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This slow cooker Indian butter chicken recipe is a lightened-up creamy version of what you get with take-out, but tastes even better. Best of all, you can just throw everything in a slow cooker and set it and forget it!
Oh how I love this Indian butter chicken recipe. So up until about a year ago, Lauren had never actually been to an Indian restaurant. Yes you read that correctly. Now she’s has had some Indian food I’ve made from time to time, but had still never been to one!
The thing is, her mom doesn’t like spice, or the smell of curry for that matter so they just never went. Ironically her dad is a big fan of Indian food. So one day he was at our house and three of us went to an Indian restaurant called Royal Kitchen that is just around the corner from us.
Seeing as it was her first time there, I suggested she get the chicken tikka masala and some naan bread. Needless to say she loved it and wanted to come back. But today is about this Indian butter chicken recipe. There are three dishes that I absolutely love and always have difficulty when ordering from a place like Royal Kitchen – chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and butter chicken.
Recently I was craving some butter chicken but was feeling lazy so thought I’d just throw everything in the slow cooker. It is really hard to mess up Indian food as it’s loaded with different spices and this butter chicken is no different. Oh and it goes great with some homemade naan if you have the time. So give this Indian butter chicken recipe a try and enjoy!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – chicken thighs work as well.
- Sweet onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro – fresh produce is important in Indian dishes.
- Coconut milk – whole fat is best.
- Tomato paste – adds a rich tomato flavor.
- Greek yogurt – sour cream works as well.
- Heavy cream – adds creaminess to the dish.
- Garam masala, curry powder, Thai red curry paste, chili powder, cumin, tumeric, salt – where must of the flavor comes from.
- Butter – has butter in the name for a reason.
- White rice – basmati or jasmine works best.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the coconut milk, tomato paste, yogurt, heavy cream, garlic, ginger and spices.
- Place onions in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Add the cubed chicken to the slower cooker.
- Pour coconut mixture in, making sure the chicken is completely covered. Add butter.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Serve over some rice with fresh cilantro.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work just as well and honestly have a little more flavor. However most people, including my wife, seem to prefer chicken breasts which is why I used it.
Why Use Coconut Milk?
Traditional butter chicken does not use coconut milk or Greek yogurt for that matter. It’s a tomato based sauce with cream and butter – hence the name butter chicken. However I like the additional flavor that coconut milk adds, while the Greek yogurt lightens it slightly and helps thicken the sauce.
Instant Pot Option
Like anything with a slow cooker, you can make in an Instant Pot as well.
Just set the Instant Pot and add the butter and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger and spices. Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, Greek yogurt, heavy cream and chicken. Select manual setting and adjust pressure to high. Then set the time to 10 minutes and then do a natural release. Stir in cilantro and season with salt to taste.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use chicken breasts or thighs. Whatever tastes better to you.
- You can substitute heavy cream instead of coconut milk and regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- If you can’t find/use fresh ginger, replace it with just 1/4 tsp dried ginger as it is much more concentrated.
- This slow cooker butter chicken uses a lot of spices so make sure they aren’t expired as they’ll lose of of their flavor.
- When using a slow cooker, only cook chicken for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, otherwise it will be overcooked.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Similar Recipes
- Authentic Chicken Tikka Masala
- Greek Falafel Naan Sandwich
- Thai Chicken Satay
- Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
- Thai Vegetable Curry
If you’ve tried these Indian butter chicken recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.
Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 (14 oz can) coconut milk
- 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the coconut milk, tomato paste, yogurt, heavy cream, garlic, ginger and spices.
- In slow cooker, place onions on the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken until it's completely covered. Add the butter and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. When ready to eat, serve over rice and top with some fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Use chicken breasts or thighs. Whatever tastes better to you.
- You can substitute heavy cream instead of coconut milk and regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- If you can’t find/use fresh ginger, replace it with just 1/4 tsp dried ginger as it is much more concentrated.
- This slow cooker butter chicken uses a lot of spices so make sure they aren’t expired as they’ll lose of of their flavor.
- When using a slow cooker, only cook chicken for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, otherwise it will be overcooked.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Man this looks good!