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A bowl of chicken tikka masala served with white rice, garnished with cilantro and a drizzle of cream, with lime wedges and naan bread on the side.
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

🧡🧈 This recipe effortlessly recreates classic Indian butter chicken but it's made in your Crock-Pot which makes it so EASY! Chicken simmers in a warmly spiced tomato broth along with butter, onions, garlic, and at the end stir in cream for ultimate richness. Truly a set-it-and-forget-it chicken dinner recipe that everyone adores and that rivals your local Indian restaurant!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Course: Chicken, Dinner, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: butter chicken in slow cooker, Crockpot butter chicken, slow cooker butter chicken, slow cooker Indian butter chicken
Servings: 5
Calories: 410cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces (boneless skinless chicken breasts may be substituted)
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup chicken broth (I use reduced sodium; you can sub with water if you don't have broth on hand)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh finely grated ginger OR about 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1-3 teaspoons curry powder or to taste (use one according to your heat preferences mild, medium, or spicy; and then add to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste if desired
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste (I use about 2 teaspoons along with salted butter)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • ¼ cup salted butter, diced or cubed (unsalted butter may be substituted but you'll likely want to add additional salt)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream (full fat coconut milk may be substituted noting you'll taste a milk coconut flavor)
  • 2-3 teaspoons lime juice optional but recommended
  • 2-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely minced; optional but recommended

Instructions

  • Spray the ceramic portion of your slow cooker with cooking spray if desired and to it, add the diced chicken, onions, tomato sauce, broth (or water), tomato paste, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and stir to evenly coat everything with the spices and with the tomato paste and tomato sauce.
    Ingredients for a meal, including raw chicken, diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, and various spices, arranged in a slow cooker.
  • Evenly sprinkle the cubed butter over the top.
    Slow cooker filled with a red sauce topped with several cubes of butter.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours; or on LOW for about 4-6 hours.
    Tip - Consider leaving the lid off in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking if you want a thicker sauce, see below.
  • Thickening the Sauce, optional - Because slow cookers trap moisture, the sauce be slightly thin before adding cream. For a thicker, restaurant-style butter sauce, and like the photos show, leave the lid off for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
    Additionally, you can also make a cornstarch slurry (2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 tablespoons water) and stir it in at the same time as the heavy cream. Be careful with cornstarch because it can make things overly thick (think really thick, gloppy gravy) so don't exceed what's recommended.
    A ladle pouring chicken tikka masala over white rice.
  • In the last 10-15 minutes of slow cooking, add the heavy cream, and stir to combine.
    Tip - Don't overcook after the cream has warmed through. It's very unlikely given the high fat percentage in heavy cream but you don't want the dairy proteins to break and that can happen if dairy is overheated. If you're using coconut milk, you will be able to taste it.
    A creamy, orange-colored stew cooking in a black slow cooker insert.
  • Slow Cooking Tips - All slow cookers vary in their heat intensity and output so check earlier than the suggested cooking times but also don't be surprised if it takes longer. Chicken is done when it's 165F internally so take the temperature and don't guess.
    A black ladle scooping creamy orange chicken curry from a slow cooker.
  • Optionally, a bit of lime juice right before serving cuts through the richness of the butter and heavy cream, instantly brightening the spices and sauce and I recommend it. Fresh is best but bottled works.
  • Optionally, add cilantro either sprinkled over individual portions or to the whole batch.
    A bowl of chicken tikka masala garnished with cilantro, served with white rice, lime wedges, and naan bread.
  • Serve with naan, rice such as jasmine rice, coconut rice, basmati, or your favorite rice.
    A piece of naan dipping into a bowl of creamy, orange-colored curry topped with fresh herbs.

Notes

Storage: Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave or as desired. I think this tastes even better the next day because the flavors marry as it sits. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 410cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 1043mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1043IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg
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