A simple yet tasty slow cooker butter chicken made from chicken thighs, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cream, onion and curry paste. An easy weekday fakeaway.
New Zealanders have a love affair with Indian food, and for good reason! There's nothing quite like a perfectly balanced curry served on freshly steamed rice to satisfy your hunger. The popularity of our Easy Butter Chicken recipe is testament to that! However one question kept being asked of us 'can I make this in the slow cooker?'. Instead of rewriting and reimagining a great standalone recipe, we decided to make a completely new Slow Cooker Butter Chicken.
Ingredient notes:
- Chicken thighs: This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which cook nice and slowly and become super tender. You can use chicken breast if you prefer, however you need to keep an eye on it to prevent it overcooking and drying out.
- Coconut cream: You can either use coconut cream or coconut milk in this recipe, one is obviously more creamy than the other!
- Tomatoes: The base of this recipe is built on onions and tomatoes. Both the canned tomatoes and tomato paste help create this depth of flavour.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
To the base of a slow cooker, add the tomato paste, crushed garlic, coconut cream, tomatoes, cornflour and butter chicken curry paste.
Dissolve the chicken stock cube in the boiling water, then pour it into the slow cooker. Add the diced chicken and onion then stir everything together.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the sugar if you want it to taste sweeter. Serve on top of steamed rice with a dollop of natural yoghurt.
Recipe FAQs:
The strength of butter chicken curry pastes can vary, so you may need to adjust the amount depending on the brand and your family's preference. The first time I made this, I used too much paste and the kids found the flavour too intense.
This is the ultimate throw-it-all-in slow cooker dinner. Add everything in the morning, leave it to cook and come home to a delicious family meal. Serve it with steamed rice, natural yoghurt and warm naan bread for an easy dinner everyone will enjoy.
While most of the ingredients are naturally gluten free, it is important to choose a chicken stock and curry paste that are labelled 'gluten free'.
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot. The butter chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Top tips:
- My family prefers a slightly sweeter butter chicken, which is why I've included the optional sugar. Taste the sauce first, then add it if needed.
- You can also swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, but take care not to overcook it as breast can dry out more easily.
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Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
A simple yet tasty slow cooker butter chicken made from chicken thighs, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cream, onion and curry paste.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp cornflour
- 200g butter chicken curry paste, I used Pataks
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 125ml boiling water
- 1kg skinless chicken thighs, diced
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2 tsp sugar, optional
To serve
- Steamed rice
- Natural yoghurt
Instructions
- To the base of a slow cooker, add the tomato paste, crushed garlic, coconut cream, tomatoes, cornflour and butter chicken curry paste.
- Dissolve the chicken stock cube in the boiling water, then pour it into the slow cooker.
- Add the diced chicken and onion then stir everything together.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the sugar if you want it to taste sweeter.
- Serve on top of steamed rice with a dollop of natural yoghurt.
Notes
- Taste the sauce before adding the sugar, add it if you prefer a sweeter butter chicken.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot. The butter chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 290Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 35g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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