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Indian-inspired butter chicken curry made with plenty of spice, creamy coconut milk, fresh basil, butter, and zucchini. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice, then serve with warm naan and basil. You’ll have the perfect dinner that can be enjoyed any night of the week. This meal is quickly put together in the crockpot (or made in one pan and baked in the oven) with no additional steps. Simply mix it all together, cook, serve, and enjoy!
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And just like that, I can’t stop using my crockpot. I’ve used it in three separate recipes this week. As always, I’m reminded why I love crockpot cooking so much, especially towards the end of summer when my desire for cozier foods starts to kick in.
It may only be August, but the second we relaunch our Pumpkin Smash candle, I enter the transitional phase between autumn and fall. I’m looking forward to upcoming crisp nights with something slowly cooking, football on the TV, and delicious smells throughout the kitchen.
It’s crazy how quickly I can jump back into my cozy mode!
We’re all aware of how much I love creamy coconut-based butter chicken curry. In fact, one of our most popular recipes is a crockpot butter chicken that I shared here on HBH almost a year after we started the site.
I was recently looking back at that recipe. So when my oldest brother, Creighton, suggested curry for dinner, I thought of a few ways to reinvent a tried and true HBH recipe.
This curry came out so delicious with just a few tweaks to that recipe, like the addition of summer zucchini and basil. It’s going to be on repeat for a while over here!
Here are the details
Step 1: season the chicken
Start with the chicken. For this dish, I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use skinless thighs.
In the bowl of your crockpot (or, if in a hurry, a baking dish), toss the chicken with yogurt and add plenty of garlic and fresh ginger. Then, add all the spices: garam masala, chipotle chili powder, and cayenne.
Marinate the chicken in the crockpot bowl for ten minutes or so. Then, start cooking. If you’re in a time crunch, just start cooking. I’ve made this both ways, and there’s not a huge difference.
Step 2: everything else
Now, top the chicken with chopped onion. Mix in the tomato paste, pour over a can of coconut milk, and mix it all together until you have a very creamy sauce. Then, season with salt.
Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on high, or for 4 hours on low.
Step 3: finish
About an hour before you’re ready to eat, mix in the butter and zucchini.
After an hour, turn the heat to high. Add the basil and cilantro, and let the curry cook for 15 minutes on high to help the sauce thicken.
You’ll have perfectly cooked chicken in a delicious creamy sauce.
All you have to add to this is steamed rice and, ideally, some warm, buttery naan. It makes the dish just a touch more special. We love to use the naan to scoop up all that cream curry sauce.
This dish is so flavorful and full of color. Even though the additions I made are small, the zucchini and fresh summer garden basil make the biggest difference. They add such a nice lightness to a cozy dinner. I really think you’ll love this!
Looking for other Indian-inspired dinners? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Crockpot Creamy Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Basil Butter Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Basil Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed , cubed
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, yogurt, curry paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat the chicken. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the onion, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 2. During the last hour of cooking, mix in the butter and zucchini. Crank the heat to high. Stir in the basil and cilantro. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened. 3. Serve the chicken, zucchini, and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh basil and cilantro. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. In a baking dish, toss together the chicken, yogurt, curry paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let sit for 5 minutes.2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.3. To the chicken, stir in the onion, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Top with zucchini. Then add slices of butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Top with basil and cilantro.4. Serve the chicken, zucchini, and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh basil and cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Is there a substitute for Greek yogurt and salted butter to make it dairy free?
Hi Amanda,
You can use a dairy free yogurt and a vegan butter. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Super easy and delicious way to enjoy butter chicken at home! I left out chili flakes and cayenne (personal preference) to keep it mild and it was still super flavorful. This will definitely be a staple in our house!
Hey Jacqueline,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best week! x
Made this last night I added a little extra spice went down a treat my daughter said super yummy my husband loved it thank you for yet another great recipe.
Hey Rachel,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best week! x
My husband says this might be the best dinner I ever made him!! Thank you Tieghan for the recipe.
Hey Melissa,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have the best weekend! x
Just finished it in slow cooker late tonight. Hubs said ‘WOW’ after a small bite. He and our teen son will definitely finish it by tomorrow afternoon. Thank you Tieghan for another delicious recipe to add to my Half Baked Harvest collection
Hey Sophie,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that your family enjoyed this dish, thank you so much for making it! Happy Friday! xT
Could be my favorite of all of your recipes! LOVED this!
Thanks so much, Jenny!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for trying it! Happy Friday! xT
This looks great! If I wanted to do it in an instant pot, what sort of modification do I need to do? Thank you!!
I made it today in my Instant Pot and chose the slow cooker setting.
Thanks so much, Lyzette!!
Hi Vicky,
You could totally do this in the instant pot, it should work nicely for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
When made with the original list of ingredients it is very very spicy!!
Hey Lindsay,
Yay!! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Have a great day! xT
This recipe was soooo good! It reminded me more of a coconut red curry but it still was amazing!!
Hey Megan,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have the best weekend! x
Another great recipe! Will be adding this one to the rotation! Thank you!
Hey Heidi,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment:) Love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
This is a very good recipe. I’ve been making the authentic Indian butter chicken for years, and this one is soooo much easier for a busy weeknight family dinner and tastes great as well. Love the addition of zucchini in this recipe. Big fan of your recipes.
Hey Monica,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment:) Love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
Hi! Do you think this would be OK cooking for six hours in the crockpot on low? Worried about the chicken going mushy.
TIA, sounds delish
Hi!
This sounds delicious. I really want to try this recipe as is, but we have a coconut allergy in this household.
Any suggestions in place of the coconut milk??
Hi Gabrielle,
Totally, any other milk you enjoy will work! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Delicious! Even better as day 2 leftovers.
Hey Kali,
Yay!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thank you so much for giving it a try! xT
What can you do to thicken it I was surprised it still didn’t thicken after the recommendation.
Hey there,
Thanks for trying this recipe! Sorry to hear the sauce didn’t thicken. Did you do the oven or crockpot method? Let me know! xx
I did oven, and it was very runny…
Yum, we really enjoyed this one! My partner said restaurant grade! We’re a tad weak so I cut the red curry paste in half and skipped the red chili flakes. It still had a decent kick for us. We will put this in the dinner rotation for sure.
Thanks so much, Denise! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for giving it a try! Enjoy the short week:) x