Description
This Slow Cooker Butter Chicken recipe offers a rich and flavorful Indian-inspired dish with tender chicken breasts, aromatic spices, and creamy tomato sauce. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal, it cooks low and slow to develop a deep, comforting flavor, complemented with cauliflower for added texture. Serve warm over brown rice, quinoa, or homemade naan, garnished with fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
Chicken and Vegetables
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium breasts)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small cauliflower, or 1/2 large head, cut into florets (about 4 1/2 cups)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 cloves minced garlic (about 4 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (6-ounce) can no salt added tomato paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (use coconut oil to make dairy free)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt to make dairy free)
To Serve
- Prepared brown rice
- Quinoa
- Homemade naan
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a nonstick skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Then add minced ginger, garlic, curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, kosher salt, and tomato paste. Cook everything together until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Assemble in Slow Cooker: Transfer the sautéed onion and spice mixture to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts on top, then add the cauliflower florets, and pour the tomato sauce over everything. Stir gently to coat the florets with sauce, keeping the chicken pieces underneath mostly undisturbed. Scatter the pieces of butter over the top.
- Cook Chicken: Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Be aware slow cooker times vary, so check early to prevent dryness. Once done, remove the chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
- Tenderize Cauliflower: The cauliflower may still be firm at this point. Stir the slow cooker contents well to coat the florets evenly with the sauce. Cover and continue cooking on high until the cauliflower is tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. If cauliflower is already tender, you may skip this step.
- Finish Sauce and Serve: When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the slow cooker along with the tender cauliflower. Stir in the half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Then gently fold in the Greek yogurt, taking care not to add it while the sauce is too hot to avoid curdling. Serve the butter chicken warm over brown rice, quinoa, or naan, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Use full-fat coconut milk or half-and-half for a rich sauce; light coconut milk will water it down.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute unsalted butter with coconut oil and Greek yogurt with non-dairy yogurt.
- Adjust the cooking time based on your slow cooker to prevent chicken from drying out.
- Do not stir in yogurt until the dish has cooled slightly to avoid curdling.
- Serve with your choice of grains like brown rice or quinoa, or with naan to soak up the sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
