Crock Pot Chicken Curry |

I have been into cooking with our Crock Pot as of late. Let’s face it…more often than not cooking with a slow-cooker method is less hassle, and I’m all about less hassle in the kitchen some days! Other days tend to be more time-consuming with food for me {in the prep, cooking, and clean up} which makes me want to swing to the other side of the pendulum quite often {hence leftovers, frozen burritos or Ramen noodles for lunch and using the Crock Pot for dinner prep!} Many days this is just how it’s gotta be!

The recipe that I am sharing with you today for Crock Pot Chicken Curry is a variation of a recipe I read over at www.crockpot365.blogspot.com. It actually ended up being quite different from her recipe, but it was an inspiration none-the-less.

My recipe calls for curry powder. There are so many variations of curries and options tend to be limitless. The kind I have right now is a combination of curry, turmeric, cumin, garlic, onion, black pepper, and chili. Use whatever variation of curry powder you have on hand or suits your individual taste buds and add more or less of it to taste. I probably would’ve seasoned this with a bit more curry powder, but didn’t want to overwhelm my children’s taste buds. They are actually quite resilient to new and stronger flavors because we cook so often with different spices, but sometimes {depending on how spicy things are} they can shy away from certain things. They eat what my husband and I eat though, so figured I would be on the safe side and under-season rather than over-season.

This was a cinch to put together, the most time-consuming part being chopping up the onion, garlic and cilantro {I had frozen peppers already chopped up in the freezer from this past summer’s harvest}. I used frozen chicken breast tenderloins and just threw them in the pot whole, saving myself the hassle of having to thaw or chop up the meat. I would imagine using chicken breasts or thighs would make for a marvelous meal as well. Using canned coconut milk as the base makes for a rich and creamy sauce. I would, however, suggest not using a “lite” version of the coconut milk if you can help it. I mean, extra fat always makes things taste better…trust me, your taste buds will thank you! In our family, we also love the taste cilantro gives to our food and so I used quite a bit in this recipe. I know cilantro can be an acquired taste for some, so if you happen to be one of those people who don’t rave about cilantro, cut it down by some, leave it out, or think about substituting it with something like Thai Basil.

Anyway, I hope your family enjoys this easy and savory meal as much as my family did. Throw it in the Crock Pot, forget about it, and enjoy it later! -Shelley.

Crock Pot Chicken Curry
{This recipe accommodates a large family, with a good appetite, that enjoys leftovers… It can easily be halved if this recipe amount is not needed}

2 – 13 ounce cans coconut milk {full fat}
1/2 T brown sugar
2 T tomato paste
4 T curry powder
1 t salt – or to taste
12 – 16 frozen chicken breast tenderloins {about the same as 6-8 frozen chicken breasts}
2 t minced fresh ginger
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 green or red bell peppers, chopped
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 can garbanzo beans {same thing as chickpeas}, rinsed and drained
a few dashes of hot sauce, optional

Pour coconut milk into Crock Pot. Measure out brown sugar, curry powder, and tomato paste and add it to the coconut milk. Whisk well to combine. I tasted it at this point for salt content. Add a little bit at a time, whisking in between, until you’ve achieved the saltiness you desire.