If you hopped over from our @recipestokitchen Pinterest community, welcome to my kitchen! Today I’m sharing my tested, no-fail recipe for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken—complete with ingredient swaps, visual step-by-step cues across 4 pages, and a printable recipe card below.
📌 Pin Recipe
1. Why This Recipe Works Every Time
In my test kitchen, I’ve made butter chicken more times than I can count, but this slow cooker version is the one my family begs for on busy weeks. The magic happens slowly—the chicken soaks up all those warm spices while the sauce turns silky and rich without any babysitting.
What makes this recipe work every time is the combination of yogurt-marinated chicken and a final stir of cashew cream and butter. That little trick gives you that restaurant-style velvety texture that makes everyone think you spent hours at the stove.
👩🍳 Chef Elena’s Test Kitchen Highlights (Page 1 of 4)
- Foolproof Ratios: Triple-tested with everyday supermarket ingredients so it works on your very first try.
- Balanced Flavor: Layered aromatics and proper pan temperature create rich, homemade depth without complicated steps.
- Save for Later: Tap 📌 Pin Recipe to save this dish to your dinner or baking board.
Tap Next Page (Page 2) below for my Key Ingredients & Easy Substitutions, or scroll down to check off the full Recipe Card!
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
This slow cooker butter chicken is rich, creamy, and wonderfully aromatic, with tender chicken in a velvety tomato-cashew sauce. It's a set-it-and-forget-it dinner that tastes like it simmered all day in a restaurant kitchen.
🛒 Ingredients (Check Off As You Measure)
🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the chicken with yogurt, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne if using. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
- Transfer the marinated chicken to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic, ginger, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2.5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- About 30 minutes before serving, blend the cashews with 1/4 cup water in a blender until smooth. Stir the cashew paste, heavy cream, and butter into the slow cooker. Let it cook uncovered for another 30 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot over basmati rice or with naan, garnished with fresh cilantro.
👩🍳 Chef Elena’s Kitchen Notes & Storage
For a richer flavor, sear the marinated chicken in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side before adding to the slow cooker—it adds a lovely depth. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat gently on the stove or microwave.
Pinterest Kitchen Tip: Save this recipe to your @recipestokitchen board so you can pull up the ingredient checklist at the grocery store!
