Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (Dairy Free)

Learn how to make a tasty, restaurant-style Paleo Slow Cooker Butter Chicken at home and ditch the premade sauce for good. Juicy chunks of chicken in a flavorful, creamy, savory and dairy-free Indian gravy! Eating well can be so easy! 

Learn how to make the best Restaurant-Style Paleo Butter Chicken in your Slow Cooker.

I've been craving Indian food like crazy lately. It all started with this Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani. There's just something about the depth of flavor found in authentic Indian cuisine that I find utterly irresistible. The more I eat it, the more I crave it. A vicious circle I thoroughly enjoy being caught in.

It was only a question of time before I would try my hand at a healthy spin on another restaurant favorite - Butter Chicken.  The reason you love it so much? Butter and cream.  In copious amounts.

The good news? We can recreate an easy paleo and dairy-free slow cooker version that has an equally authentic Indian flavor. And guess what?  You can find all of the ingredients at an average grocery store, and you’ll need no more than 15 minutes to prep it.

Creamy
Easy
Flavorful
Little hands-on time = total weeknight dinner win!

Which spices do I need for making Butter Chicken at home?

When cooking Asian or Indian dishes at home, you’ll often find that the spices you need are pretty expensive and you end up using them only once and then they just get pushed further and further back in your kitchen cabinet.

No spice hunt necessary for this Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken. It uses fairly common spices that you will most likely already have in your pantry anyway. However, the flavors rival your favorite Indian restaurant.

While you can buy pre-made butter chicken spice mixes at most stores, I prefer making my own blend. As I said, the ingredients are pretty basic - curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder! To the ground spice mix, we add some freshly grated ginger and some garlic.

Oh, and let's not forget tomato paste -  one of the most impactful, inexpensive ways to add mega flavor to all your favorite stews and curries instantly. It's also responsible for that signature pale red color.

Which cut of meat shall I use?

I used chicken breast, chopped into large chunks but you can also go with boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into large chunks.

How to make Restaurant-Style Slow Cooker Butter Chicken:

Step 1 - Mix curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 2 - Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste to the skillet. Combine (this will make a thick paste) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring.

Step 3 - Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Pour in the coconut milk and crushed tomatoes.

Step 4 & 5 - Stir until well combined. Add chicken chunks, stir again until all chicken is coated with sauce, and submerge cinnamon stick.

Step 6 - Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Give it a good stir and serve over cauliflower rice or normal rice, with lots of fresh cilantro.

Can this dish be made in advance? 

Yes, totally! This dish keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days so it’s a great dish to make ahead.

What to serve with Butter Chicken?

I like to serve this paleo curry over cauliflower rice or, if I'm craving carbs, on normal rice. Always with lots of fresh cilantro but you can also go with parsley.

When I have a bit more time and really want to push the boat out, I whip up an easy paleo and dairy-free raita using my Cashew Cream as a base and just stirring in half a grated onion, half a grated cucumber and some chopped mint and cilantro. Tip: I salt the cucumber right after grating and let that stand for 10 minutes. Then I place the grated cucumber in a double layer of paper kitchen towels and squeeze out most of the cucumber juice.

If you’re looking for an amazing Naan bread to go with it, check out this Homemade Paleo Naan and while you're at it, why not make some chutney.

Tips for making Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

• Do not use light coconut milk, it will water down the sauce.
• You can use powdered ginger but fresh tastes way better
• You could stir in some coconut cream to make this extra rich.
• For a complete gluten-free paleo slow cooker butter chicken, you’ll need to read your spice seasoning labels to check if there is any gluten added.

5 from 5 votes

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Slow Cooker Paleo Butter Chicken

Learn how to make a tasty, restaurant-style Paleo Slow Cooker Chicken at home and ditch the premade sauce for good. Juicy chunks of chicken in a flavorful creamy savory and dairy-free Indian gravy! Eating well can be so easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword healthy butter chicken recipe, paleo slow cooker dish, slow cooker butter chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Slow cooking 6 hours

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 602 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 onion minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced (or 1 tsp ground, but fresh is better)
• 6 oz tomato paste / 170 g
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 15- oz can full fat coconut milk do not use light coconut milk, it will water down the sauce
• 1 15- oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 lbs chicken breast / 1 kg -chopped into large chunks, OR 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into large chunks
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves to serve

Instructions

1. Mix curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste to the skillet. Combine (this will make a thick paste) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring.
3. Transfer to the slow cooker. Pour coconut milk and crushed tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Add chicken chunks, stir again until all chicken is coated with sauce, and submerge cinnamon stick.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Give it a good stir and serve over cauliflower rice or normal rice, with lots of fresh cilantro.

Recipe Notes

• Do not use light coconut milk, it will water down the sauce.
• You can use powdered ginger but fresh tastes way better
• You could stir in some coconut cream to make this extra rich.
• For a complete gluten-free paleo slow cooker butter chicken, you’ll need to read your spice seasoning labels to check if there is any gluten added.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Paleo Butter Chicken

Amount Per Serving (1 /4)

Calories 602 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Fat 33g51%

Saturated Fat 24g150%

Cholesterol 145mg48%

Sodium 1365mg59%

Potassium 1981mg57%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 55g110%

Vitamin A 1420IU28%

Vitamin C 27.1mg33%

Calcium 119mg12%

Iron 8.6mg48%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

 More healthy slow cooker recipes you will love:

• Slow Cooker Lemon & Rosemary Chicken
• Baked Beans
• Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili
• Ginger Beef Stew