Description
Hearty slow cooker chicken stew celebrates comfort with robust flavors from tender chicken and classic vegetables. Warm, satisfying ingredients meld together, offering you a nourishing meal perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz/425 g) can diced tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream or coconut milk
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice or naan for serving
Instructions
- Preparation: Nestle skinless chicken pieces in a 4-quart slow cooker, thoroughly coating with plain yogurt and salt to ensure even flavor distribution.
- Aromatics Development: Heat vegetable oil in a skillet, gently caramelizing onions until they transform into a soft, translucent base. Introduce minced garlic, grated ginger, ground coriander, garam masala, ground cumin, and turmeric, toasting spices to unlock their intense, fragrant essence.
- Tomato Integration: Incorporate tomato paste, deepening its color and complexity. Fold in diced tomatoes and additional salt, allowing the mixture to meld and simmer, creating a robust foundational sauce.
- Slow Cooking Process: Transfer spiced tomato mixture into the slow cooker, ensuring thorough coating of chicken. Select cooking mode – HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours – enabling chicken to become supremely tender and absorb intricate spice profiles.
- Finishing Touches: Swirl heavy cream or coconut milk into the dish, creating a velvety, luxurious sauce. For enhanced thickness, allow uncovered simmering on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes. Elevate presentation by scattering freshly chopped cilantro and serving alongside steamed basmati rice or warm naan bread.
Notes
Optimize Slow Cooker Performance: Choose a 4-quart or larger slow cooker to ensure even cooking and prevent overcrowding, which can lead to uneven heat distribution.
Spice Bloom Technique: Sauté spices in oil before adding to the dish to release their essential oils, maximizing flavor intensity and creating a more complex taste profile.
Yogurt Coating Trick: Thoroughly coat chicken in yogurt to tenderize the meat and create a silky, moist texture that prevents dryness during long cooking periods.
Sauce Consistency Control: Adjust sauce thickness by simmering uncovered or adding extra cream/coconut milk, allowing you to personalize the final dish’s texture and richness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 160mg