Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Mango is mild, silky, and weeknight-easy. Everything goes in the pot, the coconut milk bubbles gently, and dinner waits for you. Family-friendly, bright with mango, and perfect with fluffy basmati and warm naan.
In One Glance
- 🍛 Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Curry With Mango
- ⏱️ Prep time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: LOW 4-6 hours (or HIGH 2½-3½ hours)
- 👨👩👦👦 Servings: 4
- 😋 Taste: mild, creamy, lightly sweet, warm spices, fresh chili optional
- 🧾 Key ingredients: chicken, coconut milk, tomatoes, mango, curry powder, saffron
- 🧪 Allergens Contains: none of the major allergens when using pure ingredients. May contain (check labels): sulfites (some canned tomatoes), celery/mustard traces in spice mixes. Free from (base recipe): gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish.
- 🧠 Difficulty: very easy; the slow cooker does the work.
Jump to:
Creamy Chicken Curry With Coconut Milk
This is the curry I make on busy days. I load the slow cooker in the morning, answer a dozen "What's for dinner?" messages, and get on with life. By the time everyone lands at the table-my husband, three hungry sons, and a hopeful cat-the kitchen smells amazing.
The sauce is creamy (not heavy), the mango turns soft and sweet, and the chicken falls apart with a spoon. Simple, calm, and very welcome.
Why This Recipe Works
- True dump-and-go: No browning. Add, stir, lid on.
- Mild by default: Kid-friendly; add heat at the table.
- Coconut milk from the start: Gentle slow-cook = creamy sauce that doesn't split.
- Silky finish: A quick cornstarch slurry makes it glossy and just thick enough.
- Reliable cues: Tender chicken, creamy sauce, no oily split.
What You'll Need?
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Stay juicy in the slow cooker and give tender pieces.
- Shallot: Gentle sweetness that melts into the sauce.
- Garlic: Savory base note.
- Diced tomatoes: Adds body and a little tang.
- Coconut milk: Creamy sauce without dairy; slow heat keeps it smooth.
- Ripe mango: Soft, sweet cubes that balance the spices. You can use fresh or frozen mango cubes.
- Curry powder: Your favorite mild blend for warm flavor.
- Turmeric: Color and gentle earthiness.
- Ground ginger: Warm spice without chopping.
- Saffron: A small luxury; gives color and depth.
- Cinnamon stick & cardamom pods: Whole spices for round flavor.
- Red chili: Control the heat; add a little or leave it out for kids.
- Cornstarch + cold water: Makes the sauce silky at the end.
- Salt & black pepper: Final balance.
How to Prepare It
You'll find the detailed recipe card below. Here's the short path in four steps.
- Step 1: Load the slow cooker: Add chicken, shallot, garlic, tomatoes.
- Step 2: Add coconut milk, mango, spices (incl. saffron water), chili, salt and pepper. Stir.
- Step 3: Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours (best) or HIGH for 2½-3½ hours, until chicken is very tender and the sauce looks creamy. Thicken: Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook 20-30 minutes more on LOW until glossy and lightly thickened.
- Step 4: Finish & serve: Remove cinnamon/cardamom. Taste, adjust salt. Serve with basmati rice, naan, and a quick cucumber salad.
Top Tip
- Keep it gentle: LOW gives the creamiest sauce.
- Bloom saffron in warm water for 5 minutes; add liquid and threads.
- Make the slurry cold (cornstarch + cold water) so it mixes lump-free.
- Sauce too thick? Add a splash of coconut milk or water.
- Add heat at the table: fresh chili slices or chili flakes.
- Serve with basmati, naan, and cucumber salad (cucumber + lemon + pinch of salt).
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Make this dump-and-go Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with mango: mild, creamy, and silky with a quick cornstarch finish. Coconut milk cooks gently the whole time.
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound chicken breast, cut in chunks
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 14 oz. diced tomatoes
- 1 ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 mango, in cubes fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads, soak 5 minutes in 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed (optional)
- 1 red chili, finely chopped (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ground black pepper, at taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, + 2 tablespoons cold water, slurry
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Place chicken in the slow cooker.1 ¼ pound chicken breast
- Add shallot and garlic.1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic
- Pour in diced tomatoes and coconut milk.14 oz. diced tomatoes, 1 ¾ cup coconut milk
- Add mango cubes.1 mango
- Stir in curry powder, turmeric, and ground ginger.2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pour in the saffron water with threads.½ teaspoon saffron threads
- Add a cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Tip: Put the cardamom pods in a tea strainer, and then you'll get them out easily after stewing.1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods
- Stir in the chopped red chili (to taste).1 red chili
- Season with sea salt and black pepper.1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
- Stir everything to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours (or HIGH for 2½-3½ hours) until chicken is very tender.
- Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a smooth slurry.2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Stir the slurry into the curry.
- Cover and cook 20-30 minutes on LOW until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with basmati rice and naan.
Notes
1. Do I have to brown the chicken? No. This is dump-and-go by design.
2. Will the coconut milk split? Not on LOW. Keep the heat gentle and finish with the slurry.
3. How thick should the sauce be? Pourable and glossy. It should coat a spoon and cling to rice, not sit like gravy.
4. Troubleshooting
- Too thin: After adding slurry, cook 20-30 minutes. Still thin? Add a little more slurry and cook for 10 minutes.
- Too thick: Loosen with water or coconut milk.
- Looks split: Stir and keep on LOW 5-10 minutes; it usually comes back together.
- Bland: Salt at the end matters; a squeeze of lemon can brighten.
- Pineapple twist: Swap (half) the mango for pineapple.
- Veg boost: Add a handful of green beans or spinach in the last 15 minutes.
- Nutty finish: Scatter toasted cashews when serving (check allergies).
- No saffron: Skip it; the curry is still great.
- Fridge: 3 days, in an airtight container
- Freezer: 3 months. Cool fully, portion, and label.
- Reheat: Add 2 tablespoons of water or coconut milk per portion; warm gently, do not boil.
Nutrition
Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 34gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 782mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 859IUVitamin C: 49mgIron: 7mg
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