If you crave the flavors of Indian food you need to add this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken to your menu. Just BARE® Chicken Breasts are slow cooked in a warm, flavorful sauce and served over basmati rice with cilantro and a side of naan bread.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Above

SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN

There is something about Indian inspired dishes that warm me up this time of year.

I feel satisfied and happy after I eat a meal rich in spices and flavors, and today’s Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is no exception.

I have been wanting to share a butter chicken recipe with you guys and am excited to finally have perfected my version to warm you guys up in the cooler months.

Today’s recipe for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken uses my favorite boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Just BARE Chicken that are slow cooked in a sauce made using coconut milk and tomato paste along with a combination of garam masala, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne pepper.

I enjoy pairing this meal with rice, a salad Curry Roasted Cauliflower and naan bread.

It is one of those meals that you can put in the crockpot before work, go about your day and have a mouthwatering meal waiting for you when you return home.

  Slow Cooker Butter Chicken White Bowl

When it comes to slow cooking chicken I love using Just BARE Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts.

They are already trimmed and ready to go into your slow cooker, making your job easy.

When you make this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken make sure you cut the chicken into large chunks so the chicken doesn’t dry out in the cooking process. 

We often have at least three crockpot chicken recipes on rotation during one month including this Crockpot Pineapple Chicken, Slow Cooker Honey Chicken and this Crockpot Chicken and Gravy

Another thing that I love about Just BARE Chicken is that they offer a variety of Natural and Organic products.

Every package of Just BARE chicken has no antibiotics ever, no added hormones*, no animal by-products (vegetable and grain fed), and no artificial additives. You can feel good about feeding their chicken to your family.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken with Rice

WHAT MAKES BUTTER CHICKEN SO GOOD?

  1. In my opinion, the spices are everything. The combination of these spices creates an explosion of flavor when you take a bite of this chicken.
  2. The chicken cooks low and slow in the sauce which helps infuse those flavors into every bite. I don’t know about you but this is just another reason to love my crockpot.
  3. The butter helps create the savory, rich flavor that we all love in butter chicken. I have made this dish without the butter to see how I liked it, and it was still good. But if I had to choose, butter all the way. A little butter never hurt anyone, right?

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken with Naan Bread

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN BUTTER CHICKEN?

CHICKEN: The chicken is the star of the show. I used chicken breasts because they are thicker and work great in the slow cooker. Other slow cooker chicken recipes I love using chicken breasts in are this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken, Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken and Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

BUTTER: You have to have butter in butter chicken, right? I used 2 Tablespoons of butter in my recipe but if you want it to be even richer you can use 3 or 4 Tablespoons. 

SPICES: The spice mixture is what gives this dish its warm, rich flavor. This butter chicken recipes uses curry, turmeric, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and chili powder. 

RICE: I like to put my butter chicken over rice. Try using brown rice or basmati rice. 

WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS CAN I ADD TO THIS BUTTER CHICKEN?

  • Try adding vegetables to the slow cooker half way through cooking. Try chopped cauliflower, carrots and bell pepper.
  • I like to add a dollop of plain yogurt to my butter chicken. It also helps thicken up the sauce.
  • Another great addition to this meal is chickpeas or white beans.
5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

By Julia
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4
If you crave the flavors of Indian food you need to add this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken to your menu. Just BARE Chicken Breasts are slow cooked in a warm, flavorful sauce and server over basmati rice with cilantro and a side of naan bread. 
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Ingredients 

For the Butter Chicken

  • 1 1/2-2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts,, cut into large chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves,, minced
  • 1/2 of a sweet onion,, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño,, seeds removed, diced
  • 2 Tablespoons butter {or ghee},, cut into small chunks
  • 1 Tablespoon curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 - 14.5 ounce can of coconut milk
  • 1 - 6 ounce can of tomato paste

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken, garlic, onion and jalapeño in the slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chunks of butter.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, ginger and cayenne pepper and stir. Add the coconut milk and tomato and whisk until combine. Pour over the chicken mixture and give it a good stir.
  • Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
  • Serve warm garnished with cilantro over basmati rice and naan bread.

Notes

While the butter does add a savory flavor to the chicken, it still tastes great without it if you want a lighter version.
You can use coconut oil in place of the butter.
Feel free to add vegetables to this dish. I really like adding chopped cauliflower and carrots, which you can add when you add the chicken to the slow cooker.
Tried this recipe?Mention @acedarspoon or tag #acedarspoon!

*Federal regulation prohibits the use of hormones in poultry.

Today’s post is sponsored by Just BARE Chicken. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create new recipes. 

About Julia

I'm Julia. Wife, mom to three growing boys, lover of food. Here you will find quick & easy weeknight meal ideas, kid-friendly recipes and a few sweet treats. My roots are from the Mediterranean and many of my recipes incorporate those flavors!

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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17 Comments

  1. Donna says:

    Actually Indian foods aren’t my thing but my family members really love them and their choices is what I give most priority. Interestingly, the recipe looks very easy and I’ve never tried slow cooked Chicken Breasts, so it’s really worth of a try for my family.

    1. Julia says:

      I hope they enjoy it.

  2. Melissa says:

    The recipe looks great!
    When do I add the butter? While it’s cooking or at the end of the cooking time before serving?

    1. Julia says:

      So sorry! Add it when you add the chicken to the slow cooker. I updated the recipe.

  3. Sandra Bleest says:

    I bet this is yummy and it doesn’t seem so difficult to make. I can’t wait to try this out later! Thanks for sharing Julia!
    Sandra Bleest recently posted..Veeramachaneni Diet Plan – The Complete GuideMy Profile

  4. Sharon says:

    The ginger called for—is it fresh or powder?

    1. Julia says:

      I used 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder. You can sub fresh ginger but I would grate a bit more in than the 1/2 teaspoon.

  5. Liren | Kitchen Confidante says:

    I agree with Dorothy – I’ve always shied away from butter chicken for the same reason, but after seeing your recipe, I HAVE to make it! Plus, it’s a win in the slow cooker!

    1. Julia says:

      Hope you enjoy it!

  6. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says:

    Butter chicken is one of my fav things in the WORLD! Cannot wait to try this version!

  7. Brenda Score says:

    I am going to make this, I promise. My family loves these flavors!

  8. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says:

    I always thought butter chicken had a TON of butter in it, but I see yours does not. I am going to try it…I am ready for an explosion of flavor!
    Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious recently posted..Easy Weeknight Chicken, Tomato and Cucumber Dinner SaladMy Profile

    1. Julia says:

      I think the traditional does sometimes but I decided to try it without tons of butter. I still liked it! Hope you enjoy it too!