Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is a simple, healthy, and flavour-packed dinner the whole family will love. Made with tender chicken simmered in a rich, spiced tomato-based sauce, this easy crockpot butter chicken recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and uses budget-friendly pantry staples. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
What readers say:
“Drinking this sauce, it is so yummy! Chicken is so moist and tender.”
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Making butter chicken in the slow cooker is one of my favourite meals and it is so easy to make when using a crock pot or slow cooker. This recipe only requires a few steps and the end result is an amazing tasting meal. You can serve with rice, quinoa and/or green vegetables.
If you are wanting a quicker method to cook butter chicken then you must check out my Instant pot butter chicken or you can also try this delicious Butterfly Chicken Recipe that I made recently.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs or you can use chicken breasts
- Coconut oil
- Garlic
- Brown onion
- Coconut cream or coconut milk – both work really well in this recipe
- Tomato paste
- Tapioca flour or you can use arrowroot powder or even some gluten free flour
- Spices and seasoning for this recipe are garam masala, curry powder, ginger powder, chili powder, Sea salt and black pepper
- Fresh coriander – if you are not a coriander fan then you could add some fresh parsley at the end or simply omit.
Tips for the Best Butter Chicken
- Use the low setting whenever possible. This will help to bring out the flavours of this dish you are cooking. I only recommend using the high setting, if you are running short on time.
- Roll the meat in some tapioca flour (or other healthy thickener) to help thicken up the liquid while cooking.
- Always add the greens towards the end of cooking, the last hour usually works well. This will ensure that they are not too soggy and/or discoloured.
- Make sure you keep the lid on to ensure that no heat escapes and your meal is cooked properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store in your refrigerator for up to 3 days or in your freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat:
– If frozen, place the night before to thaw out in your refrigerator. Then you can either re-heat on your stove or in your microwave on low-medium heat.
I either like to serve it with quinoa or rice.
Absolutely! You can add your favourite vegetables in the last hour of cooking.
I do recommend cooking on low heat for 5 hours, but if you are short on time, then you can cook on high heat for 2.5-3 hours.
Slow Cooked Shredded Lemon Garlic Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Marsala
Lastly, if you make this slow cooker meal then I would love to hear from you. You can either leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! If you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram! It really makes my day when I see your creations of my recipes.
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 onion diced
- 1 3/4 coconut milk or coconut cream
- 3/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder add more if you like it hotter
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2.75 lbs chicken thighs or breasts, cut into small pieces
- fresh coriander or fresh parsley to serve
Instructions
- Saute onion and garlic. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring frequently for approximately 3 minutes or until the onions have become translucent.
- Make sauce. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, tapioca flour, garam masala, curry powder, chili powder and ginger powder, stirring until well combined and the sauce has started to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook. Add chicken to the slow cooker, then add the sauce and mix through the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.
- Serve. Serve with the coriander and your favourite sides (mine with quinoa).
I love chicken so much, can’t wait to try that recipe, thanks for sharing
The recipe says to cook on low for 5 hrs….would this be ok to cook low for 8hrs while at work?
Hi! I’m excited to try this later this week. I’ve never worked with tapioca flour before. Will it not thicken in the crockpot – or why the necessary step of cooking the sauce before crockpot?
Drinking this sauce, it is so yummy! Chicken is so moist and tender.
Drinking this sauce, it is so yummy! Chicken is so moist and tender.
Drinking this sauce, it is so yummy! Chicken is so moist and tender.
Can this be done on the high setting for less time?
Yes you can! Try 2-3 hours
Hello, do you ever sear the chicken before you place it in the slowcooker?
Thanks
Drinking this sauce, it is so yummy! Chicken is so moist and tender.