Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken made with spices you already have in your cabinet with all the creamy deep flavors you’d expect from your favorite restaurant.
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken is one of my favorite meals to make when I’m feeling nostalgic about culinary school. The recipe is a slow cooker version of one of the first ethnic dishes I learned to cook in culinary school.
One thing I’ve learned when it came learning to cook different cuisines in client’s homes was that you try to pack light and use as much as possible in the client’s home. If they have great cookware that means you don’t have to bring in pots and pans (score one for your back!) and if they have spices that are fresh you use them (my clients pay for groceries so using existing spices was always preferable). 
There are some tweaks you can add if you’d like to take this recipe to the next level:
- Brown the chicken quickly on a high heat before cutting into chunks (don’t worry about it cooking through, that is the slow cooker’s job)
- Saute the jalapeno and garlic in the butter in a saucepan before adding the sauce ingredients into it. Yes, a second pan – but it will make an even more awesome flavor if you’d like to take the extra step.
- If you want to skip the cornstarch, scoop out the sauce and reduce it in a saucepan while you’re setting the table before dinner. Again, second pan but another trick for an additional layer of flavor.
When cooking Asian or Indian cuisines you’ll often find that the spices you need are unique, expensive and not readily available. This of course is the chef’s problem since your clients only need to be thinking “oh my goodness this is amazing!”
This Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken is the perfect set of spices and flavors that rivals your favorite Indian restaurant with none of the hunting down spices.
And if you’re looking for an amazing Naan to go with it, check out this Homemade Naan from Domestic Superhero.
Tools Used in the making of this Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken:
Slow Cooker: This is the smaller version of my normal slow cooker, but if you’d like to make it in a larger slow cooker make a double recipe. Don’t skimp on the sauce, it thickens if you have leftovers too and it is SO good you won’t want to have to ration!
AllSpice Spice Rack: I use this spice rack and fill up the bottles with freshly purchased spices. It’s basically one of the most beautiful things in my kitchen and when you’re working with a large quantity of spices, not having to hunt and peck through your cupboards makes everything go at warp speed.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Course: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 8- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
-
In a large ziploc bag the night before cooking add the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, salt and chicken (leave the chicken breasts whole here).
-
Zip the bag closed and work the mixture into the chicken until all incorporated. Refrigerate overnight.
-
Scrape off a majority of the marinade that is on the chicken and discard it. You'll have plenty of the second sauce to keep the food moist and provide enough sauce.
-
Cut the chicken into two inch chunks.
-
When you're ready to cook the chicken, add the butter, garlic and jalapeno into the bottom of the slow cooker.
-
In a small bowl add the 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, tomato sauce and heavy cream and stir to combine.
-
Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
-
Stir the cornstarch into the one tablespoon of water and add to the slow cooker and stir (stir and pour quickly since you're using more cornstarch than water it will settle quickly).
-
Cook an additional 20 minutes on high.
-
Top with cilantro before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 4 Servings, Amount per serving: calories
All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert, Inc.
Save Recipe
I assumed that when you typed: “1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 8”, that meant multiplied by 8, or 64oz. Please check for typos before publishing, I wasted a lot of money and was left embarrassed on NYE. This is the biggest cooking fail I could have fathomed.
Total amateur hour on this site.
My apologies for your embarrassment and cooking fail, it is certainly not what the site strives to be or the experience I’d hope a reader would have, especially as a professional chef.
The recipes are getting converted to a new program which has been causing glitches but I don’t see that glitch, so I am hoping it isn’t something anyone else can see and that if they do they see this comment correcting it. Either way it was there when you read it, my apologies. The amount is in fact a single can of tomato sauce.
Not sure why Anthony had such a difficult time. The recipe is written correctly as 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce. If, for example, 64 ounces of tomato sauce were required, (as Anthony interpreted,) the recipe would indicate 8 8-ounce cans or 4 16-ounce cans or 2 32-ounce cans. Perhaps Anthony misread the recipe, is a new cook, or maybe he was nervous or pressed for time considering he was preparing this dish for a party. It is really unfortunate, but in reality, Anthony created his own embarrassment. The fault lies with you, Anthony. To call this blog “amateur hour” is both unkind and unjustified. I found this recipe tasty and easy to prepare. Thanks, Sabrina, for a great ethnic slow cooker option!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and came back to let me know!
Haha why would anyone use 8 cans of tomato sauce? It’s called common sense also!
I’m not sure what recipe you were looking at Anthony, but I saw “1 8-ounce can tomato sauce.” Don’t go through life blaming other people for your mistakes….own up man!!! And even if it had wrongly indicated 64 ounces, don’t go berating other people for their innocent mistakes!
This could easily be avoided by just saying “8 oz -tomato sauce”. As a professional chef myself, that lesson is the first one I learned in culinary school; standardized recipes.We’d never have an 8oz. can of anything.
I totally agree except that the recipes are written for the home cook, not for chefs who would have hospitality sized cans of ingredients. Most of them go by the size of the can so I try and specify it as the size of the can. When I used to mention it as ounces alone I would get comments/emails/facebook comments saying “how many cans is xx ounces?” Even when I tried to say things like 8 ounces of cream cheese I would get, “How many blocks is that?”
I am not sure why he would read it that way. I am an amateur cook and understood so…
Regardless, the recipe was awesome! Thanks so much!
So glad you loved it!
My mother and grandmother taught my sister and I both how to cook. I remember just listening to everything they had to say and watching them; unfortunately it never stuck with me–cooking is just not my area of expertise, I just don’t get it at all. But reading Anthony’s response made me think of two things I did learn and have stuck with me: 1.) Don’t ever serve a “new” dish to company. AND 2.) Don’t ever serve a dish, especially a new dish, without first tasting it.
I’m enjoying this site! ??
Thank you!
Don’t blame the author of the recipe for your complete lack of comprehension skills. A second grader would know what she meant.
i have found it’s always best to try a new recipe first; before making it for a dinner party.
Anthony, that one star you gave is a scathing indictment of your own idiocy. You fool! My and my co-work have been laughing at your expense for 20 mins now.
Thank you for providing such great times!
I mean, you used HALF A GALLON of tomato sauce!! WTH Anthony! HAHAHAHAHA Amazing! Then you had the gumption to get on and flame thrower the author ~ such grace Anthony, such grace!
This is practically the best Friday I have had in a long time.
SO MANY LULZ!!!!!!
Bless your soul, sir 🙂
I’ve been laughing at “my and my co-work” for awhile now. Thank you for that! LOL
No Anthony, one 8oz can is right for this recipe so you just screwed up somehow…amateur! The recipe was good I’d make it again but I would ad some curry to give it some better authentic flavor.
YES! This was the only recipe I saw for butter chicken that didn’t use garam masala. I didn’t but have any so I tried this. The cumin flavor completely overwhelmed the dish. It doesn’t taste bad, just closer to chili than butter chicken. More spices are needed to counteract the cumin!
It is called reading comprehension Anthony. Common sense also comes into play here. Who in the world would use a half gallon of tomato sauce for a recipe meant for home cooking? You are trying to be a home cook for a small group, not a Mess Sgt. Do not blame others for your mistakes.
WOW!! I’m a novice cook. I’ve never had or made butter chicken prior to trying this recipe. It’s possible that using 1 gallon of tomato sauce was your mistake. This is an excellent recipe. After making it for my family a few times, I went to an Indian restaurant and order butter chicken to compare and it’s exactly the same as the restaurant.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Anthony,
I don’t think there’s a typo error here. They clearly said 1 8- ounce can tomato sauce. ” not 8 8- ounce canS.” I don’t think they deserve to be blamed on something that clearly isn’t their fault.
You are right about typos, of course, but at the same time, it is advisable to never serve a dish to company, especially not on a special occasion like a holiday, without having tried it first. Even if there are no typos, you don’t know if you’re going to actually like it unless you try it first.
You’re an idiot that is definitely All your fault
Perhaps Anthony should not be cooking………….NOT a nice comment!!!!!!
Anthony, I too used eight 8 oz. cans for this recipe. However, my results were phenomenal, and people at my Summer Solctice party raved. User error perhaps?
Hello! This looks amazing. I just wanted to be sure, when I use yogurt, it would be plain yogurt, right? And if I don’t have a slow cooker, can I still make this on the regular stovetop?
Thank you so much!
Plain greek yogurt, yes. I use a brand called Mountain High.
When you say scraping the marinade off in step 4- are you saying to discard or to add to the slow cooker
Discarding. You’ll have plenty of sauce with the rest of the ingredients. I’ll update the recipe for more clarity 🙂
It would be helpful if you specified that it be greek yogurt. I used regular, plain yogurt. Maybe its not a big deal? I will be cooking it today.
regular plain yogurt is totally fine too. I just like the flavor of greek yogurt and the kids eat it so it is what is on hand. As long as you didn’t use vanilla flavored since sometimes that is the “flavor” of regular yogurt.
Made this today, and served it with sides of Carrot/Lemon Rice and Garlic Roasted Green Beans. It was ambrosial. Outstanding recipe, and thank you for it!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just clarifying that you would brown the chicken after marinating if you wanted to add that extra flavour? Will be trying this recipe this week, looks amazing!
Yes, brown it after scraping off the marinade. Then cut it into chunks. Any time you can brown the protein before it goes into the slow cooker you’ll end up with a much more flavorful meal.
wish this was clear in the recipe… just turned on my slowcooker and then read the comment section, hopefully it will still cook through
Really…..it says to scape off the marinade THEN brown….. before cutting into chunks…read it…then re-read it…before you make it…
Actually if you read the directions it doesn’t say to brown after you scrape the chicken, it has it on the tips section above the ingredients and directions
“Scrape off a majority of the marinade that is on the chicken and discard it. You’ll have plenty of the second sauce to keep the food moist and provide enough sauce.
Cut the chicken into two inch chunks” read that then re read it if you have any problem understanding that the directions are wrong if you need to brown the chicken before cutting it .
I made this tonight and the chicken was rather dry. The flavors were ok but not enough like butter chicken. This was a real disappointment and I won’t be making it again.
Hi Melly, sorry you didn’t enjoy the chicken. Can I ask where the flavors didn’t live up to what you were expecting? Did you change anything along the way about how you cooked it or the amounts of spices? Would love to troubleshoot as this recipe has been a client favorite for years.
Did you use white meat or dark meat? I’m going to use chicken legs for this recipe and dark meat can stand up to a lot of cooking more than breasts. I’m very sensitive to dry chicken (meaning I dislike it very much) but my husband is not so picky just as a lot of other Americans who only eat white meat mostly. I spent most of my life where most eat thighs which is my favorite. So if I were you I would try boneless thighs and see how you like it.
Perhaps:
1 small can tomato sauce(8-oz) would be more clear? I do think side by side numbers can be confusing, but the hyphen should have been the
Clarifier. Other than that, added parentheses?
I think this could be a joke-hoax. Who would pour a half gallon of liquid into these other measurements?
Cannot wait to smell the fragrant essence!
Great recipe! I love Butter Chicken! While it was cooking, I couldn’t help but check and smells just right!
I also used my remaining Turmeric in the marinade which may have been a teaspoon, just because I hade it and thought it made sense to use with this.
So I’ve used jalapeños in the past and ended up burning the inside of my nose (blowing my nose) and my hands for days by chopping them… use gloves! I used a plastic bag because I was so afraid of the pepper!
I sautéed the garlic and pepper in double the butter (just bc I like butter), but I cooked it nice before I put it in the slow cooker.
The whole “take the sauce off the chicken” thing most confused me! I thought about rinsing it in water but was like nahhhh and then tried wiping the chunks, then just threw it all in… I don’t know how it is supposed to be done, it came out delicious by just throwing the chicken in with whatever was on it, leaving whatever residue in the bowl I used(i used tupperwear rather than a ziplock bag, maybe that would have been easier but I don’t know why yogurt sauce needs to come off).
I wanted to cook the outside of the chicken like the tips say but didn’t realize until after that it meant before marinading. So may try that next time.
Next time I will use more chicken.
I may have used less chicken but not too sure because it was just leftover chicken breast, but maybe needed 3 hours and then I added the cornstarch but I dont know if that was even necessary, when I make this again (which I will because it was delicious!) I will try with no cornstarch.
Great flavor.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. The yogurt sauce is just a marinade, you don’t have to scrape it all off by any means it is just that the second sauce makes plenty so it isn’t needed. Also, with cooking the chicken if you want to brown you do it after you marinade and before the second sauce is poured on. 🙂
I think this person cut the chicken into chunks before marinating. You might clarify better that it should be marinated whole, then the next day, remove marinate and cut into chunks. Please also expand on the bit about browning slightly- is that in a separate dish, and in the butter/jalapeño?
Good point, I will update the recipe to be clearer!
In the post I also noted how you could make the flavors a bit more developed by browning the chicken and the garlic and jalapeno. For the garlic and jalapeno you would cook it on medium heat in the butter until it just barely starts to take on any color, maybe 20-30 seconds.
With regards to browning the chicken, since it isn’t part of the recipe I don’t include oil as well. So add about a tablespoon of oil to your skillet (I’d do this before the garlic/jalapeno cooking) and cook the chicken (before cutting into chunks) on high heat until the outsides are browned. The inside can be raw it will cook through in the slow cooker.
Sorry for the confusion.
I noticed that you said you were going to clear up the confusion back in February, I’m still somewhat confused about the marinating you say put chicken and marinade in the bag (whole chicken) and then skip to scraping and cooking, because I have common sense I assume the missing step is to refrigerate it overnight and then cut and cook.
Yes, so sorry. You’ll want the chicken in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator. I’m not sure why any of my edits are saving properly. Just corrected it again. Thank you for letting me know.
I’m wanting to try this but can’t have jalapeños. Do you have any other suggestions that I can use as a substitute?
You can substitute with a serrano pepper but it’ll be spicer so I would recommend cutting the amount in half (unless you want more kick). There’s also the anaheim pepper which is a much milder pepper than the jalapeño.
I have made this without the jalapeño and the flavour is just as good without the extra spice!!
I didn’t realize you meant to marinate the chicken breasts without cutting into chunks first. Oops 🙂 I cut the chicken breast in chunks and then marinated them overnight. So I didn’t scrape the chicken just discarded the marinade. I opted not to brown the chicken for this time. I also opted not to use the jalapeño because my husband didn’t want anything too spicy hot. Only taste tested and so far it is great! We’re having this for supper tonight. I made a double batch and froze a couple of mason jars without reducing the sauce. I figure I’ll reduce the sauce when I reheat it. I’m hoping it’ll still be great after thawing. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hope you loved it!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is now a favourite at my house and many others that I have sent them the link for the recipe. My sister and husband were especially happy when I made them a double batch as a gift when they had their first baby. It also freezes well in Mason jars. I always make a double batch and then freeze it. Never stays in the freezer for long but great for those quick weeknight dinners. I take a jar out the night before and it’s perfect for supper the following day. Again, Thank you so much for this incredible recipe!
That’s a great suggestion using mason jars. Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Great recipe!!! Just wondering how many lbs in breasts you use for a recipe. I had 2 thick ones that yielded a lot of extra sauce (which is a good thing, btw). So,maybe 3lb of chicken? Also. Aside from the jalapeno what additional spice can I add to give it a kick. I only used about 1/4 of the pepper bc I don’t like jalapeno so I’d rather substitute it. Nothing crazy spicy. My stomach can’t halndke crazy spice these days.
I believe it was around 2 1/2 lbs. Most packs I buy are right at about that amount. So glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you don’t like the heat I highly suggest leaving in the jalapeno but cooking it in the butter in a pan before adding it to the slow cooker as I mentioned in the comments and in the post. It mutes the heat but leaves the flavor. Also be sure to take the seeds and the ribs out of the jalapeno before cooking. 🙂
I absolutely love it. Made it once as recipie suggests. Second time I cut up chicken, Maranaded it overnight, threaded it on skewers with cutup onions for shiskabobs then served with rice and the sauce for dipping sauce. Everyone love it.
I love the skewer idea! Thanks for the suggestion! So glad everyone loved it!
I made this last night and it turned out great! I didn’t use jalapeño, but it still had a little kick to it. Great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know!
When you say “sauce” what sauce are you referring to, not sure what to buy to make this?
The 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, tomato sauce and heavy cream make up the sauce in this recipe. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
Honestly not too impressed. Was hoping for something spicy and tasting of something similar to butter chicken but this is nothing like it. Nice approach but I just can’t wrap my brain around how curry dish didn’t include any type of curry in it.
Kylee, this recipe is a staple in my cooking for clients (not the slow cooker version) and was actually given to me by one first clients who is Indian almost 10 years ago. The idea behind it is that it is easy and has ingredients that most kitchens would have but not one person has ever told me they missed the curry flavor. I think perhaps adding more heat would’ve been what you were hoping for but for the purposes of a blog I try to avoid things that are “too” much of one thing whether that be spice, salt, pepper, oil, sugar, etc. If you like spice (and I do too) you can add more cayenne to it (I cut this from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon for the purposes of the blog/clients because otherwise it does have a lot of heat) or perhaps use an additional jalapeno and cook it for less time. If you’d like to add curry I would also suggest 2 teaspoons of garam masala but even in side by side taste tests with a more classic take on this dish I can’t say the flavor suffers for it at all. If you want to trouble shoot I am always around here or you can email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert.com. 🙂
Sabrina, would you add the garam masala and extra cayenne to the chicken marinade or the final sauce?
I’d add it to the final sauce. Enjoy!
Hi Sabrina,
So far so good-actually have everything in the slow cooker now. Just curious, should I have it on low or high for the 4 – 5 hours?
You would want to cook it on low for 4-5 hours. Hope you enjoyed it!
Sabrina, do you think smoked paprika would be okay? I have regular but am wondering if smoked would give it a good depth or would throw it off. Thanks!
I find it makes the flavor a bit off for me. But there is such a distinct flavor in this that I love that I tend to stick to the spices as is. Are you generally fan of a smoky flavor? I love smoked paprika in bbq rubs and grill recipes, but for ethnic dishes I tend to avoid them unless it specifically calls for them. Plus depending on where you got it from the smokiness can be very pronounced, then yes it would throw the flavors off quite a bit. My smoked paprika from penzey’s is quite smoky, so I am very cautious in using it.
Okay great, that definitely makes sense! Yes, my smoked paprika is quite smoky, so I’ll stick with the regular. Thanks for the quick reply! I’ll leave a rating after I’ve made it tonight 😉
SUPER good!! I gave it 4 stars only because it turned out a little more “Mexicany” (as my boyfriend described it) than I had been expecting, probably because of the cumin. Regardless, it was DELICIOUS; the sauce was thick enough, the chicken was tender enough (I even browned it beforehand). Do you have the non-crockpot recipe available as well?
So happy to hear that you guys loved it!! The non-slow cooker recipe is coming soon so keep checking back on the site!
This turned out great my first Indian dish that was quite easy! I didn’t cook the meat before hand because I had zero time in the morning before work but it still turned out great!! I can’t wait to keep trying more Indian dishes! First one down more to try. Thanks!
Yay!! So happy to hear that you loved it! Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
Does it matter if I cut the chicken and then marinate overnight? I would think this would make it more flavorful.
And
How would using dark meat change the taste and/or recipe?
I have successfully used dark meat with no issue. And Sure go for it with the cutting. I just find that when I brown it, doing it in one big piece is easier to remove a bulk of the marinade, but honestly the more surface area you can marinade, the better.
Can you marinade this for 2-3 days before browning / slowcooking
I wouldn’t marinade for more than overnight, the texture may change in 2-3 days with the yogurt marinade.
Absolutely beautiful, made it a few weeks ago used pasata sauce I didn’t have ginger or jalapeno but making it again tomorrow for friends with both those items, really looking forward to making it and eating it, very easy to make. thank you Sabrina. Andy
Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you enjoyed it!
Hi Sabrina
Do you have a page with more recipes?
Of course! If you go to the main page //dinnerthendessert.com you’ll be able to either search for specific recipes or scroll through. Look forward to seeing you around the site!
I just put this in the crock pot and CANT WAIT to try it. Out of curiosity, did anyone else’s not look so orange like the pictures? Mine hasn’t cooked at all yet so maybe the color changes as it cooks but mine is more red/pink due to the tomato sauce and cream. Smells good though!
My food never looks like the photos:/ maybe they edit the photos to look more orange?
My husband has been begging me to make this and so I would like to give it a go next week for his birthday but wondering what to substitute for the heavy cream? Is plain Greek yogurt a good option? Or is the heavy cream a necessity? I’ve never had butter chicken ?
It’s not the same consistency so I’m not 100% certain, since I’ve never tried it. It certainly wouldn’t have the same richness. I would stick to heavy cream if possible. If you do decide to try it, I’d love for you to let me know how it turns out.
I stay away from dairy, so I just substituted plain almond milk. Almond milk isn’t nearly as thick as cream, but the sauce was still thick and creamy and it tasted great!
I don’t understand why people have so much trouble understanding amounts of products. Cans have the amount of product clearly listed on the label~8 OZ./ounces= 1 cup, so obviously NOT 64 ounces which would be 2 QUARTS or half gallon~an excessive amount of sauce for four servings. Cream cheese is also clearly marked, 8oz, the smaller blocks are usually 4 ounces. For recipes calling for unusual amounts like 3 or 6 ounces there are lines on the wrapper but I usually use half a block for less than 4 ounces and the whole block for more than 4ounces~who wants to save 1 oz. or roughly 1 TBS. Cream cheese? It’s common sense cooking not rocket science!!
I would like to make this butter chicken recipe but only a mild version. I do not like hot as in spicy hot. What should I do to ensure it turns out on the mild side
If you’re still looking for the same flavor but not the heat (less spicy), cook the jalapeño in butter in a pan before adding it to the slow cooker. It mutes the heat while keeping the flavor. Also, make sure to remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño as they carry the chemical (capsaicin) that gives them their heat.
Amazing flavor and great recipe, please don’t let the mean spirited nit pick, any one who cooks at all knows common sense and personal flair is or can be available ….was a excellent flavored recipe
I made this tonight. It was awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know how much you loved it!!
Hi Sabrina! I’m so happy that I came across this recipe. I have a new slow cooker and I can’t wait to try this recipe. I plan to double the recipe since my husband and I love this dish and we always order it when we go to our favorite Indian restaurant. Quick question, did you remove the seeds of the jalapeno? If not, did it make the dish spicy? Thank you!
I did, also the ribs. You can leave one or the other to add a bit more of a kick if you wanted. 🙂
i can’t wait to try this recipe! Nothing better then coming home to a crock pot full of deliciousness! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Janette!
Thank you for sharing your recipe, Sabrina! I loved it! It was my first time eating Indian food and will not be my last. I will definitely make this recipe again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I am very excited to know new things. like this one, i was unaware of SLOW COOKER INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN Recipe So thank you for the blog.
Tried this yesterday. It is definitely a keeper. Husband even thought this was a good recipe.Thanks for sharing.
YUM! Made this tonight (including extra steps) and absolutely loved it. My partner is still raving (hours later!). Will try with thighs next time, though, as agree with another comment that it will probably take it next level. But still so, so good. Thank you!
Thanks Erin! I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and let me know how much you and your partner enjoyed it!
Hi – I came home tonight and prepped some rice and then served the butter chicken. It was very good – a brilliant slow cook receipe. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Kim! I love when the slow cooker does most of the work, don’t you? Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful recipe! I just made this for myself and the amount of spice in the sauce is just perfect. The chicken turned out moist and tender. Perfect over a bowl of rice! Thanks!
I mistakenly diced the chicken before marinating and it didn’t turn out to be a problem. Still was delectable!
So glad you enjoyed it Pat!
Awesome! Thank you so much for the 5 star rating!!
Hi Sabrina,
Your dishes photograph beautifully!
I am planning on making this dish but have seen several comments (on Pinterest, not necessarily in this comment thread) about using garam masala and/or curry powder. I don’t have those on hand but am looking to achieve the typical Indian taste (I’m Punjabi). What would I need to leave out to use garam masala and curry powder? I’m assuming I’d add it in the step where you’re making the sauce?
I’m so sorry but I’m not really sure since the flavors can be so different. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to know what worked for you though.
Great recipe… yummy! Thank you!
Thank you for the 5 stars, Mary! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! Just wondering if marinating is mandatory?
You get a better flavor result by marinading overnight but if you don’t have time or forget, you can defiantly skip that part. Just know that the depth of flavor might not be there but it’ll still be good.
Hi,
I want to make this recipe but I would like to cook it with vegetables as well. Instead of adding that corn starch, can I add in some veggies (broccoli, pepper) to soak up the sauce or would you recommend making the vegetables separately? If separately, any recipes you recommend?
Thanks!
I would recommend making the vegetable separately. I just don’t think that the flavor would be as good with them cooked in.
I would shut comments off. These are the biggest bunch of crying, lazy b*****s I have ever seen. And one woman continued to “wait for clarification ” because she was confused. Jesus Christ. And these total morons vote. And likely drive. What do they do at a stop sign? Wait for clarification? Grow up and figure things out. The author of this blog put up with way more than I would have. Some of you really need to evaluate your lives and f**k directly off. Make someone edit their own recipe? Entitled doesn’t begin to describe it. Edit it yourself and stop b*****n about every little thing. A******s.
This 100%.
I agree
Haha yasssss!!!! I kept finding myself saying “what the hell”… it’s not that difficult to read. Easiest recipe ever!
By the way, I’m making this today for dinner and cannot wait to try it! ?
My sister made this today and it was different for me as I never tried anything like this. I’m very thankful she never used the jalapeños or none of us would be able to eat it as were not big on spicy foods….But still it was a big hit with us, my 2 girls 6 & 8, my Nephew and his girlfriend and my other nephew all enjoyed it. I would make this for a supper at my house! 🙂
So glad you all enjoyed it!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and I think it’s fantastic. Just note that I have found that you should use much more than 3 chicken breasts with this recipe. I’ve used 4 chicken breasts twice cooking this recipe without up scaling any other ingredient amounts and am finding that it tastes wonderful. I am thinking about using 5 chicken breasts next time.This is important because with economies of scale the more chicken breasts I can fit in there the more worth it this recipe becomes. Also there is a discrepancy in the size of the chicken breasts being cubed. I think in one spot you say 1″ chunks but another place you say 2″. I have been doing 1″ and finding that it cooks beautifully. Love the recipe thank you very much for sharing
I just made this for my family over the weekend and they all loved it! Thank you for the clear, easy to follow instructions. It was amazing! The jalepeno is an amazing addition and sends this dish right over the top. Three cheers!
Thanks for the 5 star rating, Smokey! So glad to hear everyone loved it!
This was a delicious recipe! Easy to prep. I’ll double the recipe next time to have enough for left overs! Plus, my finicky 13 yr old lived it. Always a good thing!
That is a good thing! So glad it was a winner for everyone!!
Good taste. Mine came out with a red sauce instead of creamy. But I put in the required amounts… just thrown off by the different visual.
I’m glad you enjoyed it but I’m not sure why it wouldn’t have come out creamy. Did you change any of the ingredients or method? Feel free to email me and we can troubleshoot it together if you’d like. contact @ dinnerthendessert .com
I have really enjoyed this recipe!! I’ve made it several times with a few adjustments. I’ve left out the jalapeño when making it for larger groups and found the flavour wasn’t really affected. I have also used a little bit of flour in the crockpot to thicken as well. I would also recommend doubling the recipe. To say it serves 4 was a stretch in our house. This is by far the best homemade butter chicken recipe I’ve found and I have tried many!
Thanks for the suggestion/feedback! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Lovely! The whole family loved it!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Excellent flavour and really easy to make. I set the slow cooker before I left for work in the morning and spent only a few minutes to thicken the sauce as directed in the recipe, after I got home. Had friends over for dinner and they went for seconds…always a good sign.
Don’t you just love being able to quickly get it done?! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Absolutely awesome! I doubled the sauce recipe because I love my husband loves saucy and it turned out delicious! Poured it over some angel hair noodles and we couldn’t have had a better dinner! Thank you!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Have you ever tried cooking it on high for 2 hours?
I haven’t tried it but if you cook it on high, it might need longer than 2 hours.
Recipe was delicious Sabrina, thank you! Made it for dinner tonight and my boyfriend said it tasted just like the one at a local Indian restaurant by us; and that place is gooood! I did keep the marinade on the chicken when putting it in the slow cooker and it was amazing.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Just made this and oh my goodness ….sooo good …thank you for sharing
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Is there any brand of tomato sauce you would recommend? Do you think I can try substituting the heavy cream with coconut milk?
I really like this brand of tomato sauce (http://amzn.to/2jxaaeU). Yes, coconut milk would be a great substitution for heavy cream. I really hope you enjoy this dish!
What would you think if I substituted curry for the cumin in the sauce? I’m just curious.. I read above that someone said it was similar flavor to Mexican… I’d rather more Indian flavor.. first time trying this.
The flavors are not Mexican, I promise. I’ve served this to clients who were Indian and they were thoroughly impressed with the flavors. On the spice note, I can’t vouch for the flavor shift in using curry instead.
Thank you, gonna do it exactly how you do it!
Enjoy!!
This was so good! I first made it for just our family, as we had gone to NYC and had yummy Indian cuisine and wanted to make some Indian food at home. It was a huge hit! Even reheated as left overs the next few days it was so good. And then we made it for guests and impressed them. We used chicken thighs and the recipe was yum!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
This was delicious! I doubled the sauce and added curry powder. Will definitely make it again! Serves well over basmati rice.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This recipe was simple and delicious! I’ve tried a lot of Indian Butter chicken recipes, and with this one I feel like I finally hit gold! Full chicken taste, beautiful gold colour, perfect salt, That is exciting! I am so happy for you!Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Awww, that’s so sweet! You totally made my day! I’m so glad you made it and then came back to tell me about it!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I only marinated the chicken for half a day. I also cooked on high for 3 1/2 hours. Next time I will follow all of your steps when I have more time! Can you please tell me if you have any nutrition information on the recipe? I know I could go through and add up all the individual ingredients myself, but just thought I’d ask if it existed before I reinvent the wheel 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
Hi! I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but it’s reminiscent of a Chicken Tikka Masala, so I’m going to try it and see what my step-children think. But I was curious about your AllSpice spice rack, and your link just took me to salt and pepper grinders instead?
So sorry there was a delay in responding but it looks like that issue has been resolved. I just tested and clicked on the link and it took me to the correct spice rack item. Hopefully, it works the same for you.
I made this last night. Amazing! I used boneless skinless thighs, about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds. I doubled the sauce, but only used the same amount of marinade. Virtually nothing to scrape off. I’ve never had “authentic” butter chicken… I’m more of a Chicken Tikka Masala person, but my favorite Tikka masala recipe is very involved and is an all day affair, but worth it. This recipe was a very close second and will definitely be in my regular rotation now. Trying hard to cut carbs, I served it over cauliflower and it was great. I will likely add garam masala next time as I love that spice and always have it in my cupboard.
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Serving it over cauliflower is such a great suggestion.
If I prefer pulled chicken could I leave the chicken breast whole and just shred them at the end of the cooking time?
Of course, that’ll work too!
Could you treat this as a freezer recipe? If so, how? Thanks!
I really wouldn’t suggest it because the texture of the marinade with the yogurt will change if frozen. Sorry.
Have made this twice now and just love it! I’ve even sent the recipe to my Mum in the UK, thank you for such a wonderful and easy butter chicken recipe:)
You’re welcome Nikki!
Absolutely love this recipe and have made it several times! I have some food allergies and can’t eat at actual Indian restaurants, so this is awesome and always cures my cravings!!
So awesome to hear you’re still able to enjoy it!
I love your recipe selections haven’t tried any yet. I like to print them off so wish they were a little more printer friendly and print onto one page. I am a cook not a pc person so I can understand that they dont but would be cool.I am always seeking a website that post items like these in larger quanities also.
I made this recipe last night and it came out sooo good! That sauce had me licking the spoon! The only tweak I made was to add maybe a teaspoon of garam marsala to the sauce. This was such a great dinner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Aisha!
To brown the chicken – do I use a skillet with some oil or butter?
Yes, you’ll want to brown it on high heat in a skillet. I usually use canola oil but you can use whatever you prefer.
This was a great and quick recipe. I subbed out the dairy and used coconut milk in its place, because I am lactose intolerant. It still came out delicious, rich, and creamy. I also dumped all the chicken marinating sauce in, as not to waste it. Tasty, tasty! Thanks.
Thanks for the suggestions in regards to substitutions. So glad you enjoyed it!
I have a question – is there a risk of the milk from the yogurt curdling when cooked at a low temp for so long? How thoroughly should I scrape the marinade off before throwing the chicken in and turning on the slow cooker? Thanks in advance!
No, you’re scraping most of it off but there’s no issue with it curdling. Enjoy!
Made this today after marinating the chicken overnight. Used a little more than 3 chicken breasts based on their size. Scraped off the marinade as noted in the tips section and browned the chicken then cut it up into 2 inch potions. Sauteed the jalapeno and garlic as well. Smelled divine. Then added all the other ingredients. This turned out excellent and well worth the extra steps as well as using the cornstarch etc. It’s a wonderful blend and depth of flavours. This is a keeper. Thank you for the recipe. ? 5 stars here.
Thanks for the 5 star rating Camille!
I have loved every recipe I’ve made on here so I thought I’d give this a try. My daughters are avoiding dairy (intolerant) so I decided to use coconut yogurt and coconut milk (the fattiest clumps). It was delicious!!
Love it!! So glad you are enjoying all the recipes!
Delicious! I’ve been craving Indian food so I thought I’d give this a try and I’m so glad I did. My husband and I both loved it and he never loves my cooking. ? Clear and easy recipe. Thank you!
So glad you both loved it!
Hi there!
So sorry if this has already been discussed in the above comments; I’m in a bit of a time crunch and didn’t have a chance to read through them all.
Is this a recipe you’d recommend for freezer prep? If so, are there any adjustments you’d suggest? I’m looking for some easier weeknight recipes and this one looks great!
I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for a freezer prep recipe. It will affect the texture of the yogurt.
I know another commenter mentioned making it as a double batch and freezing the extra portion. Good luck!
Do you have the nutritional info for this? I’m wondering if I can do this on the keto diet.Thanks!
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets. I’m not familiar with the keto diet.
Fantastic!! My whole family, including my two four year olds, loved this! I’m so happy to have found your site. I’ve made several recipes from here recently and they’ve all been wonderful. I’m looking forward to cooking my way through many more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing with us, and keep them coming!!!
How awesome! I look forward to seeing you around the site!
Delish! I’m making this again this weekend!
Thank you for sharing. I have a few picky eaters and they all loved it! Now I am getting grief for not doubling the recipe. Definitely agree with browning the chicken before putting in the crockpot.
I love when I hear that picky eaters were loving it too! That’s a total success in my book!
I made this yesterday, and it turned out amazing!! The chicken was incredibly tender, and the sauce was delicious! To me, it was just the right amount of “heat.” My husband is a spicy fiend, so I’m thinking next time I’ll just sprinkle a little chili powder on his serving (unless you have a better idea). By the way, I was in a rush, so I only marinated the chicken (already cut up) for an hour. I did do the extra steps of browning the chicken and frying the butter and jalapeno. I will definitely be making this for years to come. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
I just have a question – I like to get a little sear on my meat before I cook it in the crockpot ….. do you think I could quickly sear the breasts, then put them in the marinade?
You can sear it after it’s been in the marinade, if you like.
This was amazing! It smelled and tasted authentic. The only change I made was to use half & half in place of the heavy cream. I served it on top of some basmati rice and also made some naan 🙂
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
OMG! This is the best recipe we have cooked from the internet. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Wow, that’s a huge compliment! Thank you!
Amazing and delicious! Anthony is an idiot, if you can read this be prepared for deliciousness!
Hi, I make this recipe regularly and love it. However, I’m traveling right now and don’t have a crockpot. Can I make this on the stove?
Thanks!
I’ll be posting that on the blog in a few weeks…..stay tuned!
I couldn’t find an updated recipe on your blog. Any tips on how to adapt this for the stovetop? I don’t have a small size slow cooker, and a double batch would be way too much food for us. Looking forward to trying this as it looks delicious, thanks!
For a stovetop version, cook it in a covered dutch oven at 325 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours. Enjoy!
Definitely one of my sweetheart and my favorite meals! Delicious and thank you!
You’re welcome Resa! Thanks for the 5 stars!!
Hi! This recipe looks delish and I want to make it. I was wondering though, could I use coconut milk instead of yogurt?
Sure 🙂
Hey Sabrina.
If, say I want to put this meal on before I go to work and have it ready when I get home, can I keep it in my slow cooker for the whole day? Like… 8 hours? I have done it before for other meals. I just wanted to know if it become overcooked and ruined?
Most slow cookers will turn off the cooking tempature after the time has expired and keep in a warm setting until turned off. You should be ok as long as yours works this way. You won’t want it on the full temp for 8 hours. It will most likely dry out.
I made this recipe tonight for my best friend and my husband. It was so delicious !! I want to make it for a dinner party at the end of the month and would need to double the meat. Should I double everything INCLUDING all the spices- cumin, paprika, etc .?
Yes, you would double everything, but make sure your slow cooker is large enough for a double batch!
Cooked it for dinner tonight. It’s really good and easy to make! It was my first time to cook indian food, and definitely wont be the last! I followed the extra tips you gave too, like saute the jalapeno and garlic, and cook the chicken on high heat.
can you use half & half instead of heavy cream? would it be the same amount the recipe calls for?
You should be able to substiute using the same amount. Enjoy!
I use canned coconut milk due to food allergies and it was perfect! Rich, silky….amazing? Have made this, tripling each time to have leftovers for lunches. Doing it again today
Thanks so much for the feedback, Merry! So glad you’re enjoying it!
Very nice food
This recipie is the reason I started making all of your recipes!! It’s so incredibly easy, flavorful, just enough spice (sometimes I add more jalapeños and garlic but that’s just me) This recipe is constantly asked for by my husband. He LOVES it and always says he’ll never order this out again bc I make it better at home 🙂 WIN!
Thank you so much Ariane!
Hello,
In the ingredients list it says to cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. But in the directions, Step 4 says to cut the chicken into two-inch chunks. Is the chicken supposed to remain whole while marinading? Thank you.
Sorry for the confusion! Yes, you’ll want to leave it whole while marinading and then cut it into 2 inch cubes to cook. I’ve edited it to read more clearer.
We both said that we would definitely make this a regular, it’s so tasty, plus no need to fry anything. AwesomeBTW, it’s 1 8oz can of tomato sauce,
Super impressed with this recipe! I decided to just go for it and brown the chicken and sautée the jalapeños and garlic. I was really surprised at how authentic it tasted! Will definitely make this again and try the other recipes on your site!
Thanks for the 5 stars Pam!
I understand the complaint, however, why not taste as you go to figure it out on your own? My husband works at a culinary institute and their students have to do that. I’m a stay at home mom that has to constantly make do with what I have on hand.
Seems pretty obvious to me that if you make a recipe the home cook does shoulder some responsibility. The blame game he is playing is irresponsible on his part.
Keep it up your great recipe posts! Thursday will be the 4th time making this recipe and I triple it each time to feed a family of 5 and leftovers for frozen meals for future work lunches. ?
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Hello, again! If I double the recipe, do I still slow cook for the same amount of time?Pam
It should be the same time. I’m so glad you’re loving it!
Hi just want clarity on the can of tomato “sauce” required. Do you mean tomato paste or tomato puree?
Puree 🙂
I really, really want to try this recipe! One small problem…I’m allergic to cinnamon (and nutmeg & allspice), I know that leaving it out will change the flavor, but should I give it a shot anyway?
Michelle
It’ll be a delicious dish but it definitley won’t be Indian Butter chicken as the spice is pretty important to the flavor. Enjoy!
Made this and it was a total hit! I was a little worried after reading the comment thread. My entire family of 4 loved it (including my two kiddos!). I substituted tomatoe sauce with a can of diced tomatoes that I puréed. Worked great. I did decide to increase the butter, added coconut milk at the end, and added toasted almonds and soaked raisins (per one of my favorite dishes at a local Indian restaurant). My kids would have preferred that I leave the raisins on the side. I made nan out of tortillas that had gotten too hard and served this over rice ? with lots of cilantro. This is going to be a new staple!
Is it crucial to marinate overnight? Will it kill the dish if I only do an hour?
The longer the better but in a pinch, you’ll be fine with an hour.
This is by far one of the best recipes ever! I make it every two weeks
and make sure I triple the recipe for everyone to have some later
on in the week. I receive so many compliments. I purchase Trader
Joe’s microwaveable brown rice, microwave 3 minutes and put the
chicken and sauce on top. If i could give this recipe 5 stars I would!
Compliments to the chef 🙂
Thanks so much, Shelley!
Why doesn’t the recipe have garam masala?
I was making this recipe to allow people to use spices that they usually would already have in thier pantry.
So excited to make this tonight! I’m going to use coconut milk instead of heavy cream (just a personal preference) and boneless thighs instead of breasts (they hold up to long periods of cooking better), and I’m serving it with coconut rice.
Get off the 8 cup crap. Was a good meal or not? I haven’t made it but would like to. at we have some intelligent reviews?
How can i make this more flavourful? Looks exsactly like the picture posted but dosen’t have much flavour but overall a good meal.
You can increase the spice amounts to better suite your palette. 🙂
Loved it! Easy and everyday American spices. We put it over cauliflower rice.
We tried this for dinner tonight and loved it. The prep of the marinade was very simple the night before and the a.m. prep to get it into the crock pot went fairly smoothly as well. I wish the hints weren’t buried above the recipe amongst the advertising. I did saute the garlic and Jalapeno in the butter in a small skillet before putting it into the crock pot, which I had decided to do on my own and then saw it in the hints. Also, I let the excess marinade drip off, but did not truly scrape it off, and we were happy with the result. I have an old barrel-style crock pot and also cooked the contents a little longer because I was afraid my chicken chunks might be too large, but it was wonderful, and fork tender. The only thing I plan to do differently next time is use a slightly larger jalapeno pepper and a tad more garlic for a little more heat. This was very good. I served it in bowls over steamed rice. Very satisfying.
I am wondering why there is no garem masala in this recipe as is traditionally found in butter chicken. What is substituted for it?
I wanted to use everyday pantry spices for this recipe. 🙂
I was really looking forward to trying this, but I was unfortunately disappointed. Indian cuisine is my favorite, and butter chicken is my most ordered dish. I didn’t think this tasted anything like traditional butter chicken. It was still somewhat tasty, but I don’t think I’d make it again. Perhaps too much cumin? Typically I see garam masala used. Appreciated the recipe nonetheless.
Made this tonight. Lots of butter chicken recipes out there but I choose yours as I liked the simplicity of it as well as it not packing too much heat (didn’t use jalapeno) . The dish did not disappoint. Chicken was most tender after marinating overnight. My husband and I both enjoyed the dish very much. Added basmati rice and garlic naan to the meal. I’ll have to check out what other Indian dishes you make. Hoping I’ll find a Palak Paneer recipe ;-). Thanks for a delicious recipe!
When i was discharged from the military due to medical reasons, i applied to many jobs. All with the same outcome, “Sorry, you are no longer an asset. You are now a liability and we can’t have a liability working with us.”. I became depressed as work was the only thing that i knew how to do since i was 7, working in the cotton, tobacco, and hog farms in the town i was raised in. To have that taken away from me was devastating and i became depressed at the thought i would be never be able to provide anything for my family ever again.
My wife is a hospice nurse, daughter of 5y/o is going to school now. The days while they were gone were the worst part of my day. I got lost on youtube one day and it linked me to this recipe. My wife loves Indian food, we just never had enough money to actually get any from a legit resturant. So i thought i could do something nice for my wife and kid to show how much i appreciate them both. I found myself in the kitchen that day, i found a purpose.
This recipe saved my life and for that i will be forever indebted to you. If i can no longer work to help bring food home, at least i can polish my home cooking skills enough to put good food on the table to nourish my family and help them get through another day. Thank you for helping me find myself again and i appreciate every recipe i ever come across.
-Chris
Chris, first of all thank you for your service to our country and I hope you feel honored today on Veteran’s Day. That was absolutely the most heartfelt and thoughtful comment I’ve ever gotten and the reason I became a private chef who cooked for families in their kitchens. When I started cooking for them they would tell me I’d given them their first home cooked meals in years. Some kids would say they only knew takeout. It filled my soul to know that good home cooked food was something I could give them. When I started my own family and was unable to work in people’s homes anymore this blog became my outlet. Knowing how it has affected your life is everything and more to me. Thank you so much for leaving this comment. If you ever want a specific recipe made you just email me or comment on this comment and I will put it right into the immediate schedule just for you. -Sabrina