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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

    Published: Jun 20, 2019 · Modified: Jan 1, 2021 by Jennifer · This post may contain affiliate links

    Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

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    If you need a magical family recipe that will make dinner disappear at your house, look no further than this delicious Slow Cooker Butter Chicken! Amazingly fast and easy to prepare and packed full of flavor!

    butter chicken with rice on a white plate

    I don't know about you, but pretty much any time of year, it feels like the busiest time of year to me. No matter if it's back to school time, summer time, or the holidays, our schedules are filled with extra activities and it takes a little planning on my part to make sure we have dinner on the table. Thank goodness, as always, for my slow cooker! Of all of the slow cooker chicken recipes on my site, I love this recipe for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken possibly the most because it's easy to put together in the morning (or even the day before) and it turns out delicious every time. It's a staple in our house not only because it's easy, but because everybody loves it! I often make a double batch and the leftovers disappear for lunch the next day!

    ladle in a slow cooker with butter chicken

     

     Important Notes about this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken:

    • This dish is just my take on a classic food and the version I serve to my family and in no way is it truly authentic. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to make it your own!
    • It's not spicy at all, by design. If you'd like some spice, go for it by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
    • To make it vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for chickpeas!

    The best thing about this meal is how easy it is to prepare. A few steps all in the slow cooker and dinner will be waiting!

    collage of all steps for making slow cooker butter chicken

    What does butter chicken taste like?

    There are a few stories out there about the true origins of butter chicken, but some tales said it was created by accident by repurposing leftovers. And isn't that how all good recipes come about? No matter how it was created it's safe to say that butter chicken is a universally loved dish. It has mild curry flavors and a creamy tomato sauce and is great for anyone who has never tried Indian food before.

    serving of butter chicken over rice with naan on white plate

     

    Why I love this easy slow cooker meal:

    • Making slow cooker chicken breast can seem boring, so aren't we all always looking for new recipes to cook chicken? Chicken doesn't have to be boring! In fact,  if you haven't tried butter chicken, you are in for anything but boring chicken!
    • Even my picky 5 year old devours it. You can make it a tad spicy or keep it mild. It's rich and creamy and made with coconut milk and a little cream added at the end for that something extra.
    • It's a no prep dish, meaning nothing has to be cooked ahead of time. Just toss in the slow cooker for a delicious meal at the end of the day.

    slow cooker filled with butter chicken

     

    Ingredients you need to make this butter chicken sauce:

    • red curry paste
    • turmeric
    • coconut milk

    And if you don't love curry flavors, I'll bet you'll love this Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken recipe instead.

    butter chicken with rice on a white plate

    Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

    Jennifer Draper
    If you need a magical family recipe that will make dinner disappear at your house, look no further than this delicious Slow Cooker Butter Chicken! Amazingly fast and easy to prepare and packed full of flavor!
    4.18 from 248 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 8
    Calories 498 kcal

    Equipment

    • Slow Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
    • ½ sweet yellow onion diced
    • 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
    • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
    • 2 teaspoons curry powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 14.5 oz can coconut milk
    • 6 oz can tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • ¼ cup heavy cream for later
    • 2 cups Basmati Rice

    Instructions
     

    • Add all ingredients except cream and rice into slow cooker and stir to combine
    • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8
    • Stir in heavy cream and return cover to let it heat through while you make the rice
    • Cook rice according to package directions
    • Serve rice topped with chicken and with a side of naan if desired

    Notes

    • This is not spicy at all.  If you'd like some spice, go for it by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
    • To make it vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for chickpeas.
    • To make this dairy free, you can leave out the cream and butter (yes, it is still very tasty that way!)
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 30gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 630mgPotassium: 872mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 850IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
    Important nutritional disclaimer

     

     

     

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    Comments

    1. Lisa says

      July 18, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      Salted or unsalted butter? It doesn’t specify that I saw.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 21, 2022 at 3:41 pm

        If you are sensitive to salt and really want to control it, unsalted is best.

        Reply
    2. CateH says

      May 03, 2022 at 2:09 am

      I would love to try this. May I ask, would it be ok to freeze? 🙂

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        June 18, 2022 at 10:11 am

        Yes this should freeze well!

        Reply
    3. Katy says

      February 02, 2022 at 12:07 pm

      Can you tell me if the nutrition information includes the serving of rice or if it is just the chicken? This is a family favorite! I like the idea of adding some chili for a little heat. Will try that next time.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 14, 2022 at 5:53 pm

        I'm pretty sure it includes the rice.

        Reply
    4. Amanda says

      January 11, 2022 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely delicious!

      I'm in the UK, I used tomato puree (not the double concentrated version) instead of tomato paste, and Patak's Kashmiri Masala paste as the red curry paste, Sharwood's medium curry powder, then added a pinch of hot chilli powder for heat. I used one 400ml can of coconut milk. The chicken was so tender, and the texture of the sauce was lovely, it had good body without too much oil. I cooked it on 'high' for 4 hours, followed by the 'keep warm' setting.

      I have tried so many curry recipes, and always felt a little disappointed; the blend of flavours in this recipe was perfect, and even more delicious on day 2.

      Can't wait to make this again, it was a huge success.

      So glad I found this recipe, thank you!

      Reply
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