This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out my Disclosure Policy. Thank you for your support!
This easy, Slow Cooker Chicken Korma is the perfect slow cooker fake-away recipe! A mild and creamy chicken curry with ground almonds and coconut. This crockpot korma is a great ‘dump and go’ slow cooker family dinner. Gluten free and great for batch cooking!
We do love a good chicken korma recipe in our house and this slow cooker chicken korma recipe is our new go-to recipe.
Making chicken korma in the slow cooker is actually really simple and the recipe is naturally gluten free and coeliac-friendly.
Chicken breast chunks are marinaded in a spicy yoghurt, then slow cooker with garlic, ginger, spices, ground almonds and stock for a tasty and rich curry.
Double cream adds a bit of decadence to this easy slow cooker chicken curry, which is perfect served up with steamed rice and a gluten free naan bread.
Or why not create a whole fake-away curry feast using some of my other recipes, including my slow cooker Chickpea and Potato Curry and my Sweet Potato and Spinach Dahl.
And for an extra treat you can also whip up the gluten free samosas and gluten free onion bhajis in my cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals.
Ingredients
There’s a printable recipe card for this slow cooker korma recipe below. But for the shopping list here are the main ingredients you’ll need.
For the chicken korma marinade:
- Chicken Breast: You can of course use chicken thigh fillets if you prefer. Chicken thighs will be more forgiving if you want to leave this cooking on low for a longer period of time. You could even swap chicken for beef if you fancy a slow cooker beef korma.
- Natural Yoghurt: Full-fat or zero fat yoghurt both work fine.
- Curry Powder: I use a mild curry powder. Just double check for ‘may contain’ warnings as some curry powder mixes do have these.
- Turmeric
- Ground Cumin
For the chicken korma sauce:
- Onion: A brown onion or red onion will both work.
- Ginger: I use chopped frozen ginger or ginger paste. Or use a fresh piece of peeled ginger, finely grated or chopped.
- Garlic: Again, you can use fresh minced garlic, frozen chopped garlic or garlic paste.
- Tomato Puree: This adds colour and richness to the sauce.
- Mango Chutney: For sweetness. You can replace this with a little sugar if you prefer.
- Ground Almonds: These thicken the sauce and add that authentic korma texture.
- Chicken Stock: Either use a gluten free chicken stock cube or homemade chicken stock.
- Double Cream: Heavy cream helps add a lovely decadence to this curry.
- Desiccated Coconut: I add this in to give a lovely coconut flavour and texture.
I also add flaked almonds and chopped fresh coriander to the top of my slow cooker chicken korma before serving.
If you want to thicken the sauce further, you’ll also need a little corn flour (or cornstarch in the US) or you can add some extra ground almonds.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Korma
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free chicken korma is to make.
Mix together the marinade ingredients then add the chicken breast chunks. Mix well until coated.
For maximum flavour, I like to marinade my chicken up to 24 hours in advance of cooking. However, if you’re short on time it’s fine to chuck it all in!
Add everything to the slow cooker except the double cream and desiccated coconut. Stir well and then place the lid on. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
Remove the lid from the slow cooker and add the cream and desiccated coconut. Mix together well.
At this point, if you’d like the korma sauce to be thicker, add a slurry of cornflour (1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp cold water) and mix well.
Place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for another 30 minutes on high. When ready, serve sprinkled with flaked almonds and the chopped coriander.
Storing and Freezing
This slow cooker chicken korma recipe is great for batch cooking – you can either store leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for later.
To store your chicken korma, place in a lidded container and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat thoroughly before eating.
To freeze your chicken korma, cool completely then portion into tubs. Label them and freeze for up to 6 months, then reheat from frozen when needed.
You can even portion up the korma with some cooked rice and then you’ll have a frozen, homemade ready meal whenever you need dinner in a hurry!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy korma recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
This slow cooker chicken korma does contain yoghurt and cream, which is what gives the korma its richness. You could replace this with a coconut yoghurt and a dairy free cream alternative (or even a coconut cream) to make this chicken korma dairy free and gluten free.
Yes, you can put raw chicken in the slow cooker! You don’t always need to brown meat first, I only do this for something like a slow cooker chicken casserole, where it’s important to get that distinctive taste from browning the meat and veg (called the maillard reaction). This slow cooker chicken korma recipe is designed to ‘dump and go’ with no browning or pre-cooking needed!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Slow Cooker Chicken Korma
Equipment
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast, cut into large chunks
For the marinade:
- 100 g natural yoghurt
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 0.5 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
For the sauce:
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 45 g ground almonds
- 250 ml gluten free chicken stock
- 75 ml double cream
- 30 g desiccated coconut
To serve:
- Handful flaked almonds
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
- Mix together the marinade ingredients then add the chicken breast chunks. Mix well until coated. For maximum flavour, do this anything up to 24 hours in advance of cooking.
- Add everything to the slow cooker except the double cream and desiccated coconut. Stir well and then place the lid on. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Remove the lid from the slow cooker and add the cream and desiccated coconut. At this point, if you’d like the korma sauce to be thicker, add a slurry of cornflour (1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp cold water) and mix well. Stir well and place the lid back on. Cook for another 30 minutes on high.
- When ready, serve sprinkled with flaked almonds and the chopped coriander.
Video
Notes
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to guide you through how this slow cooker chicken korma should look.
- Storing and Freezing: Check out the post above this recipe card for more information on how to store any leftovers of this easy chicken korma recipe.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Slow Cooker Chicken Korma!
Nutrition
More Gluten Free Curry Recipes
Get my cookbook!
Want more gluten free meals inspiration? My debut cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, has 100+ gluten free recipes, from breakfast and lunch ideas to dinners, desserts and sides.
I want to make this recipe but it doesn’t say the amount for the desiccated coconut.
It has been updated to include this now, apologies!
Hi Sarah,
thank you for your recipe and all the work you put in. Although I’m not GF we love you recipes but I do have a nut allergy, do you know of an alternative sweetener that I could use apart from almonds please?
Thank you again for your time.
Sarah x
Hi Sarah, you could make this without the ground almonds but use the cornflour slurry mentioned in the recipe to thicken it. While it wouldn’t be 100% the same it would be pretty close – and if you can eat coconut then the desiccated coconut help adds some of that texture back in. I hope this helps! Sarah x
I have just made your chicken korma and I don’t have a slow cooker so I just cooked it on the hob. Even so it was absolutely fabulous & my husband thought it was the best curry we had made for a long time.
Thank you for the recipe it was a real treat!