Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

4.50 from 10 votes

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 Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 688kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

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.

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.

Tips:

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