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5 from 10 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Vindaloo

Only 10 minutes of prep time is all you need for this delicious Indian Chicken Vindaloo! You can make this recipe in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot for an easy weeknight meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Amy Rains

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 4 inch piece fresh ginger chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 red hot chili peppers de-seeded and chopped*
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes canned or fresh
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 yukon gold potatoes skinned and cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch optional
  • Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish optional

Instructions

For the Slow Cooker:

  • Mix together spices into a small bowl. Add spices, ginger, garlic, peppers, tomato paste, tomatoes, vinegar, and broth to a food processor or blender and pulse. Continue to pulse until a thin paste/sauce is formed pausing to scrape down the sides when needed.
  • Place potatoes at the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with chicken, then onion. Pour sauce on top.
  • Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and can be easily shredded. Check on the sauce. If you want a more thick sauce, add 1 tbsp arrowroot starch with 1 tbsp water to the slow cooker. Stir and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until thickened.
  • Serve hot and garnish with fresh cilantro (if using).

For the Instant Pot:

  • Select the saute function on the Instant Pot. Coat the bottom of your pot with oil once hot, then add onion, ginger, garlic, and peppers. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Select cancel.
  • Transfer the onion/garlic mixture to a blender. Now add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, chicken broth, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, mustard, cinnamon and sea salt. Blend all ingredients until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. 
  • Clean your instant pot to ensure the onion mixture is not sticking to the bottom. Return the pot back to the base, and pour the sauce into the pot. 
  • Now add in the chicken and potatoes. Secure the lid and select manual or pressure. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Use quick release once cooking is complete, and remove the lid once steam is completely released. 
  • Serve plain or over a bed of rice. Garnish with additional salt to taste and fresh cilantro. 

Notes

You can adjust the spice level in this recipe. This version is pretty spicy, but you can add another pepper if you'd like, or cut the spice in half using only 1 pepper. You can also feel free to omit the pepper altogether for a non-spicy variation!