Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
The creamiest and dreaaamiest dish
Butter chicken is just a classic isn’t it? I’ve never heard anyone complain about butter chicken and it’s one of my go-to curries when I’m deviating from my standard Tikka Masala order. Plus, there’s absolutely no shame in ordering a mild curry. Because sometimes we just want a beautifully seasoned and spiced curry that is highly dippable and family-friendly.
Why the slow cooker?
We want homemade but we want easy. I love an impressive tasting dish that is also minimal effort. With this recipe it’s a case of pour everything in, cook it on high or low, shred your chicken and blend the sauce.
On a Wednesday evening after a day of filming, travelling etc I want to walk into the house and smell this on the go. Forget your Yankee candle or White Company diffuser, I want a whiff of this butter chicken and an accompanying garlic naan.
What can I serve this with?
Serve with your choice of rice, crispy naan dippers (as pictured), poppadoms etc for the perfect Indian takeaway…or should I say fakeaway. Or, if you want to make this a little spicier, throw in some fresh chilli or flakes. However, this is typically a very mild curry so a great one for the family, or for those whose limit it a Korma.
Now I shouldn’t say this, but if it’s been a particularly busy day…microwave rice. Occasionally you need a little cheat and considering the curry is beautfully homemade and bursting with flavour, then why not?
Can I make this vegetarian?
Absolutely yes! Swap the chicken for paneer chunks. Simply chuck in bite-sized cubes for the last 30 mins of cooking. Or you could add various veggies or potato to bulk it out further.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes, this is a great batch friendly recipe, and I recommend it. So portion it off (I usually double up on the recipe so I have extra to batch) and freeze until needed. If you’re prepping this recipe to use as a frozen dump bag, gather up all your uncooked ingredients including the chicken (but don’t add the cream at this stage!) and place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Once ready to use, defrost overnight in the fridge and then follow the standard slow cooker instructions listed below. Add the cream you left out, fresh on the day instead. Knowing everything is already weighed out and good to go, saves you a little extra time!
If you’re currently in your batch era, as I am! Check out my Actually Delicious Batch Cookbook for more inspo.
I don’t have a slow cooker, what can I do?
This recipe can also be done in a pan on the hob. Just cook for 2 hours or so on a low heat. Just make sure your chicken is cooked through and there are no pink bits!
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/slow-cooker-butter-chicken/
Ingredients
- 1kg chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Knob of ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp tikka curry paste
- 500ml passata
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 cardamon pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 50g butter
- 150ml double cream
- Salt and pepper
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Tip all of the ingredients apart from the double cream into the bowl of your slow cooker, give everything a good stir to combine and pop on the lid. Cook for 4-5 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low.
- When the chicken is cooked, use a pair of tongs to gently remove it from the slow cooker and place onto a plate. Shred the chicken into smaller pieces using 2 forks.
- Remove the whole spices from the slow cooker bowl and discard. Pour in the double cream, then use a hand blender to blitz the sauce until smooth and creamy before adding the chicken back into the pot to coat. Season to taste and serve.