Looking for a delicious, flavor-packed easy chicken curry recipe? This freezer-to-crockpot recipe comes together in minutes and is the perfect meal for a weeknight dinner! Get all the flavors of a traditional curry with half the effort. Now you can easily make your favorite takeout food at home!
It’s no secret that we LOVE quick & easy freezer meals around here, especially ones that use budget-friendly ingredients! Believe it or not, this tender, juicy, flavor-packed Chicken Curry is a winner. It’s uses mostly basic ingredients, whips up in minutes, then goes straight from the freezer to the crockpot to the table, all while tasting like you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen!
To make it as part of a freezer cooking day, just split the sauce & chicken into multiple bags, then throw it right into the freezer–no cooking required!
Chicken in the crockpot can get very dry, especially when it is cut into smaller pieces. I used boneless skinless thigh meat rather than breast meat because it has a lot more fat, which helped keep the meat nice and moist.
Easy Chicken Curry
Here is what you need:
3-4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons Chili powder 1 tablespoon salt 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoon Garam Masala 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 tablespoon ginger paste 1 red chili pepper, chopped 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes or 2 15oz can diced tomatoes with chilies 4 tablespoons honey 2 cartons chicken stock 1 cup plain yogurt (cooking day only) 1 cup cooked rice (cooking day only)Step 1: Cut chicken into strips; set aside.
Step 2: Chop chili pepper, and mince garlic; set aside.
Step 3: Mix together lemon juice, chili powder, salt, garlic, ginger, red chili peppers, crushed tomatoes, honey, chicken stock, Garam masala, and melted butter.
Step 4: Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide mixture over top chicken.
Step 5: Thaw if frozen; cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours; until chicken is cooked. (Note-don’t worry if your chicken isn’t all the way thawed. It can also cook from frozen, it might just take a little longer.)
Step 6: Once chicken is cooked; turn heat off and add yogurt to crockpot and stir.
Step 7: Serve chicken over cooked rice and along side some naan.
Instant Pot recipe update: Defrost chicken curry in the fridge the night before. Then place chicken curry in Instant Pot and add a 3/4 cup of water, close the lid making sure the vent valve is on the sealing position. Press the Pressure-cooking setting and set the time for 40 minutes. Once 40 minutes is up, do a quick release. Then remove at least one cup of liquid and turn IP to sauté. This helps the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken.

Easy Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Garam masala
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 red chili pepper chopped
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes or 2 15oz can diced tomatoes with chilies
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 carton chicken stock
- 1 cup plain yogurt cooking day only
- 1 cup cooked rice cooking day only
Instructions
- Cut chicken into strips; set aside.
Chop green chili peppers, and mince garlic; set aside.
- Mix together lemon juice, chili powder, salt, garlic, ginger, red chili peppers, crushed tomatoes, honey, chicken stock, Garam masala, and melted butter.
- Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags (be sure to label bags first). Divide mixture over top chicken.
- Thaw if frozen; cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours; until chicken is cooked. (Note-don’t worry if your chicken isn’t all the way thawed. It can also cook from frozen, it might just take a little longer.)
- Once chicken is cooked; turn heat off and add yogurt to crockpot and stir.
- Serve chicken over cooked rice and along side some naan.
Recipe Notes
Crockpot Cooking time: 3-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high in slow cooker
Number of servings (yield): 4
Instant Pot recipe update: Defrost chicken curry in the fridge the night before. Then place chicken curry in Instant Pot and add a 3/4 cup of water, close the lid making sure the vent valve is on the sealing position. Press the Pressure-cooking setting and set the time for 40 minutes. Once 40 minutes is up, do a quick release. Then remove at least one cup of liquid and turn IP to sauté. This helps the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken.
Check out these chicken recipes:
- Coconut Lime Chicken
- 5 Ingredient Creamy Italian Chicken
- Easy Slow-Cooker Cranberry Chicken (It’s Freezer-Friendly Too!)
PIN FOR LATER:
If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before. This toolbox includes our incredible 10 Meals in an Hour cookbook, which is a must have!
Click here to get full access to our Home Systems Toolbox now!
TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR HOME LIFE
Ever feel like you just can't keep up? Our Living Well Starter Guide will show you how to start streamlining your life in just 3 simple steps. It's a game changer--get it free for a limited time!
If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before.
engredients mentioned red chili pepper; instructions mentions green
instructions say cut in strips; picture looks like bite size