Everyone needs quick and easy dinner recipes, and those that work in the slow cooker are even better. This easy curry chicken slow cooker stew is a favorite in our house, even with the kids! I had to share it with you for those days when you need an easy one-pot-meal to be ready when you walk in the door.
This recipe offers a lot of different variations. You can make it as is, or follow some of the substitutions here:
- Omit lentils to make it Paleo and Whole 30 friendly
- Swap the lentils for cooked chickpeas instead
- Swap carrots for the sweet potatoes, or add both!
- Use mini corn as a surprise instead of frozen corn (opt for organic to avoid GMO’s)
An easy chicken curry is a great base for adding in extra root vegetables. Carrots, turnips or celeriac root are all good vegetables you can add to this meal to increase the plant ratio. My favorites are sweet potatoes and carrots as they work well for the young palettes in our house.
Curry is a healing spice and if you can make your own homemade batch to keep on hand, even better. Curry includes the all important turmeric, which is both an anti-cancer, anti-depressant, and an anti-inflammatory root. Turmeric also helps aid digestion, which can be helpful if anyone has had issues with lentils (or chickpeas) in the past. It’s a detoxifying spice and we can all use that on a regular basis.
BONUS!! HERE’S A QUICK RECIPE FOR YOU TO CREATE YOUR OWN CURRY POWDER:
- 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons turmeric
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon cardomom seeds
- 1 tablespoon cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Gather all your spices in a large bowl, then transfer to a lined baking sheet. Gently roast at 250°F for about 20 minutes, or until fragrant. Watch the spices to avoid burning them! Let the spices cool off before grinding them. I use a spice grinder like this one. Grind in small batches, then transfer to a glass storage jar and store in a dry, cool place.
Using homemade curry powder in the Slow Cooker Curry Chicken Stew just takes it up a notch. No time for homemade curry powder? Grab one from your favorite store (or this organic curry from Amazon) that does not include irradiated spices.
A note about slow cookers. If you are shopping for a new one, here are the features I think are most important. First, it needs to be digital. Next, it needs to be flexible so you can can adjust the cook times. Having the slow cooker switch to “warm” when complete is very helpful. I love that feature when I make overnight oats. Lastly, look for a model with a ceramic or stainless steel insert. Avoid any that use non-stick surfaces. My favorite slow cooker to recommend is the Bella Slow Cooker, as it allows you to also sear meats over the stove top too in addition to the other functions I mentioned.
EASY CURRY CHICKEN SLOW COOKER STEW
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato diced
- 1 cup red lentils
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegan broth
- 3-4 organic chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, add the sweet potato, lentils, corn, peas, spices, garlic, and broth. Stir to combine.
- Lay the chicken breast on top of the mixture and set to low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
- Remove from heat and shred the chicken breast. Add back to the mixture and gently stir to combine.
Notes
I hope you enjoy this easy curry chicken slow cooker stew. Let me know what you think!
