Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

Name: Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Asia, Indian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 medium onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons garam masala; 2 teaspoons red curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces; Hot cooked rice; Optional: Fresh cilantro leaves and naan bread

Total Time Prep: 10 min. Cook: 3 hours

Yield 8 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

Creamy, tangy, tomatoey and mildly spiced slow-cooker butter chicken is a beloved Indian dish that's easy to recreate at home.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons red curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Hot cooked rice
Optional: Fresh cilantro leaves and naan bread

Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add butter and onion. Cook and stir until onions are tender, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garam marsala, curry powder, chili powder and ginger; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Add flour. Drizzle in olive oil until a paste is formed. Whisk in coconut milk and tomato paste; cook and stir until combined and slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Using an immersion blender, carefully puree spice mixture. Transfer mixture into a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add chicken; gently stir to combine.
Cook, covered, on low until chicken is no longer pink, 3-4 hours. Serve with rice. If desired, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with naan bread.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 242 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated fat), 102mg cholesterol, 407mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 35g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1 fat.

I spent several years in Malaysia eating a variety of Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian food. This was one of my favorite dishes! There are many versions of butter chicken, but this is similar to the Middle Eastern version I had. —Shannon Copley, Upper Arlington, Ohio

Recipe Creator

Community Cook