Slow Cooker Masala Chicken and Rice

Name: Slow Cooker Masala Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h 30 min
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asia, Indian
Ingredients: CHICKEN:; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 pound ground chicken; 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce; 1 cup water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup frozen peas; RICE:; 1 cup uncooked basmati rice; 1-3/4 cups boiling water; 2 tablespoons canola oil or butter; 1 teaspoon salt

TEST KITCHEN APPROVED

Total Time:Prep: 30 min. Cook: 4-1/2 hours

By Taste Of Home Editorial Team

Recipe by Amanda Jones, Monroeville, Alabama

Tested by Margaret Knoebel

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Published on Mar. 26, 2026

This recipe is in regular rotation at our house. Indian spices and ground chicken come together for a new and easy take on the classic comfort food, chicken and rice. I modified this recipe to be mild in spice but strong in flavor. The ground meat makes it familiar enough that my kids will eat it, too! —Amanda Jones, Monroeville, Alabama

TEST KITCHEN APPROVED

Slow Cooker Masala Chicken and Rice

Contest Winner

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Yield:4 servings

Prep:30 min

Cook:4 hours 30 min

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Ingredients

chicken:

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground chicken
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas

rice:

1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1-3/4 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons canola oil or butter
1 teaspoon salt

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Directions

1
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add chicken and onion, cook until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes, breaking into crumbles. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Add tomato sauce, water, salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, ginger, cinnamon and bay leaf; stir to combine. Cook on low 4-5 hours. Add peas, cook 30 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf.

2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 2-qt. baking dish. Add rice, water, salt and oil; stir to combine. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until water is absorbed, 25-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
3
Serve chicken over cooked rice.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 491 calories, 20g fat (5g saturated fat), 105mg cholesterol, 1590mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 27g protein.

Tester

Margaret Knoebel

Margaret is a recipe editor/tester at Taste of Home, where she prepares recipes for the photo studio and creates cooking videos. She tests the recipe contest submissions for Taste of Home, so if you submit recipes often, Margaret knows your name and loves to read about how you created each dish! She’s an alumna of the Culinary Institute of Amer...