This slow cooker butter chicken is an easy, creamy curry made with chicken thighs, tomato paste, warm Indian spices, Greek yogurt and, yes, actual butter. After testing versions with different tomato bases and butter substitutes, this is the combination that gave me the richer takeaway-style flavour I wanted while still storing, reheating and freezing well for meal prep.
I'm not huge on Indian cuisine. In fact, my appreciation for it is pretty much limited to butter chicken, which was both helpful and slightly inconvenient when I decided I wanted to develop my own slow cooker version.
We have an Indian takeaway literally metres from our house, so during testing I bought a serve of their butter chicken and compared the sauces side-by-side. I didn't expect my slow cooker version to taste exactly like restaurant butter chicken (because it's different cooking methods) but I did want that rich tomato, butter and spice flavour rather than a watered-down curry.
I tested diced tomatoes, passata and tomato paste, and the tomato paste won by a long way for intensity. I also tried replacing the butter, because apparently I enjoy making recipe development harder for myself, but the version with an oil-based butter substitute just didn't have the same richness. So the Greek yogurt stayed as my swap for heavy cream, but the proper butter earned its place.
TL;DR
- Servings: 8
- Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 3 hours (high); 5 hours (low)
- Meal prep: Great for meal prep because the chicken, vegetables and sauce hold up well after storing, and basmati rice turns it into a complete make-ahead meal.
- Fridge storage: 3-4 days in an airtight container with rice and chicken on opposite sides.
- Freezer storage: 3 months for best texture (freeze separate from rice).
- Reheating: Microwave for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway, or reheat the butter chicken without rice on the stovetop for approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Customise: Adjust the vegetables and spice level, or swap paprika for Kashmiri chilli powder if you have it available.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Slow cooker. Most of the cooking is very hands off! Find more options in my slow cooker meal preps.
Lighter creamy sauce. Greek yogurt replaces heavy cream, similar to the approach I use in my slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta.
Vegetables included. Carrot and cauliflower cook directly in the curry so you don't need to prepare a separate vegetable side.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs. Thighs suit the longer cooking time because they stay tender and eventually break into soft chunks. I use these in my slow cooker honey mustard chicken as well for a more stewy vibe.
Tomato paste. One cup looks like a lot, but I tested this with diced tomatoes and passata and neither gave me the same concentrated flavour. Those versions were still good curries, but the tomato paste came closer to the rich butter chicken flavour I was comparing against from the takeaway.
Ginger and garlic. Fresh ginger and garlic give the strongest flavour here and are worth using if you have them; jarred versions are fine when convenience wins.
Garam masala. This is the main spice blend behind the curry, and the quantity is intentionally generous because spices mellow during several hours in the slow cooker.
Paprika. Butter chicken often uses Kashmiri chilli powder for its red colour and mild heat, but it can be harder to find in a standard supermarket, so paprika makes this version easier to shop for.
Cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric. These add earthy flavours with the turmeric also adding in a dimension of colour.
Butter. Use proper butter here. I tested an oil-based butter substitute and it didn't give the curry the same richness
Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt gives the sauce its creamy finish without using heavy cream and holds up well when the butter chicken is portioned and reheated for meal prep.
Carrots and cauliflower. They're not traditional butter chicken ingredients, but they let me add vegetables without preparing another side. I don't even like cauliflower much on its own, but once it absorbs the sauce I'm happy to eat it, which is probably the strongest endorsement cauliflower is getting from me.
Basmati rice. You can serve this with whatever rice you normally buy, but basmati is my preference here and works well with the Indian-inspired curry.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Greek yogurt. Swap it for heavy cream if you want a richer, more traditional-style sauce.
Cauliflower. I used frozen cauliflower as it's already cooked and there's no need to thaw it before adding. If you're using fresh cauliflower, I recommend adding this in the last hour so that it has a chance to cook and break down. You could add it earlier but this risks it becoming a bit more mush.
Additional vegetables. Peas, spinach or green beans can be added near the end if you want more vegetables, while firmer vegetables such as potato, pumpkin and sweet potato can go in earlier. You could also add in some legumes (already hydrated) toward the end of the cook to bulk it out. Chickpeas go really well!
Spices. If you can find Kashmiri chilli powder, use it instead of paprika for a more traditional red colour and mild chilli flavour. For a hotter curry, add chilli powder or cayenne gradually near the end so you can control the final heat.
How to make slow cooker butter chicken
Step 1: Heat your searing slow cooker to sauté, or place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for approximately 3 minutes until it begins to soften, then add the garlic and fresh ginger and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the chicken thighs and brown for approximately 2 minutes on each side. They do not need to cook through at this stage; you're only building flavour on the outside. If you're using a separate pan, transfer everything to the slow cooker once browned.
Step 3: Add the tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, coriander seeds, paprika, turmeric and carrots. Stir thoroughly so the chicken and vegetables are coated in the thick spice and tomato mixture.
Note - It will look much thicker than you expect at this point. Do not immediately add a heap of liquid: the chicken and vegetables release moisture as they cook and the slow cooker traps steam instead of allowing it to evaporate.
Step 4: Cover and cook on high for approximately 3 hours or low for approximately 5 hours. The chicken should become very tender and begin breaking apart easily when pressed with a spoon or fork. For food safety, poultry should reach at least 74°C/165°F in the centre.
Step 5: During the final 30 minutes, stir through the frozen cauliflower, butter and Greek yogurt. Mix until the butter melts and the yogurt is evenly incorporated, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning or spices if needed.
Note - If the chicken has released very little moisture and the sauce is thicker than you want, add water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. If the flavour itself is too intense rather than simply too thick, add a small amount of milk instead to mellow it.
Step 6: Prepare the basmati rice according to your preferred method during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Step 7: Taste the butter chicken once more, adjust if necessary and serve with the basmati rice.
Lauren's Top Tips
Start stronger than you think. Slow cooking softens the intensity of spices, which is why the garam masala and tomato paste can look excessive before cooking.
Taste before adjusting the spices. Once the yogurt and butter are added, the flavour changes again. Make your final spice and salt adjustments after those ingredients are incorporated rather than trying to predict it earlier.
Recommended Equipment
A searing slow cooker is useful because you can sauté the onion and brown the chicken without dirtying another pan, although a regular slow cooker and frying pan work just as well.
I also recommend glass meal prep containers for storing this one because the deeply coloured tomato and spice sauce can stain plastic containers.
Meal prepping slow cooker butter chicken
This slow cooker butter chicken is made for bulk meal prep. Chicken thighs provide the main protein, basmati rice adds carbohydrates, and the carrots and cauliflower mean you're getting vegetables in the same container rather than remembering to prep another side later.
Storing
Allow the curry to cool at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Then, store in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you're portioning it with rice, place the rice on one side of the container and the butter chicken on the other rather than spooning the curry over everything immediately.
Lauren's Meal Prep Tip
Lauren's meal prep tip: If I'm specifically stocking the freezer, I don't automatically cook enough rice for every serve. The curry is the useful part to have frozen; fresh rice is easy to add later.
Reheating
The butter chicken sauce becomes thicker after refrigeration, so add a small drizzle of water before reheating. Microwave for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through so the sauce and chicken heat evenly.
If you're reheating the butter chicken without rice, place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat for approximately 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly and adding a little water if necessary. Heat until the chicken and sauce are piping hot throughout.
Bulk meal prepping
I made this recipe as part of a bulk meal prep for the gym, which gave me a useful opportunity to test it beyond a normal household batch. One of the earlier testers I gave them used passata, and you can actually see in the photos that the sauce doesn't look as rich as the final tomato-paste version.
The standard recipe already makes around 8-10 serves, so it's an easy one to scale. I doubled it for the gym rather than cooking several small batches.
If you increase the recipe, don't assume the chicken will automatically be ready at exactly the same time. When I doubled it, the chicken took closer to the 4 hour mark on high to reach 74°C/165°F.
Freezing
Slow cooker butter chicken freezes well, but I recommend freezing the curry separately from the rice for the best texture and the most flexibility. That way the frozen butter chicken can later become a rice bowl, go with naan, or be served with whatever else you're in the mood for rather than locking yourself into one meal.
I portion mine into 1-cup Souper Cubes, as shown in the image above.
Freeze for up to approximately 3 months for best quality. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator where possible, then reheat using the microwave or stovetop methods above.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Chicken and vegetables release liquid as they cook, while a slow cooker traps steam instead of allowing moisture to evaporate as it would in an uncovered pan. This is why my recipe starts with concentrated tomato paste and no unnecessary stock or water. If your finished sauce is still thinner than you want, remove the lid for a short period at the end or allow it to sit briefly before serving.
You technically can, but I don't recommend it for this recipe. I tested a version without proper butter and another using an oil-based butter substitute, and neither had the same rich finish, so this is one ingredient I kept rather than trying to replace.
Other slow cooker recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my slow cooker meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1.2 kg (2 ⅔ lb) chicken thighs, approx. 8
- 6 carrots
- 1 onion
- 6 cloves garlic, fresh recommended
- 2 tablespoon ginger, fresh recommended
- 1 cup tomato paste, see note 1
- ¼ cup garam masala
- 2 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoon paprika, see note 2
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 500 g (4 cups) frozen cauliflower, see note 3
- 2 cup Greek yogurt, subs note 4
- ¼ cup butter, see note 5
- 2.5 cups basmati rice, yields approx. 8 cups cooked
Instructions
Preparing
- Dice the6 carrots and 1 onion, then mince the 6 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp ginger.
Cooking
- Heat a searing slow cooker on sauté, or place a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for approximately 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the 1.2 kg (2 ⅔ lb) chicken thighs and brown for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Note - They do not need to cook through. If using a separate frying pan, transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Add the 1 cup tomato paste, ¼ cup garam masala, 2 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp ground coriander seeds, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp turmeric Stir well until the chicken and vegetables are thoroughly coated.Note The mixture will look very thick at this stage, but avoid adding extra liquid as the chicken and vegetables will release moisture while cooking.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 3 hours or LOW for approximately 5 hours, until the chicken is very tender and breaks apart easily with a spoon or fork. The centre of the chicken should reach at least 74°C/165°F.
- During the final 30 minutes, stir through the 500 g (4 cups) frozen cauliflower, ¼ cup butter and 2 cup Greek yogurt. Mix until the butter has melted and the yogurt is evenly incorporated into the sauce.Note - If using fresh cauliflower, add in the last hour. Note: If the sauce is too thick, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. If the flavour is too intense, add a small amount of milk to mellow the sauce instead.If the sauce is too thin, leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes.
- During the final 30 minutes, prepare the 2.5 cups basmati rice (or as much as you're going to have with fresh servings) according to your preferred method or follow some of my tips and tricks.
- Taste the butter chicken, adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve with the basmati rice.
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