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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Slow Cooker Chicken Thai Soup
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
More Crockpot Soups to Try
- Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Hatch Green Chili Verde
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa
- Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Soup
More Thai-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
- Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce
- Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice
- Thai Coconut Noodle Salad
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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
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! :)
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/
Molle
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!
Marie
Can you sub the coconut milk?
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.
Cynthia Dew
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.
It’s one of my easy favorites too Cynthia. It’s easy to make on the stovetop too! Thanks for the comment and 5 star rating.
Danielle
Did this use to be made with noodles instead of the rice? Was the recipe changed?
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!
Sara
Do I put the chicken in raw or pre cooked? Or browned at least?
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!
Richard Ross
Technically it’s two pots. Have to cook the rice… but whose counting?
Kim
This recipe look dElish!! Might I be able to cook it at low for 8 hours? TIA
Yes Kim, that should work fine.
Linda
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.
Hayley
Thanks Linda, we’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed it!
Mellisa
Any one made it with tofu???
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!
I’m glad you all like it!
Joan
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.
I’m glad your alterations worked!
Arielle
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!
aanmeegam
If you left the sugar and the peanut butter does it make the soup paleo friendly?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I think those are the only non Paleo Ingredients
David
Now I learnt how to cook Thai chicken soup,will try this recipe.
Thanks!
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.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Enjoy!
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!
Cindy
My family loved this soup. So delicious. Thank you!
Christi
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.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Sorry this one wasn’t a hit for you!
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.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
You could definitely try this with Almond Butter
Ingrid
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!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so happy! Thank you for your comment Ingrid!
ghd sports
I love reading through and I believe this website got some genuinely utilitarian stuff on it!
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!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
YUM! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Stacey
Approximately how many people does this recipe serve?
Batya
Tried it and turned out so yumm, wanted to say you thanks!