Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

5 from 6 votes

Your whole family will enjoy this slow cooker butter chicken recipe. Full of rich spiced flavors and tender chicken, this dish will become a go-to addition to your menu.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 688kcal

Ingredients

3 pounds large boneless-skinless chicken breasts (5 to 6)
1 cup onion diced (1 small onion)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2½ teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup tomato sauce
1¼ cups heavy cream room temperature and divided
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups cooked jasmine rice according to package directions
fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

In a saute pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, chili powder, garam masala, cumin and salt. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onions are tender and the spices are fragrant.
In the container of a blender, add the cooked onions and spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and ¾ cup heavy cream. Blend until smooth.
In the insert of a slow cooker (crockpot), add the chicken. Cover with the blended sauce and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces from the slow cooker and cut them into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup heavy cream and cornstarch. Stir to create a slurry. This will thicken up your sauce. Add the slurry to your sauce that is inside your slow cooker and stir to combine and allow your sauce to thicken.
Place your bite-sized chicken pieces back into the slow cooker and stir them around in your sauce, being careful not to break up your chicken pieces too much. Turn off your slow cooker once the chicken pieces are all coated in sauce and ready to serve.
In a bowl, place ¾ cup of rice (keeping most of it to one side), then spoon the slow cooker butter chicken next to the rice in the bowl. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Notes

PRO TIP: For the best results in this recipe, use full-fat ingredients rather than low-fat. It gives the sauce the creamiest texture.

PRO TIP: Make sure to wait to cut the chicken until it has cooked. The small pieces will fall apart if you cut the chicken before cooking, and you want pieces of chicken rather than shredded chicken for the final result in this recipe.

PRO TIP: This slow cooker butter chicken dish should be served warm and can be kept, on the warm setting, in your slow cooker for up to 1 hour.

Nutrition