Slow Cooker Butter Chicken With Coconut Milk

If you need a magical family recipe that will make dinner disappear at your house, look no further than this delicious Slow Cooker Butter Chicken! Amazingly fast and easy to prepare and packed full of flavor!

butter chicken with rice on a white plate

I don't know about you, but pretty much any time of year, it feels like the busiest time of year to me. No matter if it's back to school time, summer time, or the holidays, our schedules are filled with extra activities and it takes a little planning on my part to make sure we have dinner on the table. Thank goodness, as always, for my slow cooker! Of all of the slow cooker chicken recipes on my site, I love this recipe for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken possibly the most because it's easy to put together in the morning (or even the day before) and it turns out delicious every time. It's a staple in our house not only because it's easy, but because everybody loves it! I often make a double batch and the leftovers disappear for lunch the next day!

ladle in a slow cooker with butter chicken

Important Notes about this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken:

This dish is just my take on a classic food and the version I serve to my family and in no way is it truly authentic. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to make it your own!
It's not spicy at all, by design. If you'd like some spice, go for it by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
To make it vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for chickpeas!

The best thing about this meal is how easy it is to prepare. A few steps all in the slow cooker and dinner will be waiting!

collage of all steps for making slow cooker butter chicken

What does butter chicken taste like?

There are a few stories out there about the true origins of butter chicken, but some tales said it was created by accident by repurposing leftovers. And isn't that how all good recipes come about? No matter how it was created it's safe to say that butter chicken is a universally loved dish. It has mild curry flavors and a creamy tomato sauce and is great for anyone who has never tried Indian food before.

serving of butter chicken over rice with naan on white plate

Why I love this easy slow cooker meal:

Making slow cooker chicken breast can seem boring, so aren't we all always looking for new recipes to cook chicken? Chicken doesn't have to be boring! In fact, if you haven't tried butter chicken, you are in for anything but boring chicken!
Even my picky 5 year old devours it. You can make it a tad spicy or keep it mild. It's rich and creamy and made with coconut milk and a little cream added at the end for that something extra.
It's a no prep dish, meaning nothing has to be cooked ahead of time. Just toss in the slow cooker for a delicious meal at the end of the day.

slow cooker filled with butter chicken

Ingredients you need to make this butter chicken sauce:

red curry paste
turmeric
coconut milk

And if you don't love curry flavors, I'll bet you'll love this Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken recipe instead.

butter chicken with rice on a white plate

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 10 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 8

Calories 498 kcal

Slow Cooker

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
½ sweet yellow onion diced
3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground ginger
14.5 oz can coconut milk
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup heavy cream for later
2 cups Basmati Rice

Add all ingredients except cream and rice into slow cooker and stir to combine
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8
Stir in heavy cream and return cover to let it heat through while you make the rice
Cook rice according to package directions
Serve rice topped with chicken and with a side of naan if desired

This is not spicy at all. If you'd like some spice, go for it by adding some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
To make it vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for chickpeas.
To make this dairy free, you can leave out the cream and butter (yes, it is still very tasty that way!)

Calories: 498 kcal Carbohydrates: 47 g Protein: 30 g Fat: 21 g Saturated Fat: 15 g Cholesterol: 90 mg Sodium: 630 mg Potassium: 872 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 6 g Vitamin A: 850 IU Vitamin C: 9 mg Calcium: 51 mg Iron: 2.6 mg