Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
November 27, 2019
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, all this means is that Healthy Ronin receives a commission from purchases made using links (may be marked with *) on this page. This is at no additional cost to you, and only helps to keep the website running. For our full Affiliate Disclosure, you can click here. Enjoy your stay!
Want an exciting go-to curry recipe? Make the most of your slow cooker for this Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry – it’s sure to raise some eyebrows.
Hey, let me guess! You want a recipe that you know you can count on?
In this article, I’ll share one of my favourite slow cooker chicken recipes for any night in! Perfect for all occasions, easy to put together, and an impressive to zest up your kitchen…
We’ll discover the best ingredients to use (and why), how to make your own spice blend easily, and one of my top recipes (with serving suggestions).
In fact, I stumbled upon it simply by experimenting with different spices and herbs to make new combinations.
The reason I’m telling you this? It’s because it goes to show that adding variety and seeking new experiences is important both in the kitchen and in any healthy diet!
Making food you truly enjoy and eating healthily are not separate tasks, but instead a wonderful combination.
With that in mind, let’s get into it. Here’s how to take advantage of quality ingredients, some great ways to personalise this slow cooker Indian chicken curry, and of course the recipe itself.
P.S. If you’ve found yourself here without a Slow Cooker of your own yet, Here’s Why to Use a Slow Cooker (and which ones I recommended).
Making Your own Curry Powder (Why Most Blends are Bad)
Before I say any more, this is an easy slow cooker chicken curry.
Making your own curry powder on a simple level is quick and will truly make a difference to your cooking.
For this recipe, we use a few key spices to make a mixture and supplement with a few fresh herbs and spices. (You may even have them around).
By doing this in your own healthy recipes, you get to learn how spices and flavours interact more. And then preparing your own curries and everything else becomes much more fun.
Not only do you get to decide what does go into it (spicy, salty, sour?), but also what doesn’t!
Why Not any Indian Curry Powder?
Unfortunately, a lot of the spice mixes you’ll find on the supermarket shelf have added sugar, seed oils, and chemicals. Amongst the countless ways in which these are bad for us, here are a few:
- Inflammation (^)(^)(^)
- Disrupted hormonal systems (^)
- Increased risk of illness and disease (^)(^)
- Reduced brain function (^)(^)
Naturally, many of these effects and their studies overlap.
Of course, use spice mixes if you’d prefer, but look out for these ingredients if you do.
Ingredient Selection – The What’s and Why’s
Of course one of the best things you can do when buying fresh produce and meat is to go organic. Getting organic meat can be hard sometimes, but at least opting for some same quality vegetables can go a long way.
The benefits of using organic produce in recipes such as this healthy slow cooker chicken curry are numerous. Most obviously, you will get to reduce your intake of pesticides and toxic chemicals. The produce and meat also get to thrive naturally and develop a more beneficial nutrient profile.
And what this means for your cooking? Flavour! Real food, nutrition, and flavour have a strong correlation.
Remember you’re doing the planet a favour, too.
What is the Most Ethical Meat to Eat?
Chickens raised ethically have access to the outdoors and get to feed on a natural diet, access free space, grow naturally, and are exposed to less chemicals. Not only do these live happier lives, but they develop healthier nutrient profiles. The same goes for all meat, dairy, and eggs.
As the main ingredient in this is chicken, its quality is also worth considering.
In the US, the best practice is to opt for organic pasture-raised chicken. Whenever reasonably possible, it’s worth avoiding conventional options.
In the UK, go for Soil Association organic approved if possible, as they provide the most humane living standards.
Australia has the Australian Certified Organic (ACO), Humane Choice, and PROOF as high quality standards. Learn more from an interesting article from Choice (worth a short read for Australian residents).
Personalising the Recipe
Being a healthy Indian chicken curry recipe, you may expect it to be spicy. However, the recipe I’ve prepared actually is quite mild, and uses more aromatic and fragrant spices instead.
But if you’re like me, you might be partial to spicy foods – they add heat to the flavour and the experience! In the recipe template below, the notes provide a good guideline if you want something more spicy.
I don’t add any salt into this recipe, either, as I personally don’t think it needs it.
What are Some Good Side Dishes for Curry?
If you’re having this slow cooker Indian chicken curry alongside something else, there are some great options!
Don’t overdo it. Some potatoes, brown rice (fermented), perhaps some cauliflower rice or vegetable noodles for low calorie / carb or keto diets. A small touch of salt and pepper (if desired) and you’re set!
Cauliflower rice is easy to make and literally takes 5-10 minutes. Here are 2 easy step-by-step methods with 6 delicious recipes from Downshiftology’s Lisa Bryan.
(P.S. Check out my Turmeric Brown Rice Recipe below)
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry – The Recipe
Here it is, our easy-to-follow slow cooked chicken curry recipe. And by this point you know how to make the most of it!
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Teaspoon
- Measuring Jug
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 640 g Chicken Breast or 4 medium chicken breasts.
- 240 g Butter Beans or 1 can of beans or 240g cooked dried beans after soaking/fermenting/sprouting.
- 200 g Onion or 1 large onion.
- 280 g Tomato or 3 medium tomatoes.
- 200 g Water 200 ml.
Dried Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp Fenugreek Powder
- 1 tbsp Masala Spice Blend Check for the additives in the Notes or above OR use ground coriander seed, ground cumin, cardamom, black pepper, fennel, and mustard.
- 1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Fresh Spices & Herbs
- 1 cube Ginger Root about a 1-inch thumb-sized piece
- 2-3 cloves Garlic
- 30-40 g Fresh Coriander about a small-medium handful
Instructions
- Get all of your ingredients and equipment out and ready-to-go. Add the ingredients to your slow cooker as we go along.
- Dice the fresh tomatoes.
- Peel and finely chop up the onion. Carefully slice off (not through, or your eyes will sting) the root at the bottom and discard. Slice to half, score almost all the way through to create thin strips, and cut across.
- Finely chop the ginger. Peel if preferred.
- Drain and rinse the butter beans if canned. Add into the slow cooker.
- Using a clean knife, chopping board, and hands, carefully dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add. Wash hands and equipment.
- Measure and mix your spice mix ingredients in a bowl. If making your own masala mix, you can use a pestle and mortar or a blender if necessary. (Don’t forget you can it make in batches and store).
- Sprinkle the spices over the ingredients and mix well to cover.
- Pour in the water, cover your slow cooker, and cook on low for 5 hours (3 for high).
- 20-30 min before Serving
- Crush fresh garlic lightly and peel. Then dice finely or use a crusher and stir in.
- Bunch the coriander (always use the stems!) and chop well before stirring in.
- Leave to rest for the extra 20-30 minutes to let the flavours develop. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
That’s it for our healthy Indian chicken curry recipe!
This should be served in a bowl or a dish due to the liquid content from the tomatoes and water.
Alternatively, incorporate your own ingredients such as potatoes instead of beans.
Once again, an excellent accompanying side to this is my Turmeric Brown Rice recipe.
For those restricting the extra carbs or calories, making cauliflower rice is quick and easy and works well with this kind of curry.
Feel free to personalise the slow cooker Indian chicken curry recipe to your liking (Read above for guidelines).
I hope you enjoy this recipe! It’s a simple go-to for nights in, enjoying with the family, and social occasions.
To learn about more healthy food from India, Check out Our List of the Best Healthy Indian Dishes!
If you tried it out, have any of your own ideas, or enjoyed the article please do comment below and I’ll be eager to respond! Have a nice day.
Until next time, stay healthy
James
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can absolutely make chicken curry in a slow cooker! This results in much more tender meat, improved nutrition, retained moisture, and allows flavours to develop. A slow cooker (like this one) makes rich, healthy meals easy.
Unfortunately, a lot of the spice mixes you’ll find on the supermarket shelf have added sugar, seed oils, and chemicals. Making your own curry powder and spice blends avoids unhealthy additives and gives you freedom to experiment!
Don’t overdo it. Some potatoes, brown rice, perhaps some cauliflower rice or vegetable noodles for low calorie or low carb diets will really let the curry’s flavours shine. A small touch of salt and pepper (if desired) and you’re set!
Bonus: Get your hands on your own FREE recipe book:
"Oat-my-goodness! A Step-by-step Guide to Six Savoury and Sweet Oatmeal Recipe".
This article was well written and informational. My only thought is that you repeat yourself in the FAQ. Also the first question is “Can you cook curry chicken in a slow cooker” which seems unnecessary because the whole article is about cooking it in a slow cooker, so the answer is obviously yes.
Otherwise, great content!
I suppose that is a good point, I didn’t really think of it! The question is another way for me to reach people wanting to learn more about using their slow cooker for healthy recipes, as it’s asked surprisingly often 🙂 The point is more about sharing the potential of slow cookers in the kitchen, adding to the many reasons to use one!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts,
James
Thanks for the great read I love slow cooking in my crock pot. Thanks for the great recipe
Thanks for reading, I hope you get to try this recipe out in your crock pot!
Hi James. This looks delicious and I am definitely going to try it out.
One question though. Can you use a pressure cooker with a slow cook setting? If so, do you need to change the cooking timing?
Thank you
Hey there Jambo, great question! You should definitely be able to make this curry that way. 🙂 I’ve never used a pressure cooker like so myself, but from what I understand it’s a similar process. If you have an instant pot, for example, the slow cooker settings can be used.
Regarding cooking time, it might take a little longer (perhaps an hour or so). You may have to account for a slightly lower cooking temperature with a pressure cooker this way, and possibly less moisture loss due to a tighter seal (or you can get lids just for that!). I recommend using about 80% of the water for consistency.
I hope this helps, and I’d love to hear it goes!
Thank you for your comment,
James
Thank you for the clarification James. I will bear this in mind when I try out the recipe, which will hopefully very soon.
All the best
Jambo
My pleasure! I hope you have a great time with this recipe.
Best of wishes,
James
This looks so good. I never would have thought to make my own spice mix.
I’m happy you like the looks of it! Most people don’t realise how easy it is to use real food and make their meals “from scratch”, but the truth is that it really is just as simple as a couple of small steps for something like a spice mix.
Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. It looks very healthy, though making the Spice Blend will take some time. But as you said, the spice mixes that find on the supermarket shelf have added the sugar and some other additives.
Don’t worry, it’s a straightforward process 🙂 In fact, you don’t necessarily have to mix the spices before adding them in, but it’s always a good idea to make extra so you can use it again. Either way, for a couple of minutes it’s well worth avoiding processed mixes.
Thank you for the recipe. Being vegan, I am just going to replace the meat with a meat alternative, but still be able to enjoy the recipe. Going to try out the Tumeric Brown Rice recipe because it looks scrumptious too!
I like that you ferment the rice a bit in the Tumeric Brown Rice recipe. It was interesting to know that it also helps reduce toxins in the rice. I usually sprout my lentils and beans before cooking them to get the best nutritional value I can. I like your healthy approach to your recipes.
I’m delighted to hear that you’ll try the Turmeric Brown Rice recipe! It really is worth it, especially alongside a warming curry.
No doubt you have ideas, but substituting with potato or Chhole / chana dal (chickpeas) and adding in some spinach might be a good chicken alternative that sticks to a familiar Northern Indian theme!
It’s great that you sprout your legumes, I personally ferment them most of the time which also makes for some recipes! (I’ll have to write about these, haha)
I appreciate the kind words, best of wishes to you 🙂
James