Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is a delicious and flavorful Indian-inspired dish that’s surprisingly easy to make. This restaurant-quality recipe combines tender, juicy chicken with aromatic spices like cumin, garam masala, and curry all cooked together in a rich, creamy sauce. Enjoy with rice and naan.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, or murgh makhani, is a delicious, Indian-inspired dish made with chunks of chicken smothered in a creamy sauce! It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors
Best Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken tastes like my favorite Indian food restaurant’s butter chicken, but mine is even better because it is homemade and not too spicy!
Tender pieces of boneless chicken are slowly simmered in a comforting combination of fragrant spices and a creamy tomato sauce to create a mild, but full-flavored dish.
The curry sauce is thick and savory, the chicken is tender and juicy, and it all cooks conveniently in the crock pot. Serve it with rice and naan bread or flatbread to sop up the sauce, this delicious dinner is a family favorite.
Indian butter chicken recipes come in many shapes and forms; some use whole milk to create its creaminess, but I’ve opted to use a combination of heavy cream and butter because I think it tastes better. I also like to saute the onions and spices with butter and then blend it with the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and cream before adding it to the crock pot with the chicken.
This allows the aromatics to meld and brings out their unique flavors, which is lost in other slow cooker recipes where everything is “dumped” in the pot and cooked low and slow, and therefore lacks the depth of my dish. The crock pot then does the cooking and produces the most delicious meal.
Why We Love This Butter Chicken Sauce Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare.
- Uses authentic Indian spices and ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store.
- Velvety, creamy, mildly spicy sauce that coats the tender chicken.
- Cozy delicious dish that is simple to make with the help of your slow cooker.
- A set it and forget it recipe that is family-friendly.
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Ingredients
- Boneless-skinless chicken breasts
- Onion
- Unsalted butter
- Tomato sauce
- Heavy cream
- Tomato paste
- Minced garlic
- Grated ginger
- Curry powder
- Chili powder
- Garam masala
- Cumin
- Salt
- Cornstarch
- Jasmine rice
- Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Vegan Version: You can make this dish vegan by replacing the chicken with cauliflower and a can of chickpeas. Use coconut milk, vegan butter, and you can even use a plain coconut-milk-based yogurt.
- Rice: I used jasmine rice for this recipe, however any long grain rice will be just as delicious. Just cook your rice according to its package directions. Some options include basmati rice, white rice, brown rice, or you can even use cauliflower rice.
Recommended Tools
- Saute pan
- Blender
- Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Butter Chicken in the Slow Cooker
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, chili powder, garam masala, cumin and salt to your melted butter and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat or until the onions are tender and the spices are fragrant.
Pro-Tip: Don’t skip cooking the aromatics separately. Saute the aromatics on the stovetop before adding them to the slow cooker for optimal flavor and depth. - Add the cooked onions and spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste and ¾ cup heavy cream to your blender and blend until smooth.
- Add chicken to the crock pot (slow cooker) and cover with blended sauce.
- Cook on high for 2 ½ – 3 hours.
- Remove the cooked chicken 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 and stir to create a slurry.
- Add the slurry to the slow cooker, stir to combine, and allow the sauce to thicken.
- Place the chicken pieces back into the slow cooker and stir them around in your sauce. Turn off the slow cooker once the chicken pieces are all coated in sauce.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to break up your chicken pieces too much. - Serve your butter chicken in a bowl with 3/4 cup of rice placed one side and then spoon the slow cooker butter chicken beside the rice. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Butter chicken
- In my opinion, full fat equals full flavor! Use butter instead of margarine and full-fat heavy cream for the best results.
- You can easily double this to feed a larger crowd for dinner parties, it still should all fit in the same size slow cooker.
How to Store Butter Chicken
- To Store: This slow cooker butter chicken should be served warm and can be kept, on the warm setting, in your slow cooker for up to 1 hour. This can be stored in a covered container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. I do suggest storing your cooked rice separate from your butter chicken if not served immediately.
- To Freeze: To freeze butter chicken, completely cool and place in a freezer-safe container. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: You can reheat individual servings in the microwave, in 30 second intervals, until desired temperature. To reheat from frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and cook on the stove until heated through.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
What to Serve with Butter Chicken
- Bread: Naan bread is a staple to serve with butter chicken, but if you don’t have that any dinner rolls are great. Check out our Air Fryer Garlic Knots.
- Rice: White rice or basmati rice are a perfect pair with butter chicken!
- Veggies – Add in some steamed veggies or try our Broccoli Salad.
More of Our Favorite Recipes
- Homemade Fried Rice
- Mongolian Beef
- Beef Ramen Stir Fry
- Creamy Beef and Shells
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Smothered Chicken
- Crockpot Coca Cola Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Serves — 6
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is a rich and creamy authentic Indian dish made easy in the crock pot. Tender chicken is coated in a mildly spicy tomato-tinged sauce and cooks itself in one pot.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (5-6 large) boneless-skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup (1 small) onion diced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1¼ cups heavy cream room temperature & divided
- 6 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2½ tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp 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 2-3 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 (crock pot) add the chicken. Cover with the blended sauce and cook on high for 2 ½ – 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 3/4 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.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: This slow cooker butter chicken should be served warm and can be kept, on the warm setting, in your slow cooker for up to 1 hour. This can be stored in a covered container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. I do suggest storing your cooked rice separate from your butter chicken if not served immediately.
- To Freeze: To freeze butter chicken, completely cool and place in a freezer-safe container. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: You can reheat individual servings in the microwave, in 30 second intervals, until desired temperature. To reheat from frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and cook on the stove until heated through.
- In my opinion, full fat equals full flavor! Use butter instead of margarine and full-fat heavy cream for the best results.
- Don’t skip cooking the aromatics separately. Saute the aromatics on the stovetop before adding them to the slow cooker for optimal flavor and depth.
- You can easily double this to feed a larger crowd for dinner parties, it still should all fit in the same size slow cooker.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 688kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 831mg | Potassium: 1291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1660IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg
Used chicken thighs but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Needed a little salt – easy fix to season after it was served. Delicious!
Not bad but I probably wonโt make again. It lacked the depth and sweetnesss of butter chicken you would get from a restaurant.
This is the best home made butter chicken recipe I have come across! Tastes just like the restaurant and the crockpot is so convenient! It was quickly thrown into our meal rotation and we look forward to it every time!
Good but not very flavorful or spicy which would be more authentic.