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Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe

Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Tender boneless chicken thighs simmer in a fragrant tomato, coconut milk, butter, and Indian spice sauce. Heavy cream stirred in at the end makes the finished crockpot butter chicken smooth and rich.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium Medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Freshly grated ginger
Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 15-ounce can Tomato sauce
  • 1 14-ounce can Full-fat coconut milk, shaken well
  • 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
Seasonings
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • To taste Kosher salt
  • To taste Freshly ground black pepper
Finishing Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh cilantro, chopped

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Trim the chicken thighs and cut them into roughly 1-inch pieces. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger before you begin so everything can go into the slow cooker quickly.
  2. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato sauce, shaken coconut milk, butter, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir carefully until the chicken is coated and the seasonings are distributed through the sauce.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. The chicken is ready when it is tender and reaches at least 165°F internally.
  4. Stir in the heavy cream after the cooking time is complete. Adding it at the end helps keep the sauce smooth because prolonged heat can cause dairy to separate.
  5. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt or black pepper if needed. Scatter the chopped cilantro over the butter chicken just before serving.
  6. Spoon the butter chicken over basmati rice and serve with naan for dipping. Bring the crockpot to the table while the sauce is hot and creamy.

Notes

Boneless chicken thighs stay especially tender during slow cooking. Shake the full-fat coconut milk can well before adding it, and keep the heavy cream out of the slow cooker until the end. For a dairy-free variation, omit the heavy cream and rely on the coconut milk for the sauce.