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This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is an easy one-pot meal that it bursting with flavor. I love how it cooks on its own so you can get something else done during the day!
How to Cook Butter Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Inspired by my favorite Instant Pot Butter Chicken, this recipe is as easy and flavorful as possible. All you have to do to get started is sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Then you add it to the bowl of your slow cooker, along with the rest of the ingredients.
Chicken cooks surprisingly fast in a slow cooker, so it can be ready in less than 2 hours if you want to prepare this right after work, while you’re getting something else done around the house.
You can also let it simmer longer on low heat, if you want to prepare this over a lunch break and have dinner waiting for you when you get home from work. Either way, it’s easy and delicious!
What Makes this Recipe Healthy?
Traditional butter chicken recipes call for heavy cream and butter, so this version is made healthier by using canned coconut milk for dairy-free creaminess.
No butter or dairy is needed, but feel free to make substitutions based on what you have on hand. Cashew cream would work here, too!
If you’d rather make a vegetarian version of this meal, you can use cooked chickpeas or canned jackfruit that has been rinsed really well. Since both of these options are already cooked, they can simmer in the sauce as long as you’d like them to, but I’d recommend at least 1 1/2 hours so that the flavors can develop.
How Long Does it Take Raw Chicken to Cook in a Slow Cooker?
Slow cooker timing can vary based on the size of your machine and how full it is. If the individual chicken breasts are under 2-inches thick and are not piled on top of each other, they will usually reach a safe internal temperature of 165ºF in about 3 hours on a low setting, or in 1 1/2 hours on a high setting.
Thicker chicken breasts will take longer to cook and thinner ones will cook faster, but one thing I’ve noticed about cooking chicken in a slow cooker is that it still remains tender, even if you over-cook it past the 165ºF temperature.
When I checked on my chicken after 3 hours in this photo, the chicken reached nearly 200ºF and was still very tender when I shredded it and added it back into the sauce.
If you’re not able to check on the Butter Chicken in your slow cooker right away, this recipe is pretty forgiving. Which is the whole point of using a slow cooker, right?
Serve the finished dish with cooked white rice, or cauliflower rice for a Paleo and grain-free dish, along with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less for a mild version)
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (the solid part in a can of coconut milk)
- 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (no salt added)
- fresh cilantro , for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then saute the onion until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger, and stir briefly, just until fragrant. (About 1 minute.)
- Transfer the sauteed onion, garlic, and ginger to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add in the tomato sauce, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne (if using), and stir well to combine the seasonigs. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sauce, and sprinkle the salt generously over the top of each chicken breast.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 to 6 hours, or on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Be sure to test each chicken breast with a thermometer to ensure it's thoroughly cooked.
- Use tongs to transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and use two forks to shred it.
- To the slow cooker, add in the coconut cream and tomato paste, and stir well until the sauce has thickened and no clumps remain. Add the chicken back into the sauce, and stir well. Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding more salt or some freshly ground black pepper to your liking.
- Serve warm over rice, with fresh cilantro on top. Leftover cooked chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is for 1/6 of this recipe, without any sides. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is just an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, use the labels on your ingredients at home.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite thing to cook in a slow cooker? Let me know if you have any requests!
Made this on Friday when a friend came over for dinner. I put the chicken in the oven as I had no slow cooker. Once the chicken was done, I shredded it & mixed it with the sauce. It was incredibly good! Thank you so much for all your creations!
Love it! I make it with jack fruit and it works as a great veg meal for all eaters!
One of our favorite meals! So delicious and our friends love it too!
DELICIOUS! Super easy and love how it comes together in the crockpot. A new favorite for our family and I’ll be adding it to our weeknight line up!
Chicken breast dries out too quickly with this method. I prefer to cube the chicken and sauté them with EVOO, sprinkle curry/garam masala/salt and add it in the last 1.5 hours of slow cooking (on high).
The main issue I have with the lack of ingredients is that it’s missing some key items like cardamon, bay leaf, and clove; to name a few.
I know this is supposed to be a simplified version but rather than cutting out half the ingredients, might I suggest that you make a recipe for just an Indian food style spice
That includes these ingredients?
This way, you can just put: “add Indian spice” and link the recipe for it.
Just a thought 😉
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I served this with white rice and steamed broccoli.
Husbands not a fan of ginger is there a good alternative spice?
You can leave it out and maybe try a little extra cinnamon? I don’t think the ginger is super noticeable in this dish, but I love the subtle flavor it adds.
Could I use an insta pot instead?