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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
This is my “go-to” recipe for butter chicken! Thank you so much for it, it is absolutely perfect!!
Can somebody answer me- Is coconut milk completely necessary? Cant i just use regular whole milk? Also, where can i buy curry paste, i know how to make curry powder but have no idea about the paste
Hey Gemi! You can swap the coconut milk with milk and you can normally find curry paste in the ethic food isle in most grocery stores, but if not you can buy it here on Amazon.
Hope that helps and me know if you have any more questions!
I just made this, though I added in some extra firm tofu(Soy Boy’s Tofu Lin), and its fabulous. I marinated the tofu in yogurt with some curry powder and garam masala for an hour and then pan friend it before adding it to the crock pot. The spice on this dish is great and it actually relieved my stuffy nose!
That tofu sounds awesome!! SO happy you loved this!!
Thanks Cynthia!
Hi Tieghan! I just made this and am loving it! I’m just thinking mine is missing a slightly sweet taste. Do you have any recommendations for me?
Hey Amber! So happy you loved this! If you want to add a little sweetness, I would add a 1 tablespoon of brown sugar or honey. Hopefully that should be just the right amount of sweetness for you!
Thanks again!
I made this tonight as my first ever slow cooker recipe and it was easy and delicious! I only wish I’d read all the comments or realized how spicy the cayenne pepper would make it. Sadly it’s too hot for me but still so yummy 🙂 I will make if again for sure but reduce the pepper to 1/4 tsp and I’d also add some more chicken. Do you think I’d need to coin it longer if I added 50% more chicken breast?
Thanks for the great recipe and I’m going to check out your others…the quinoa bake in another comment caught my eye!
Thanks again
I also added a tbsp of brown sugar but I’m not sure if it made any difference 🙂
So happy you loved this, Daisy! Sorry about the spice though!!
I do think you should probably add at least on hour or so onto the cooking time. Adding more chicken will slow the cooking down a bit. Hope you love the quinoa bake!
Thanks again, Daisy!
hey i just made this! Its in my crock pot finishing up now but it seems extremely runny! boo! What can i add to thicken it up? Hopefully i can get a response quick. if not, for next time 🙂
Oh no!! To thicken it up real quick add a 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water and then add that to the crockpot and place the top back on for 30 minutes. That should do it. I wander why yours was runny. Did you add any extra liquids?
Hi! I’m so excited to try this! It looks so beautiful and delicious and I’m so impressed that you are only 19! You should be so proud :)! I have one question… I’ve always heard that you’re not really supposed to put milk products in the crock pot for longer than an hour or so because they are capable of curdling… Have you ever had this problem? Thanks in advance!
Thanks so much, Lilli!!
I have never heard of that or had milk products curdle on me, so I say go for it! Hope you love this meal and thanks again! Your comment was so nice! 🙂
Hi, thanks for posting this recipe. I really like trying new cuisines from around the world, and I am so excited to make Indian food this weekend! I am not well-versed in Indian spices…but from what I understand, curry powder and garam masala are both blends of different spices. Is this the reason you didn’t list cumin as an ingredient? If I also add 1 tsp of cumin, do you think it will overpower the dish?
Thanks!
Hey Christina! You can totally added 1 teaspoon of cumin, I do not think it will overpower the dish. Especially if you like the cumin flavor! Hope you love this and thanks for making it!
hi i love your recipes!! was wondering.. is there something else that you can replace the coconut milk with ?
thankss xx
Thank you so much!! You can swap the coconut milk with cream or greek yogurt. Both work great!
Wow! This was really good. I didn’t alter anything from the original recipe and thought it was great. I wish i”d had some mango chutney in my fridge…that would have gone great with this. Thank you! I loved it.
So thrilled you love this! Thanks so much, Karen!
Hi Tieghan,
Since the first time I commented on this post and asked about using the stove instead of a crockpot, I made it 4 times. This is by far the best dish I made and everyone loves it (and demands I make it again). I was wondering, though – is there any way to make this dish with less calories and fat? I’m not that experienced in the kitchen so don’t know how to experiment 🙂 Is there a way to replace the butter/cream/coconut milk with anything else?
Thanks again!
Udi
Hi Udi!
I am so happy yo guys love this! To lighten the fat content in this dish I would use lite coconut milk or you can try 2% milk, but you will miss some of the flavor and creaminess of the dish. Also bump up the greek yogurt to 3/4 cup and leave out the cream, that is what I would try. Hope this help and again, thank you so much!! SO happy you guys love this!
Hey Tieghan, what if we used coconut butter instead of the butter and then used milk and greek yogourt in place of coconut milk and cream. Do you think that would work?
Also girlfriend you blow my mind with your recipes. When I first started following you I thought you were a much older chef who ran a professional kitchen. My dear, your recipes are truly amazing and original. Keep them coming please.
Hey Dale! I think that should be fine!
And thank you SO much!! I will do my best to keep em coming!
As someone who is very sensitive to hot things. I mean sometimes even the mild in someplaces are too hot for me. Is this dish spicey?
Hi Josh, this dish does have just a little kick, but you can skipping the cayenne and reducing the curry paste to 1 teaspoon. That should make it pretty mild. Hope you love this!
You are rockin’ the crockpot with this one! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!!
Thanks Karly!
HI there! Great recipe btw! I just wanted to ask what sort of rice you used with that dish? Jasmine rice or basmati rice? Thanks and keep up your wonderful food blog!
I really love both, but for this I used Jasmine rice..
Thanks so much!
I am not a fan of Garam Masala…I see there are 2 Tbsp in the dish….would it break the dish if I didn’t add it? Would it lose all the flavor? I love curry…just wondering if that would be enough?
Hi Sharon, I do think you can leave the Garam Masala out. I think the dish will just taste more like a delicious creamy curry! Hope it works out and I hope you love this!