Crockpot Butter Chicken
This is the recipe I come back to when the weekend hits and I’m tempted to order takeout, but what I really need is a fuss-free meal I can prep in hardly any time at all that I’ll actually feel good about serving my family! This crockpot butter chicken has got all the flavors that you’d expect from your favorite local curry place (and of course that beautiful sauce!), and it requires very minimal hands-on time.
Want more inspiration? I think you’ll also love my crockpot Thai green chicken curry, crockpot sweet and sour meatballs, crockpot Tex Mex chili, crockpot pepper steak, and crockpot honey garlic chicken!
Unlike a lot of slow cooker curries, this one doesn’t rely on dozens of ingredients. A few well-chosen spices, plenty of garlic and ginger, and a little butter and cream at the end are all it takes, so no trying to hunt down lots of different things you’ll never use again. It’s proof that you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a really satisfying curry at home!
Ingredients & Overview
Chicken breasts simmer away in a rich tomato sauce that’s packed with garlic, ginger, and warming spices, giving everything plenty of time to develop that classic butter chicken flavor without you having to stand over the stove.
Once the chicken is tender, it’s chopped into bite-sized pieces and stirred back into the sauce along with butter and heavy cream. The result is a rich, creamy curry that’s perfect served over fluffy rice with plenty of naan bread for scooping up every last bit of the sauce.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Don’t skip the butter and cream. They mellow the spices and give the sauce that rich, silky finish butter chicken is known for.
- Cut the chicken after cooking. It’s much easier to chop once it’s tender, and it helps keep the pieces nice and juicy.
- Taste before serving. Depending on the brand of tomato sauce you use, you may want to add an extra pinch of salt or a little more garam masala.
- Use good-quality spices. Since they’re the main source of flavor, fresher spices will give you a much more flavorful curry.
- Give the sauce a good stir after adding the cream so everything becomes smooth and creamy before returning the chicken.
- Want an even smoother sauce? Blend it with an immersion blender before adding the chicken back in. It’s completely optional but gives you that restaurant-style texture.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Once it’s cooked through and tender, remove it from the slow cooker so it doesn’t start to dry out while you’re finishing the sauce.
Serving Ideas
For me, butter chicken is all about the sauce, so however you serve it, make sure there’s something to soak up every last drop.
Fluffy basmati rice is the obvious choice, but warm naan bread is a close second, and if you can manage both, even better.
To finish, scatter over a little chopped cilantro if you like it, and serve with a few lime wedges for a little touch of acidity that really brightens up the flavors and makes them pop.
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The sauce will thicken a little as it chills, which is completely normal.
To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot. If the sauce has become a little too thick, just stir in a splash of water or cream to loosen it back up.
This recipe also freezes really well. Let it cool completely, then freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Crockpot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Add the tomato sauce, garlic, ginger paste, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, curry powder, salt, and tomato paste to your slow cooker. Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add the chicken breasts and chopped onion, turning the chicken a couple of times so it's well coated in the sauce.
- Slice the butter and scatter it over the top.
- Cover and cook on Low for 4-6 hours or High for 3-5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and chop it into large bite-sized pieces.
- Stir the heavy cream into the sauce until it's smooth and creamy.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and give everything a good stir to coat it in the sauce. Serve over fluffy rice with warm naan on the side if you like.
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