Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

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. And if you have leftovers, try using it for this butter chicken pizza.

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

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 naancouldn'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. And if you are looking for another tasty option, you can't go wrong with chicken pakora! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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