Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken
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Skip to RecipeCreamy and comforting, this easy Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken is made with chicken breast, peppers, onions, coconut milk, and lots of spices.
This dish is a favorite in our house. It can cook on low all day, so it’s great for putting together quickly in the morning, then setting and forgetting until dinner time. When it’s time to eat, simply make some rice, chop up some peanuts and cilantro, and you’ll have dinner on the table quickly.
I originally found this recipe listed as “Thai Chicken” with 5 ingredients in an old cookbook. And one of those ingredients was salsa. Out of curiosity, I made it as written and it was not good. But I could see there was potential.
I love a good chicken and rice dish. But I’m a white lady from the Midwest and am in no way laying claim to this being anything authentic. Is it inspired by flavors and ingredients found in Thai cooking? Yes. Is it like anything you’d find in Thailand? Absolutely not. Is it delicious? Definitely.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – I’ve used both boneless, skinless chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken thighs and both have worked great. If you use chicken thighs, just make sure you have enough to equal two pounds.
- Red bell pepper – You can use yellow or orange bell pepper as well. I find the flavor of green bell peppers too overwhelming in this dish.
- Yellow onion – Use a yellow or white onion here. Red onions or sweet onions are too mild for this recipe.
- Coconut milk – Choose either low fat or full fat coconut milk – just be sure it’s unsweetened.
- Diced tomatoes – Canned diced tomatoes work really well in this recipe. They’ll save you time chopping fresh tomatoes and you’ll never notice since it’s going to cook all day. I like petite diced tomatoes for this dish, but choose whatever kind you like.
- Peanut butter – I use creamy peanut butter when I make this recipe, but you can use whatever kind you like.
- Lime juice – Fresh or bottled – your choice.
- Fish sauce – This is a distinct ingredient that adds a unique flavor. Don’t skip it! Find it in the Thai or Asian section of your grocery store.
- Chopped peanuts and cilantro (optional) – These two optional garnished add a lot of texture and flavor to the final dish, so I highly recommend adding them!
- Cooked rice – I always serve this recipe over cooked rice. Use white or brown rice, whichever you prefer.
How to Make Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken
Spray a 6 qt slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in the slow cooker and top with sliced red bell pepper and onion.
Drain liquid from tomatoes. In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, tomatoes, peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt.
Pour the mixture over chicken, peppers and onion. Cover and cook on low heat setting until chicken shreds easily. Using two forks, shred chicken into sauce.
Serve over rice with a side of naan. Top with chopped peanuts and/or cilantro. Enjoy!
Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken, breast meat or thigh meat
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 15 oz coconut milk, full fat or light
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- chopped peanuts, optional
- chopped cilantro, optional
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Spray a 6 qt slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Place chicken in slow cooker.2 lbs chicken
- Top with sliced red bell pepper and onion.1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow onion
- Drain liquid from tomatoes.15 oz diced tomatoes
- In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, tomatoes, peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, and salt.15 oz coconut milk, ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 ½ tsp salt
- Pour over chicken, peppers and onion.
- Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-9 hours or until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
- Using two forks, shred chicken into sauce.
- Serve over rice with a side of naan bread.2 cups cooked rice
- Top with chopped peanuts and/or cilantro.chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro
- Enjoy!
Equipment
Tips on Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken
- Make sure you’re using unsweetened, unflavored coconut milk. I’ve used both regular and light in this recipe with no noticeable difference in texture or taste.
- You can use any combination of chicken pieces you’d like. Make sure the skin is removed before using. If using bone-in chicken, remove the bones and cartilage from the crockpot before you shred the chicken.
- Peanut butter provides a lot of the flavor in this dish, so I don’t recommend substituting it with a different nut butter.
- You can use any kind of peanut butter you have on hand – creamy, chunky, natural, etc.
- Short on time? Cook in the slow cooker on high for 4-4.5 hours, if you prefer to start it later in the day.
- Freeze it: Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken freezes really well. (I’d recommend freezing without the rice, extra peanuts or cilantro.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat on the stove over low heat before serving.
Cocktail Pairing
Creamy Thai-Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken pairs well with a tart drink, like this Cosmopolitan.
Delish! Having made home made Pad Thai only once because it took soooo much time and effort, this is a winner in our house. Fast, easy and full of all the flavors we enjoy, it’ll stay a frequent favorite on our menu.
Yay! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
It wasn’t the prettiest dish but my husband said it was one of his favorite dinners! I can’t wait for the leftovers!
Yay! My family loves it too! 🙂