Description
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is a flavorful, creamy, and tender dish perfect for a comforting family dinner. This recipe combines aromatic spices with juicy chicken thighs cooked slowly to perfection and finished with rich butter and cream for a luscious sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Spices and Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 16 oz (450 g) tomato sauce or passata
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
Main Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, mint, or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, tomato sauce, ground cumin, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar or honey to the slow cooker. Stir everything well to combine.
- Add Chicken: Place the chicken thighs into the slow cooker and coat them evenly with the prepared sauce.
- Add Butter and Cook: Scatter unsalted butter cubes evenly over the chicken and sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 1 hour 30 minutes or on LOW for 4 to 6 hours until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Rest Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and let it cool on a cutting board until it can be handled safely.
- Finish Sauce: Stir the heavy whipping cream into the sauce in the slow cooker, whisking until the sauce becomes creamy and smooth.
- Chop and Return Chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return them to the creamy sauce. Stir gently to combine.
- Serve: Serve the butter chicken garnished with fresh parsley, mint, or cilantro alongside basmati rice and naan bread for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use a 4-quart slow cooker for this recipe; larger slow cookers like 6-quart can be used for bigger batches.
- Do not add extra water as the chicken releases enough liquid for the sauce; adding water can thin out the sauce too much.
- Substitute tomato sauce with passata or blended and sieved canned plain tomatoes if preferred.
- Sugar balances acidity in the sauce but can be omitted depending on the tomato sauce used.
- If fresh ginger is unavailable, use ½ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Omit chili powder when serving children to reduce heat.
- Garam masala can be homemade or store-bought; homemade is recommended for better flavor and less sugar.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half and half or coconut milk for a dairy-free option, but sauce creaminess may vary.
- Do not add cream before cooking as it might separate during slow cooking.
- Doubling the ingredients does not require adjusting the cooking time.
- Fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, or parsley enhance the dish when garnished before serving.
- Serve with Instant Pot basmati or brown rice and warm naan bread for an authentic meal.
- For a vegan alternative, try the vegan cauliflower butter chicken recipe.
- This dish can also be prepared in an Instant Pot using a separate recipe for faster cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
