Go to Homepage
Get Our Cookbook

    Slow Cooker Swimming Rama

    Updated April 10, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    A coconut curry base gets a little zing from fish sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add greens and fluffy white rice and you’ve got our new favorite slow cooker meal.

    slow cooker swimming rama served on top of white rice topped with crushed peanuts, basil and red chili flakes
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    So much peanutty goodness!

    Homemade Swimming Rama In A The Slow Cooker

    We love our slow-cooker for about a million reasons, and we’re adding one of our favorite Thai meals to the list. While we’ve never met a Thai dish that we didn’t like—somewhere along the line, swimming Rama became our go-to takeout order. Make a feast by serving this with Cold Thai Noodle Salad and Thai Basil Beef.

    slow cooker swimming rama served on top of white rice topped with crushed peanuts, basil and red chili flakes

    What Is Swimming Rama?

    Swimming rama has a similar flavor profile to satay sauce. It’s a play between salty and sweet, creamy and nutty, flavor and texture. As to the origin of the dish, we’re grateful to food writer Pailin Chongchitnant of “Hot Thai Kitchen” for adding clarity. Chongchitnant explains that in Thailand, the Hindu god Rama is depicted as having green skin and so the greens that are served with this dish—we use spinach, either raw or cooked—are the reason it’s called “rama.” In Thailand, this dish has fallen out of favor, but in America’s Thai restaurants it’s quite popular.

    raw chicken, peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, spinach & rice in prep bowls

    Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Swimming Rama

    • Chicken breasts – In Thailand, this is often made with pork, but in the U.S. you'll find it made with chicken. Either is great!

    • For the sauce – Peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar

    • Spinach or other sturdy green

    • Rice – Make a pot of fluffy White Rice or Brown Rice to serve with Swimming Rama

    • For serving – Basil, peanuts, chili flakes

    peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce & apple cider vinegar being mixed in a bowl

    How To Make Swimming Rama in a Slow-Cooker

    1. Make the sauce. Whisk the peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce and apple cider vinegar.

    2. Add everything to your slow-cooker. Pour the swimming Rama sauce into a slow-cooker along with the chicken breast.

    3. Cook on low until it’s done!

    4. Add the spinach. You can either stir it directly into the chicken and sauce until it’s wilted, or you can simply serve the cooked chicken over a bed of raw spinach.

    5. Add the toppings. Sprinkle with fresh basil, crushed peanuts and chili flakes and serve with cooked White Rice.

    chicken, peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce & apple cider vinegar in a slow cooker
    chicken, peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce & vinegar cooked in a slow cooker
    spinach being stirred in to slow cooker swimming rama
    homemade slow cooker swimming rama in a slow cooker

    How to Store Leftover Swimming Rama + Tips

    • Leftovers are good in the fridge for 3-4 days. This is a really great meal to freeze. We recommend freezing only the chicken in the sauce and adding the spinach for service.

    • Don’t have any rice on hand? No prob! Skip wilting the spinach and serve the Rama over a bed of raw spinach. It will wilt slightly on the plate!

    • After three hours of cooking, be sure to check the chicken for doneness. Because the chicken breast is cut into small pieces, four hours might be too long.

    • Looking for a vegetarian option? Skip the chicken (and slow-cooking), and use baked tofu instead.

    slow cooker swimming rama served on top of white rice topped with crushed peanuts, basil and red chili flakes

    More Restaurant Favorites From The Modern Proper

    Add More Great Recipes To Your Collection

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

    Grill & Chill: 5 Days of Summer Dinners!

    FREE EMAIL BONUS: Crowd-pleasing recipes to fire up your summer table.

    Slow Cooker Swimming Rama Recipe

    Updated April 10, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  3 hrs
    • Calories:  501
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Related Recipes

    Description

    A coconut curry base gets a little zing from fish sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add greens and fluffy white rice and you’ve got our new favorite slow cooker meal.

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup natural, smooth peanut butter
    • 1 (14-ounce) can coconut cream
    • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
    • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced
    • 6 cups spinach
    • 6 cups cooked rice, for serving
    • Fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional)
    • Crushed peanuts (optional)
    • Red pepper flakes (optional)

    Method

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar until combined. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker.

    2. Add the chicken breasts and toss to combine with the sauce. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

    3. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the spinach and cook until wilted.

    4. Serve the rama over the cooked rice. Sprinkle with fresh basil, crushed peanuts, and chili flakes if using.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 501
    • Protein 35 g
    • Carbohydrates 39 g
    • Total Fat 24 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 75 mg
    • Sodium 652 mg
    • Total Sugars 7 g

    Slow Cooker Swimming Rama

    Questions & Reviews

    Rated 5 stars by 11 readers

    or
    • Denise

      Can I use Jiff or Skippy peanut butter?

      Using a processed peanut butter will make the dish sweeter than intended as they contain sugar, more oils are added which might make the sauce thinner than anticipated. We would recommend using natural peanut butter but of course you are welcome to try what you have just keep in mind the outcome won't be exactly as it should.

    • Amanda

      Do you think this would work with chicken thighs? It's what we have in the freezer.

      Sure, preferably skinless and boneless thighs.

    • Amy

      Can you make this in the instapot?

      Hi Amy, We have not yet tested this in an instant pot.

    • Amanda

      This recipe looks amazing but our daughter has a peanut allergy. Before we skip it, could we replace the peanut butter with almond or sunflower butter? Or anything? Thank you!

      That should work fine! Hope you enjoy!

    • Anastasiia

      Hi! Are you sure 3-4 hours on low in correct? Will the chicken cook through?

      Yes it is correct. It will definitely cook through, especially because it is cubed and not whole chicken breasts. Hope you enjoy!

    • Carlos

      Would you consider using bok choi in place of spinach?

      We haven't tried it but you could give it a try!

    • Maggie

      Love your blog, recipes and just gave your cookbook to my best friend!

      Do you think this would freeze well?

      Thanks so much Maggie! We haven't tried freezing it but it should be ok.

    • Farah

      Is it possible to make this recipe vegetarian or pescatarian? I was thinking either tofu, chickpeas, and/or shrimp?

      I would make the sauce in a sauce pan. Then cook shrimp or tofu in a skillet. Add it together and add the spinach etc. I wouldn't put any of the proteins you mentioned in the slow cooker.

    • Susanne

      Hi, I want to make this for a crowd of 15 for a crock pot pot-luck. Best way to do that?

      I would just double the recipe. I've never tested it that way, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Or borrow a crock pot from a friend and make two batches.

    • Jane

      this sounds so very good! I've never tried coconut cream....can I sub coconut milk or is there a big difference? (I live in Vancouver WA also...my favorite Thai restaurants here are Thai Orchid and Nom Nom downtown!)

      Hi Jane! Yay for Vancouver! You can totally use coconut milk. The coconut cream version comes in a can right next to the canned milk at the store! It is just a thicker "creamier" version! Enjoy!

    • Bee

      This was delicious - adding the chopped peanuts on top was great for texture. Added some sriracha too to balance the sweetness of the peanut butter.

      Thanks Bee, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Megan

      This has been added to regular rotation at our house. Love the flavors and it's so easy to make. I saw people asking about the instant pot. I think the sauce is too thick for the instant pot. You will get a burn notice.

      Thanks Megan, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Liane

      Such a winner of a recipe. Will 100% make this chicken dinner again. My kiddos devoured this dish.

      Thanks Liane, so glad you and the kiddos loved it!

    • Jess

      Just made this and it is insanely good. I can't wait to eat it for dinner tonight! Thank you for another great recipe!

      Thanks Jess, so happy you love it!

    • Nicole

      I made this recipe as I was looking for a minimal effort dinner recipe to feed my friends on a Friday evening. It was incredibly easy to put together and was very well received. It was extremely tasty :) Do yourself a favor a make this simple and delicious dish ASAP

      Thanks Nicole, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Josh

      Just finished making this about 30 min ago and it's got my family's approval! Kids keep asking for more. I will certainly be making this again!

      For those curious, I recommend using the optional crushed peanuts. It adds that extra texture and bit of peanut flavor.

      Thanks Josh, so glad the whole family loved it!

    • Susanne

      WOW! I made this as part of a crock pot pot-luck for a crowd of 15, and everyone went nuts for it! I doubled the recipe, and only put a little spinach in to wilt, then put the rest of the fresh spinach on the side with rice, peanuts, hot peppers and basil for people to add. It was so delicious, and wonderful as leftovers. So easy, so good. Everyone wanted the recipe

      YAY! Thank you so much Susanne! This is so great to hear, we are so happy everyone loved it!

    • Paul

      Excellent. Very good flavor.

      Thank you!! So happy you enjoyed it!

    • Faith

      Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!! I tried around six swimming rama recipes I found online always close but not quite right to match the local restaurant we like to frequent, and this one was the winner! It is very very close. We don't do spinach and instead add steamed carrots, broccoli and celery or Bok Choy at the end with a little bit of the veggie water to thin it just slightly and man is it delicious! We serve it over rice and skip the spinach because our kids won't eat it. It is SERIOUSLY tasty :) I have shared your link with a few friends as well who are now placing it into their regular rotation. Thanks so much for taking the time to share <3

      Thanks for letting us know! This is a great review. Now I need to add it back in to MY week rotation! : )

    • Katlyn

      This is seriously so good! A whole family fav <3

      Yes! That's what we love to hear!