Crockpot Thai Chicken is a really easy and delicious weeknight dinner, encompassing flavors that we all know and love about Thai food. These chicken thighs deliver big flavors and come in a creamy, silky and smooth Thai flavored sauce, slowly cooked to perfection.
I love simple dishes like this where the prep is done in no time at all, because when the prep is so easy, you’re more inclined to cook at home. Especially when that meal is done in your crockpot, because all you need to do is dump all the ingredients in it, set it and forget it. But besides the simplicity of this dish, is all the bold and delicious flavors of Thai chicken.
Crockpot Thai Chicken
If I had to pick one Asian cuisines over another, Thai would win all the time. I adore Thai food and because I love it so much, I always tried my hand at making and learning more about great Thai flavors.
Don’t get frightened by Thai cuisine, with a few staple ingredients, it really is simple to make. In this Thai chicken recipe I’ve used ingredients like coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce and some hot sauce. So if you’re wondering what this tastes like, it’s like a creamy coconut sauce that’s sweet and a bit spicy. But let’s look at the ingredients in more detail.
Ingredients In Crockpot Thai Chicken
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but chicken breast works just as well.
- Fresh ginger – grated. Did you know that you can keep your ginger lasting longer by freezing it in plastic wrap? When you need it, simply take it out of the freezer and grate it right from frozen.
- Sesame oil – a little bit goes a long way.
- Fish sauce – to me there’s no Thai food without fish sauce. It provides the sauce with a bit of saltiness and that “umami” flavor.
- Sriracha sauce – I chose Sriracha but feel free to use your favorite hot sauce. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Peanut butter – for sweetness and added creaminess to the dish.
- Red pepper flakes – for a bit of extra heat.
- Coconut milk – this is what makes the sauce creamy and delicious.
- Thai red curry paste – not only is this added for the great color but it will provide extra depth of flavor to the dish. It’s rich and complex, and sweet and savory.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken In The Crockpot?
Cooking frozen chicken in the slow cooker is not recommended, as there’s a risk of harmful bacteria contaminating the meat before it reaches a safe temperature. The food safety guidelines from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends to “Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker”. However, if you do use frozen chicken, the cook time may need to be increased. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken is well above 165 degrees before consumption.
How To Make Thai Chicken In The Crockpot
This part is very easy, only a few steps.
- Add chicken to crockpot: Place the chicken in the crockpot directly. You can cut it up in smaller pieces if using chicken breasts.
- Combine the sauce ingredients: In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together. Whisk until sauce is smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken with the sauce so that it’s fully covered. There should be enough sauce to fully cover the chicken, if not add a bit more water.
- Cook: Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley or Thai basil and serve over rice or noodles.
Can I Make This Thai Chicken In An Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Simply use the Saute mode to saute the chicken in a little bit of oil first, then add the rest of the ingredients. Close the lid and set the timer for 5 minutes on the poultry setting. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and serve over rice or noodles.
Stovetop Thai Chicken
You can even make this in a skillet on the stove top. One easy way to do it is to mix all the ingredients together and add it to a skillet and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces and thickens a bit.
Storing Leftover Thai Chicken
This recipe will store for up to 5 days stored in a shallow airtight container. It also freezes well. Store again in an airtight shallow container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove when ready to eat!
More Must Try Delicious Recipes:
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Spicy Thai Chicken and Veggie Noodles
- Egg Drop Soup
- Thai Chicken Salad
- Pad Thai
- Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings
- Skillet Chicken Satay
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Crockpot Thai Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless, or chicken breasts
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 - 2 tsp Sriracha sauce or your favorite hot sauce
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chicken to crockpot: Place the chicken in the crockpot directly. You can cut it up in smaller pieces if using chicken breasts.
- Combine the sauce ingredients: In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together. Whisk until sauce is smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss the chicken with the sauce so that it's fully covered. There should be enough sauce to fully cover the chicken, if not add a bit more water.
- Cook: Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley or Thai basil and serve over rice or noodles.
Recipe Notes
- Typically when freezing coconut milk by itself it can separate slightly when thawed, although it’s still fine to use but it may be a bit grainy. In this sauce, it should freeze fine but again it might still look a bit grainy, but it’s fine to eat if the grainy texture doesn’t bother you.
- This recipe will store for up to 5 days stored in a shallow airtight container. It also freezes well. Store again in an airtight shallow container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove when ready to eat!
Hello Jo! I made this in the crock pot the other night and the chicken turned out great. Just wondering if you have a recommendations on how to make the sauce thicker? I followed the recipe but the sauce seemed a bit too ‘liquify’ and didn’t match the bold flavor of the chicken somehow. Thanks!
Hi Meredith! You can probably thicken it with a bit of cornstarch, make a slurry with a couple tsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water then add it to the sauce.
Awesome – thanks, I’ll try that next time!
What else could be used beside peanut butter? We have an allergy in our house.
How about almond butter or sunflower butter?
This looks terrific! I realized I am somehow out of peanut butter so I plan to substitute with tahini.
Let me know how it turns out!
👍👍
Excellent recipe! I just made it in a skillet, but I will try it soon in the crock pot. Somehow I haven’t managed to get good results with the crock pot yet, so keeping my fingers crossed!
PS. Transilvaneanca here as well! 😀 Abia astept sa incerc si retele romanesti! Ma bucur ca ti-am gasit site-ul!
Buna! Si eu ma bucur. 🙂