Chicken · Slow cooker

Slow Cooker Indian Takeaway Style Chicken Curry

This slow cooker curry tastes like proper Indian takeaway, not a watered-down home version. The secret's in the spices, garam masala especially, and using chicken thighs instead of breast so they stay tender and flavourful through hours of cooking.

R By Richard · Adapted from YouTube · Published 28 May 2026
⏱Prep 15 min
🍲Slow cook 6 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
Chicken Curry | Indian takeaway style | Crockpot Recipe | Slow Cooker Curry

Source video by YouTube on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a slow cooker chicken curry built to taste like your favourite Indian takeaway. Chicken thighs are used for flavour and resilience during long cooking, while baby potatoes break down to naturally thicken the sauce. Onions and garlic are softened in a pan first to take the raw edge off, then everything goes into the crockpot with a generous spice mix including garam masala, cayenne and turmeric. Cook low and slow, finish with fresh coriander, and serve with basmati rice.

Editor's note: Several quantities not stated in transcript: onion, garlic, chicken thighs, baby potatoes, salt and pepper, crushed chilli, garam masala, tomato puree, water, bay leaves, and finishing coriander. These have been left as null per source-fidelity rules. Servings estimated based on a 2.5 litre crockpot; please verify. | Second-pass critique flagged 3 fabricated and 4 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.

Ingredients

Main
  • onion, chopped
  • fresh garlic, crushed or minced
  • chicken thighs, boneless, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • baby potatoes
Seasoning
  • salt
  • black pepper
Spices
  • 0.5 tspground cloves
  • 1 heaped tspcayenne pepper
  • 1 tspground coriander
  • dried coriander leaf
  • crushed chilli
  • garam masala
  • 0.5 tspturmeric
Sauce
  • tomato puree
  • water
  • 1 tbspsalted butter
  • bay leaves
To finish
  • fresh coriander, chopped, a handful (add late)
To serve
  • basmati rice, cooked
  • lime, wedges

Method

  1. Heat a pan and fry the chopped onion for a couple of minutes until starting to soften.

    ~3 min

  2. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until soft and the raw edge has come off. Turn off the heat.

    ~3 min

  3. Add the baby potatoes to a 2.5 litre slow cooker, followed by the cooked onion and garlic, then the diced chicken thighs.

    ~2 min

  4. Season with salt and pepper, then add the ground cloves, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, dried coriander leaf (if using), crushed chilli (if using), garam masala and turmeric.

    ~2 min

  5. Add the tomato puree and a splash of water so the sauce is not too thick, then add the butter.

    ~1 min

  6. Mix everything together well to combine.

    ~1 min

  7. Tuck the bay leaves on top, pushing them down slightly but leaving them near the surface so they are easy to fish out later.

    ~1 min

  8. Cook on Low for 6 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through.

    ~360 min

  9. Remove the bay leaves, then stir gently. The more you stir, the more the potatoes will break down and thicken the sauce, so go easy if you prefer a looser curry.

    ~2 min

  10. Stir through a handful of chopped fresh coriander and serve with basmati rice and a wedge of lime.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Why use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Thighs are cheaper, have more flavour, and stand up much better to long slow cooking. Chicken breast tends to dry out and go stringy over several hours.
Do I have to fry the onion and garlic first?
Yes. Slow cookers don't brown ingredients, so softening the onion and garlic in a pan first takes the raw edge off and builds the flavour base for the curry.
Why do the potatoes go in?
Baby potatoes break down during cooking and naturally thicken the sauce, as well as adding body to the dish. Stir less at the end if you want them to stay more intact.
Can I make this milder?
Yes. Leave out the crushed chilli and reduce or skip the cayenne pepper. The garam masala, turmeric and ground coriander will still give you that takeaway-style flavour without the heat.
Can I cook it on High instead of Low?
Yes, cook on High for 4 to 5 hours instead of 6 hours on Low. Always check the chicken is fully cooked through before serving.
Extraction notes (transparency): Several quantities not stated in transcript: onion, garlic, chicken thighs, baby potatoes, salt and pepper, crushed chilli, garam masala, tomato puree, water, bay leaves, and finishing coriander. These have been left as null per source-fidelity rules. Servings estimated based on a 2.5 litre crockpot; please verify. | Second-pass critique flagged 3 fabricated and 4 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.