Go Back

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken with tender chicken chunks simmered in a spiced crushed-tomato sauce, then finished with butter and heavy cream for a rich, lightly thickened gravy. Set it on low for hours for easy hands-off flavor, and serve it over basmati rice with naan and fresh cilantro.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and sauce base
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 3 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 1 basmati rice and naan for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Assemble in the slow cooker
  1. Add the chicken chunks to the slow cooker in an even layer. Make sure they are not stacked too high so they cook tender throughout.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together crushed tomatoes, diced onion, minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, and sugar until no spice clumps remain. The mixture should look evenly speckled.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir gently just to coat. Leave some chicken surfaces visible if needed so they can soak up sauce as it heats.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 6–7 hours. Check once toward the end—when done, the chicken should be very tender and easily pull apart.
  2. For faster cooking, cook on high for 3–4 hours. The chicken should reach the same “very tender” texture before finishing.
Finish the creamy butter sauce
  1. Shred the chicken slightly or leave it in chunks, then stir in butter and heavy cream. Watch for butter to melt and cream to disappear into the sauce.
  2. Cook on high for 20 minutes until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened. The gravy should coat a spoon and look glossy.
Serve
  1. Serve the butter chicken over basmati rice with naan. Garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro for a bright finish.

Notes

Pro tip: let the finished butter chicken rest 5–10 minutes after the 20-minute high cook so the sauce thickens slightly more as it cools. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming. For a dairy-light swap, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (but expect a slightly thinner sauce).