Chicken · Slow cooker

Easy Chinese Takeaway Chicken Curry | Slow cooker | Crockpot Recipe

This takeaway-style curry tastes almost identical to what you'd get from your local Chinese restaurant, except it's made in the slow cooker with just a curry paste, chicken breasts, and a pinch of Chinese five spice. No faffing about, it practically cooks itself.

R By Richard · Adapted from What's For Tea? · Published 8 May 2026
👁 69.9k source views ❤️ 1.8k source likes
⏱Prep 10 min
🍲Slow cook 5 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
✓Confidence 80%
Easy Chinese Takeaway Chicken Curry | Slow cooker | Crockpot Recipe

Source video by What's For Tea? on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This Chinese takeaway style chicken curry is made entirely in the slow cooker for maximum ease. Whole chicken breasts cook gently in a curry sauce paste with onions, Chinese five spice and a touch of cayenne, then break apart into beautifully tender pieces. Frozen peas are stirred through at the end to warm through. Serve with plain white rice, or chips for a proper takeaway feel.

Ingredients

Main
  • 3 wholechicken breasts, left whole
  • Chinese curry sauce paste (Goldfish brand or similar), made up with warm water per pack instructions
  • warm water, as per curry paste pack instructions
  • 1 largeonion, sliced
Seasoning
  • 0.5 tspsalt
  • 1 tspChinese five spice
  • 1 tspcayenne pepper
To finish
  • frozen garden peas (add late)

Method

  1. Make up the Chinese curry sauce paste with warm water following the pack instructions, stirring until smooth and lump-free.

    ~2 min

  2. Place the three whole chicken breasts into the slow cooker.

    ~1 min

  3. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken and stir to combine.

    ~1 min

  4. Add the sliced onion, salt, Chinese five spice and cayenne pepper. Stir until everything is nicely combined.

    ~2 min

  5. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours or on High for 4 hours. Give it a gentle stir halfway through, taking care not to break the chicken up.

  6. Once cooked, break up the tender chicken with the back of a spoon, going gently so it doesn't completely disintegrate.

    ~2 min

  7. Stir in the frozen peas, replace the lid and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through.

    ~10 min

  8. Serve with plain white rice, or with chips for a full takeaway feel.

Frequently asked

Can I use regular curry powder instead of curry sauce paste?
Yes. Standard curry powder will give you the flavour, but the sauce won't thicken on its own, so you'll need to stir in a cornflour slurry at the end to get that takeaway-style consistency.
Do I need to brown the chicken first?
No. The chicken breasts go straight in raw and cook gently in the sauce, becoming meltingly tender over the slow cook time.
Can I make this milder for children?
Absolutely. Leave out the cayenne pepper entirely; the curry sauce paste and Chinese five spice will still give plenty of flavour without the heat.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work very well in the slow cooker and stay even more tender. Use roughly the same total weight as the three chicken breasts.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours and use within three days. Reheat in a pan or microwave until piping hot throughout. It also freezes well for up to two months.
Extraction notes (transparency): Curry sauce paste quantity not specified in the transcript (cook makes it up per pack instructions); water quantity also not stated. Estimates given but flagged. Servings inferred from 3 chicken breasts.