This Crockpot Butter Chicken delivers all the rich, creamy, aromatic goodness of the classic dish with minimal effort. Your slow cooker does nearly all the work, making it perfect for busy weeknights or whenever you want a deeply satisfying meal. It’s a foolproof way to bring a restaurant favorite right to your dinner table.
Love Crockpot Butter Chicken? So do we! If you're into Crockpot Recipes or curious about Burgers, you'll find plenty of inspiration below.
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Butter Chicken
Hands-off cooking: Just a quick sauté, then your slow cooker takes over.
Outrageous flavor: Slow simmering melds spices into a complex, aromatic sauce.
Fantastic leftovers: Tastes even better the next day and reheats beautifully.
Impressively versatile: Serve over rice, with naan, or in wraps.
Ingredients & Tools
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Tools: A 6-quart or larger slow cooker, a large skillet.
Notes: Don’t swap heavy cream for lighter alternatives—the fat is crucial for a silky, non-curdled sauce. Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts during long cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 520 kcal |
| Protein: | 35 g |
| Fat: | 38 g |
| Carbs: | 12 g |
| Fiber: | 2 g |
Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 4 hours (Low) | Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Why chicken thighs? They have more fat and connective tissue than breasts, which means they become fall-apart tender in the slow cooker without drying out. It’s the best cut for this application, hands down.
- Can I use pre-made curry powder? I really recommend using the individual spices listed. Garam masala has a unique, warm flavor profile that’s different from standard curry powder. Using the separate spices gives you more control and a more authentic, layered taste.
- Don’t skip the quick sauté. It might be tempting to just dump everything in the crockpot raw, but taking five minutes to cook the onions, garlic, and ginger first unlocks their sweetness and aroma, creating a much deeper flavor base for your sauce.
- Full-fat dairy is non-negotiable. Using low-fat yogurt or cream can cause the sauce to curdle or separate during the long cooking process. The high fat content in the full-fat versions ensures a stable, velvety sauce.
How to Make Crockpot Butter Chicken
Step 1: Start by prepping your aromatics. Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. You’ll notice that getting these pieces nice and small helps them melt into the sauce more effectively, creating a smoother texture in the end.
Step 2: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the butter. Once it’s melted and foamy, add the diced onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and become translucent. You’re not looking for color here, just tenderness.
Step 3: Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the skillet. Cook for just one more minute, until incredibly fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can turn bitter. This quick bloom of the aromatics is a flavor powerhouse.
Step 4: Now, add all your ground spices—the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne—to the skillet. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds. You’ll see the color deepen and smell an incredible toasty aroma. This process, called “blooming,” wakes up the oils in the spices and makes their flavor much more potent.
Step 5: Transfer the entire contents of the skillet into the bowl of your slow cooker. To the slow cooker, add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine. The mixture will look quite thick and intensely red at this stage.
Step 6: Nestle the raw chicken thighs into the sauce mixture, making sure they are mostly submerged. Don’t worry if a corner pokes out. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 hours. The low and slow method is always preferred for the most tender meat.
Step 7: Once the cooking time is up, carefully remove the lid. The chicken should be extremely tender. Using two forks, gently shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. It should pull apart with almost no effort.
Step 8: In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the plain yogurt until smooth. This step helps temper the dairy and prevents it from curdling when it hits the hot sauce. Stir this creamy mixture into the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Step 9: Give everything a final, gentle stir, replace the lid, and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes on LOW just to heat everything through and allow the butter to melt in. The sauce will transform into a beautiful, creamy, orange-hued gravy.
Step 10: Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or a pinch of cayenne if you’d like more heat. Serve your butter chicken garnished generously with the fresh chopped cilantro. The fresh, herbal pop from the cilantro is the perfect finish to the rich, spiced sauce.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
- Reviving: Reheat gently on stovetop, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of cream or water if sauce thickens.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- Basmati Rice — The long, fluffy grains are the perfect neutral canvas to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce.
- Garlic Naan — Warm, soft, and chewy, it’s ideal for scooping up bites of chicken and sauce, making sure you don’t miss a thing.
- Simple Cucumber Salad — A quick mix of sliced cucumbers, red onion, lemon juice, and mint provides a cool, crisp contrast to the rich, warm spices.
Drinks
- A crisp Indian Lager — The light, effervescent quality of a beer like Kingfisher cuts through the richness of the cream and butter beautifully.
- Mango Lassi — This sweet and tangy yogurt-based drink is a classic pairing that cools the palate and complements the spices.
- Earl Grey Iced Tea — The bergamot notes in the tea have a surprising and delightful affinity with the warm spices in the garam masala.
Something Sweet
- Gulab Jamun — These warm, syrup-soaked milk solids balls are a traditional and decadent way to end the meal on a sweet note.
- Mango Sorbet — It’s light, refreshing, and the bright mango flavor continues the tropical fruit theme that works so well with Indian cuisine.
- Cardamom-Spiced Rice Pudding (Kheer) — A creamy, cold pudding speckled with cardamom provides a gentle, spiced sweetness that feels like a natural extension of the meal.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using chicken breasts. They simply don’t have the fat content to withstand the long cooking time and will almost certainly become dry and stringy. Thighs are the way to go for foolproof tenderness.
- Mistake: Adding the dairy too early. If you put the cream and yogurt in at the beginning, they will likely curdle and separate over the hours of cooking, giving you a grainy sauce. Always stir them in at the very end.
- Mistake: Skipping the spice bloom. Tossing raw spices directly into the slow cooker liquid means they’ll never reach their full flavor potential. That quick toast in the skillet makes a world of difference.
- Mistake: Overcooking on high heat. While you can cook this on high for 2 hours, the low and slow method is superior. It gives the chicken fibers more time to break down gently, resulting in a more luxurious texture.
Expert Tips
- Tip: For a super-smooth restaurant-style sauce, use an immersion blender to briefly puree the sauce (before adding the chicken back in if you’ve removed it) after the initial cook time. This will eliminate any chunks of onion and create a velvety, uniform texture.
- Tip: If your sauce seems a bit too thin after adding the cream, create a quick slurry by mixing one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water. Stir this into the slow cooker, turn it to high, and let it cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes to thicken up.
- Tip: For a deeper, more complex flavor, marinate the chicken thighs in the yogurt and half of the spice mix for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before cooking. It adds an extra layer of tenderness and spice penetration.
- Tip: Don’t have fresh ginger? A heaping tablespoon of ginger paste from a tube is a perfectly acceptable substitute and saves you the peeling and grating. The flavor is still fantastic.
FAQs
Can I make this Crockpot Butter Chicken ahead of time?
Absolutely, and it might even be better! You can prepare the entire recipe, let it cool completely, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors meld and intensify beautifully. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, to prevent the dairy from separating. You may need to add a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce back up.
Is it possible to freeze butter chicken?
Yes, it freezes remarkably well. Cool the finished dish completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little space for expansion. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Give it a good stir when reheating, as the sauce may separate slightly but will come back together with a little whisking.
My sauce is too spicy! How can I fix it?
Don’t worry, this is an easy fix. The best way to tame the heat is by adding more fat and sweetness. Stir in an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of brown sugar or even a teaspoon of honey. Taste and adjust until the heat level is to your liking. The cream will cool the spice while the sugar will help balance it.
Can I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream?
You can, and it will create a delicious, dairy-free version with a slight coconut flavor. Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the best results. The sauce will be a bit less rich and creamy than the original, but it’s a fantastic alternative for those with dietary restrictions.
Why did my sauce curdle?
This usually happens if the dairy was added too early or if the heat was too high when it was incorporated. The high acidity of the tomatoes can cause the proteins in the cream and yogurt to seize up. To prevent this, always temper your dairy by whisking it smooth first and only add it at the very end of the cooking process, on low heat. If it does curdle, you can often save it by vigorously whisking or blending it with an immersion blender.
Crockpot Butter Chicken
Make the easiest Crockpot Butter Chicken with this foolproof recipe. Rich, creamy, and packed with flavor with minimal effort. Get the slow cooker recipe now!
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
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2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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1 large yellow onion (finely diced)
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4 cloves garlic (minced)
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1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
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1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
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1 cup heavy cream
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1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt
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4 tbsp unsalted butter
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1 tbsp garam masala
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2 tsp ground cumin
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1 tsp turmeric
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1 tsp paprika
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1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
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1 tsp salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
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1 tbsp brown sugar
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1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
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Start by prepping your aromatics. Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger.01
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the butter. Once it’s melted and foamy, add the diced onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and become translucent.02
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Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the skillet. Cook for just one more minute, until incredibly fragrant.03
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Add all your ground spices—the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne—to the skillet. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds.04
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Transfer the entire contents of the skillet into the bowl of your slow cooker. To the slow cooker, add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir to combine.05
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Nestle the raw chicken thighs into the sauce mixture, making sure they are mostly submerged. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 hours.06
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Once the cooking time is up, carefully remove the lid. Using two forks, gently shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker.07
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In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the plain yogurt until smooth. Stir this creamy mixture into the slow cooker along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.08
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Give everything a final, gentle stir, replace the lid, and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes on LOW just to heat everything through and allow the butter to melt in.09
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Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or a pinch of cayenne if you'd like more heat. Serve your butter chicken garnished generously with the fresh chopped cilantro.10
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