Love chicken? Then you have got to try this slow cooker Jamaican style coconut curry chicken. Succulent chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) are marinated, seared and braised in the crock pot for several hours.
I’m so excited to share this Jamaican curry chicken with coconut milk recipe, it’s not just any old dish. This is a variation that is succulent, tasty and fingerlicking good in your crock pot.
If you have been following my culinary journey then you would know that I like to rotate between different meat based dishes from goat to beef or even a vegan based Curried Butter Beans dish.
A few days ago I while buying some groceries I picked up some boneless/skinless chicken thighs. When it comes to skinless/boneless poultry I would normally buy chicken breasts but for the past year or so I’ve been leaning towards eating more thighs as opposed to breasts.
I personally find thighs albeit skin and bone free more flavoursome and not as dry tasting as their breast counterpart.
For this recipe most Jamaicans would use chicken that is on the bone but I wanted to switch things up and go with my preference.
**PLEASE NOTE, THIS RECIPE IS NOT THE SAME AS MY JAMAICAN CURRY CHICKEN RECIPE. JAMAICAN COCONUT CURRY CHICKEN AND JAMAICAN CURRY CHICKEN ARE BOTH DIFFERENT RECIPES**
Plus I want the theme of the recipe to be more lean and low in carb.
Reasons to cook meat in the slow cooker
- Cuts down on the prep time
- Can use the cheapest cuts of meat
- You can prep your recipe from the night before
- Cook your food (cost efficient) for several hours
- Reduces the amount of liquid that is used
- Leave the dish to cook unattended (for most of the time)
As you can see from the list above, cooking in your slow cooker is the way forward. However, there is a catch to this recipe that is I do like to sear the meat as opposed to turning this into a dump and start dish.
Now you may wonder why I do this? It’s simple! Searing the meat is what seals in that flavour. This really locks in all the goodness and is a step I refuse to compromise on. Granted it derails the recipe by roughly an additional 10 minutes but it’s totally worth it.
Having tried the dump and start method I personally don’t feel that the meat that flavoursome. I mean don’t get me wrong it’s still delicious but there’s a huge difference between searing and not searing the meat.
The steps
- Place all of the meat in a large bowl and use a fork/knife to make small holes. This will helps seasoning to penetrate (make sure the meat is blotted dry from washing it).
- Sprinkle the curry powder, ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, black pepper, all purpose seasoning, pink salt, parsley and cilantro.
- Use your hands (can wear gloves) to work the seasoning into the chicken.
- Wrap the bowl and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight (recommended).
- On medium heat, add the olive oil to the skillet and add 1 tbsp of curry powder and cook the curry for about 1 minute.
- Add the onion, scallion and garlic then proceed to saute in the pan until soft and translucent.
- Now add the chicken and begin to sear the chicken until the meat turns color/seal and is no longer pink. This is will take about 10 minutes or so.
- Once seared, transfer the contents of the skillet to your crockpot.
- Add the bay leaves, scotch bonnet, thyme, coconut milk and knob of coconut cream (cocount butter/manna)
- Switch the slow cooker on, cover the crock pot with a lid and set to cook on high for 4 hours.
- 45 minutes before the cooking time is done add your carrots and mixed bell peppers.
- Once the cooking time has finished do a taste test and adjust for additional pink salt and black pepper if required.
- Discard the bay leaves, scotch bonnet and thyme stems prior to serving.
Do you have to sear the meat first?
I highly recommend that you do this, as mentioned before, searing really yield much more flavour. However, if you are pushed for time nor do you feel like doing it then by all means skip this step.
Is this dish spicy?
No, it’s not spicy at all. It’s generously seasoned but I wouldn’t say it is extremely hot or fiery. If you want to add extreme heat then slice up the scotch bonnet or some hot sauce instead.
Do you have any other meat based curry recipes?
Curry Goat, Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken, Curry Shrimp and Curry Chicken
Where can you buy scotch bonnet or coconut cream?
Coconut cream is solid in Caribbean/Asian stores in blocks. It’s cheaper to purchase it from these places then health food store/online where it is commercially sold as “coconut manna or butter”.
Scotch bonnet is found in African/Caribbean food market since both of these ethnic groups use this pepper.
Can you cook this chicken dinner in my crock pot for longer than 4 hours?
Yes, simply set your slow cooker to low and adjust the duration to 6 hours instead. If you are extending the time you may need to add a abit more water to compensate for the additional 2 hours.
Notes and tips
- As Caribbean traditional all meat is washed with lime/lemon and vinegar/salt before being seasoned.
- If you want a more rich taste, definitely add some coconut cream. It’s also known as coconut butter or manna.
- This is a freezer friendly meal.
- Make sure the scotch bonnet doesn’t burst or prick it or it will ruin the recipe and make it too hot
- Feel free to use my All Purpose Seasoning and Homemade Curry Powder if you want to or use your own preferred brand.
- For best results I would recommend leaving the meat to marinate overnight and sear the meat for more flavoursome.
- I like to use a fork to make small holes in the meat before adding the seasoning. This will help the seasoning to penetrate the meat even more.
- Use whatever cut of meat that you want, I like using skinless/boneless thighs but feel free to use breasts, thighs, legs etc…
- To make this dish more lean I would use skinless/boneless chicken and serve with vegetables or cauliflower rice.
- Don’t keep lifting the lid of your unit. Slow cookers are designed to cook with little or no interference. Each time you lift the lid, you are allowing the heat to escape.
Serving suggestions
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Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ -3 lb chicken of your choice I used skinless/boneless thighs
- 3 tbsp curry powder see notes for recipe to homemade recipe
- 1 tbsp onion powder or granules
- 1 tbsp garlic powder or granules
- 1 tbsp all purpose seasoning
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tbsp cilantro fresh or dried
- ½ tbsp parsley fresh or dried
- ½ tbsp pink salt
To saute the chicken
- 3 tbsp olive oil can use coconut oil
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 medium onion
- 2 scallion sliced
- 4 garlic, cloves minced
- 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme or dried
- 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk **MUST BE FULL FAT**
- a knob of coconut cream (about 1/4 cup) known as coconut butter or manna
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 large carrots sliced and halved
- 1 cup mixed bell peppers
- additional pink salt, black pepper or seasoning to taste
- scotch bonnet (whole) optional
Instructions
- Place all of the meat in a large bowl and use a fork/knife to make small holes. This will helps seasoning to penetrate (make sure the meat is blotted dry from washing it).
- Sprinkle the curry powder, ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, black pepper, all purpose seasoning, pink salt, parsley and cilantro.
- Use your hands (can wear gloves) to work the seasoning into the chicken.
- Wrap the bowl and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight (recommended).
- On medium heat, add the olive oil to the skillet and add 1 tbsp of curry powder and cook the curry for about 1 minute.
- Add the onion, scallion and garlic then proceed to saute in the pan until soft and translucent.
- Now add the chicken and begin to sear the chicken until the meat turns color/seal and is no longer pink. This is will take about 10 minutes or so.
- Once seared, transfer the contents of the skillet to your crockpot.
- Add the bay leaves, scotch bonnet, thyme, coconut milk and knob of coconut cream (coconut butter/manna).
- Switch the slow cooker on, cover the crock pot with a lid and set to cook on high for 4 hours.
- 45 minutes before the cooking time is done add your carrots and mixed bell peppers.
- Once the cooking time has finished do a taste test and adjust for additional pink salt, black pepper or more seasoning if required.
- Discard the bay leaves, scotch bonnet and thyme stems prior to serving
Notes
- As Caribbean traditional all meat is washed with lime/lemon and vinegar/salt before being seasoned.
- If you want a more rich taste, definitely add some coconut cream. It's also known as coconut butter or manna.
- This is a freezer friendly meal.
- Make sure the scotch bonnet doesn't burst or prick it or it will ruin the recipe and make it too hot
- Feel free to use my All Purpose Seasoning and Homemade Curry Powder if you want to or use your own preferred brand.
- For best results I would recommend leaving the meat to marinate overnight and sear the meat for more flavoursome.
- I like to use a fork to make small holes in the meat before adding the seasoning. This will help the seasoning to penetrate the meat even more.
- Use whatever cut of meat that you want, I like using skinless/boneless thighs but feel free to use breasts, thighs, legs etc...
- To make this dish more lean I would use skinless/boneless chicken and serve with vegetables or cauliflower rice.
- Don't keep lifting the lid of your unit. Slow cookers are designed to cook with little or no interference. Each time you lift the lid, you are allowing the heat to escape.
Nutrition
My kids would love this one!
I’m so glad to hear that Lola.
This looks so delicious and tasty! My husband is going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Awesome! I hope your husband loves it as much as we do.
I completely agree with you about it totally being worth it to sear the meat. Cannot wait to get this into my slow cooker and then into my belly!
I’m glad you agree with searing the meat first and thank you!
So much flavor packed into this dish! We love it with thighs for a restaurant quality meal at home!
Thank you so much Gina
Oh wow this coconut curry chicken is so flavorful. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You are very welcome Ty