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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
soooo looking forward to trying this
I hope you love it! Thanks Claire!
What are the nutrition facts?
Hi Stacie! I actually do not calculate the nutritional info for my recipes, but other people have done so through online calculators. Just add all the ingredients in and divid by the serving size. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
We made this dish yesterday. I dumped everything into the slow cooker and I think it turned out fine. I went a little overboard on the cayenne pepper. It was a bit on the hot side. And while I love rice, I think it was unnecessary. Though we didn’t have naan, we had pita, and the pita and chicken was a meal in itself.
I am really glad you liked this Nick! Thank you!
I really enjoy your posts, you are so talented. I am going to make this for a dinner party. May I double the recipe?
Thank you so much!
Donna
Thank you! I would double the chicken and do 1 1/2 of the sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thank you!
This looks great. I am thinking of making this dish this weekend. We love to have leftovers. Do I double the ingredients if I want to make 2lbs of chicken?
I would double the chicken and do 1 1/2 amounts for the sauce. I think that should be OK! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe. Thank you! 🙂
I made this last night but subbed out the chicken for cauliflower and just cooked it on the stove!! It was SO tasty! It got rave reviews from my boyfriend as well! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
I made it last night, too, it’s on regular rotation. I always sub cubed tofu. My daughters ate leftovers for breakfast!
Thats sounds delicious Sammi!SO happy you liked it, thank you!
I’m trying out this recipe as you speak! I wanted to make something truly scrumptious for my new crockpot.
YAY, hope you love it!
This was awesome! Was looking for a butter chicken recipe after eating at a local Indian restaurant . This one is quite tasty, my family loved it. This will go into our monthly rotation.
So happy you liked it Carla (: Thanks for making it!
Hey Tieghan, could you sub Thai chili paste for the red curry paste? I misread the ingredient list and didn’t buy Curry paste, lol, but don’t want to run back out to the store 🙁
Hey Jessica! Sure! It’s going to taste a little different, but I think it should still be delish! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this!
Made this yesterday. First time using a Crockpot in over 10 years, after practically living out of one for many years prior to that.
Flavor was very good but as soon as I went to stir it I remembered that basic truism about using milk products in a crockpot.
Add them in the last 20 minutes of cooking so the milk solids don’t render out.
Which is exactly what happened.
That granulated look to the sauce and how watery it is.
Instead of the nice creamy, buttery sauce that Butter Chicken is famous for.
Not meaning to be rude but if you doubt me, consult the booklet your pot comes with.
Still … many awesome recipes! thank you!
Hey Daniel, so sorry for the trouble. I have never had this issue before, but thanks for making me aware of it. Glad you loved the recipe!
WOW! The food looks delicious and looks great!
Thank you!!
I can’t wait to try this! How many servings does it make? I’m having a dinner party for 12 and want to make sure I have more than enough.
Hey Julia! Its serves 4-6! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this recipe!
This. was. so. good. I must disagree with anyone who poo-poos on this recipe. Not going to lie, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out since I’ve never cooked anything indian before, but this was DELICIOUS. I’m sitting at my desk now eating this as left overs and having the happiest desk lunch. Curious, how would one alter this recipe to give it a tikka masala twist? is that possible? SO GOOD. This was my first recipe I made from your blog. I will be back again for more…
I am SO thrilled you enjoyed this recipe. That makes me so happy. I am not very familiar with tikka masala, so I am not sure…but looking into recipes now. Maybe I can post my version.
Thank you and have a great weekend! 🙂
Thank you for the delicious recipe! SOOO yummy next time I’m going to make 1-1/2 batches rice! We’re not big into spicy so I cut the cayenne to 1/4 tsp but DID use 2 tsp of the red chili paste—SOOOO good!
Sounds perfect! i hope you enjoy it again! Thank you!
Want to make this recipe but wonder how many calories and fat per serving.
What makes this healthier than other Butter Chicken recipes. Thanks.
Hi1 I don’t count the calories, but if you prefer you can calculate them online. This recipe uses only a 1/4 of the cream, 1/4 of the butter and greek yogurt for protein. Thanks!