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Slow-Cooker Indian Spiced Chicken with Tomato and Cream

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Ditte Isager

This fragrant sauce calls for a mix of dried spices. If the ones you’ve got in the pantry smell musty or you can’t remember when you bought them, restock.

Ingredients

Servings

3

tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

6

chicken legs (drumsticks with thighs; about 3 pounds)

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

1

medium onion, finely chopped

4

garlic cloves, finely grated

2

tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger

2

tablespoons tomato paste

2

teaspoons garam masala

2

teaspoons ground cumin

2

teaspoons ground turmeric

½

teaspoon ground coriander

½–¾

teaspoon cayenne pepper

¾

teaspoon ground cardamom

4

cups low-sodium chicken broth

1

pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced ¼” thick

¾

cup canned tomato purée

½

cup heavy cream

Plain yogurt, torn fresh mint, and naan, flatbread, or cooked rice (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken, skin side down, until golden brown (do not turn), 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a 4–6-quart slow cooker.

    Step 2

    Place onion, garlic, and ginger in same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Add tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and cardamom and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is beginning to darken, about 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add broth, potatoes, tomato purée, and cream to slow cooker, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

    Step 3

    Cover and cook until potatoes are tender and chicken is falling off the bone, 7–8 hours on low or 4–5 hours on high.

    Step 4

    Remove skin and bones from chicken, if desired, and return meat to slow cooker; season stew with salt and pepper.

    Step 5

    Divide stew among bowls, top with yogurt and mint, and serve with naan, flatbread, or rice.

    Step 6

    Do ahead: Stew can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

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  • Cooked it with thighs rather than legs and it worked out fine. Cooked for 8 hrs and was still moist. I pulled the skins off at the end (the dogs loved them), which was very easy to do. I found the dish very soupy and would probably cut the broth in 1/2 next time, or serve with rice instead of naan to soak up the juices. I finished with extra cumin in the last 10 min.

    • Eric W.

    • Durham, NC

    • 10/27/2022

  • I've made this twice now, and both times the chicken has been completely overdone - dry and stringy - after the lower of the cooking times given.

    • AB

    • UK

    • 6/19/2022

  • My new favorite slow cooker go-to recipe!

    • loskar610

    • Orlando, FL

    • 11/13/2018