetables can be stirred through towards the end simply to warm through.
Make it even better
Add more veg
Stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach at the end of cooking, or add diced carrots alongside the sweet potato.
Add more fibre
Serve the lamb curry with brown basmati rice, or add a drained tin of chickpeas for the final hour of cooking.
Add healthy fats
Sprinkle the finished curry with chopped cashews or flaked almonds for extra crunch.
How to make lamb curry in slow cooker
One: Put the diced lamb shoulder, onion, garlic, ginger, passata, coconut cream, crumbled beef stock cube, korma curry paste, sweet potato, mango chutney and garam masala, and salt into the slow cooker.
Two: Give everything a thorough stir so the lamb and sweet potato are evenly coated in the curry sauce. Put the lid on and cook for 6-7 hours on LOW or 5 hours on HIGH, until the lamb is tender and the sweet potato is cooked through. Season if needed and serve with freshly chopped coriander.
Beth's top tips
- Use lamb shoulder. It's one of the best cuts of lamb for slow cooking and becomes beautifully tender after several hours.
- Don't add water with the stock cube or stock pot. Crumble it directly into the slow cooker. Adding extra stock would make the curry sauce too thin.
- Cut the sweet potato into similar-sized cubes so that it cooks evenly.
- Avoid repeatedly removing the lid. Every time you lift the slow cooker lid, heat escapes and the cooking time can increase.
- Cook on LOW when you have time. The 6-7 hour setting is ideal for putting the curry on earlier in the day and leaving it to slowly become tender.
- Check your curry paste. Brands vary considerably in heat and saltiness, so adjust the amount if you're using an especially strong paste.
What to serve with crock-pot lamb curry
My favourite way to serve this slow cooker lamb curry is with fluffy basmati or pilau rice to soak up the creamy korma sauce. Turmeric rice also works well.
It's also delicious with naan bread, chapatis or poppadoms, with mango chutney and cooling raita on the side.
For a lighter meal, serve it with cauliflower rice and a simple cucumber and tomato salad.
Storage
Fridge: Allow leftover lamb curry to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate 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 thoroughly in a saucepan over a medium-low heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. You may need to add a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened considerably in the fridge.
Looking for more meals you can batch cook? Browse my slow cooker recipes for more easy family dinner ideas.
Troubleshooting guide
The lamb is still tough
The lamb simply needs longer to cook. Continue cooking until the diced lamb shoulder is tender and easily breaks apart with a fork. Slow cookers can vary quite considerably in temperature.
The curry sauce is too thin
Remove the lid and cook on HIGH for the final 20-30 minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to evaporate. Alternatively, stir in a tablespoon or two of ground almonds to thicken the sauce.
The curry sauce is too thick
Stir in a small splash of hot water until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency. Add only a little at a time so you don't make it too thin.
The sweet potato has gone too soft
The sweet potato cubes were probably cut too small. Next time, cut them into larger, evenly sized chunks so they hold their shape during the long cooking time.
The curry isn't spicy enough
Korma curry paste is generally quite mild, and brands vary in strength. Stir in a pinch of chilli flakes or chilli powder at the end of cooking if you'd like more heat.
The curry is too spicy
Stir through a little extra coconut cream to mellow the heat. You can also serve the curry with natural yoghurt or raita.
Slow Cooker Lamb Curry FAQs
Yes. You don't need to brown the diced lamb for this recipe. I've designed it as a dump-and-go slow cooker lamb curry, so the raw lamb shoulder goes straight into the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Browning can add extra caramelised flavour, but it isn't essential here and skipping it makes this a much quicker recipe to prepare.
Lamb shoulder is particularly good for slow cooker curry. It contains enough fat and connective tissue to remain succulent during a long cooking time and becomes tender as it slowly cooks. Ready-diced lamb shoulder is also convenient because there's very little preparation required.
Absolutely. This recipe has been tested using raw diced lamb added directly to the slow cooker, so there's no need to dirty another pan.
You can use diced lamb leg, but lamb shoulder is my preference for this recipe because it's particularly well suited to long, slow cooking.
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Recipe
Easy Slow Cooker Lamb Curry
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 1 Thumb size piece of Ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 500 g Diced Lamb Shoulder
- 2 Sweet Potatoes peeled and cubed (2 inch)
- 300 g Passata (Strained Tomatoes)
- 250 ml Coconut Cream
- 3 tablespoon Korma Curry Paste
- 2 tbsp Mango Chutney
- 1 Beef Stock Cube or Stock Pot (Beef Bouillon Cube) no need to dilute in water
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) chopped
Instructions
- Put the diced lamb shoulder, onion, garlic, ginger, passata, coconut cream, crumbled beef stock cube, korma curry paste, cubed sweet potato, mango chutney, garam masala and salt into the slow cooker.1 Onion, 3 Garlic Cloves, 1 Thumb size piece of Ginger, 500 g Diced Lamb Shoulder, 2 Sweet Potatoes, 300 g Passata (Strained Tomatoes), 250 ml Coconut Cream, 3 tablespoon Korma Curry Paste, 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney, 1 Beef Stock Cube or Stock Pot (Beef Bouillon Cube), 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Stir thoroughly so everything is well combined and the lamb and sweet potato are coated in the sauce.
- Put the lid on and cook for 6-7 hours on LOW or 5 hours on HIGH, until the lamb is tender and the sweet potato is cooked through.
- Stir, season, then scatter with chopped fresh coriander before serving.1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (Cilantro)
Video
Notes
- No browning required: The raw diced lamb goes directly into the slow cooker. There's no need to brown it first.
- Stock cube: Crumble the beef stock cube straight into the slow cooker. Do not make it up with water.
- Lamb: Diced lamb shoulder is ideal because it becomes tender during the long cooking time.
- Sweet potato: Cut it into evenly sized, fairly chunky cubes so it doesn't cook too quickly.
- Curry paste: Korma curry pastes vary in strength between brands, so adjust to suit your taste.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost in the fridge before reheating thoroughly.
Beth says
I was really pleased with how this lamb curry turned out. The lamb shoulder was beautifully tender after slow cooking, and I loved how the sweet potato worked with the creamy korma sauce and slight sweetness from the mango chutney. Best of all, I could put everything straight into the slow cooker without browning the lamb or frying the onions first – exactly the kind of low-effort dinner I need on busy days.