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Crockpot Butter Chicken

This slow-cooker butter chicken delivers big flavor with almost no hands-on time, using moist chicken thighs and a silky, tangy sauce for a comforting and delicious meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 500
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs Thighs stay juicier than breasts
  • 1 onion finely chopped (sweet or yellow)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
  • 1 can 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup skyr or Greek yogurt Full-fat preferred to reduce curdling
Spices
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
  • to taste Salt and pepper
Garnish
  • to taste Fresh cilantro For garnish

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Place the chicken thighs in the Crockpot.
  2. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and crushed tomatoes on top.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the skyr (or Greek yogurt), curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and paprika until smooth.
  4. Pour the yogurt-spice mixture into the Crockpot and stir to combine with the tomatoes and aromatics.
  5. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the lid.
Cooking
  1. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and is easily shredded.
  2. Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the pot.
  3. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce until evenly coated.
  4. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Notes

To prevent yogurt from splitting, temper it by adding a few tablespoons of the hot tomato mixture to the yogurt before stirring back into the Crockpot. For a richer sauce, swirl in 1–2 tablespoons of butter or heavy cream at the end. Adjust the heat with cayenne or green chili as desired.