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Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Nov 21, 2024

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This easy crock pot recipe is easily adaptable when it comes to the veggies. Sub in or add carrots, potatoes or leeks. Or for a purely veg version change up the chicken broth for vegetable broth and leave out the chicken | @Heidi | FoodieCrush foodiecrush.com

This slow cooker Thai soup with chicken is packed with flavor thanks to the combination of curry paste, coconut milk, fresh ginger, and lime.

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup | FoodieCrush.com

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup Recipe

Here’s the thing about cooking with slow cookers. It’s convenient. But only if you’re creating a recipe where you don’t have to dirty more than the slow cooker. Like this slow cooker Thai chicken soup.

I’m all about time management. I eat breakfast while I do the dishes, I brush my teeth while I tie on my running shoes. In other words, I’m a multi-tasker who isn’t terribly efficient at getting much of any of my laundry list of daily to-dos completed because my mind thinks I have to do more than six things at at time. Why? Oh why?

So these days, unless its a lazy day weekend, my to-do list doesn’t always necessitate spending an hour and a half making dinner. I don’t mean letting it cook, I mean MAKING dinner.

Enter the genius invention that has been on every wedding registry since 1973: The slow cooker. And this slow cooker Thai coconut chicken soup. If I’m going to use a slow cooker, I want to make a recipe where I don’t have to brown this, sauté that, and dirty one single other pan to make my dream dinner come true.

Prepare yourself, you will need to dirty a cutting board and a knife to make this Thai coconut chicken soup. And maybe a whisk or big spoon. But other than that? You can put that fancy dish washing scrubbie away my friend, this is a one stop shop recipe I’m happy to make. Just so long as someone else does the dishes dish.

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup | FoodieCrush.com

What’s in This Thai Soup?

In the spirit of no-fuss cooking, I tried to keep the ingredients list for this Thai coconut chicken soup as minimal as the prep work. Here’s what I used in this Thai chicken soup:

  • Red curry paste
  • Coconut milk
  • Chicken Broth
  • Fish sauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Peanut butter
  • Chicken breasts
  • Red bell pepper
  • Onion
  • Fresh ginger
  • Frozen peas
  • Lime juice
  • Cooked white rice
  • Fresh cilantro

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup | FoodieCrush.com

How to Make Slow Cooker Thai Soup

Add all the ingredients but the lime juice, cilantro, rice, and peas to your slow cooker. Pop the lid on, turn the slow cooker to High, and let the Thai soup cook for 4 hours.

After 4 hours, stir in the peas and let the crockpot chicken soup cook for another 30 minutes.

I like serving this Thai coconut chicken soup over white rice with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.

Can I Omit the Fish Sauce?

Technically, yes. But that small amount of fish sauce adds so much umami flavor to this Thai soup. There’s really no substitute for fish sauce, so I highly recommend using it in this recipe. You should be able to find it in the Asian section of your grocery store or online.

Can I Make Thai Soup in an Instant Pot?

You likely can. However, I’ve only ever made this Thai coconut curry soup in a regular slow cooker so I can’t give any tips on adapting this recipe for the Instant Pot.

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup | FoodieCrush.com

Tips for Making Slow Cooker Thai Soup

This Thai chicken soup recipe is easily adaptable when it comes to the veggies. Sub in or add carrots, potatoes, or leeks. Or for a purely veg version, change up the chicken broth for vegetable broth and omit the chicken. Just be sure to keep the lime and the peanut buttery taste to complement the spiciness of the curry and you’re in business.

For the best flavor, I recommend using freshly grated ginger and freshly squeezed lime juice. Ground ginger won’t give you the same flavor as fresh, and pre-bottled lime juice doesn’t compare to freshly squeezed limes.

A few readers have said their soup has split near the end of the cook time. That’s just the coconut milk and broth separating from each other — your Thai soup hasn’t gone bad. Just give the soup a stir to bring everything back together. To avoid this separation, I recommend using full-fat coconut milk in this recipe.

More Crockpot Soups to Try

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.



4.49 from 369 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Thai Soup

This slow cooker Thai soup is packed with flavor thanks to the combination of curry paste, coconut milk, fresh ginger, and lime.
Print
Course Soup
Cuisine Thai
Keyword slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 266kcal

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 2-12 ounce cans of coconut milk
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts , cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper , seeded and sliced into ¼ inch slices
  • 1 onion , thinly sliced
  • 1 heaping tablespoon fresh ginger , minced
  • 1 cup frozen peas , thawed
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • cilantro , (for garnish)
  • cooked white rice

Instructions

  • Mix the curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar and peanut butter in a 4-½ to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl. Then, place the chicken breast, red bell pepper, onion and ginger in the slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
  • Add in the peas and cook for 30 minutes longer.
  • Stir in lime juice and serve with cilantro and white rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1627IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

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Comments

    4.49 from 369 votes (325 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Evan Evan

    Looks amazing, Heidi! I usually fall back on cook out fast food when I’m busy, but this Thai chicken soup looks just as easy and way more flavorful. Saving this one for sure!

    Reply

  2. Kiara lee

    Thanks for the suggestion—almond butter sounds like a delicious alternative, and I’m excited to try it! It reminds me of Sonic’s breakfast burritos, which creatively mix fillings, inspiring me to experiment with almond butter in smoothies or on toast.

    Reply

  3. Harper Quinn

    This looks absolutely delicious! I’ve been trying to mix up my soup rotation, and this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup sounds perfect—simple, flavorful, and ideal for busy days. Definitely giving it a go this weekend.

    Reply

    • Richard

      That sounds like a great plan! Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup is such a comforting choice, especially when you’re juggling a busy schedule.

      Reply

  4. Rebecca

    5 stars
    Thank you for this delightful recipe! I had just run out of fish sauce so subbed coconut aminos, which worked well. I had some udon noodles to use up and they were really complementary as well. This broth made me dance in my kitchen. I couldn’t believe how delicious it turned out!

    Reply

  5. Williamnisa

    Your Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup masterfully blends red curry paste, coconut milk, and fresh ginger for a rich, aromatic base, while lime juice and fish sauce add a perfect tangy balance.

    Reply

  6. John Wilson

    This slow cooker Thai chicken soup sounds like a perfect mix of flavors and convenience! I love the idea of using curry paste and coconut milk for that authentic Thai taste.

    Reply

  10. vavado

    Forgive me if this has already been asked- I have a peanut allergy, does anyone know if the recipe will still work without peanut butter or if almond butter can be substituted? Thank you for any help.
    Regards: sonic corn dog

    Reply

    • Hayley

      Hi there! You could try this with almond butter instead (we haven’t tried it ourselves, so we can’t vouch for it totally), but we think it should work. Consistency-wise it should be identical, but the flavor will be a bit different. As long as you like almond butter, we think you’d like it though and should give it a try. Definitely let us know how it works out for you if you make it! :)

      Reply

      • Alison

        Thanks for the suggestion! Almond butter sounds like a great alternative, and I’m definitely a fan, so I’m excited to give it a try! The flavor difference could be a fun twist. It actually reminds me a bit of Sonic’s breakfast menu—have you tried their breakfast burritos? They offer a variety of fillings, so it got me thinking how interesting it would be to swap out the usual ingredients for almond butter in something like a smoothie or even on toast, sort of like how Sonic puts a fresh spin on breakfast. I’ll let you know how it turns out! Check Sonic’s Breakfast Menu here:
        https://sonicmenuspot.com/menu/sonic-breakfast-menu-prices/

        Reply

      • Molle

        5 stars
        Thanks for this suggestion. Almond butter sounds like a great alternative, and I’m definitely a fan, so I’m excited to give it a try!

        Reply

    • Hayley

      Hi Marie! Unfortunately there isn’t really a great ingredient sub for the coconut milk in this case. You could try a non-dairy milk (like almond milk), but it will be on the thinner side and the flavor won’t be the same.

      Reply

  12. Cynthia Dew

    5 stars
    I really love this soup! I’ve been making it for a few years now. I always look forward to it during soup season. It’s easy to make and really good if you decide to skip the rice.

    Reply

    • Heidi LarsenHeidi

      Hey Danielle, no, there were never any noodles or rice in it and the recipe hasn’t been changed. I just made it again last night and served it with rice. It’s delish!

      Reply

    • Hayley

      Hi Sara, no need to pre-cook, we put it in the slow cooker raw. You’re welcome to brown it in a skillet beforehand if you like. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  17. Linda

    5 stars
    This was fantastic! My husband loved it. Thanks for the recipe. What red curry paste do you use, the one I had was not spicy at all.

    Reply

  19. Apkhall

    This has been a weekly lunch staple for us. So easy to make, delicious, and our toddler loves it too! We follow the recipe pretty much to a T, but leave out the rice. So good!

    Reply

  20. Joan

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. I did make a few changes. I did not use the crock pot. I sautéed the veggies, added mushrooms. I added rotisserie chicken near the end along with only 1 can of coconut milk. Adding the coconut milk at the end with temp turned down was perfect and it never curdled each time I made it.

    Reply

  21. Arielle

    5 stars
    I’ve made this in the slow cooker before and absolutely LOVED it. I always add extra veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts) and top with chopped peanuts for an added crunch. I serve it over ramen noodles and it is very similar to my favourite Thai dish – khao soi. Last night I made it on the stove since I didn’t have a slow cooker with me, and it turned out wonderful!

    Reply

  24. Victoria B

    I read comments on Pinterest and the site and made adjustments I highly recommend you try. First, start with frozen chicken breasts. This keeps the. From drying out and is no work. Just shred before you add the peas. I also waited to add the coconut milk until I added the peas so no curdling issue. I added some shredded carrots and thickened with arrowroot starch. No it wasn’t spicy hot at all. The red curry paste you use makes a big difference. I only had Thai Kitchen on hand versus my normal Asian food market kind. Just added some sriracha to kick up the heat. Will try with the real stuff next time.

    Reply

  26. Anna

    This has been a weekly lunch staple for us. So easy to make, delicious, and our toddler loves it too! We follow the recipe pretty much to a T, but leave out the rice. So good!

    Reply

  28. Christi

    3 stars
    Sorry, but this was pretty bland to me. There isn’t even any salt called out in the recipe. So I had to add in about 1/2 tsp of salt and some pepper. Then I also ended up doubling the red curry paste. Once I added in all of that flavor it was a lot better.

    Reply

  29. Tiffany

    Forgive me if this has already been asked- I have a peanut allergy, does anyone know if the recipe will still work without peanut butter or if almond butter can be substituted? Thank you for any help.

    Reply

  30. Ingrid

    5 stars
    I never comment on food blogs, but I’ve made this soup so many times that I feel moved to comment on this recipe. I usually make it exactly as written, unless I double it. (In that case, I don’t double the coconut milk. I use 3 cans for a double recipe and add a little extra broth.) It is so delicious that my sons are thrilled when they walk in and smell it in the crockpot. They know what we’re having for dinner by the amazing smell, and it has remained a favorite for over a year!

    Reply

  32. Meg

    I’ve been making this for years!! First time I’m actually putting in the ginger. I add in mushrooms & shrimp for more flavor/vitamins/protein with about 30 min left to cook…. and squeeze in generous amounts of Sricha. Also, I serve it with pad Thai noodles!

    Reply

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    Reply

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    […] is what I made in my new pressure cooker last night: Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup with a recipe from FoodieCrush. It’s really yummy, it just needs some more kick (I’ll […]

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  50. Nicole

    5 stars
    After reading other comments I decided to make this on the stovetop using pre-cooked chicken. Sautéed onions peppers and ginger for 5 minutes then added other ingredients and simmered 30-ish minutes. Used half light coconut milk and half regular. Added cooked chicken and peas toward the end. Yummm!!! I would recommend cutting back on fish sauce and increasing red curry paste. I also added red pepper flakes and a little cornstarch at the end. This was absolutely delicious !!!

    Reply

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