Skip to Content

Slow cooker butter chicken

Slow cooker butter chicken

You’re going to love this slow cooker butter chicken. My kids love butter chicken but before we all decided that butter was a good thing (happy days), I used to panic at the thought of them eating it. It just sounds so… lardy.

Then I discovered that butter chicken needn’t have butter in it at all to taste great. In fact, this slow-cooker butter chicken is actually rather good for you. Served up with some homemade naan and a little tomatoey/ cucumbery/ rockety salad, you’d be hard-pressed to fault it at all. Oh, who am I kidding, lately if food isn’t conjured out of activated green air, someonemanyone is going to find fault with it.

But our whole family likes this dish just as much as they like the one made by our local Indian restaurant. I can also put it into the slow cooker before a busy afternoon strangles any chance of a decent dinner. Both these things count for an awful lot in my book.


More meal ideas here: 25 dinner recipes we make again and again


 

Slow cooker butter chicken

Slow cooker butter chicken

Makes 4 servings
Takes 15-20 minutes
Bakes 3-4 hours in the slow cooker

2 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1kg chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
2 tbsp mild curry powder
3 tbsp tandoori paste
2 tsp garam masala
1 cup tomato paste
10 green cardoman pods
1 can (400ml) coconut milk (can use lite if you prefer)
1 cup natural Greek yoghurt (can use lite if you prefer)

Heat the oil in a large fry pan to medium heat. Throw in the chicken thighs and onion and cook gently until just starting to colour.

Now add the curry power, tandoori paste, tomato paste, garam masala and cook for 2 minutes, turning continuously. Pour the lot into the slow cooker and stir a little.

Pour the coconut milk, yoghurt and half a cup of water on top of the chicken mix and stir to combine. Add the cardoman pods and stir lightly.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Remove the cardoman pods (if you can be bothered, otherwise the kids will find them for you quick smart!) and serve over a bed of rice. You can add some homemade naan bread for sopping up all of that delicious sauce.

Freeze any leftovers for another rushed day – will keep for about a month.

Slow cooker butter chicken - authentic flavour without fuss