Name: Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken With Asparagus and Mushrooms
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: ThaiAsia
Ingredients: 1 cup canned coconut milk; 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste; 1 tablespoon instant tapioca; Salt and pepper; 4 (12-ounce) split bone-in chicken breasts , skin removed, trimmed; 1 pound asparagus , trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths; 1 pound shiitake mushrooms , stemmed and sliced ½ inch thick; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons lime juice , plus extra for seasoning; 1 tablespoon fish sauce , plus extra for seasoning; 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Thai dishes are known for their complex, long-simmered flavor. A few shortcut ingredients and the slow cooker were all we needed to create a boldly flavored, but easy-to-prepare, Thai chicken dinner. Thai red curry paste was an easy swap for an overwhelming list of traditional seasonings. We enriched it with coconut milk to deepen the flavor of our sauce. Stirring in a portion of the coconut milk just before serving helped to deepen the coconut flavor, which otherwise can taste washed out after several hours in the slow cooker. A little instant tapioca helped to thicken the sauce to a curry-like consistency that went perfectly with rice. Bone-in chicken breasts stayed moist and tender as the sauce simmered and the rich flavors melded. We liked light, fresh asparagus and delicate shiitakes in this dish, but they turned to mush in the slow cooker. Luckily, just 5 minutes in the microwave was enough to turn them tender; we then added them to the dish at the end. We finished the sauce with lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh cilantro to brighten its rich flavors.

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Check the chicken's temperature after 2 hours of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 160 degrees.

Instructions

1. Whisk ½ cup coconut milk, curry paste, tapioca, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange, skinned side up, in even layer in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.

Microwave asparagus, mushrooms, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to serving dish and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Stir vegetables, remaining ½ cup coconut milk, lime juice, and fish sauce into cooking liquid and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with extra lime juice and fish sauce to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.