Slow cooker butter chicken is an easy at home version of your favorite Indian dish. Perfectly spiced, you’ll never know this fall apart chicken didn’t come from the local Indian restaurant.

I tell you all the time how expensive ordering in gets for our family.

When you have so many hungry boys one takeout meal is basically the cost of a utility bill.

Ok, maybe not that bad, but still, my wallet disapproves.

So I love to make takeout style dishes for us right at home like this slow cooker butter chicken.

What is butter chicken?

Butter chicken is a type of chicken curry from New Delhi, India.

It features chicken with a rich, spiced tomato and butter sauce, sort of similar to chicken tikka masala but creamier.

Is butter chicken sweet or spicy?

Butter chicken is mildly spicy, but boldly flavorful, with its blend of aromatic spices.

It’s also got a hint of sweetness from the coconut milk and brown sugar.

Ingredients

To make this you’ll need:

Butter
Onion– Diced yellow onion
Spices– Minced garlic, ginger paste, garam marsala, turmeric, salt and pepper
Tomato paste– To give it that rich tomato flavor
Sugar– Brown sugar for that sweet background flavor
Coconut milk– Canned, full fat coconut milk. You can find this in the Asian section or the Mexican section of the grocery store.
Lime juice– You could sub lemon juice if needed.
Chicken– Roughly chopped boneless skinless chicken thighs
For serving– White rice and naan bread
For garnish– Cilantro leaves

How to Make

This butter chicken recipe is very easy.

To do it, melt the butter in a hot skillet set it over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, sauté the onion until it begins to soften, stirring often.

Once the onion starts to soften, stir in the ginger and garlic.

Cook for another couple minutes, just until the spices release their fragrance.

Transfer this mixture to the bottom of the bowl of your slow cooker.

Stir the tomato paste, seasonings, and sugar together in a mixing bowl until evenly combined.

Then whisk in the coconut milk, broth, and lime juice.

Add the chicken to the slow cooker, and pour the sauce evenly out overtop.

Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Serve the butter chicken over steamed white rice, and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Tips and Tricks

You can substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you want.
Don’t use reduced fat coconut milk. You want the extra creaminess from the fat for this dish.
Can’t find ginger paste? Grate some fresh ginger in its place.
Want a little heat? Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes.

Other Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Slow cooker butter chicken tastes exactly like the version of this dish you’d order at your favorite Indian restaurant.

Make it today and enjoy!

Looking for other slow cooker chicken recipes?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!