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When the day’s busy and you’re craving something creamy, cozy, and restaurant-level, this slow cooker butter chicken is the move. It’s rich and saucy, but a little lighter than the classic.
Everything simmers low and slow so the chicken turns ultra tender and the spices bloom. Spoon it over fluffy rice, add warm naan on the side, and dinner basically serves itself.
Why You’ll Love This
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Hands-off slow cooker method with a creamy, spiced sauce that tastes like takeout—but cozier.
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Lighter spin (keep “buttery” flavor without the heaviness).
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Family-friendly heat; easy to adjust.
You see, there was a reason for that Naan yesterday.
Butter Chicken.
Butter Chicken and Naan just need each other. Especially when both are homemade and both are incredibly awesome.
And oh my gosh… So easy!
When I set out to make the Butter Chicken I wanted it to be crazy easy.
My cousin Maggie graduated from college with a teaching degree in May, and in August she started teaching full-time. Yeah, only three months later she landed her first teaching job and it’s full-time, with her very own kindergarten classroom! I know, right? The girl is pretty awesome and one of the hardest workers I know.
She’s also very busy, but really who the heck isn’t these days?
Maggie has been asking for easy crockpot recipes. You know, the ones that you can just throw everything in the bowl, turn it on and go!
So I adapted the classic Butter Chicken recipe, made a few changes to make it healthier, threw everything in the crockpot and prayed. Prayed that this (way too easy, most likely would never work) meal actually tasted somewhat edible.
Sometimes when I experiment things can turn out just plain bad. Like all the recipes I made this past weekend. Ugh…so disappointing. Let’s just not go there. But sometimes…
Yeah, sometimes I get lucky. I knew three hours in that the recipe was gonna be good.
The house smelled amazing. Almost fall like. It was awesome and so cozy.
Gotta love cozy comfort food that is not really comfort food.
I mean it’s comfort food, just a little lighter.
It’s seriously so cozy and perfect for quick weeknight meals.
Like I said, just throw it all in and go!
I have to say that normally I like browning my meat before I put it in the crockpot, but for this I did not miss it at all. There is so much flavor in the creamy sauce that you don’t need to brown the chicken first.
Which is just kind of awesome. I mean who wants to clean another pan? Not me, I’m already up to my eyeballs in dishes.
Oh, and seriously, the Naan is a must.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
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Make-ahead: Sauce develops flavor as it rests; make up to 1 day ahead and reheat gently.
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Fridge: Store airtight up to 3–4 days.
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Freeze: Up to 2–3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Reheat: Low and slow on the stove until hot and creamy; add a splash of water/stock if needed.
FAQ Block:
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yep—just cook until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily. If using breasts, rely on doneness cues (juicy, easy to shred) rather than strict minutes to avoid dryness.How do I make this dairy-free?
Swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk and use olive oil in place of butter. Expect a slightly sweeter, coconut-forward finish that’s still rich and cozy.My sauce looks thin—how do I fix it?
Simmer uncovered until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line when you run a finger through it. A small cornstarch slurry also works in a pinch.Can I make it on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot?
Yes—follow the same flow: bloom spices, simmer until chicken is tender, then finish with butter/cream. Use texture and aroma cues (thick, glossy, fragrant) to know it’s ready rather than rigid timing.
Easy Healthier Crockpot Butter Chicken
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 456 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
- 1/2 onion finely minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1-2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use less if you are not a spicy person
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
- cooked white rice for serving
- Fresh homemade naan for scooping (a must!)
Instructions
- In a large glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the coconut milk, greek yogurt and cream. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, ginger and all the spices. Mix well.
- Spray the inside of your crockpot bowl with cooking spray or grease with olive oil. To the bowl sprinkle the onion over the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken so the chicken is completely covered. Add the butter and place the lid on the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. I like to stir mine once or twice during cooking, but it is not necessary. When ready to serve taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over rice with a big piece of fresh [Naan | https://fett-weg.today/homemade-naan-step-step-photos/%5D%3C/div%3E%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E View Recipe Comments
Obviously.
This post was originally published on September 9, 2013
Hi! I am new to your awesome website! This recipe looks so delish – I am going to make it tomorrow. The few times I’ve tried to cook chicken in a crockpot, the meat gets too soft that I can’t even pull it out of the crockpot without it shredding apart. Any idea what I could do different?
Hey Anne!!
Sounds like you need to cook the chicken less. The longer you cook the chicken the easier it will fall apart. I would cook this on low for 5-6 hours. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
Hi! I made this yesterday and cooked it on low for about 4 hours. Turns out the low setting on my slow cooker has a much higher temp and cook things faster. It was delicious. We ate it with Basmati rice and I even scooped leftovers with a hamburger bun! Definitely making this again.Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
SO happy you loved this! Thanks!
Hi there! Don’t know if you’ll have time to respond to this before dinner is served, but I’ve got this simmering in my slow cooker right now and it looks/smells incredible. Tastes pretty great too, but I feel like it’s a bit on the tangy side. I added some sugar…any other ideas on how to mellow the tartness a bit more?
Hey Amy! I would add some honey. That will make it sweet and tangy! 🙂 Hope you love this!
Hi Tieghan!
This looks amazing. My roommates and I are having a roommate dinner next week and I’d like to make this for us. I usually leave for work around 7:30 and get back at 5:30. Would it be alright to have this in the slow cooker on low that whole time and then switch it to “keep warm” once I get home from work?
Thanks!
Sarah
Hey Sarah!
Yes that will be fine! Hope you both love this! THANKS!
Hi Tieghan!
I just wanted to let you know that we made this on the weekend and it was sensation. The chicken was so tender and the flavours were so beautiful, the perfect amount of spice!
We also made the fresh naan from your recipe too and it was the closest to Indian restaurant naan I’ve ever tried.
Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Hi!
I’m trying this today and can’t wait to see out it turns out! I am doubling the recipe, so with that in mind do I need to change the cook time?
Thanks!
HI Would cook it 2 hours longer and leave the lid off for the last hour to help thicken it. Hope you love this! Thanks!
Yum!!! My boyfriend would love this!!
Mine is currently I’m my crock pot, it’s looking more on the yellow side than reddish. I didn’t have turmeric on hand… maybe that’s why? Hope that doesn’t make it taste different! I’m now going to attempt the naan 🙂 thanks for the recipe
I was wondering how hot the curry paste and curry powder are. I’m VERY new at cooking with these spices. We certainly don’t mind a little spice (I am familiar with the cayenne red pepper and typically use 1/2 of what a recipe calls for). Any direction on what type of curry to buy? I stand there and stare. LOL
Yvonne
Hey! Neither is very spicy. I buy This red kitchen curry paste. Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! 🙂
This was my first attempt at making indian food. It was amazing. Even better the 2nd day! Thank you!!
So happy you loved it, thanks!
Its cooking smells great.yet after 2 hours on low chicken seems to be fully done.not eveb vlose to dinner time
Should it stay on warm or still low
HI! I would keep cooking it on low. Hope you love this!
We just tried this recipe tonight and it was AMAZING. So easy and delicious!
Any advice for if we were to add canned chickpeas? Would we need to alter the liquid content or anything?
Thanks for always posting such yummy things. I’m obsessed with your blog and am constantly drooling over your lovely pictures.
Hey Rachel!!
So happy you love this!! You can add the chickpeas towards the end of cooking, Just drain and rinse them. No need to adjust anything else. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I really enjoy visiting your blog and was happy to finally taste this one (last week, I forgot to plug in the slowcooker!) I forgot to restock my spices, so I only ended up using curry powder and a generous amount of curry paste, but it was still quite flavourful. The only thing is, it turned out pretty runny, possibly because I used chicken thighs? I ended up adding a butter-flour mixture and that thickened it up enough. What sort of veggies do you all like to serve with this one? I love that it’s so quick to eat after a long day of school/work, but would like to figure out an easy way to make for a more balanced meal. Any recommendations?
Hey Laurel!
Thanks for the kind words and so happy you loved this meal!! I feel like the thickness of this meal depends so much on the crockpot, mine is old and does not have a good seal, so I think it lets more moisture out. Good idea with the flour!
Also, I LOVE this paired with broccoli or spinach. Thanks again!
can this be doubled if you have a large slow Cooker?
Yes, but the cooking time with be 2-3 hours longer and I would not double the amount of liquid, BUT add more throughout cooking as needed. Make sense? let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this meal!
We made this but added some vegetables for a one-pot meal. We added 1 smallish white sweet potato, one can diced tomatoes, one green pepper, and a few stalks of celery. It turned out great!
This is in my slow cooker right now! Smells great and can’t wait to make the naan and eat up. I also had to invite my friends for tonight because they were so excited to eat this!