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When the day’s busy and you’re craving something creamy, cozy, and restaurant-level, this slow cooker butter chicken is the move. It’s rich and saucy, but a little lighter than the classic.
Everything simmers low and slow so the chicken turns ultra tender and the spices bloom. Spoon it over fluffy rice, add warm naan on the side, and dinner basically serves itself.
Why You’ll Love This
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Hands-off slow cooker method with a creamy, spiced sauce that tastes like takeout—but cozier.
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Lighter spin (keep “buttery” flavor without the heaviness).
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Family-friendly heat; easy to adjust.
You see, there was a reason for that Naan yesterday.
Butter Chicken.
Butter Chicken and Naan just need each other. Especially when both are homemade and both are incredibly awesome.
And oh my gosh… So easy!
When I set out to make the Butter Chicken I wanted it to be crazy easy.
My cousin Maggie graduated from college with a teaching degree in May, and in August she started teaching full-time. Yeah, only three months later she landed her first teaching job and it’s full-time, with her very own kindergarten classroom! I know, right? The girl is pretty awesome and one of the hardest workers I know.
She’s also very busy, but really who the heck isn’t these days?
Maggie has been asking for easy crockpot recipes. You know, the ones that you can just throw everything in the bowl, turn it on and go!
So I adapted the classic Butter Chicken recipe, made a few changes to make it healthier, threw everything in the crockpot and prayed. Prayed that this (way too easy, most likely would never work) meal actually tasted somewhat edible.
Sometimes when I experiment things can turn out just plain bad. Like all the recipes I made this past weekend. Ugh…so disappointing. Let’s just not go there. But sometimes…
Yeah, sometimes I get lucky. I knew three hours in that the recipe was gonna be good.
The house smelled amazing. Almost fall like. It was awesome and so cozy.
Gotta love cozy comfort food that is not really comfort food.
I mean it’s comfort food, just a little lighter.
It’s seriously so cozy and perfect for quick weeknight meals.
Like I said, just throw it all in and go!
I have to say that normally I like browning my meat before I put it in the crockpot, but for this I did not miss it at all. There is so much flavor in the creamy sauce that you don’t need to brown the chicken first.
Which is just kind of awesome. I mean who wants to clean another pan? Not me, I’m already up to my eyeballs in dishes.
Oh, and seriously, the Naan is a must.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
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Make-ahead: Sauce develops flavor as it rests; make up to 1 day ahead and reheat gently.
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Fridge: Store airtight up to 3–4 days.
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Freeze: Up to 2–3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
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Reheat: Low and slow on the stove until hot and creamy; add a splash of water/stock if needed.
FAQ Block:
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yep—just cook until the chicken is tender and pulls apart easily. If using breasts, rely on doneness cues (juicy, easy to shred) rather than strict minutes to avoid dryness.How do I make this dairy-free?
Swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk and use olive oil in place of butter. Expect a slightly sweeter, coconut-forward finish that’s still rich and cozy.My sauce looks thin—how do I fix it?
Simmer uncovered until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line when you run a finger through it. A small cornstarch slurry also works in a pinch.Can I make it on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot?
Yes—follow the same flow: bloom spices, simmer until chicken is tender, then finish with butter/cream. Use texture and aroma cues (thick, glossy, fragrant) to know it’s ready rather than rigid timing.
Easy Healthier Crockpot Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks
- 1/2 onion, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1-2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use less if you are not a spicy person
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
- cooked white rice, for serving
- Fresh homemade naan, for scooping (a must!)
Instructions
- In a large glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the coconut milk, greek yogurt and cream. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, ginger and all the spices. Mix well.
- Spray the inside of your crockpot bowl with cooking spray or grease with olive oil. To the bowl sprinkle the onion over the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken so the chicken is completely covered. Add the butter and place the lid on the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. I like to stir mine once or twice during cooking, but it is not necessary. When ready to serve taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over rice with a big piece of fresh [Naan | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-naan-step-step-photos/]
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.
Obviously.
Thanks so much for developing this recipe! It is in the Crockpot right now and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I meant to ask…what do you garnish the dish with? Cilantro?
Yup, cilantro! Hope you love this!
If I want to make this recipe for about 8 people, would I just double every ingredient in this recipe?
I figured most things would just be doubled, however, I wasn’t sure about the tomato paste and coconut milk if doubling would be too much?
The coconut milk might be a bit much. i would start with the original amount and then add more as needed.
I’m in good company loving this recipe, I see (with good reason). I’ve spent A LOT of energy making butter chicken in a skillet and I got some inconsistent results…..so THIS method and THIS deliciousness was very welcome. Loved by everyone in the family, and served with a sigh of relief from me that it didn’t take hours of intricate steps to create. Can’t keep from mentioning the perfection of Naan to scoop and dip this with.
SO very excited this recipe is a favorite of your, THANK YOU!
So I have made this recipe numerous times and and just realized it was your blog I was looking at lol. Every one in our house loves this including the 2 year old. Tonight I decided to toss in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas..delicious, served with a side of carrot-peanut quinoa so good
So happy you love this recipe, thank you!! 🙂
This is the first recipe I tried from your blog & it was fantastic! Definitely going into the recipe book. 🙂
So happy you loved it! Thanks Marissa!
Thank you for recipe! This has been amazing dish. I have done this now three times and it is always so yammy! May I translate this one and also recipe of homemade Naan bread (my husband loves that) in finnish and add it to my blog? Of course I link it here =)
SO excited you love this recipe, Johanna!!
I would prefer if you could just link to my site for the recipe instead of reposting the recipe on yours.
Thanks so much,
Tieghan!
Made this last night for dinner, it was delicious & so, so easy. My husband came home after it had been cooking awhile & exclaimed “It smells incredible in here!” My only issue was that the sauce was very thin, & did not coat the chicken like in the photos. I did have to use a mixture of half & half & almond milk, because I didn’t have enough half & half, but I don’t think that could caused it to be as thin as it was. Maybe next time I’ll omit the half & half & just use extra yogurt, or just use the coconut cream, not the watery stuff at the bottom of the can? Anyway, again, it was very tasty & I prepared it in no time, will def make again.
SO happy you all loved this, thanks!!
I would just try leaving the top of the crockpot for 30 minutes prior to eating, that should thicken it up and also, not using the watery stuff will help too.
We tried to like it but guess we aren’t big on curry and I cut that way down.
So sorry but I tried
Hi there, I am excited to try this. Where can I buy garam masla?
Thank you! You can buy it at most grocery stores or online. Here is a link.
Oho you forgot the link. Hehe
I’ve made this before and it turned out so good! How long should I cook in the crockpot if I double or triple the recipe for a potluck?
Hey Stephanie! So happy you love this recipe. I would cook it probably 8-10 hours.
Thank you! I’m sure everyone at the potluck will love it as much as I did. 🙂
looks yummy! what would you substitute for a diary free recipe?
I would use canned coconut milk for all the dairy and then coconut yogurt in place of the greek yogurt. Hope you love this!
I wanted to like this, but it was definitely missing something that I can’t put my finger on.
Hey Nickie, sorry this was not for you. Maybe it was not spicy enough?
Wow, maybe just ONE MORE picture of that bowl would add the finishing touch.
I will not be ordering butter chicken from my favorite Indian restaurant EVER again. This is amazing. The flavors were excellent and both my husband and I agreed that I need to make this at least once a month. Just a couple notes – I forgot to buy curry paste so just upped the spices and it turned out great. I also doubled the entire recipe but should have tripled the chicken for the amount of sauce that it made.
YAEH!! This make me so happy. I am thrilled you two loved this! THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I am an Indian and was trying to find an easy way to make this for all my friends. And thanks to you, now I can.
The taste of this chicken is right on the mark!!
Thanks again.
So happy you loved this! THANKS!