Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

This rich and creamy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken has all the authentic flavors of Indian butter chicken. Easy to make in a slow cooker with chunks of tender chicken that simmer in a homemade sauce with so much flavor thanks to dried spices, ginger, garlic, and fresh onion. 

Serve this tasty butter chicken over some Instant Pot White Rice or some Coconut Rice (Made in a Rice Cooker). 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe

Cooking chicken in the slow cooker is one of my favorite things to do. The meat gets ultra soft & tender… like I am talking fall apart tender with the touch of a fork. This slow cooker butter chicken is one of those recipes that just tastes so much better when it’s made in the slow cooker.

Tons of rich Indian flavor is infused into the chicken pieces with the perfectly spiced homemade sauce with dried seasonings like garam masala, coriander, and turmeric along with fresh garlic, ginger, and fresh onion. 

Serve over some cooked white rice (my family prefers Basmati rice) and serve with a side of warm naan bread (homemade or store-bought). Don’t forget to warm the naan bread up according to the package directions, it’s so much better when warm!

Ingredients Needed

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast – You need 4 chicken breasts to make this recipe, which is about 2 pounds of chicken. If they are really large pieces then 3 of them may be enough. You will cut the chicken into larger bite-sized pieces before adding them into the slow cooker. 
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes – These are canned crushed tomatoes. You can also substitute with tomato sauce if wanted. Crushed tomatoes have a stronger and more fresh tomato flavor so that’s why I recommend using them. 
• Canned Diced Tomatoes
• Yellow Onion – You can also use a white onion or sweet Vidalia onion if wanted. 
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, garlic paste, or chopped garlic from a jar. 
• Ginger Paste
• Sugar
• Light Brown Sugar
• Garam Masala – This is an Indian dried seasoning mix and it packs a punch of flavor!
• Kosher Salt
• Chili Powder
• Ground Turmeric
• Cumin
• Ground Coriander
• Salted Butter – This gets added into the slow cooker after the initial cook time. 
• Heavy Cream – The only substitutes for this that would actually work well are full-fat coconut milk or evaporated milk. But, I highly recommend using heavy cream. It’s thicker and provides a super rich and luxurious taste along with the butter. 

How To Make Indian Butter Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Learn how to make this recipe for Indian butter chicken made in the slow cooker or crockpot. Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a printable recipe card, a pin it button so you can save the recipe for later, and a recipe card with all the details and helpful tips. 

• Prep : Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray. 
• Chicken : Cut the chicken into large, bite-sized pieces and add them into the slow cooker. 
• Sauce : Place the remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Pour it over the chicken and mix together well. 
• Cook : Cover with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 6-7 hours. 
• Add-Ons : After the cook time add in the slices of butter and heavy cream. Cover with the lid and let it cook for an additional 15-30 minutes so it can thicken and the butter can melt smoothly into the sauce. 
• Serve : Give it a good stir and serve over some cooked white rice + a side of warm naan bread. I always buy naan bread from the store and warm it up according to package directions. 

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken FAQ’s

• Variation & Substitution Ideas

  • Spice Level : Butter chicken naturally has a bite to it, but not like super spicy, at least not this recipe. If you prefer more heat in your butter chicken then increase the chili powder or add some cayenne red pepper in addition to the chili powder. Likewise, if you want less spice try using only 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. 
  • Heavy Cream : You can substitute full-fat coconut milk or evaporated milk for the heavy cream if wanted. 
  • Garlic : Use 6 cloves of fresh garlic that you mince or press, or try using chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste. Lots of options for garlic!
  • Ginger : I prefer using ginger paste found in the tube (refrigerated area of the produce section by the dressings and fresh herbs) but you could also use fresh ginger that you grate. Fresh ginger stores for a long time in the freezer so put it there, inside a Ziploc bag, to store leftover fresh ginger. 
  • Chicken : You need about 2 pounds of chicken for this recipe. It’s about 4 chicken breasts or 3 of them if they are really large ones. If wanted, try using chicken thighs instead. The cook time will be on the longer end (7 hours) but it works just fine in this recipe. 
  • Tomato Sauce : This is a good substitute for the crushed tomatoes if needed. I recommend using the crushed tomatoes because they have a stronger and fresher tomato flavor. 

• How To Store Leftover Butter Chicken

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove top in a saucepan or in the microwave works also. 
  • You may need to add some additional liquid like water or broth when reheating leftovers. 

• Can I Freeze Butter Chicken?

  • Yes you can freeze it! I would suggest freezing it uncooked as a freezer meal, but that is just my preference. 
  • Freeze Uncooked : Place the chicken chunks inside a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Prepare the sauce as directed by blending it in a blender or food processor. Dump the sauce over the chicken. Seal the bag and shake it up a bit. Freeze flat for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, you can let it thaw in the fridge overnight before adding the contents into the slow cooker, or you can pop it into the slow cooker frozen. Cook as directed in the recipe below. 
  • Freeze Cooked Leftovers : If you have lots of leftovers you can place them into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze it flat for up to 3 months. Let leftovers thaw in the fruidge before heating it up on the stove top or on LOW heat in a slow cooker. 

• Serving Suggestions

  • I highly recommend serving butter chicken with some warm naan bread. Warm up the naan bread according to the package directions. You can find naan bread at most grocery stores or you can get really fancy and follow this tutorial for How to Make Naan. Or try this 2 ingredient recipe for Easy Naan Bread. 
  • Butter chicken is best served over some white rice. You can also make it low-carb and serve it over garlic flavored cauliflower rice (found in the frozen section) or try some Turmeric Rice instead. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe for butter chicken in your own kitchen ♥

• Need Dairy Free? : To make butter chicken dairy free simply use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. 
• Chicken : Don’t cut the chicken into very small pieces. The cook time is longer so you want to leave the chicken in large bite-sized pieces rather than really small ones. The longer cook time is awesome for chicken because it gets so soft & tender in the slow cooker. 
• Don’t Rush The Cook Time : 6-7 hours probably seems like a long cook time but trust me, it needs it! Although the temperature of the chicken might be accurate after a few hours, you want to let it cook the full time because the chicken will soak up all the sauce and get super tender & soft. That’s the reason I love cooking meat in the slow cooker!

More Indian Inspired Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

• Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken – So hearty and delicious with chunks of chicken, potatoes, and other veggies that simmer in a coconut milk sauce. 
• Easy Curry Chicken – Made in just one pot!
• Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken – Marinated chicken soaks up tons of flavor before it’s grilled.
• Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala – Tons of flavor thanks to the Instant Pot!
• Lentil Curry – A vegetarian version of this classic Indian dish.