Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Curry

Somewhere between a butter chicken and a fresh tomato curry, this is the weeknight curry I make most. Comforting and saucy, and simple to put together. There is one step before the slow cooker lid goes on and it makes a real difference. After that it is hands off until dinner.

It also tastes even better the next day once the flavours have had time to settle, which makes it a good one to cook ahead.

What Makes This Curry Work

Bloom the spices first. This is the step I get asked about most and it is the one most people skip. Add the spices to the hot pan with the onion and stir through for 30 seconds before anything else goes in. The heat and fat in the pan toast the spices and draw out their flavour in a way that just does not happen in the slow cooker.

Raw curry powder added straight to the slow cooker can taste dusty and one-dimensional. Bloomed spices taste rounded, fragrant and full. It takes less than a minute and it changes the whole dish.

Cook the tomato paste before it goes in. Stirring the tomato paste through the spiced onion and cooking it for a minute or two until it darkens removes the raw edge and adds depth to the base.

Passata over crushed tomatoes. Passata gives a smoother, silkier sauce and lets the spices and cream come through cleanly. In the US it is sometimes labelled tomato puree or strained tomatoes.

Cream and cornflour at the end. Stirring it through in the last 10 to 15 minutes with a cornflour slurry gives a soft, spoonable sauce that holds together properly with a gentle creamy finish.

Lemon juice right at the end. A small amount of lemon juice stirred through just before serving lifts the flavour and balances the richness. Do not add it earlier or it loses its brightness during the long cook.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Chicken thighs Boneless skinless thighs cut into large chunks are the right choice. They stay tender over a long cook. Breast can work but check it at the earlier end of the cooking time and keep the pieces large.

Curry powder This is a mild curry. The warmth sits in the background rather than being spicy. If you want heat, add a pinch of cayenne at the end after tasting.

Worcestershire sauce Just two teaspoons, but it adds a quiet savoury depth that rounds out the sauce. Easy to find everywhere.

Cream Standard pouring cream or thickened cream both work. It goes in at the very end along with the cornflour slurry. Do not add it earlier.

Cornflour Mixed with cold water to make a slurry that thickens the sauce in the final stage. Called cornstarch in the US, same thing.

How to Make Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Curry, Step by Step

Step 1 — Sauté the Onion and Bloom the Spices

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the curry powder, cumin, paprika, turmeric and ground coriander and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.

Step 2 — Into the Slow Cooker

Transfer the onion and spice mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chicken, passata, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, put the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2½ to 3½ hours until the chicken is tender and holding its shape.

Step 3 — Thicken and Finish

Mix the cornflour with the cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir it into the slow cooker along with the cream. Cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce thickens to a soft, spoonable consistency. Stir through the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

The sauce should be smooth and lightly creamy, not thick like a paste and not watery. If it needs more time, leave the lid off and cook on HIGH for another 10 minutes.

Step 4 — Serve

Spoon over hot rice with steamed greens or peas on the side. Add a little fresh coriander or herbs if you have it, and an extra squeeze of lemon if you like it brighter.

Tomato Chicken Curry, Common Questions

Can I skip the sautéing step?
You can, and the curry will still taste good. But blooming the spices in the pan is where a lot of the flavour comes from and raw spices added straight to the slow cooker can taste flat and dusty by comparison. If you have 10 minutes, use them here. It is the one step I would not skip in this recipe.

My sauce is too thin. What do I do?
Make sure you have added the cornflour slurry and given it the full 10 to 15 minutes on HIGH with the lid off to thicken. If it still needs help, mix another teaspoon of cornflour with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it through, then give it another 10 minutes. For a more detailed look at thickening slow cooker sauces, this guide covers all the options.

Can I use chicken breast?
Breast meat is less forgiving than thighs and can go stringy if it overcooks. I have a full guide on why slow cooker chicken goes dry if you want more detail.

Is this spicy?
Not at all. This is a mild, family-friendly curry. The warmth is gentle and background. If you want more heat, add a pinch of cayenne or some chilli flakes at the end after tasting.

Can I add vegetables?
Yes. Diced capsicum or zucchini added in the last 30 minutes on HIGH work well without going too soft. Frozen peas stirred through right at the end are an easy addition and go well with the tomato and cream flavours.

Can I make this dairy free?
Swap the cream for coconut cream for a dairy free version. It changes the flavour slightly but suits this spice mix well and gives the sauce a good body.

What to serve with slow cooker tomato chicken curry

Steamed jasmine rice is what we always have it with. The sauce soaks in beautifully and it is hard to go wrong. Naan bread on the side is always a good idea too, especially for scooping up the extra sauce. A simple cucumber and yoghurt raita cuts through the richness nicely if you want something fresh alongside it.

Storing and Reheating

Cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The sauce thickens as it cools, so add a splash of water when reheating and stir well. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

More Slow Cooker Curries Worth Making

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is the most popular recipe on this site. Rich and creamy with a sauce that actually tastes like the real thing.

Slow Cooker Red Thai Chicken Curry if you want something with more heat and a coconut base. A completely different flavour direction but just as easy.

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken for something outside the curry family. Sweet, sticky and very good over rice.

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli if you want to try something different this week. A good one to have in the rotation.

Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Curry Recipe

This is the curry I come back to most. Leave a comment and let me know if you bloomed the spices or skipped the step.