Slow Cooker Butter Chicken uses pantry spices, and has all the creamy deep flavors you’d expect from your favorite Indian restaurant.
This is not your average Chicken Dinner recipe! Making Indian Butter Chicken is even easier in the slow cooker, and it will make you want to try Easy Tandoori Chicken or Slow Cooker Tikka Masala Chicken next.
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken is the perfect recipe to make when you’re in a hurry but also in the mood for something different. When cooking Asian or Indian cuisines, you’ll often find that the spices you need are unique, expensive and not readily available. This recipe uses common pantry spices like cumin, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne along with easy to find ingredients like canned tomato sauce, fresh cream, jalapeño and cilantro, to provide layers of rich authentic flavor without searching for obscure ingredients.
This delicious Indian Recipe can be served over steamed rice as a main dish. Pair with Easy Vegetable Biryani, Saag Paneer, and Indian Raita for an easy and delicious Indian feast! And if you’re looking for an amazing Naan to go with it, check out this Homemade Naan from Domestic Superhero.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, also called Murgh Makhani, is an Indian dish made of chicken marinated and tenderized in yogurt and spices. It is then cooked and served with a creamy, slightly spicy tomato based curry sauce. Butter Chicken is similar to Chicken Tikka Masala, which also uses a creamy sauce with tomatoes and spices. Butter Chicken does not include onions and tomatoes that are usually in Tikka Masala sauce, and this slow cooker recipe makes it easy to cook the chicken and sauce together instead of in two steps.
How to Make Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- The night before cooking, add the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, salt and whole chicken breasts to a large ziplock bag. Zip the bag closed and work the mixture into the chicken until all incorporated, then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, 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 jalapeño 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). Then cook for an additional 20 minutes on high.
- Top with cilantro before serving over basmati rice.
More Homemade Indian Food Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe does not include this extra step, however it will always add more flavor if you take the time to do so. 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).
Sauté the jalapeño 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.
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Key Ingredients in Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Chicken: Use a good quality boneless skinless chicken breast for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. Usually we don’t recommend chicken breasts for slow cooker recipes because it can become overcooked. However, the combination of the yogurt marinade and creamy butter sauce will keep your chicken tender and moist.
- Yogurt Marinade: You’ll let the chicken tenderize overnight in a mixture of yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. This infuses tons of moisture and flavor into the chicken.
- Butter Sauce: After discarding the marinade, the chicken will cook slowly in a creamy sauce made with butter, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, paprika, salt, tomato sauce, and heavy cream. Towards the end of cooking, you’ll add a cornstarch slurry to thicken and finish the sauce, and garnish with bright fresh cilantro for serving.
Stovetop Indian Butter Chicken
- The night before cooking, add the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, salt and whole chicken breasts to a large ziplock bag. Zip the bag closed and work the mixture into the chicken until all incorporated, then refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to make Stovetop Indian Butter Chicken, add the butter, garlic and jalapeño to a large skillet on medium heat until you can smell the garlic, about 1 minute. Add the 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the spices darken in color. Then add in the tomato sauce and heavy cream, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the sauce from your pan and keep to the side then wipe skillet clean.
- Add in 2 tablespoons of butter and vegetable oil to your large skillet on medium high heat. Remove most of the marinade (and discard this marinade) from your chicken and add it to the skillet (you can keep the chicken whole or cut into large chunks).
- Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Top with sauce and bring to a simmer, then top with cilantro.
Variations on Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Meat: While chicken breast is perfect for absorbing all the delicious flavors of the creamy, buttery sauce, you can use another protein of your choice. Try making this recipe with cubed pork loin, steak, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or even tofu for a vegetarian option.
- Spices: Feel free to play with the spice combinations in this recipe to suit your taste. If you like spicier Indian food, include cayenne pepper in the sauce as well as the marinade. You can also swap serrano peppers for the jalapeños to increase the heat.
- Diary Free: To make a delicious dairy free Butter Chicken, swap out the butter for your favorite non dairy margarine. Substitute the heavy cream for either non-dairy half and half, or you can use full-fat coconut milk. Coconut milk also adds a delicious layer of flavor that complements the Indian spices perfectly.
- Vegetables: To bulk up your Indian Butter Chicken and add some nutritious veggies. Include 1-2 cups of diced potatoes, carrots, broccoli, peas, onions, green beans, or bell peppers in the slow cooker mixture to cook and simmer along with the chicken.
Tools used in the Making of this Indian Butter Chicken
Slow Cooker: This is a smaller version perfect for couples or singles, 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: You can use this spice rack and fill up the bottles with freshly purchased spices. It’s a beautiful item to display in the 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.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
How to Store Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- Serve: Do not leave Butter Chicken at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
- Store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Sealed tightly, Indian Butter Chicken can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3/4 teaspoons coarse ground 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 fresh cilantro , chopped
Instructions
- 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. Add the chicken pieces on top.
- 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.
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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!
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!
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!
We both said that we would definitely make this a regular, it’s so tasty, plus no need to fry anything.
Awesome
BTW, it’s 1 8oz can of tomato sauce,
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.
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!
Very nice food
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!
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.
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!
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.
Hi! This recipe looks delish and I want to make it. I was wondering though, could I use coconut milk instead of yogurt?
Sure 🙂
Definitely one of my sweetheart and my favorite meals! Delicious and thank you!
You’re welcome Resa! Thanks for the 5 stars!!
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!
Amazing and delicious! Anthony is an idiot, if you can read this be prepared for deliciousness!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
Delish! I’m making this again this weekend!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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 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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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!
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 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!
Thank you, gonna do it exactly how you do it!
Enjoy!!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!