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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Chicken

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Updated: Aug 22, 2023 · Published: Jul 12, 2021 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 2 Comments

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Diet: Gluten Free / Low Carb
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Slow cooker butter chicken with a text title overlay.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is an easy weeknight meal and a good way to introduce your family to different herbs and spices in a curry. A mild and creamy curry that lets the slow cooker do all the work.

A plate of curry and rice next to a balti dish containing more curry and some naan breads.

About this slow cooker butter chicken recipe

Perfectly spiced (but not spicy) chicken in a light and creamy sauce, all cooked in the slow cooker until the chicken falls apart and melts in your mouth.

We love slow cookers for quick and easy meals and although this butter chicken in the slow cooker takes a little bit of prep, it is totally worth it. If you are bored of the same way of eat chicken, this is a good way to mix things up. It freezes really well too.

You probably already have all the herbs and spices in your kitchen to make this, and if you don't and you are buying them, then we have lots of other recipes you can make to use them up.

Why not try our quick 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry, our easy Chinese Chicken Curry or our super tasty Chicken Rendang?

Jump to:
  • About this slow cooker butter chicken recipe
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • How to make slow cooker butter chicken - Step by step
  • Variations
  • What to serve with slow cooker butter chicken
  • Slow cooker butter chicken leftovers
  • Extra tips
  • FAQs
  • More curry recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Ingredients and substitutions

All the ingredients needed to make this recipe with text overlay labels.
  • Chicken - We used chicken breasts to keep this dish nice and lean. However, you could swap them for skinless and boneless chicken thighs. This would change the nutritional information though, but they do tend to be juicier than chicken breasts.
  • Yogurt - This is mixed with the chicken and spices to tenderise the chicken. You can leave it overnight, or just for a couple of hours. This step could be skipped, but we find that is does make a difference. We use yogurt so we can use less butter and make this a lighter version than a traditional butter chicken.
  • Spices - We have used garam masala, paprika, chilli and cumin, which are all fairly standard in a spice rack. We used enough chilli to be able to notice it, but it isn't really spicy. Feel free to adjust the spices depending on your preferences.
  • Onion - Use frozen diced onion to save some time.
  • Garlic and ginger - We freshly crush/grate the garlic and ginger, however you could save time by using frozen garlic and ginger, or even a paste in a tube.
  • Coconut milk - You could reduce the calories and fat in this and use reduced fat coconut milk, but we find that it makes the sauce too watery, so we use full fat.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make slow cooker butter chicken - Step by step

A bowl with chunks of chicken marinating in a brown yogurt sauce.

One: In a large bowl, add the chicken, yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, chilli powder and paprika and mix well. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours, or it can be kept in there overnight.

A large cooking pot with chopped onions cooking in it.

Two: In a large pan, heat some oil and then add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook on low for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Chopped onions, tomato puree and spices cooking in a large pot.

Three: Add the garam masala and tomato paste and stir.

Chicken chunks in a brown curry sauce.

Four: Add the chicken mixture and the coconut milk and stir well.

A slow cooker pot containing chicken chunks in a curry sauce.

Five: Transfer it to a slow cooker.

A cooked chicken curry in a slow cooker pot.

Six: Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. Add the butter 10 minutes before finished and stir. Add a little crunch to this curry by serving with some cashew nuts on top.

Variations

Vegetables - You can give this slow cooker butter chicken curry a green veggie boost by stirring in some spinach about 15 minutes before serving. You could use kale or chard too.

When cooking the onion, you could add some finely diced bell pepper, mushrooms and courgette too. Peas are also a good addition to this curry and they will add some colour too.

Chunks of cauliflower are also good with this, as they kind of disguise themselves amongst the chicken. Once everything is coated in the sauce, you won't really be able to tell the difference.

Bulk - If you didn't want to serve this curry with rice, then you could add some cubes of sweet potato or butternut squash directly to the curry to make it more filling. Butternut squash would work well too.

You can give this an extra protein boost by adding some quick cook lentils at the same time as the coconut milk.

Creamy - An easy way to add a little extra flavour, texture and creaminess is by adding a spoonful of peanut butter (or almond or cashew).

Cooked chicken chunks in a curry sauce.

What to serve with slow cooker butter chicken

Curry goes perfectly with rice, which soaks up all that incredible creamy sauce. You could just go with plain basmati rice, or why not try our Turmeric Rice or Coconut Rice for something a little different? You could swap rice for quinoa for a protein boost.

Soft and fluffy bread is always a good option with curry too, so why not try making our Homemade Flatbreads or Easy Naan Bread - they are so simple. And then dip them in some of our homemade cucumber raita. If you want lots of flavour, then try our Peshwari Naan.

Slow cooker butter chicken leftovers

In the fridge - This is a great batch cook meal, so make extra and keep it in the fridge or freezer for those buy nights. Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 days.

In the freezer - Yes, once you have let the curry fully cool, you can transfer it in to a freezable container and then it will keep for 3 months.

Reheat - Make sure to fully defrost the curry in the fridge overnight and then you can reheat the curry in a saucepan over a medium heat until piping hot all the way through. You could also reheat it in the microwave. 

Extra tips

  • You can use light coconut milk instead of full fat in this curry, but you won't get the same creamy flavour.
  • Add a little crunch to this curry by serving with some cashew nuts on top.
  • This is a really mild curry, making it perfect for serving up to the whole family. However you you can always add a finely diced red chilli to the sauce, or just sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
  • You can give this an extra protein boost by adding some quick cook lentils at the same time as the coconut milk.
  • An easy way to add a little extra flavour, texture and creaminess is by adding a spoonful of peanut butter (or almond or cashew).
  • Add some fresh coriander (cilantro) before serving to lighten it up a little.
A plate of curry and rice in front of a balti dish containing more curry.

FAQs

Is slow cooker butter chicken healthy?

We have tried to make some lighter changes to this recipe by going easy on the butter and not adding any cream. However, the coconut milk does make this a fairly high in fat recipe. You can make this curry more nutrient dense by adding some vegetables from the suggested variations above.

What slow cooker should I use?

There really is no rule here, just make sure that the ingredients you are using can fit in your slow cooker. We use a Crock Pot DuraCeramic Slow Cooker and we love it. What I love most about it is that you can put the bowl insert on the hob too. So, you can cook the onions on the hob, in the slow cooker bowl. I also love that it has a clear lid, as I am so impatient that I want to keep looking and seeing what it is doing. If you don't have a clear lid, then lifting it to see will release lots of the heat and add to the cooking time.

How do you know when chicken is cooked?

The chicken should be perfectly cooked in the slow cooker after 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. However, we always like to use a food thermometer to check. The cooked temperature of chicken is 75°C/165°F. However, if you don't have a food thermometer, then it is best to use your judgement and stick a knife in it. It shouldn't be pink inside.

Can I cook butter chicken on the hob?

Yes, this can all be cooked on the hob and it will take around 35-40 minutes. Just make sure that the chicken is cooked through.

Why is my sauce too thin?

If you want a thicker sauce, then you could take the lid off and leave it cooking for 30 minutes more.

More curry recipes

  • Slow cooker beef massaman curry in a bowl with rice.
    Slow Cooker Beef Massaman Curry
  • A bowl of lamb keema topped with chopped coriander leaves.
    Easy Lamb Keema Curry
  • Halloumi Curry in a bowl with rice.
    Creamy Halloumi Curry
  • A plate of easy lentil curry and rice next to a blue striped towel.
    Easy Lentil Curry

If you’ve tried this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

A plate of slow cooker butter chicken on a bed of rice.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

By: Dannii Martin
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken - a mild and creamy curry spiced with aromatic herbs and spices. An easy weeknight meal!
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
The words low carb in a white circle.
Low Carb
4 from 5 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Marinading time: 2 hours hrs
Total: 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 356kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy
An illustration of a cow's head.
Meat

Ingredients

  • 600 g (21 oz) Chicken breast - chopped
  • 200 g (1 cups) Natural yogurt
  • 0.5 Lemon - juice only
  • 2 tablespoon Garam masala
  • 0.5 tablespoon Cumin
  • 0.5 tablespoon Paprika
  • 0.5 teaspoon Chilli powder
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 Onion - diced
  • 3 Garlic clove - crushed
  • 30 g (1 oz) Fresh ginger - diced
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
  • 30 g (1 oz) Butter
  • 200 ml (1 cups) Coconut milk

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add 600 g Chicken breast, 200 g Natural yogurt, juice of 0.5 Lemon, 0.5 tablespoon Cumin, 0.5 teaspoon Chilli powder and 0.5 tablespoon Paprika and mix well. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours, or it can be kept in there overnight.
  • In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil and then add 1 Onion, 3 Garlic clove and 30 g Fresh ginger and cook on low for 4-5 minutes until softened.
  • Add 2 tablespoon Garam masala and 1 tablespoon Tomato puree and stir.
  • Add the chicken mixture and 200 ml Coconut milk and stir well.
  • Transfer it to a slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. Add 30 g Butter 10 minutes before finished and stir.

Recipe Tips

  • You can use light coconut milk instead of full fat in this curry, but you won't get the same creamy flavour.
  • Add a little crunch to this curry by serving with some cashew nuts on top.
  • This is a really mild curry, making it perfect for serving up to the whole family. However you you can always add a finely diced red chilli to the sauce, or just sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
  • You can give this an extra protein boost by adding some quick cook lentils at the same time as the coconut milk.
  • An easy way to add a little extra flavour, texture and creaminess is by adding a spoonful of peanut butter (or almond or cashew).
  • Add some fresh coriander (cilantro) before serving to lighten it up a little.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 828IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. R says

    April 17, 2025 at 7:27 pm

    1 star
    I’ve never ever commented on a recipe before but felt compelled to because the meal I just ate was nothing short of disgusting. I followed the recipe exactly as described with the exact measurements and it turned out a bland, watery mess. I even marinated the chicken overnight. So disappointing, even the colour was completely unappetising. Wish I had made better use of my groceries! No creamy, rich flavour to it at all just sloppy, watery, light-tan coloured slop. Don’t waste your time or money. One star is too many.

    Reply
    • Dannii Martin says

      April 20, 2025 at 4:10 pm

      Sorry you felt this way. For something to have been disgusting, it would have had to have been off I would have thought. Bland is different from disgusting. It shouldn't be bland - if it was then perhaps your spices were not fresh enough. Spices older than 6 months will lose their flavour. It also says in the post that this is a very mild curry (which you might confuse for lacking in flavour if you are used to spicy curries) and gives the option for adding more spice. As for the colour, you can see the colour of the curry in the photos, if you followed the recipe exactly, then the colour will match that. As for it being watery - the post addresses that as well, and how to thicken it. You also won't get a rich curry, as I have written in the post that this is a healthier option. I take a lot of time to add as much extra information in the post as possible to my recipes, as most of with you have commented about here, is written in the post. I hope that helps.

      Reply
4 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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