Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is richly flavored, comforting and easy to make ahead in your crockpot. This dish is made with warm spices and fresh ginger to infuse the tomato-based sauce with flavor. I would describe it as only mildly spicy - the spice mainly comes from the fresh ginger. Butter chicken sauce is often finished with heavy cream, but I use full fat coconut milk for a lighter alterative. Serve the butter chicken with rice and naan bread for soaking up the delicious sauce!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk*
• For serving: cooked rice, naan bread, chopped fresh cilantro (as desired)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until melted. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
2. 2Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.
3. 3To the slow cooker, add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir until well combined.
4. 4Cut the remaining tablespoon of butter into 2 pieces and stir it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Nestle the chicken into the sauce.
5. 5Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through to at least 165° F and tender.
6. 6Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk into the sauce in the slow cooker.
7. 7Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and return it to the slow cooker.
8. 8Serve chicken and sauce over rice, with naan bread and chopped cilantro if desired.