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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. I love Indian recipes - from chicken tikka masala to creamy coconut curry chicken.
While they typically involve quite a few ingredients from the spice side, it is so worth it.
And by preparing this dish in the slow cooker, it couldn't be easier to prepare. Make no mistake though, the ease of this slow cooker Indian butter chicken doesn't mean it isn't loaded with flavor.
Plus I'm always looking for an excuse to make some homemade naan.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - by slow cooking this dish, the chicken just melts in your mouth.
- Coconut milk - makes the sauce more creamy and mellows the spice level out.
- Vegetables - the combination of onions, ginger, garlic and cilantro adds a ton of flavor to the sauce.
- Spices - Indian food is known for its spices and this meal is no different. Make sure you use fresh spices that aren't expired.
- Tomato paste - I like the richness of tomato paste.
- Butter - has butter in the name for a reason.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can switch things up if needed. Some variations include:
- I'm a fan of boneless chicken breasts for the ease and taste, but thighs work great as well.
- I think coconut milk works great for the base of the sauce, but heavy cream is a good substitute as you are already using it.
- Greek yogurt is important in this dish, but whole fat yogurt or sour cream works as well.
- While I like the easy of already ground spices, you are more than welcome to use whole spices.
Step-by-Step Photos
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside then add the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Add the cubed chicken before mixing in the sauce and topping with butter. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours.
FAQs
Not surprisingly, it gets its name by having butter in it, but it involves cooking chicken in a base gravy with tomatoes, spices, cream and butter.
This dish isn't spicy. It has a nice warmth to it but will not make you sweat.
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.
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 into it to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Side Dish Suggestions
When I think of Indian dishes I think of three side dishes that go well with it:
- White rice - a good white rice like jasmine or basmati helps soak up all that yummy sauce.
- Aloo gobi - a tradition vegetarian dish that is great on its own but complements the chicken bhuna.
- Naan bread - Indian food and naan bread go together like peanut butter and jelly and homemade naan couldn't be easier to make.
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 ¼ teaspoon 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.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this slow cooker 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 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 1 (14 oz can) coconut milk
- 1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon tumeric
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ 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 ¼ teaspoon 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.
Chris says
Man this looks good!
Paul says
Thank you for this! I've made butter chicken before but it was never remotely as good as anything from a restaurant until this one. It was perfect. Compared to other recipes I've used, this advised very generous amounts of the spices, yogurt and cream, and that was the key.
Ryan says
I just made it myself yesterday! Glad you enjoyed it!