This slow cooker curried sausages recipe is a nostalgic recipe inspired by Nan's sausage curry. It works well for meal prep because the slow cooker makes a large batch with less hands-on cooking, so you can portion some for the week and freeze the rest for future-you. Unlike a quick stovetop curried sausages, this version uses potatoes to bulk it out and lots of onions to build a slightly sweeter, richer sauce as everything cooks down.
I'm not huge on curries, but there is something super nostalgic about curried sausages. This version is based on the curried sausages I grew up eating from my Nan, but made slow cooker friendly so you can cook more with less effort.
It is not a completely "throw everything in and forget it" recipe, because I still recommend sauteing the onions and browning the sausages first. Slow cooker recipes can taste flat when you skip the flavour-building steps, and I'd rather you do a tiny bit more at the start than eat watery curry sausages and pretend it was fine.
TL;DR
- Servings: 10
- Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low
- Meal prep: tastes better the next day because the curry sauce has more time to settle into the sausages and potatoes.
- Fridge storage: 4-5 days. Keep rice on the opposite side of the container to prevent mushiness; store in glass where possible to prevent staining.
- Freezer storage: freeze for up to 3-6 months, and freeze rice separately where possible.
- Reheating: add a splash of water or an ice cube over rice, then microwave in 1-minute intervals for about 3 minutes.
- Customise: use beef, pork, chicken or plant-based sausages, swap the frozen vegetables for leftover fridge vegetables, and serve with rice, mash, cauliflower rice, pasta or extra steamed vegetables.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Slow cooker. The slow cooker does most of the work, but sautéing the onions and browning the sausages first gives you a better flavour than a straight dump-and-go dinner.
Sausages. Sausages are an affordable protein option to add to your week, and you can try my ausage casserole and rice next if you have extras.
Winter warmer. Curry and winter go hand-in-hand, especially if you also love easy comfort meals like curried beef mince and rice
Ingredients
Sausages. Plain beef or pork sausages are the traditional option for curried sausages, but chicken sausages can be used for a leaner option.
Stock. I use homemade chicken stock, but store-bought chicken, beef or vegetable stock will work; check the sodium level so the sauce does not end up too salty.
I recommend good quality sausages, but not ones that have too much added flavouring in them as this can overpower the curry.
Curry powder. Most Aussie kitchens have a tin of Keen's Curry Powder hiding in the cupboard, and honestly, it is hard to beat for this recipe.
For non-Aussies, you can use any type of curry powder you like. You may need to adjust depending on its strength.
Potatoes. All-rounder potatoes (the ones with the dirt) are best because they soften during slow cooking but still hold their shape better than floury potatoes.
Cornstarch. Cornstarch thickens the sauce when mixed with milk and added in the final 30 minutes.
Frozen mixed vegetables. Diced frozen vegetables save chopping time, keep the recipe affordable. I've given some additional options for vegetables that will work below if you want to vary it up a bit.
Please check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Milk. For a dairy-free option, use a dairy-free milk that can handle heat, or use coconut cream for a richer curry flavour. Add it at the end and reheat gently so it does not split.
Cooking cream. You can use cooking cream instead of milk if you want a richer slow cooker curried sausages recipe, but keep the heat gentle when reheating.
Vegetables. Frozen mixed vegetables are convenient, but you can use leftover fridge vegetables. Chunks of carrot can go in with the potatoes, while peas, corn, beans or chopped spinach are better added near the end.
Serving options. Serve slow cooker curried sausages with rice, mashed potato, steamed greens, cauliflower rice, pasta, or buttered bread.
How to make slow cooker curried sausages
Step 1. Sauté the onions in a searing slow cooker or a large pan for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until translucent and slightly browned. Add the garlic toward the end and cook for another 1-2 minutes so it softens without burning.
Step 2. Remove the onions, then brown the sausages for about 3 minutes. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage; you just want some colour on the outside for better flavour.
Step 3. Add the onions back into the slow cooker with the sausages, stock, curry powder and potatoes. Stir gently so the curry powder disperses through the liquid. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the sausages are cooked through. The sausages should feel firm and slice easily.
Step 4. With 30 minutes left to go, remove the sausages and slice them into bite-sized pieces. They should slice very easily after slow cooking, and you can almost break them up directly in the slow cooker if you prefer a more rustic stewed sausages texture.
Step 5: Mix the milk and cornstarch together until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker. Leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes so the sauce can thicken and the vegetables can heat through without going mushy.
Step 6. Add the vegetables (can be added frozen) directly in with approx. 5 minutes to go. They won't require cooking, just thawing which will occur quickly.
Step 7: Stir well before serving and check the sauce thickness. If it is still thinner than you like, leave the lid off for another 10-15 minutes or add a small extra cornstarch slurry.
Lauren's Top Tips
Add milk at the end. Milk can split if it cooks for hours, so mix it with cornstarch and add it in the final 30 minutes.
Leave the lid off to thicken. Slow cookers trap liquid, so removing the lid at the end helps the sauce reduce instead of staying watery.
Recommended Equipment
A searing slow cooker is useful because you can saut? the onions, brown the sausages and slow cook everything in the same pot, which means fewer dishes. For meal prep, I recommend glass meal prep containers because the yellow-orange curry sauce can stain plastic easily.
Meal Prepping slow cooker curried sausages
This slow cooker curried sausages recipe is an easy meal prep option because it gives you protein from the sausages, carbs from the potatoes and rice, and vegetables from the frozen mixed veg. It also reheats well because the sauce keeps everything from drying out, which is exactly what you want when lunch needs to survive a few days in the fridge.
Storing
Let the curry cool slightly before sealing the containers, but do not leave it sitting out for hours. This can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.
If serving with rice, I recommend storing the rice separately where possible, or on opposite sides of the container like I have pictured. The curry sauce can seep into the rice as it sits, which is fine for a day or two if you do not mind a softer texture, but separate storage gives you the best result.
Bulk meal prepping
Because this version uses the slow cooker instead of the stovetop, you are not as limited by pan size. This is why, when I made a bulk prep for my gym, I used the slow cooker version and got about 10 serves.
For bulk meal prep, keep the potatoes in the recipe because they help stretch the meal further and make it more filling. You can serve it as-is, with rice, or with extra steamed vegetables depending on how large you want the portions to be.
Reheating
To reheat in the microwave, add a tablespoon of water to the rice and curried sausages so the sauce moves more freely. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring after the first minute, until heated through; this will usually take about 3 minutes depending on your microwave and portion size.
You can also reheat slow cooker curried sausages gently on the stove with a small splash of water or stock. Stir regularly over low to medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, until hot.
Lauren's Meal Prep Tip
Lauren's meal prep tip: If you used milk, cream or coconut cream, avoid blasting it on high heat for too long. Gentle reheating helps keep the sauce smooth and reduces the chance of splitting.
Freezing
You can freeze the curried sausages in a ziplock bag, Souper Cube or freezer-safe container for up to 3?6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave or on the stove until hot.
If you are serving with rice, I recommend freezing the curry separately so the rice does not go mushy from the sauce because, as you can see from the 2-cup souper cubes pictured above, the curry can seep into the rice because the slow cooker method does leave the sauce a little runnier than my stovetop curried sausages. It still works, but if you want the best texture, store them separately or make rice fresh on the day.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
The easiest way to thicken curried sausages is to mix cornstarch with milk or water until smooth, then stir it into the sauce near the end of cooking. For slow cooker curried sausages, leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes so the extra liquid can reduce. For my stove-top curried sausages I make a roux which is why the images you see for that will be thicker - there?s also less stock in it because it?s less of soupy curry like this slow cooker version.
Slow cooker curried sausages can turn watery because the lid traps steam and the sauce does not reduce like it would on the stove. Leave the lid off at the end, use a cornstarch slurry, and avoid adding too many watery vegetables early in the cook.
Slow cooker curried sausages can taste bland if the onions and sausages are not browned first, or if the stock and curry powder are too mild. Saut? the onions until slightly golden, brown the sausages, use a good-quality curry powder, and taste the sauce at the end before adding extra salt, pepper or curry powder.
Other slow cooker recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my easy slow cooker recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Curried Sausages
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Equipment
- Rice Cooker, optioal
- Glass meal prep container, to prevent staining when stored
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg (2.5 lb) sausages, of choice, approx. 10 thin, see note 1
- 2 brown onions, large or approx.3 small
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 cup stock, beef or chicken recommended
- 2 tablespoon curry powder, see note 2
- 6 potatoes, all-rounder, see note 3
- 1 cup milk, substitutions note 4
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups frozen mixed veg
- 2.5 cups rice, yields approx.8 cups cooked
Instructions
Preparing
- Thinly slice 2 brown onions. Mince 6 cloves garlic. Peel (optional - I don't because I'm lazy) and chop 6 potatoes into medium chunks so they cook evenly in the slow cooker.
Cooking
- Sauté the 2 brown onionsnion in a searing slow cooker or large pan for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic for the final 1-2 minutes, stirring so it softens without burning.
- Remove the onion mixture, then brown 1.2 kg (2.5 lb) sausages for about 3 minutes. The sausages do not need to be cooked through; you just want colour on the outside for better flavour.
- Add the onion mixture back into the slow cooker with the sausages, 3 cup stock, 2 tbsp curry powder, potatoes. Stir gently so the curry powder disperses through the liquid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the sausages are cooked through. The sausages should feel firm and slice easily.
- With 30 minutes left, remove the sausages and slice into bite-sized pieces. Add them back into the slow cooker. A the same time you can prepare your 2.5 cups rice according to your preferences or see my tips and tricks.
- In a glass, mix the 1 cup milk with 2 tbsp cornstarch until dissolved then stir through the curry. Leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes to help the sauce thicken.
- Add 2 cups frozen mixed veg with approx. 5 minutes to go. They only need to thaw and heat through, not fully cook from scratch.
- Stir well before serving and check the sauce thickness. If it is still thinner than you like, leave the lid off for another 10-15 minutes or add a small extra cornstarch slurry.
- Serve with the cooked rice.
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