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!
When it comes to Thai food, I am all about curry. There's just something about those sweet/savory/sour/spicy flavors that I can't get enough of. I've used these flavors in Thai curry sweet potato soup, Thai curry naan pizzas, and Instant Pot Thai chicken curry, as well as this soup.
Thai curry wild rice soup is inspired by classic chicken wild rice soup, with a few flavor upgrades. Adding coconut milk and Thai red curry paste gives the soup a tropical flavor profile, while butternut squash, wild rice and chicken thighs maintain the 'cozy' factor.
Reasons you’ll ♡ Thai Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- no sautéing means you can get the ingredients into the slow cooker quickly
- it's comforting and cozy, but with a tropical twist
- it's got those characteristic Thai curry flavors: spicy/sweet/savory/sour, which are so good together!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how simple it is to put this recipe together. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
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.
- 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.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 4 hours).
- 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.
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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.
- swap the chicken for your favorite vegetarian protein: chickpeas or tofu may go well in this recipe
- ensure your curry paste does not contain shrimp or seafood (Thai Kitchen does not, but some other brands do)
- 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!
- Assemble all ingredients except for the coconut milk and lime juice, in a large freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or meal prep container.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- 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!
- Cool completely, then portion out into meal prep containers.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- 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
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:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Lauren says
Can I add the fish sauce later in the cooking process or should it be added right at the start? Thank you!
Lauren
Denise says
Hi Lauren, I've only made it as written, but I think it should be OK to add it in at the end?
Jenny says
I don't have slow cooker but I would like to cook this recipe in a regular pan. How will I do this, any suggestion please
Denise says
Hi Jenny! I've never tried making this in a pot, but I think you can sautee the veggies and chicken thighs up in some olive oil until chicken is browned, veggies are soft, then add in the rest of the ingredients (reserving the coconut milk/lime juice for later), and cook until everything is cooked through. I'm really not sure of the cook time. Maybe 30-45 minutes? Then add in the coconut milk/lime juice at the end. I hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out for you. PS- you may want to half the recipe, it really makes a large batch and you'll need a huge pot 😉
Emily says
Hi there,
If I want to half the recipe, how long should I cook it for?
I'm excited to try it!
Thanks!
Denise says
Ack, I'm so sorry Erin, I meant to answer you sooner! I have cooked a half batch in a smaller crock pot (2.5 quart) for the same amount of time, but I've never tried halving the batch in a 5/6 quart slow cooker. So I'm not sure how it would cook in a large slow cooker. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works out for you!
Andrea Williams says
i made this soup today. before i stirred up the rice (that was cooking on the bottom) i scooped up about 3/4 of the carrot and squash (leaving the chicken whole as well) and blended it just a bit in my vitamix. then i poured it back in, shredded the chicken and added my coconut milk. i stirred it all together so the rice wasn't at the bottom anymore. This soup is delicious! really good flavor. i added a bit more curry paste because i like it a bit hot. and it was fantastic!
Denise says
This is brilliant! I bet that added so much texture/thickness to it. I definitely want to try that next time. Thanks Andrea!
Christie says
I am so excited as this is in my slow cooker right now. It smells amazing!! There is nothing like a slow cooker meal. Thank you for all the great recipes and the fun blog! I'm excited to have stumbled upon your recipes on Pinterest. I can't wait to try more!
Denise says
Thank you so much Christie! How did you like the soup?
Katie says
You say to use 3/4 cup wild rice, but you're picture shows a mix with actually more long grain rice than wild rice. Should I actually use a mix? Thanks!
Denise says
Yes, sorry it should say a blend. It was a brown rice/wild rice blend, I will update the recipe.
joan says
I might suggest adding coconut milk at the end of the cooking process, right before serving, to avoid any chance of curdling 🙂
Denise says
Absolutely, I've just re-tested to make sure the cooking liquids were enough to cook the rice and added the coconut milk at the end. Thanks Joan, Happy New Year!
Janis Spear says
I made it again tonight, but this time instead of full cream coconut CREAM, I used a different brand of full cream coconut MILK. It was very delicious, again, but still curdled. I agree - perhaps adding it at the end is the way to go. Luckily it doesn't affect the taste. <3
Denise says
Hi Janis, I've never tried coconut cream in the slow cooker before. Thanks for reporting back, so sorry it didn't work out. I've updated the recipe to add the milk after cooking and it should no longer be an issue. Thanks so much for your feedback! It's really helpful especially when it comes to the way food cooks in different slow cookers 🙂
Janis Spear says
PS - I am from Johannesburg, South Africa 🙂 🙂
Janis Spear says
I made this soup for my family tonight, and it was a huge hit! So easy to make, and super yummy. We love soups, and it is always good to have a sort of "not-normal" new soup to add to the repertoire.
I used yellow curry paste instead, as I didn't have any red on hand, and it was still delicious. I did find that my soup kind of "split" and I am not sure if it was because of the coconut milk, or what else I could have done wrong - it didn't taste bad at all, but didn't look as creamy and delicious as yours. Any ideas on how to avoid the curdled look?
Thanks so much for sharing. <3
Janis Spear says
I did use full-cream coconut cream, so perhaps that was the issue. 🙂
Denise says
Hi Janis, I'm so glad you enjoyed the flavor, but I'm not sure why the coconut milk split. In the past I've had issues with light coconut milk, but any time I've used the full cream milk it hasn't been an issue. Sounds like I will have to re-test this recipe. Sorry about that!
Janis Spear says
No problem - I probably did something wrong. I guess I will have to make it again 🙂 Yum!
Denise says
Hi Janis, I just retested the recipe and modified it so that you add the coconut milk at the end of the cook time. So hopefully it won't be an issue anymore. Happy New Year!
Alix says
What kind of coconut milk did you use? After 4 hours, it looks like mine curdled. Doesn't expired until 2018, so not sure what happened. Any ideas??
Denise says
Hi Alix! Did you by any chance you light coconut milk? I have had that happen to me once and I wasn't totally sure but thought it was due to light coconut milk versus full fat.
Denise says
Hey Alix, I retested the recipe this weekend and updated it so that you add the coconut milk at the end of the cook time so hopefully this won't be an issue any more! Happy New Year!
Yaffi says
I see you were working on this today! It currently reads,
"Combine all ingredients except the in a 6 quart slow cooker (* see note)."
I guess you're talking about the count milk here, but you're missing the words "coconut milk"!
Denise says
Thank you for catching that Yaffi! I will update.
Yaffi says
Of course my own comment had a typo! LOL.
Nicole | The Professional Mom Project says
HI from a fellow Canadian blogger! I'm from Toronto and the winter weather has just started in our neck of the woods. This soup looks amazing and I can't wait to try it
Carisa says
I'm from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada and our winter weather goes below minus 40 Celsius this soup is going to be perfect for those freezing cold winter evenings. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful slow cooker meals! I hate lots of food prep too!
Denise says
Hey Carisa! I'm in Calgary and apparently we're in for a cold winter (although still no snow for us!) Good luck in the contest!
Lawanna says
What kind of squash did you use?
Denise says
Hi Lawanna! I used acorn squash but next time I'm adding butternut.
Zainab says
I'm all for dumping it all and walking away. It's the way I survive it all 🙂 I love this recipe!!
Debby says
I made this for dinner last night (Halloween). It was good but missing something. I added salt but that didn't quite do it. I have tons left over and am trying to figure out what it needs. There is a richness missing that I'm looking for. Any suggestions?
Denise says
Hi Debby, I'm so sorry you didn't like it, (especially since my family absolutely loved it). It is not a super rich/creamy soup since my recipes are more on the 'light' side. If that's something you're looking for, you'd be better off trying a Tom Kha Gai. You could also try replacing 2 cups of the chicken stock with extra coconut milk, and definitely make sure you use full fat coconut milk. I hope this helps!
Debby says
Thank you for your suggestions Denise. I added more red curry and fish sauce. That did the trick. Debby
Denise says
Good to know! Thanks Debby 🙂
Debbie says
I made this earlier today, and my family loved it! I used chicken breasts because that's what I had and I also added Kaffir Lime leaves and some lemon grass. As I've cooked Thai food before, I had these on hand and although it was tasting yummy without, these two extra ingredients made it taste much more like Thai! Keep them coming!
Denise says
I'm so happy you liked it Debbie! I LOVE lime leaves, I bet they added a ton of flavor to the soup 😀
Cathy says
Ground ginger or fresh?
Denise says
Fresh ginger! I will update the recipe, thanks Cathy!
Kelly says
Yay for soup weather! This looks SO comforting and delicious, Denise! So perfect when it's big puffy parka weather! Love the Thai flavors and that you added wild rice! Pass me a big bowl please! 🙂
Annie says
A big, warm bowl of this on a chilly fall day just sounds perfect!
Medha says
This soup looks incredible! Loving the wild rice in there 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Oooh it makes me cold just thinking about your weather, Denise!!! In San Diego we're still in the mid-70s! But I'm still craving lots of soup, and I've been dying for Thai food recently so I've got to try this. Looks so good, and I love all the squash you used!