Let’s make Slow Cooker Butter Chicken! This paleo butter chicken recipe is so easy and delicious, it’s become one of the all-time most popular recipes on this site! You’ll want to slurp the sauce with a spoon. (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Whole30)
Photos + post updated January 2021. Original post published October 2014.
Since they’re related to (and living with) a food blogger, my family is constantly eating a stream of new recipes. Some are winners that make it to the site, others are misses that send me back to the drawing board. Since we try to cut down on as much waste as possible, we eat almost everything I make for the blog. (Even most of the failures. Some failures just aren’t edible.) So it’s not super often that we repeat meals.
But some recipes are so good, they make it into the regular rotation and never leave. This Slow Cooker Paleo Butter chicken is one of those recipes. I first made this wayyy back in 2014 (when Milo was just 1!), and we’ve been making it on a regular basis ever since.
In the years since I first published this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken recipe, it’s become one of the most popular recipes on my site, has been featured around the internet, and was even been published in a magazine. I GET IT! It’s easy, it’s crazy delicious, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you licked your plate clean (been there!).
The sauce is velvety smooth (even without the traditional butter!), and it’s got a gorgeous flavor you’ll dream about after. Here’s what you need to get started…
Gather Your Ingredients
Here’s what goes into our paleo slow cooker butter chicken recipe:
- CHICKEN BREAST OR CHICKEN THIGHS. You can make our paleo butter chicken with either boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs. Chicken breast is my go-to, though thighs can be less expensive and can stay even more moist (even with the longer cooking time).
- ONION + GARLIC + GINGER. This trio of aromatics adds TONS of flavor to our butter chicken sauce and sets the stage for all the layers of flavor we’ll build in. I love using frozen garlic + frozen ginger. The flavor is identical to fresh and there aren’t any additives! Next up, we have…
- WARM SPICES + SEASONINGS. The next layer of flavor comes from warm spices like cumin, cardamom, and coriander, along with some salt and a little cayenne (or not! It’s up to you!). The flavor and aroma is mouthwatering, and the cayenne gives *juuust* a little heat without making this super spicy. (Prefer it spicy? Add more!)
- TOMATO PASTE + CANNED COCONUT MILK. Tomato paste makes this sauce velvety smooth and stirs into the coconut milk like a dream. I beg, plead, and implore you to use full-fat coconut milk for this paleo butter chicken recipe! It gives the sauce such delicious texture (especially since we’re not using butter), and helps carry the flavors. You can even use coconut cream if you like, but I don’t recommend light coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk for this recipe.
- A FEW FRESH FINISHES. Lastly, you’ll brighten up the dish by adding a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some fresh cilantro. It makes it look gorgeous and keeps the chicken cozy without feeling heavy.
What To Serve With Paleo Butter Chicken
- RICE OR CAULIFLOWER RICE. I looove having something to soak up all that lovely sauce from the paleo butter chicken. Depending on your dietary needs, you can serve this with cauliflower rice or white rice. I love it either way! (Note: for Whole30 be sure you use cauliflower rice.)
- GREEN VEGGIES. Green veggies are a natural side dish pairing with our Slow Cooker Butter Chicken and we’ve made all kinds over the years. Simply cooked broccoli (steamed or roasted), some green beans, asparagus, zucchini… it’s all good! Pick your favorite and go to town!
- THAI CUCUMBER SALAD. We’re blurring lines cuisine-wise here, but one of my recent faves is to serve my Slow Cooker Paleo Butter Chicken with my Thai Cucumber Salad. The cool, crisp, refreshing flavors of the salad are a delightful pairing with the warm, creamy, rich sauce of the butter chicken.
- FRESH PINEAPPLE OR MANGO. Or, you can cool off your mouth with some cold fruit. Pineapple and mango are lovely, though you can certainly use whatever is in season or looks good at the market!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Slow Cooker Paleo Butter Chicken
CAN I JUST “DUMP-AND-GO”? Yes. If you are short on time, you can absolutely pour all the sauce ingredients into the crock of your slow cooker, give it a whisk to smooth it out, then add the chicken. I prefer starting the sauce on the stovetop as shown because the onions are more meltingly tender and the sauce is less likely to have any lumps, but LOTS (hundreds) of readers have successfully made this paleo butter chicken as dump-and-go recipe. You do you!
NEED A SLOW COOKER? If you’re in the market, we have two that we love. (#foodblogger). First up is this one. It’s programmable, and will automatically switch the heat to the WARM setting when it’s done. You can even use the included programmable thermometer so that the heat switches to warm as soon as it’s reached the right internal temperature (which means NEVER overcooking your meat). It also comes with a lid clip to keep the lid in place (which means no sloshing if you’re carting it to a friend’s house or potluck). Our other fave is this one (our exact color isn’t sold anymore, but it’s a similar model). It’s inexpensive, easy to use, and looks cute, too!
IS BUTTER CHICKEN SPICY? It can be, but isn’t always. You can control the heat here by adding more or less cayenne pepper. The amount I suggest starting with (1/4 tsp.) will add some warmth and mild heat, but I wouldn’t say it’s super spicy.
FYI: SOME SLOW COOKERS RUN HOT! I’ve had a few readers in the last few years (just 2-3) tell me their sauce burned a bit toward the end of the cook time. If you’re nervous, I suggest keeping an eye on it toward the end or try using the LOW setting instead of the HIGH setting.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Paleo Slow Cooker Butter Chicken recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole 30)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (or chicken thighs)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or ghee
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk (full fat, please!)
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- juice of 1/2 lime about 1 Tbsp.
- 1/4 cup cilantro or to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saute pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and fairly tender. Add garlic, ginger, spices, and salt. Cook 1 minute longer, till all the spices are fragrant and amazing. Stir in coconut milk and tomato paste and stir until well combined.
- Add chicken to the slow cooker. Pour sauce over everything.
- Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low heat for 6-8 hours.
- Shred or dice chicken into the sauce, squeeze in lime juice, top with cilantro, and serve with your favorite vegetable, rice, or naan.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/slow-cooker-butter-chicken/
Hi!! I love making Indian food so I can’t wait to try this in the crock pot!!! Question: I have a little container of Garam masala that I made up. Can I use that and just measure out the same amount?
I’m sure it would be delicious with your garam masala mix!
I tried this recipe for the first time the other night, because I have a butter-chicken-loving boyfriend who lives with me, a love for Indian food, and an interest in trying to avoid gluten and dairy for the general dietary/digestive health of us both. We loved it!
I have homemade garam masala around most of the time and wanted to use it in this recipe for its depth of flavor. Here is what I did, which worked extremely well (note that I had doubled the recipe, so you’ll want to do half if you are making a single batch):
4T garam masala
4t curry powder
4t curry Paste
2t cayenne pepper
1/2t salt
2t turmeric
Cheers!
Ooh! Thank you for sharing Tiffany!
Would using chicken thighs impact the amount of cooking time? It sounds like a good recipe and I’m excited to try it. Thanks!
Nicole – Nope! I’ve made it using chicken thighs with these same directions without a problem. 🙂
Oh good! I’m using chicken thighs too. ?
I just made this for the first time. The sauce smelled amazing while it was cooking but, by time I took it from the crockpot, the aroma was gone and the taste was bland. Do you think I cooked it too long?
Jason – Oh, I’m sorry! It could perhaps be that it simmered too long, but it sounds like you might like yours with a bit more punch for next time. You might try adding 1.5 the amount of spices for next time, or if it’s heat you’re after, you can up the amount of cayenne or give it a splash of sriracha. I hope that helps!
Hey I’ve loved so many of your recipes and I help with content for a newsletter for runners. Could I put a link to your site and use a image of one of you recipes. You’re my go to for healthy and tasty so I’d love to spread the word while also giving you the credit and hopefully new taste testers!! Let me know-
Thanks for all your delish dishes
Maren – You are welcome to feature a photo and link to my blog for recipes any time, just please don’t publish my recipes within the content of your blog. Thanks for thinking of me!
Currently making this for the second time for tonight’s dinner. I make it on the stove top and double the sauce (because it’s SO good) since I tend to wait too late to decide what’s for dinner and then the slow cooker would have us eating at 8pm :/
In any case – we love Indian and LOVE this recipe. As newbies to Whole30/ Paleo, thank you for the recipe! It’s now on regular rotation in our house.
I’m SO glad to hear you’re enjoying it!!!
This sounds delicious! Have you ever tried to make it on the stove in a Dutch oven rather in a crock pot? (I don’t own one.) Do you think there would need to be any substitutions made if cooked on the stovetop?
Amanda – You could totally make it on the stovetop! You’d follow the same directions, prepping the sauce first, then adding the chicken. You’d simmer on low, till tender. Or, you could bake it at 300 degrees (with the lid on) for 2-3 hours. Hope that helps!
OMG, this is SO delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s a new family favorite!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jennifer!
To make it vegetarian, would you recommend substituting the chicken for chickpeas? If so, how much and is there any other change you would make to the recipe if switching to chickpeas?
Lea – Yes! You can sub chickpeas and use the same sauce. Just make the sauce as directed, then stir in 1-2 cans of cooked chickpeas (depending on how saucy you like things). You won’t need to put it in the slow cooker, since cooking the sauce will get everything tender and well blended. Just stir in the chickpeas and you’re good to go!
I am SO glad I found this recipe! I’ve made it 3 nights in a row. It’s so easy to make and delicious, I can’t get enough of it. Bonus points as my other half loves it too. Thank you!!
What a nice comment for a Monday! THANK YOU! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of my all-time favorites!
This recipe is amazing! I just keep making it so we always have some in the fridge to heat up for lunch! My 3 and 5 year old love it too (although, I leave out the cayenne so it’s not so spicy). They also love your lettuce wraps and they are pretty much on a weekly rotation around our house. Thank you for providing so many wonderful gluten-free/dairy-free recipes. I have been GFDF for a few months now and I love that your recipes work for my dietary needs, but are also enjoyed by everyone without dietary restrictions! Your blog alone has made my new endeavor possible.
Tracie – You made my day! What a happy, sweet comment. I’m so glad that your family is enjoying the recipes! My goal is always that they’re delicious enough for people with dietary restrictions and those without. I’m glad that’s working for you! Here’s to many more happy dinners to come!