Description
This Thai basil curry chicken recipe gets so tender and flavorful in the crock pot. I crave it all the time!
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless)
- 1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk *
- 2 Tbl Coconut Oil (omit for Instant Pot * instructions)
- 1 Onion (cut in half and sliced lengthwise)
- 1 Jalapeno (chopped seeds removed for less heat, if desired)
- 1 Tbl Garlic (chopped)
- 1 Tbl Fresh Ginger (grated)
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tbl + Curry Powder *
- 2 tsp Tapioca Starch
- 1 Small Lime (juiced)
- 15-20 Fresh Basil Leaves
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Place the chicken in a slow cooker and pour the coconut milk over the top. Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn the heat to medium for an 8 hour cook time, or high, for a 4 hour cook time.
- One hour before the chicken is finished cooking, place the coconut oil in a saute pan and melt over medium/high heat. Add the onion and jalapeno to the pan and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onion begins to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, curry powder, and tapioca starch. Stir into the vegetables until coated and saute for another 30 seconds.
- Add the vegetables to the slow cooker and gently stir in until combined. Let curry cook for another 45 minutes to an hour. Liquid should thicken slightly in this time. Taste the curry and add salt and pepper, as needed. Lightly shred the chicken.
- Add the lime juice and basil to the curry and stir until leaves are distributed through the curry. Serve hot over your choice of "rice," such as cauliflower rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, quinoa, etc.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place everything but the coconut oil, tapioca starch, lime and basil in the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and push the Chicken button so it cooks for 15 minutes at high pressure.
- Let come off pressure on its own (in reality I usually wait about 10 minutes cause I want to eat it and it's close enough to off pressure by then). Open the lid and taste the curry and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly shred the chicken (I often just shred it with a spoon since it gets so tender).
- If you like your sauce thin you may move to the next step. If you like it thicker, push the saute button for a few minutes and cook off some of the liquid or mix the tapioca starch with a little cold water in a separate cup and stir. Then add to the curry and saute for a minute or so.
- Turn off the Instant Pot then add the lime juice and basil to the curry and stir until leaves are distributed through the curry.
- Serve hot over your choice of "rice," such as cauliflower rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, quinoa, etc.
Notes
- The total cook time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to get to pressure and the time for the natural pressure release. Plan for additional time.
- To cook from frozen chicken thighs, increase the time under pressure to 20-25 mins (instead of 15). Experiment with this timing as it may vary depending on the size of your frozen chicken thighs.
- For best results, do a natural release. If you want to do a quick release, you will need to increase the time under pressure. If the internal temperature of the chicken thighs isn't high enough (at least 74C (165 F)), cook longer.