This crock pot butter chicken is a rich and flavorful curry with tender chicken cooked in a creamy tomato and butter sauce, infused with aromatic spices, we’re going to let the slow cooker do most of the work, and with roughly 15-minute preptime, what’s not to love?
This Crock Pot Butter Chicken is creamy, lightly spiced and delicious – an easy recipe that’s perfect for the slow cooker.
It’s creamy and spicy – but not too spicy for the kids to enjoy too. Perfect with a bowl of fluffy rice.
📋 Ingredients?
I like to use diced chicken breast for this recipe. I often use boneless skinless chicken thighs when I’m cooking chicken for a long time (since thighs tend to be more tender than breast meat with long cooking), but I’ve tested this recipe with thighs and breast, and they both work well and both are tender and juicy.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Start off by sealing the chopped chicken and onion in a pan (or in your slow cooker if it has a searing function) with oil and butter.
- Add the spices.
- Then add in the stock, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree (tomato paste) and sugar.
- Transfer to the slow cooker and place the lid. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- After it’s been slow cooking you want to remove the cardamom pods and stir in some cream and you’re ready to serve.
👩🍳PRO TIP Sew the cardamom seeds together with a piece of natural cotton so you can easily fish them out later.
If you don’t have a searing function on your slow cooker then you can do these initial stages in a large frying pan/skillet and transfer to the slow cooker later.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to serve this slow cooker butter chicken with:
- Fluffy boiled basmati rice or Onion Fried rice,
- Lightly charred Garlic Naan Bread,
- A sprinkle of fresh coriander (fresh cilantro) and some nigella seeds,
- Garnish with some thinly sliced onions or you could use a simple tomato and onion salad,
- Some mango chutney on the side 😋
If you wanted to go low carb then you could serve it up with some Cauliflower Rice.
❓FAQ’s
You could use a spicier curry powder like madras curry powder or you could add half a teaspoon of chilli powder when you add the rest of the spices.
I use a Crock Pot CSC024 because I love its searing function, glass lid so I can see whats going on, and dishwasher-safe bowl, this baby
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You can let it cool completely then place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for a quick dinner another night. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator (it will likely take longer than overnight to defrost if you freeze a large portion). Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until piping hot throughout.
Then you can cook your butter chicken curry on the hob (stove) using my other Butter Chicken Curry recipe < click here.
They’re nigella seeds. I like to sprinkle a few on for a unique flavor but don’t worry if you don’t have any in your store cupboard.
🍲 More easy Slow-Cooked recipes
This butter chicken was actually the first recipe I cooked in my slow cooker when we bought it a good few years ago. If, like me, you love an easy prep slow cooker dinner then check out these:
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If you’ve tried this crock pot butter chicken or any of my other dishes then please rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing your thoughts and add-ons to my recipes!
Crock Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 700 g (1 1/2 lbs) chicken breast approx. 4 large chicken breasts, diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock water plus a stock cube or bouillon for gluten free is fine
- 2 x 400ml (2 x 14 oz) tins of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree paste for US
- 2 tsp sugar
- 6 cardamom pods sew them together with a piece of string so you can easily fish them out later
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) double/heavy cream
- handful of chopped coriander to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your slow cooker to high.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add in the onion and chicken, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions are softened and the chicken is sealed.3 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large onion, 700 g (1 1/2 lbs) chicken breast
- Add in the garlic, ginger, salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika and cinnamon. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cinnamon
- Add in the stock, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar and cardamom. Stir then pour into your slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.240 ml (1 cup) chicken stock, 2 x 400ml (2 x 14 oz) tins of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tsp sugar, 6 cardamom pods
- Remove the cardamom then stir in the cream and allow to heat through.125 ml (1/2 cup) double/heavy cream
- Serve over rice sprinkled with some corianderhandful of chopped coriander to serve
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This crockpot butter chicken recipe was first published in February 2015 and updated in February 2024 with new photos, a video, and extra information to help you make this delicious dinner.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Very, very bland. Nowhere near enough flavor that a butter chicken dish should have.
Sorry you didn’t like this one Noah. Cooking it in a slow cooker will always mean the flavour is slightly different then from cooking in a pan. It should still have been very flavourful though – we love it at home.
Did you make any changes or swaps in the recipe at all?
The only change I made was using chicken thighs.
Not sure where I went wrong, but not thoroughly disappointed: The consistency, texture, and color of mine was very off, more like a red curry color, very thin (even with added cornstarch) and chicken had strung apart. Result was more of a tomato sauce / chili type stew, vague butter chicken flavor. Bland when added with the rice, so I have been eating like soup. Time to try again!
Easily in my top 5 favourite recipes ever! Is my go-to whenever we have people over. Tastes amazing, so easy to make and the slow cooker does the hard work for you. Works perfectly with homemade naan bread as well. Thank you so much!
Thanks Heather,
Soo glad you like the recipe 🙂
Chris & Nicky
Love this! Very easy to make
Hi guys,
What strength of curry power do you use?also can you add fenugreek to it.
Thank you
Hi Nancy,
We normally use Mild Curry powder as its something we serve for the whole family quite often. If you like the curry with a little more heat you can always go for a hotter one.
You could add fenugreek but it can be really strong and overpowering if you add too much, itys not something we have tried befor though.
thanks
Chris & Nicky
Hi Nicky,
I’m planning to cook this recipe this week(looks amazing and easy, win win!)
But could I use chicken thigh instead of breast? Would the timings change?
Thank you!
Hi Susana,
Yes you can use boneless chicken thighs in this recipe and it should not impact the timings.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Hi, I want to make this today but I have no cream. Would crème fraîche be ok? Also, what is the reason for the sugar? Would leaving it out make a massive difference to the flavour?
Hi Jen,
Crème fraîche would work but does have a tangier taste than cream. if you plan to use crème fraîche then only add just befor serving as it has a tendency to split
The sugar help neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes. you can leave this out if you wish but it will be a little more acidic.
thanks
Chris & Nicky
I’ve made this twice now and it’s been amazing both times!
Could you sub coconut milk for heavy cream?
Hi Rachel,
Yes you should be able to but make sure its full fat canned coconut milk. Also make sure not to boil as it has a tendency to split.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Absolutely delicious! I have more than I need though. Can I freeze this?
Hi Sophie,
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Yeah any leftovers should be fine to freeze, just make sure you defrost thoroughly in the fridge then heat through on the hob/cookertop.
Thanks
Chris & Nicky