This Indian-Spiced Chicken is an extremely flavorful dish, filled with Indian spices, creamy yogurt, and slow-cooked all day. Serve with fresh naan and rice.
This slow cooker chicken is so easy, so warming, and the perfect meal for weeknights. With just a few pantry spices, yogurt, fresh herbs, and chicken you can prep this Indian-Spiced braised chicken recipe in no time and leave it to simmer all day in your crockpot.

I love good Indian food. It is the second most missed thing from my time living in Boston (My #1 thing I miss from there is pastries!!!). I think they have the best Indian food there.
So, I’ve channeled all of those flavor memories into this slow cooker Indian-spiced chicken. I just love it because you can toss it together in the morning and leave it to cook all day. The aroma that meets you at the end of the day is so good.
The heat in the dish from cayenne pepper is cooled by some yogurt you stir in just before serving it. Chopped cilantro adds freshness enhancing all of those warm spices.
It’s so easy and tasty especially with some white or brown rice on the side to soak up that delicious sauce. My kids love it with naan – they pile the spiced chicken on it and eat it like a taco.

I usually pick up naan at the store, but I love making fresh naan with this recipe when I can. My favorite is this Naan Recipe with the garlic added.
My slow cooker recipes are my best friends when I need easy dinners. This slow cooker chicken with Indian spices is definitely on the favorites list! It’s up there with our Slow Cooker Butter Chicken and Healthy Slow Cooker Tikka Masala.
If you love the flavor of warm Indian spices like I do, you need to add this dish to your meal plan.

Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Sliced onion
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Grated fresh ginger
- Minced garlic cloves
- Ground coriander
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and ground pepper
- Plain yogurt
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Garam masala – this is optional
- Cooked rice or naan for serving

How do you make Indian-Spiced Braised Chicken?
In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, stir together chicken, onion, ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, coriander, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.

Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until fork-tender. Shred chicken and stir in yogurt, cilantro, and if using, garam masala.

My favorite kitchen tools used to make Indian-Spiced Braised Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. See my Full Disclosure for further details.
SLOW COOKER: I prefer my slow cooker to have a timer. This is because I always somehow forget about it. So having a timer and a lid that locks are two essential things for me when purchasing a slow cooker.
MEASURING CUPS: Nothing beats a good set of measuring cups that last a long time. I love metal measuring cups because of its durability.
MEASURING SPOONS: I have to have a metal set of measuring spoons on hand. The plastic ones just don’t last long in our house thanks in large part to the garbage disposal.

Recipe Tips
You can cook the chicken on high for four hours or cook it on low for eight hours. It’s flexible!
I prefer chicken thighs for this recipe because they’re juicier and more flavorful than boneless, skinless chicken breast. But you can use either or do a mix of both.
The leftovers keep really well. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The flavors will be even better.

If you love Indian food and slow cooker recipes, this Indian yogurt chicken combines both into the easiest, most delicious dinner. It’s a winner with my family and it will be with yours, too. Enjoy! XOXO San
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!

Indian-Spiced Braised Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion halved and thinly sliced
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger about 1-inch piece
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala optional
- cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, stir together chicken, onion, ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, coriander, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until fork-tender. Shred chicken (this is optional, but my kids like it this way), then add in yogurt, cilantro, and if using, garam masala.
- Serve with fresh garlic naan and basmati rice.
I always love Indian cuisine. It really tasty and full of spices!
Indian food is great! But it might be spicy, and it may not be good for some people! Anyway, I love Indian food
I love slow cooker meals and this looks like it’s packed full of flavour! I will try eating it with both naan and rice.
As an Indian, I tried it for the very first time. So far, It tastes much better than I tried earlier.
I have always loved Indian cuisine. It is really tasty and full of spices!
Thank you, I am really glad you like it.
As an Indian, I have tested this recipe many times. It is so delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips on this recipe.