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Indian-inspired butter chicken curry made with plenty of spice, creamy coconut milk, fresh basil, butter, and zucchini. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice, then serve with warm naan and basil. You’ll have the perfect dinner that can be enjoyed any night of the week. This meal is quickly put together in the crockpot (or made in one pan and baked in the oven) with no additional steps. Simply mix it all together, cook, serve, and enjoy!
And just like that, I can’t stop using my crockpot. I’ve used it in three separate recipes this week. As always, I’m reminded why I love crockpot cooking so much, especially towards the end of summer when my desire for cozier foods starts to kick in.
It may only be August, but the second we relaunch our Pumpkin Smash candle, I enter the transitional phase between autumn and fall. I’m looking forward to upcoming crisp nights with something slowly cooking, football on the TV, and delicious smells throughout the kitchen.
It’s crazy how quickly I can jump back into my cozy mode!
We’re all aware of how much I love creamy coconut-based butter chicken curry. In fact, one of our most popular recipes is a crockpot butter chicken that I shared here on HBH almost a year after we started the site.
I was recently looking back at that recipe. So when my oldest brother, Creighton, suggested curry for dinner, I thought of a few ways to reinvent a tried and true HBH recipe.
This curry came out so delicious with just a few tweaks to that recipe, like the addition of summer zucchini and basil. It’s going to be on repeat for a while over here!
Here are the details
Step 1: season the chicken
Start with the chicken. For this dish, I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use skinless thighs.
In the bowl of your crockpot (or, if in a hurry, a baking dish), toss the chicken with yogurt and add plenty of garlic and fresh ginger. Then, add all the spices: garam masala, chipotle chili powder, and cayenne.
Marinate the chicken in the crockpot bowl for ten minutes or so. Then, start cooking. If you’re in a time crunch, just start cooking. I’ve made this both ways, and there’s not a huge difference.
Step 2: everything else
Now, top the chicken with chopped onion. Mix in the tomato paste, pour over a can of coconut milk, and mix it all together until you have a very creamy sauce. Then, season with salt.
Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on high, or for 4 hours on low.
Step 3: finish
About an hour before you’re ready to eat, mix in the butter and zucchini.
After an hour, turn the heat to high. Add the basil and cilantro, and let the curry cook for 15 minutes on high to help the sauce thicken.
You’ll have perfectly cooked chicken in a delicious creamy sauce.
All you have to add to this is steamed rice and, ideally, some warm, buttery naan. It makes the dish just a touch more special. We love to use the naan to scoop up all that cream curry sauce.
This dish is so flavorful and full of color. Even though the additions I made are small, the zucchini and fresh summer garden basil make the biggest difference. They add such a nice lightness to a cozy dinner. I really think you’ll love this!
Looking for other Indian-inspired dinners? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Crockpot Creamy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Basil Butter Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Basil Butter Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 284 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed cubed
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, yogurt, curry paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat the chicken. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the onion, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 2. During the last hour of cooking, mix in the butter and zucchini. Crank the heat to high. Stir in the basil and cilantro. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened. 3. Serve the chicken, zucchini, and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh basil and cilantro. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. In a baking dish, toss together the chicken, yogurt, curry paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 5 minutes.2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.3. To the chicken, stir in the onion, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Top with zucchini. Then add slices of butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Top with basil and cilantro.4. Serve the chicken, zucchini, and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh basil and cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 22, 2024
My husband loved this dinner and I loved the fact that I could pop everything into the crockpot and, paired with rice, enjoy a very flavorful and enticing dinner! I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Hay Gail,
Happy Monday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
I can’t find the red chili paste, do you recommend an alternative or can I leave it out?
Red curry paste^^
Hey Aimee,
You could skip it, no big deal:) Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
This is delicious! The flavor is perfect, IMO. I did a few tweaks…cooked it on the stove top, used cauliflower instead of zucchini (I didn’t have any cauliflower) and I didn’t add butter at the end to keep it a little less fat. I loved it and am glad to have leftovers.
Hey Dana,
Awesome! Love to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
Luckily, I made this before reading the reviews, which were mixed. I will say that I changed a few things. I had no chipotle chili powder or chili flakes, so I used 2 teaspoons of chili powder instead. I also backed off on the cayenne, adding only a shake. Last, my family are not fans of zucchini so I substituted fresh mushrooms. Once done, we LOVED this dish! It had tons of flavor and was delicious. Despite cutting down the cayenne, it was still moderately spicy, so if you have non-spicers, you may want to eliminate the cayenne and cut down on the red curry paste a bit. Or as suggested, adding a dollop of yogurt would also help. But two of three of us don’t love spice, and we still enjoyed it. It’s a recipe we’ll repeat. Thanks!
Hey Therese,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) x
Can this be done in the instant pot?
Hi Becca,
Sure, I bet that would work nicely for you! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Just wanted to say my name is Becca and I was coming here to ask the same thing 🤣
Too funny!!! I think I’m going to try it tonight!!!
Didn’t love this one. Thanks though.
Hi Joanna,
Thanks for trying this recipe and your comment, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! x
I have Punjabi relatives and never in my life have I seen them use red curry paste and chipotle in their butter chicken. What was the reasoning for these additions?
I agree…this is not even a butter chicken recipe…it is annoying when you see non indian trying to make their own version of authentic Indian cuisine.
Oh Preet. She does a super great job trying to make us average cooks make new foods from new places. Kudos to Tieghan- we love her and I hope she keeps on bringing us new recipes! ‘Authentic’ Indian or not, this was VERY YUMMY!
This recipe works very well.
I really enjoy curry and hot foods. The amount of cayenne and chipotle chili powder in this recipe is WAY TOO MUCH. I put one half the amount and found it very spicy. Too spicy for some people.
I will do this again but cut the amounts to 1/8 tsp. cayenne and 1/8 tsp. of chipotle. You can always ad later if you want more heat.
Hi Pete,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback regarding the spice! Glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! xT
This recipe had way too much heat, as is often the case with your recipes. I cut down the red chili flakes to one Tsp, but even that it too much, especially given all the other heat.
I tried toning down the heat with a little honey, some peanut butter and topped with Greek yogurt. Still- I can finish my serving. My mouth is burning and there’s nothing pleasant about that.
Disappointing. If I ever make your food going forward I will absolutely reduce all the hot spices significantly.
Planning to try but not crazy about Zucchini anyone else try some diced up broccoli?
Hi Carolyn,
Sure, broccoli would also work nicely for you here! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I made this today. It was delicious. I added about a tablespoon of harissa. It was spicy. I added a dollop of full fat yogurt and served it with rice and warm garlic naan. Loved it.
Hey Mary Ann,
Fantastic! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for trying it! xT
I added the juice of 1-2 limes and some honey at the very end while it was thickening up and that took this dish to the next level! Super yummy 🙂
Hey Samantha,
Thanks so much for trying this dish, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! xT
I made this today and while very good, it was a little one note. Was thinking the same about adding brown sugar or honey. Glad to see it worked out with a little sweetness. Next time will try that for sure.
I made this today in the crockpot and it was amazing! The combination of spices provides such a nice warmth without being overly spicy. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be making it again!
Hey Trina,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your comment! xT
This recipe was absolutely amazing! The flavors were bursting and it was so easy to put in the crockpot. My kitchen smells wonderful.
Hey Lisa,
Happy Thursday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Excellent recipe! Followed the recipe and added a few scrawny bell peppers and diced some tomatoes on their way out to the sauce before baking. (Used the oven) I used thin sliced chicken breast that I tossed to coat and basically layered the veggies on and around. YUM !
Hey Kim,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! xT
I don’t like coconut – is there a good substitute for the coconut milk?
Hey Mary Jane,
Sure, any other milk that you enjoy will also work:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xT
I look forward to making this recipe! I love all the ingredients and live almost exclusively using crock pot meals! I’m one of the people that really don’t like zucchini. Can you recommend another ingredient? Would mushrooms work nicely?
Hi Helen,
Sure, mushrooms would also be delicious here! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT