If you’re anything like me, you’re probably starting to dust off some of your favorite freezer and slow-cooker meals as we get closer to Fall and Winter. One of my very favorite go-to dinners when the weather gets cold, the sky gets dark, and I get lazy, would be this braised curry chicken recipe. You can make it for dinner in about an hour, or you can use one of the adaptations below to prepare it for the freezer or the crockpot in just fifteen minutes. If you’re feeling really crazy, you can even use the freezer-to-crockpot method I’ve included below. This braised chicken curry is lovely over white or brown rice, but is also tasty over a bed of pasta or egg noodles. You could sop up some of the delicious curry broth with a piece of naan bread, or simply throw together a quick green salad to round out your meal. This dish is also incredible versatile in terms of ingredients. I like to use chicken breasts, but you can use any chicken pieces you happen to have on-hand. You can also use just about any type of curry paste, whether you like a red curry paste such as Massaman, Panang, or Prik King, or if you prefer a more mild-flavored green or yellow curry as I’ve used here.
Read on for the four different ways you can make this dish – the “Standard” method which uses your stove and oven, the “Crockpot” method which uses your stove and crockpot, the “Freezer” method which uses your stove, freezer, and oven, or the “Freezer-to-Crockpot” method using your stove, freezer, and crockpot. You may wonder why anyone would use the Freezer-to-Crockpot method if they could just either use the Crockpot OR Freezer method, so I’ll fill you in on a little secret. I hate crockpot recipes that call for less than 7 or 8 hours of cook time. For me, the entire purpose of using a crockpot recipe is so my dinner can cook while I’m at work. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense for me to cook chicken in the crockpot for 4 hours if I can do it in the oven in an hour. However, if the chicken can slowly braise all day while I am at work and I can walk through the door at night to the lovely smell of curry sauce, I am a happy woman. The solution? Start from frozen and cook on low! Just MAKE SURE that you freeze your meal into a shape that will fit into your crockpot while it is still frozen. In other words, don’t freeze something in a casserole dish and then try to shove a rectangular piece of frozen deliciousness into a round crockpot. Sometimes I’ll just put the dish into a zip bag and place the zip bag inside the stoneware part of the crockpot while it is freezing. Okay, on to the actual recipe descriptions! The ingredient list and handy printable will be included at the bottom.
Standard Recipe
To make the braised chicken the “regular” way, begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut each chicken breast in half so you have two large chunks of chicken, then heat some oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Dust the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the hot oil in a single layer. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add the curry paste to the pot and use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks, working the paste into the hot oil. Add the can of coconut milk and use your spoon to scrape along the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the chicken. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then turn off the heat on the stovetop. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the lime juice (or serve with lime wedges) and serve hot or warm.
Crockpot Adaptation
Cut each chicken breast in half so you have two large chunks of chicken, then heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Dust the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the hot oil in a single layer. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the curry paste to the pot and use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks, working the paste into the hot oil. Add the can of coconut milk and use your spoon to scrape along the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the chicken. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then turn off the heat on the stovetop. Place the browned chicken pieces into the bottom of your crockpot, then pour the curry sauce over the top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours. Stir in lime juice just before serving, or serve with lime wedges.
Freezer Adaptation
Cut each chicken breast in half so you have two large chunks of chicken, then heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Dust the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the hot oil in a single layer. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the curry paste to the pot and use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks, working the paste into the hot oil. Add the can of coconut milk and use your spoon to scrape along the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the chicken. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then turn off the heat on the stovetop. Place the browned chicken pieces into a glass or aluminum casserole dish, then pour the curry sauce over the top. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to cook, place the frozen pan into your preheated 350-degree oven. Let bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake for an additional 50-60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in lime juice just before serving, or serve with lime wedges.
Freezer to Crockpot Adaptation
Cut each chicken breast in half so you have two large chunks of chicken, then heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Dust the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the hot oil in a single layer. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the curry paste to the pot and use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks, working the paste into the hot oil. Add the can of coconut milk and use your spoon to scrape along the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the chicken. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then turn off the heat on the stovetop. Place the browned chicken pieces and curry sauce into a freezer-safe zip bag and freeze in a shape that will later fit into your crockpot (see note above!). The morning before you wish to serve the chicken, place the frozen chicken and sauce into your crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Stir in lime juice just before serving, or serve with lime wedges.
Phew! That was a lot of talking about chicken, curry, crockpots, and freezers. If you are really freaky like I am, you can just double the “Standard” recipe and remove half of the chicken and sauce to a zip bag before you place the rest of it in the oven. You’ll have dinner for that evening, and a freezer version to throw in the crockpot on another night. Brilliant!
