Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

What is Thai curry?

Thai curry is a popular dish originating in Thailand made from curry paste, coconut milk, meat or seafood, and vegetables. There are many different types of Thai curry including red, green, Panang and Massaman curry, and the exact method of cooking each varies by chef (1).

Whereas Indian curries are thicker and made with a mixture of tomatoes, onions and dry spices, Thai curry derives its flavor from a mixture of herbs including shallots, lemongrass, garlic, galangal and (of course) Thai chiles (2).

My goal with this recipe is to honor the traditional flavors of Thai red curry, while putting a fun new spin on it with North American ingredients.

Ingredient notes

• chicken- this soup is made with boneless skinless chicken thighs; you can swap for bone-in chicken breasts (leave the cook time the same), or boneless chicken thighs (reduce the cook time to 4 hours on low)
• Thai red curry paste- find it in the international cuisine section of your grocery store. My favorite brands are Thai Kitchen and Cock brand; Mae Ploy is another good one. You can also swap for green curry paste.
• squash- butternut squash gives this soup a subtle sweetness, but may be swapped for your favorite squash; if you do not enjoy a sweet curry, you can reduce the brown sugar to compensate
• wild rice- I am using a brown wild rice blend; feel free to swap for 100% wild rice if you'd prefer; avoid instant rice, white rice, or any quick cooking rice
• coconut milk- use a full fat coconut milk; this helps to make the soup thicker and more luxurious

Cooking the soup

Scroll to the recipe card for ingredient quantities.

1. In the base of a large (5-6 quart) slow cooker, add the chicken thighs, carrots, butternut squash, onions, ginger, curry paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, wild rice and chicken stock.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 4 hours).
3. Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice, and enjoy!

Recipe tips

Fish sauce

It's just not a Thai curry without fish sauce! While fish sauce definitely does not smell appetizing, it does not make this curry taste 'fishy'. Instead, the fish sauce adds umami and saltiness to the broth, which is absolutely essential to build flavor.

Fish sauce is found in the international foods section of your grocery store, and if you can't find it, you could try swapping for an equal amount of fish sauce (though it won't be 100% the same).

Add coconut milk at the end

Coconut milk is notorious for breaking in the slow cooker; when this happens the smooth, creamy coconut becomes thin and flaky. To avoid this happening, we stir the coconut milk in at the end of the cook time.

Adjusting sweetness

I personally enjoy a sweet curry, but I know others do not always love it. If you know that you like a more 'savory' curry, consider omitting the brown sugar. Taste after all ingredients are added, and stir in the brown sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until it tastes good to your taste buds.

Notes on rice

Use caution when subbing different types of rice in this Thai slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup as they all cook differently. I've used a wild rice blend which includes long grain brown basmati as well, and some of the brown rice gets quite soft towards the end.

If you swap for a blend that uses white rice, it will need a shorter cook time; consider adding it towards the end of the cook time.

Soup FAQ

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

While I have not tried myself, many readers have had success making this in the Instant Pot. Katie J says "I halved the recipe and cooked it in an instant pot on high pressure for 25 minutes, then did a quick release. I mushed up the squash and carrots a little before I stirred in the coconut milk"

*with my own Instant Pot experience, I do think you should expect the vegetables to be extremely soft and the chicken may be very tender with this long of a cook time.

Can I make this vegetarian?

With a few swaps, you can make this vegetarian.

1. swap the chicken for your favorite vegetarian protein: chickpeas or tofu may go well in this recipe
2. ensure your curry paste does not contain shrimp or seafood (Thai Kitchen does not, but some other brands do)
3. swap the fish sauce for vegan fish sauce (in a pinch, you could try using soy sauce)

Reader swaps + suggestions

• curry paste- reader Erin swapped for green curry paste; reader Janis used yellow curry paste
• squash- reader Erin swapped butternut squash for sweet potatoes
• rice- reader Amy omits the rice and serves with rice noodles instead (cooked separately)
• extras- reader Erin added garlic and lemongrass; readers Amy and Janis add extra Thai curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce
• thickening- reader Andrea blended some of the soup to thicken it

Meal Prep + Storage

Thai slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup makes for a great meal prep option. Here are two ways to do it:

Crockpot freezer meal

A crockpot freezer meal is assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. That way on cook day all you need to do is dump the meal into the slow cooker and press the cook button. No measuring!

1. Assemble all ingredients except for the coconut milk and lime juice, in a large freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
2. Squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw completely before cooking as directed in the recipe card.

Find my favorite freezer containers here.

Reheat meals

Alternatively, you can cook this meal ahead and portion out. When you're ready, reheat and enjoy your easy meals!

1. Cool completely, then portion out into meal prep containers.
2. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
3. Reheat in the microwave until steaming hot. Do not reheat more than once.

Find my favorite meal prep containers here.

More slow cooker soup recipes

• 42 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews
• Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken Stew
• Slow Cooker Potato Corn Soup
• Crockpot Broccoli Turmeric Soup
• Slow Cooker Black Bean, Sweet Potato Quinoa Stew
• Vegan Slow Cooker Peanut Stew

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

4.01 from 110 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

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Print Rate

This Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a twist on a classic comfort recipe. Tropical, yet cozy, it's made with butternut squash, Thai red curry paste, and coconut milk!

8 -10

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs see note 1
• ▢ 4 carrots chopped
• ▢ 4 cups squash peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1 inch cubes; see note 2
• ▢ 2 onions diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh ginger finely chopped or grated
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste see note 3
• ▢ 3 tablespoons brown sugar see note 4
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• ▢ ⅔ cup brown basmati wild rice blend or 100% wild rice
• ▢ 4 cups chicken stock

After cooking:

• ▢ 27 oz coconut milk 2 400 mL cans; see note 5
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions 

• Combine all ingredients except the coconut milk in a 6 quart slow cooker (* see note).
• Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
• Stir in the coconut milk and lime juice and cook for 10 or so minutes until completely combined.
• Shred chicken with two forks.
• Serve with lime wedges and cilantro (if desired).

To prep ahead and freeze

• Assemble all ingredients except for the stock and wild rice in a quart-sized freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw completely and add to the slow cooker with the stock and wild rice. Cook as indicated above.

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Tips:

1- swap for bone-in chicken breasts (same cook time) or boneless skinless chicken breasts (cook low 4-5 hours)

2- consider swapping for any other type of winter squash or potentially sweet potatoes

3- Thai Kitchen, Mae Ploy and Cock brand are all brands I use. Due to the Thai curry paste, this soup is moderately spicy.

4- if you like a less sweet curry, omit the sugar and stir it in by the tablespoon after cooking until your tastebuds are happy

5- use full fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture

6- I prepared this in my 5 quart slow cooker but it was very full. I recommend using a 6 quart or larger.

Storage

Cool soup completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Soup may be frozen, however the brown basmati rice will be very soft after freeze/thawing. If you plan to freeze, consider using 100% wild rice and not a blend.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/10 of batch, Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 815mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

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