Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

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Indian-inspired slow cooker butter chicken is rich, creamy, and easily made in the crockpot! Tender chicken simmers in a tomato and coconut milk sauce with plenty of warm spices, so you can arrive home to a kitchen filled with incredible aromas and a dish so flavorful you’ll skip the takeout. It comes together with minimal effort and is lighter than many traditional versions!

A serving of butter chicken and rice in a bowl, with a bowl of chicken behind it.
  • Cuisine Inspiration: Indian
  • Primary Cooking Method: Slow cooker
  • Dietary Info: Gluten-free
  • Skill Level: Easy

You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

My slow cooker butter chicken is such a winner! Butter chicken is a classic Indian dish that features chicken cooked in a tomato, butter, and cream sauce in a tandoor oven. In my lightened-up version, I use less butter and swap heavy cream for a combination of light coconut milk and Greek yogurt, but you’ll still get the familiar flavors you crave. And, it’s so easy to throw in the slow cooker so you can think about something else while those savory aromas fill your kitchen.

So skip the takeout and scoop up bites of warmly spiced chicken with a fluffy batch of homemade Gluten-Free Naan Bread! Here’s why we love this recipe:

  • So flavorful. My butter chicken recipe is simmered for hours in a tomato paste and coconut milk sauce spiked with spices including garam masala, ground ginger, curry, and cayenne pepper to infuse it with rich flavor.
  • Just enough butter. More traditional recipes call for more butter than the 4 tablespoons I use, but you don’t need a ton of butter to give it that buttery taste.
  • Adjustable. I love making this recipe at home because I can adjust the level of spice to suit everyone (hint: my kids). Similar to my Tandoori Chicken Legs and Quick Chicken Curry recipes, butter chicken can be made mild or spicy depending on how you like it.
  • Slow cooked to perfection. For the busiest days, rely on the slow cooker to help get dinner on the table fast. The chicken cooks until it’s juicy and tender without much effort on my part.
A bowl of slow cooker butter chicken and rice.

What You’ll Need

Check out the ingredients that go into slow cooker butter chicken below, along with some of my notes. Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

  • Chicken Breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • Onion: I use a yellow onion, but red onion also works.
  • Garlic
  • Spices: These include curry powder, garam masala, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper.
  • Salt: Fine sea salt or table salt.
  • Coconut Milk: I prefer light coconut milk although regular is fine, too.
  • Tomato Paste
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter so that the finished dish is not too salty.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly-squeezed lemon juice is best! Bottled juice can be used if needed.
  • Greek Yogurt: I prefer whole milk Greek yogurt, but low-fat or nonfat can be used. Make sure it is plain!
Ingredients for slow cooker butter chicken are text-labeled.

How to Make Butter Chicken in Your Slow Cooker

Here’s a look at how to make this easy slow cooker dish! The detailed instructions will be in the recipe card lower down.

  • Assemble. Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and top it with the onion, garlic, spices, and salt.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Now place the coconut milk, tomato paste, butter, and lemon juice in the slow cooker.
  • Cook. Cover the slow cooker and and cook on low for up to 8 hours.
  • Add yogurt. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the Greek yogurt, salt to taste, then serve!
A spoonful of slow cooker butter chicken above a pot of chicken.

Tips and Variation Ideas

  • Wait to add the yogurt. While it may be tempting to pop the yogurt into the slower cooker when you add the rest of the ingredients, hold off until the last 15 minutes. Adding the yogurt too early can “break” the sauce and make it less creamy.
  • Make it dairy-free. Use non-dairy butter in place of the butter to get that dairy-free buttery taste.
  • Or use vegetable oil. While it may seem odd to skip the butter in a recipe called “butter chicken,” if you want to lighten this up even more, swap vegetable oil or coconut oil for the butter. You’ll still get plenty of richness from the coconut milk.
  • Try fresh ginger. Substitute 2 tablespoons of peeled and grated fresh ginger for the ground ginger if you like.
  • Serve with lemon and cilantro. I love adding a big squeeze of lemon juice and a nice sprinkle of cilantro to a portion of butter chicken to freshen up the richness of the dish, so make sure to place a dish of fresh lemon wedges on the table with dinner.
A bunch of cilantro next to a bowl of butter chicken, and a bowl of butter chicken and rice.

How to Store and Reheat

  • Fridge – Transfer the cooled chicken and sauce to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat – Place the chicken and sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat it in 1 minute increments in the microwave until hot. Place the leftovers in a skillet over low heat and heat, stirring, until heated through.
A serving of butter chicken and rice in a bowl, with a bowl of chicken behind it.

Make It a Meal

The easiest and lightest way to serve butter chicken is with a side of basmati rice or jasmine rice and steamed veggies. But you have other options if you want to try some other sides. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow cooker butter chicken on top of white rice in a bowl.
5 from 2 votes

Crockpot Butter Chicken

Indian-inspired Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is rich, creamy, and so easy in the crockpot! A velvety coconut milk sauce full of warm spices makes it flavorful and lighter than many traditional versions.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium sliced onion
  • 6 minced or crushed garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 14 oz. can of light coconut milk
  • 6 oz. can of tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, whole milk preferred, but lowfat or nonfat can be used
  • minced fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  • Place 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces, in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add 1 medium sliced onion, 6 minced or crushed garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper on top of the chicken.
  • Then add a 14 oz. can of light coconut milk, a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
  • About 15 minutes before serving, stir in t1 cup plain Greek yogurt, and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
  • Serve over brown rice, basmati rice, or cauliflower rice and sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Butter Chicken
Amount Per Serving (4 oz. chicken with sauce)
Calories 268 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 89mg30%
Sodium 643mg27%
Potassium 717mg20%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 592IU12%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 53mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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75 Comments
    1. Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips

      I’m so happy to have given you a new recipe to try, Jean. Butter chicken is delicious, and I hope you will enjoy it!

  1. Deshni @ pressure cooker

    I always love indian foods…. Can I use this recipe in the slow-cooker? This recipe looks yummy, delicious and healthy. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks

  2. Lana

    Everything is already in a slow cooker. Can’t wait for the chicken to be ready. My only question is- there is no salt? Is it supposed to be like that? Will the chicken taste because of spices?
    Thank you

  3. Jen Sammeroff

    Thanks for this great recipe! My family loves a good curry but it is a hassle to prepare for a weeknight meal. Until now! My daughter said this was way better than the curry I usually make and she is right! We love it!!

  4. Honest Tom

    What is Mango Lassis? My daughter, husband, and 8yr. old visit me every Friday for supper. I am a very amateur cook(mostly follow directions to the letter, no imagination or feel for cooking) -I think I may give this a try and see what they think.

  5. Jeri Safari

    Hi, this sounds wonderful and I love that it’s made in a Crockpot. I noticed in the “Meltaways” version they used 2 tsp of curry but you used 2 tbl of curry, is this correct? I can’t wait to make this, thanks for sharing!

  6. I like Indian food so much and sadly we do not have many good Indian restaurants around in PDX. – this dish looks absolutely fantastic. Now, all I have to do is get a slow cooker 🙂

  7. This dish is definatly fresh in my memory. It looked gorgeous when Pam made it and looks just as gorgeous now. Instead of salvating at the computer screen maybe I should get off my tukas and just make it. Good idea right? 😉

  8. Brianne, this is amazing! I love Indian food and this is the first Indian recipe that I came across using butter, I can imagine how tasty it is. Thanks to both you and Pam for this fabulous recipe!

  9. Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom)

    I LOVE INDIAN FOOD! I’ve always wanted to make butter chicken. I’ll give this a try! Thanks for reintroducing this recipe!

  10. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    Fabulous post as always, Brianne. I want to make Pam’s dish too. I love Indian but can’t handle anything too spicy so this is perfect for me. I don’t have a slow cooker (so sad!) so maybe I’ll try this in my dutch oven – just set the heat on my stove real low and cook it long. And isn’t it amazing how the internet/smart phones can now stop debates right in their tracks? Before, we’d have to go to the library and do research in an encyclopedia (remember those?) to verify details & information!

  11. I’ve never eaten butter chicken before, but this shredded version over rice looks wonderful! And I can definitely see room for a candle on top 😉

  12. Thank you, Brianne! A. My husband and my friends and I love curry. B. I’ve received a bottle of garam marsala from my ex-pat brother and his wife and wondering what the heck to do with it C. My husband loves chicken. You can be sure your recipe is a keeper!

  13. kelly @ kellybakes

    I love that you make a rule not to take out electronic devices during dinner. Growing up, we never ate with the TV on and I remember eating at a friend’s house whose parents had the news on during dinner. No one talked but the news anchors and everyone faced the TV instead of each other. I’m guilty of whipping out my phone to take pictures of what I’m eating, but it’s a habit that I’d like to break! Also, I’m glad you chose this recipe. Indian food is intimidating to me (I’m not sure why), but I love eating it. This looks very doable 🙂

    1. This is so doable. I remember eating dinner in front of the TV as a kid, but my mom, when she was single and we were on our own, used to let me do that as an occasionally treat. We were very close and talked a lot, but sometimes the two of us sitting at the table could get a little boring. I hope I can keep my boys at the table!

  14. veronica gantley

    I was always afraid to make Indian food. I guess I was afraid I would mess it up. I will have to make it soon.

  15. Thank you so much for all your inspiration every week… there is nothing I love more than when you talk about all the wonderful food the bug enjoys! This recipe looks amazing and it is on my must try list for sure!

    1. No, thank you, Isabel. While we do eat together most nights, you and everyone else in this group inspires me to continue this as I look at your families through your blogs and see even the older kids still enjoying meals with their family. Plus all of the themes inspire me to come up with new ideas! And you must try this!! So goood!

    1. Give it a try! So easy that it won’t feel like a huge effort if you aren’t a fan. And maybe cut down on the spices the first time. The tomato and coconut and yogurt add a lovely creaminess, so you can add a little spice at a time till you get used to is.

  16. I like this lightened up version of Butter Chicken.Its also very different from the traditional Butter Chicken that you would eat in an Indian restaurant!I bet it tasted delicious with the curry and coconut 🙂

    1. This still has some richness with the butter and even light coconut milk, but it would be a nice treat that isn’t going too crazy. Like I mentioned, try using less butter even. You’ll still get all the spices, and I am not sure I tasted the butter much. The coconut milk and yogurt add a lot of creaminess and richness.

  17. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen

    It looks so amazing, and I love the flavors so much! Looking over the recipe I even have all the ingredients. About the cardamom, I might add some, since I use it a lot in baking and always have some. Happy Sunday Brianne!

  18. Oh yes I know what you meant with the nuts in India. I used to only eat parle cookies, oranges and peanuts when I discovered the country first, I just couldn’t eat the spicy hot food! First of all its so different to our food in Europe and secondly my stomach couldn’t handle it. ^.^

    Nowadays I love Indian food, especially the goan cuisine. One of my favorite Punjab style dishes is the Butter Chicken. We are all nuts for this dish here and when we used to run a Tandoori restaurant here, we would have butter chicken very frequently with nans.

    You tempted me with your gorgeous butter chicken!

  19. Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite

    We love Indian food here even Morgan does, I have been shocked at how spicy she can eat her curry. But then again I guess kids in India eat it as well so I shouldn’t be so shocked. But I have to say I have never made butter chicken before, I love that it is a crock pot version as well.

      1. Laura

        Indian and Mexican have such different heat profiles so i dont blame him for not taking to it right away. I have been eaing spicy Indian food for as long as I can remember but it took me years to enjoy my Mexican food spicy.

  20. I am so glad that you liked it! We loved it and I’ll have to make it again soon for my hubs as well. Thank you so much for choosing one of my dishes – it totally made my day! Your pictures are beautiful – love the elephant!

  21. ooh, didn’t know you had visited India. Wherabouts? I am from Bangalore, only came to the states about 15 yrs back. I cook Indian a lot at home, but have a light version of butter chicken too but have never tried it in a slow cooker. I bet it’s full of flavor cooked in a slow cooker. Have to try this recipe.

    1. Oh gosh, I was in a different place everyday, so I can’t even remember, it was such a whirlwhind. I was near Bangalore, and near Pondicherry, plus a couple of other places. It is nice with the shredded chicken – lots of flavor in each bite!

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