If there's one dinner I rely on during busy school nights, it's slow cooker butter chicken. Creamy, mild enough for the kids but still big on flavour, it does all the hard work while you get on with your day. Takeaway vibes, zero stress, no guilt.
If you love easy slow cooker dinners, you'll also want to try my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or this cosy Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff - both family favourites in our house.
Amazing flavours for such an easy to put together meal - it was perfect and I will make it again! 🙂
- Tamara
This crockpot butter chicken is everything a weeknight dinner should be - low effort, big on flavor and totally family-friendly. Unlike recipes that ask for marinating, browning or blending sauces, this one keeps things beautifully simple without skimping on taste.
As it cooks low and slow, the sauce gently thickens, the chicken turns meltingly tender, and the mild blend of spices delivers that classic butter chicken flavour - creamy, fragrant and comforting, without any heat.
If you're a fan of slow-cooked fuss-free dinners, you might also love my super popular creamy Tuscan Chicken, or Satay Chicken for another mild curry option.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Set-and-forget goodness with minimal prep, no browning and zero stress
- A mild, creamy and totally kid-friendly dish (but still full of flavour)
- Freezer-friendly and perfect for getting ahead on busy weeks
- Easy to tweak - dairy-free, gluten-free or extra creamy if you like
- All the takeaway Indian food vibes, without the cost, guilt or waiting around... don't skip the fresh naan bread too!
Jump to:
Butter Chicken Ingredients
Have a peek in your spice drawer... you will probably find that you already have most of the ingredients needed for this easy Indian butter chicken with the most perfectly creamy sauce.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Chicken (breast or thighs): Both work beautifully. Skinless chicken thighs stay extra juicy, while breasts are leaner - choose what your family prefers.
- Spices: A combination of mild curry powder, ginger, garam masala and turmeric adds warmth and fragrance without heat.
- Coconut cream or cooking cream: Coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk keeps the recipe dairy-free and gives a more traditional butter chicken finish, however you can substitute with cooking cream, if you prefer.
Variations
- Dairy-Free: Choose coconut cream instead of cooking cream.
- Vegetable Boost: Add diced pumpkin, sweet potato or cauliflower for a bulked-up meal.
- Extra Creamy: Stir through an extra ¼ cup of cream or coconut cream at the end.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free - just serve with gluten-free sides.
Need To Substitute An Ingredient?
Ask ChatGPT for suggestions on how to substitute the particular ingredient:
How To Make Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Ten minutes of prep, barely any washing up and zero faffing about… sold.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Add the diced chicken and onion to the base of your slow cooker.
- In a bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, ginger, garlic, tomato paste and spices.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir until everything is well coated.
- Cook on LOW for 4 hours (or until the chicken is tender and cooked through). Stir through the coconut cream or cooking cream just before serving hot with rice, naan or roti and your favourite vegetables.
Recipe Tips
- Cook low and slow for the most tender chicken - skip the HIGH setting.
- Stir the cream through at the end to stop the sauce from curdling.
- If the sauce needs thickening, remove the lid for the final 20 minutes of cooking.
- This recipe doubles beautifully and is perfect for batch cooking and freezing.
- Serving: Delicious served with steamed basmati rice (or cauliflower rice), warm naan bread or roti, and a side of vegetables if you like. Add a squeeze of lime juice just before serving for added zing!
- Storage: Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Avoid placing the slow cooker bowl straight into the fridge, as it retains heat and slows safe cooling.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, stirring well.
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken FAQs
Absolutely. Thighs are extra juicy and very forgiving in the slow cooker.
No - it's very mild. Perfect for kids and anyone who doesn't love heat.
It's best cooked on LOW for the flavours to really develop and the chicken to be its tenderest, but you can cook on HIGH for 2-2½ hours if needed.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Who doesn't love switching on the slow cooker when the weather turns cool? There's something so comforting about letting it quietly do its thing for hours, creating rich, cosy meals with hardly any effort.
WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 800 g skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 brown onion diced
- 125 ml (½ cup) chicken stock liquid
- 1 tbs minced ginger
- 3 teaspoon minced garlic or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 150 g tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 125 ml (½ cup) coconut cream or cooking cream
Instructions
- Place the diced chicken and onion into the base of the slow cooker.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the chicken stock liquid, ginger, garlic, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt and pepper.
- Pour over the chicken and stir to combine.
- Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- Stir through the coconut cream and serve with rice, roti bread and vegetables.
Notes
- Don't cook on HIGH: Low and slow gives the most tender chicken.
- Add cream at the end: This prevents the sauce from curdling (splitting).
- Thicken if needed: If your sauce is thin, leave the lid off for the last 20 minutes.
- Double the recipe: This freezes brilliantly and is perfect for batch cooking.
- Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Don't place the slow cooker slow cooker directly into the fridge as it retains too much heat and doesn't allow the chicken to cool to a safe temperature quickly enough.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove or microwave, stirring well.
Melissa says
Delicious, cooked twice now, cooked onion first both times, cooked in casserole dish in oven for approximately 40 minutes second time, beautiful done both ways.
Tamara says
Amazing flavours for such an easy to put together meal. Next time I will either sauté the onion first or omit it as it came out with raw texture and taste after the 4 hours in the pot. Apart from the onion issue, it was perfect and I will make again 🙂
Cathy says
When do you add coconut cream ? Just before serving?
Lucy says
Yes - in Step 5 🙂
Katie says
Any chance you could this without using a slow cooker? Gosh, I hope so...
Lucy says
Absolutely! You can cook it very, very slowly on the stovetop (but it wont take anywhere near as long and you'll need more chicken stock).