Indian-inspired slow cooker butter chicken is rich, creamy, and easily made in the crockpot! Tender chicken simmers in a tomato and coconut milk sauce with plenty of warm spices, so you can arrive home to a kitchen filled with incredible aromas and a dish so flavorful you’ll skip the takeout. It comes together with minimal effort and is lighter than many traditional versions!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Indian
- Primary Cooking Method: Slow cooker
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
My slow cooker butter chicken is such a winner! Butter chicken is a classic Indian dish that features chicken cooked in a tomato, butter, and cream sauce in a tandoor oven. In my lightened-up version, I use less butter and swap heavy cream for a combination of light coconut milk and Greek yogurt, but you’ll still get the familiar flavors you crave. And, it’s so easy to throw in the slow cooker so you can think about something else while those savory aromas fill your kitchen.
So skip the takeout and scoop up bites of warmly spiced chicken with a fluffy batch of homemade Gluten-Free Naan Bread! Here’s why we love this recipe:
- So flavorful. My butter chicken recipe is simmered for hours in a tomato paste and coconut milk sauce spiked with spices including garam masala, ground ginger, curry, and cayenne pepper to infuse it with rich flavor.
- Just enough butter. More traditional recipes call for more butter than the 4 tablespoons I use, but you don’t need a ton of butter to give it that buttery taste.
- Adjustable. I love making this recipe at home because I can adjust the level of spice to suit everyone (hint: my kids). Similar to my Tandoori Chicken Legs and Quick Chicken Curry recipes, butter chicken can be made mild or spicy depending on how you like it.
- Slow cooked to perfection. For the busiest days, rely on the slow cooker to help get dinner on the table fast. The chicken cooks until it’s juicy and tender without much effort on my part.
What You’ll Need
Check out the ingredients that go into slow cooker butter chicken below, along with some of my notes. Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Onion: I use a yellow onion, but red onion also works.
- Garlic
- Spices: These include curry powder, garam masala, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper.
- Salt: Fine sea salt or table salt.
- Coconut Milk: I prefer light coconut milk although regular is fine, too.
- Tomato Paste
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so that the finished dish is not too salty.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly-squeezed lemon juice is best! Bottled juice can be used if needed.
- Greek Yogurt: I prefer whole milk Greek yogurt, but low-fat or nonfat can be used. Make sure it is plain!
How to Make Butter Chicken in Your Slow Cooker
Here’s a look at how to make this easy slow cooker dish! The detailed instructions will be in the recipe card lower down.
- Assemble. Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and top it with the onion, garlic, spices, and salt.
- Add remaining ingredients. Now place the coconut milk, tomato paste, butter, and lemon juice in the slow cooker.
- Cook. Cover the slow cooker and and cook on low for up to 8 hours.
- Add yogurt. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the Greek yogurt, salt to taste, then serve!
Tips and Variation Ideas
- Wait to add the yogurt. While it may be tempting to pop the yogurt into the slower cooker when you add the rest of the ingredients, hold off until the last 15 minutes. Adding the yogurt too early can “break” the sauce and make it less creamy.
- Make it dairy-free. Use non-dairy butter in place of the butter to get that dairy-free buttery taste.
- Or use vegetable oil. While it may seem odd to skip the butter in a recipe called “butter chicken,” if you want to lighten this up even more, swap vegetable oil or coconut oil for the butter. You’ll still get plenty of richness from the coconut milk.
- Try fresh ginger. Substitute 2 tablespoons of peeled and grated fresh ginger for the ground ginger if you like.
- Serve with lemon and cilantro. I love adding a big squeeze of lemon juice and a nice sprinkle of cilantro to a portion of butter chicken to freshen up the richness of the dish, so make sure to place a dish of fresh lemon wedges on the table with dinner.
How to Store and Reheat
- Fridge – Transfer the cooled chicken and sauce to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat – Place the chicken and sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat it in 1 minute increments in the microwave until hot. Place the leftovers in a skillet over low heat and heat, stirring, until heated through.
Make It a Meal
The easiest and lightest way to serve butter chicken is with a side of basmati rice or jasmine rice and steamed veggies. But you have other options if you want to try some other sides. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
- Quinoa. Gluten free quinoa is always a nice protein-packed side to butter chicken as an alternative to rice. Explore my post on 5 Ways to Cook Quinoa for tips.
- Cauliflower Rice. For a low carb dinner, swap traditional rice for a batch of Browned Butter Cauliflower Rice.
- Vegetable sides. Pretty much any vegetable goes with slow cooker butter chicken, from Roasted Cauliflower to Air Fryer Broccoli to Air Fryer Green Beans. Or use the method in my Pesto Roasted Potatoes recipe to make roasted potatoes (leave off the pesto).
- Lassi. A traditional mango lassi can be sipped alongside your meal, or make my more dessert-forward Peach Mango Lassis as a treat after you clear the plates.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Crockpot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium sliced onion
- 6 minced or crushed garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 14 oz. can of light coconut milk
- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, whole milk preferred, but lowfat or nonfat can be used
- minced fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Place 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces, in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add 1 medium sliced onion, 6 minced or crushed garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper on top of the chicken.
- Then add a 14 oz. can of light coconut milk, a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
- About 15 minutes before serving, stir in t1 cup plain Greek yogurt, and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
- Serve over brown rice, basmati rice, or cauliflower rice and sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.