This recipe is all about insanely delicious Slow Cooker Spicy Vindaloo Chicken made with chicken thighs and toasted spices.

To top it off, it’s served with fluffy Jasmine rice and warm naan bread. I promise this one will NOT disappoint.

Who doesn’t love Chicago?

I’m back from 4 glorious days in Chicago for a cooking video shoot (eeeee!) and food & nutrition conference and expo.  It was AMAZING. 

I consumed some delicious food, learned some tricks about entrepreneurship in the field of nutrition and food, and met some really incredible people, many whom I’d befriended online and bonded with over our love and passion for cooking (and sexy food photos on Instagram). 

So much inspiration, so little time.

When I left for Chicago it was 78 degrees and sunny and when I came home it was 53 degrees and raining.  Now it’s a chilly 59 with a forecast of 41 degrees and snow (gasp). 

How did this happen?  The balmy 59 I am not mad about, but the snow forecast can go far, far away.  I am a fan of fall… NOT winter. 

Needless to say, I am so very ready for some comfort food, and for everything to be made in the crock pot.  Which leads me to this incredible Indian dish that makes me warm, fuzzy and happy inside. 

It’s Slow Cooker Spicy Vindaloo Chicken, and it’s about to (c)rock your world.  Get it?

Delicious vindaloo spiced chicken thighs.

The toasted spice mixture will really knock your socks off, and even though it’s a few extra steps, it’s completely worth it. 

Black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, whole cloves and a cinnamon stick are toasted until fragrant, then blended with paprika, turmeric, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and dried chilies. 

OMG you guys, it’s so so so good you won’t even remember it took 5 extra minutes to toast the spices and blend your own powerhouse vindaloo paste. Promises.

Then, you toss onion, diced chicken thighs, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, pumpkin, the vindaloo sauce/paste/mixture and some salt into the crock pot and let it fly. 

(P.S. don’t you just LOVE using the crock pot for easy, delicious comfort food?) 

Serve it over a bed of fluffy Jasmine rice, a heaping handful of cilantro and a few pieces of toasted naan, and life is just right.  Bonus: the house will smell INSANELY delicious.

You’re drooling, right? 

If you love Indian recipes as much as I do, you may enjoy this Instant Pot Indian Coconut Chicken and this Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani).

Slow Cooker Spicy Vindaloo

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Insanely delicious Slow Cooker Spicy Vindaloo made with chicken thighs and toasted spices served with fluffy Jasmine rice and warm naan bread.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hrs
• Total Time: 8 hrs 25 mins
• Yield: 8 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove-Top, Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3-inch piece ginger, peeled
• 4 dried red Thai or Indian chilies
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 (15-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 ½–2 teaspoons coarse salt
• Cooked jasmine rice, naan and fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet to medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and cloves to the hot pan. Toast the spices for about 60-90 seconds, until fragrant and slightly toasted. Let the spices cool, then place in a small food processor. To the food processor, add paprika, turmeric, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and chilies. Process the mixture until it forms a paste. If too thick to form a paste, add a tablespoon of water at a time until paste forms.
2. Place onions, chicken, diced tomatoes (with juice), coconut milk, pumpkin puree, salt, pepper and spice mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
3. Serve with rice, naan and fresh cilantro.

Notes

Cooking Tip: To thicken mixture, whisk 1 tablespoon water with 3 tablespoons corn starch and stir into the mixture for the last 30 minutes of cooking, until thickened.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
• Calories: 242
• Sugar: 11 g
• Sodium: 398 mg
• Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 22 g
• Cholesterol: 75 mg

Keywords: spiced, simple, Crock Pot, healthy, from scratch, homemade

Head on over to Meijer to get the goods and click here for more crock pot recipe inspiration!