Flavorful Chicken Lentil Curry with Vegetables in a Slow Cooker
Experience the rich, aromatic taste of Indian style curry without all the effort. This slow cooker chicken lentil curry (without coconut milk) is just the dish you’ve been craving. Combining tender chunks of chicken, flavorful lentils, and a colorful medley of veggies, this one-pot crockpot wonder is perfect for those busy weeknights. A perfect recipe to keep things healthy, tasty and easy – and it’s simple to make it vegetarian, too!
Looking for more easy crockpot meals? Try my Easy Slow Cooker Cassoulet with Chicken and Sausage here, Slow Cooker Pork Stew with Vegetables here, or any of these 19 Easy Slow Cooker Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipes!
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What’s better than a warm, hearty, and flavorful chicken lentil curry full of healthy vegetables, protein, and fats?
Well, that would be a recipe where you throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker, turn it on and forget about it until the incredible smells start wafting through the house.
And if that weren’t enough, add in the fact that it’s a one-dish meal (all the protein and veggies you need are included) so all you need to add is some bread to scoop up all the curry goodness.
I’ve tried a lot of slow cooker recipes and for some reason many of them are rather blah. Maybe it’s the long cooking time? I’m not sure because there plenty that are good.
Well, this chicken curry recipe with lentils, onions, carrots, cauliflower, and spinach DELIVERS.
This is it, friends – the super flavorful dish of your menu planning dreams.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing slow cooker lentil curry with chicken and vegetables:
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Boneless chicken: Both breast and thighs work for this recipe. Omit to make this vegetarian.
- Lentils: Use regular brown lentils or green lentils (red lentils cook quicker so will break down too much for this recipe)
- Vegetables: Onions and garlic are a must – use the carrots, cauliflower and spinach or substitute kale for the spinach and omit the other veggies, substituting with other veggies like peppers or diced sweet potato. This recipe is a great way to use frozen cauliflower and spinach, too.
- Chicken broth: Use what you have – bouillon + water, canned broth or frozen homemade chicken broth.
What type of curry powder to use?
I keep both hot curry powder and mild curry blend on hand, but we mainly use the hot curry because we like things on the spicy side. Use what you like (this is the brand I buy).
No coconut milk?
From a quick search online, it would seem like most Indian curries contain coconut milk. However, there is only a portion of the country where you’d find that and actually most Indian curries don’t include coconut milk.
This dish is so flavorful, you definitely don’t need it!
How to Make Chicken Lentil Curry
The simple steps are what I like most about slow cooker meals:
- Step 1: Cut everything up and add it to the bowl of the crockpot in the order listed in the recipe card, except the spinach. You don’t even have to stir it.
- Step 2: Turn it on and let it cook 3.5 hours on high or 5.5 hours on low.
- Step 3: Add the fresh or frozen spinach and let cook on high (turn up if you’ve used low) for another 30 minutes.
And then go about your business for the day.
It’s mostly “out of sight, out of mind” until, BAM! And you’re thinking, “what is that wonderful smell? Oh, yeah – dinner!”
Recipe Tips
Tip 1: While the vegetables don’t have to be the same size, do cut all the vegetables small enough to be picked up on a spoon or fork and easily eaten.
Tip 2: The curry powder and salt are non-negotiable spices here, however you can play around with other spices, adding more or less or including ginger, either dried or fresh.
Jami’s Top Tip
Slow Cooking Veggies: Overcooking vegetables can happen in dishes like this (contrary to things that say you can’t overcook slow cooker dishes…). You’ll get mushy cauliflower if it’s left longer than the 4 hours on high/6 hours on low called for – OR if your appliance cooks faster.
If you know your cooker cooks fast, as some do, then you’ll want to check for doneness at the 3 hour mark to be able to add the spinach and cook for another 30 minutes. (The pieces of chicken will be cooked in that amount of time, too).
Bottom line: test for the doneness of the vegetables according to your tastes.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheating: Heat in a small saucepan or the microwave, 1-3 minutes, stirring gently.
- Freezer: You can freeze these in individual portions for 3-4 months. (I love using these 1-cup Souper Cubes to freeze this for easy portions perfect for lunches and meal prep.)
Chicken, Vegetable, Lentil Curry FAQs
Yes! You can defrost the chicken and add it at the same time you add the spinach.
Lentils do not need to be soaked in general and not for this recipe. However, you can do it to cut the cooking time by about half in other recipes.
Lentils are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, which makes them a healthy substitute for meat. They’re also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fiber. (source)
Yes, it’s easy to do. Omit the chicken (obviously…) and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Cook the same amount or even a bit less – check the tenderness of the cauliflower with the tip of a knife at about the 3 to 3.5 hour mark.
You can serve this with a side of rice or naan and a topping of yogurt, fresh cilantro or parsley like a traditional curry, or as more of a stew with a side of artisan bread.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes To Try
- Spiced Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (or Instant Pot)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe (with Stovetop Option)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner with Vegetables
Best Comment:
“Mmmm, another hit! I turned to your archives when I brought home a giant package of chicken thighs and didn’t know what to do with them… I made mine a bit spicier than my family likes, so we just blended in some scoops of plain Greek yogurt to temper it, and they loved it. Love your recipes; thanks!” -Suz
I hope you love this chicken lentil curry – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating so I know how you liked it!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Curry with Vegetables
Equipment
- 4-7 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrots, about 3 large
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut (or frozen*)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound dried lentils, rinsed (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (omit to make meatless)
- 1 ½ tablespoons hot or mild curry powder, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste – omit if using hot curry
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade bone broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, depending on type of broth (unsalted homemade = 2 teaspoons)
- 3 to 4 cups chopped fresh spinach** (or 10oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed)
- toppings: chopped parsley, yogurt, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into the bowl of a 4 to 7-quart slow cooker in order listed, EXCEPT spinach (and frozen cauliflower, if using – see note below*).
- Cook on High 4 hours (stirring halfway through), and add the spinach at the 3 1/2 hour mark, stirring it in, covering and cooking for the last 30 minutes OR cook on Low for 6-7 hrs (stir halfway through), again adding the spinach in the last 1/2 hour of cooking BUT, turn the cooker up to High for that last 30 minutes (SEE NOTE).
- Serve with a side of rice, naan, or artisan bread and optional toppings.
Notes
- Fridge: Store this in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze these in individual portions for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in January of 2015 and updated in 2021 and 2024.
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