Description
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is a rich and creamy Indian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful spiced tomato sauce with butter and cream. Perfect for a comforting family dinner, it’s mildly spiced, easy to make, and yields juicy, succulent chicken with a luscious sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 16 oz (450 g) tomato sauce or passata
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
- 2 lb (900 g) chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, mint, or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce: Add the minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, tomato sauce, ground cumin, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar or honey into the slow cooker. Stir everything thoroughly to combine the spices and sauce.
- Add Chicken: Place the chicken thighs into the slow cooker and coat them evenly with the spiced tomato sauce mixture.
- Add Butter and Cook: Scatter the cubed unsalted butter over the chicken and sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. The chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Rest and Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and place them on a cutting board to cool slightly until they are comfortable to handle.
- Finish Sauce: Stir the heavy cream into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker, whisking gently until it becomes creamy and smooth.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return them to the sauce in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Serve: Serve the buttery creamy chicken with basmati rice and naan bread. Garnish with fresh parsley, mint, or cilantro to add a pop of color and freshness.
Notes
- Use a 4-quart slow cooker for this quantity; a larger slow cooker is needed for bigger batches.
- Do not add extra water; the chicken releases enough liquid during cooking, keeping the sauce flavorful and not too watery.
- Tomato sauce can be substituted with passata or blended and sieved canned tomatoes.
- Sugar is optional to balance acidity; adjust according to the sweetness of your tomato sauce.
- If fresh ginger is unavailable, substitute with ½ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Omit chili powder for a milder dish suitable for children.
- Making your own garam masala is economical and healthier; otherwise, store-bought works well.
- Heavy cream can be swapped with half and half or coconut milk for a dairy-free variation, though creaminess will be reduced.
- Do not add cream before cooking to prevent separation.
- Doubling ingredients does not require longer cooking times.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, or parsley for best flavor and presentation.
- Serve with Instant Pot basmati rice or naan for a complete meal.
- For a vegan version, try cauliflower butter chicken recipes.
- An Instant Pot version is available for faster cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
