Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (Paleo & Whole30)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy
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…
Our Paleo Butter Chicken Recipe At A Glance:
Here’s What goes Into Our 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.
Looking For More Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes? You might also like…
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili (Paleo + Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry (Paleo + Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Paleo Beef Stew (Paleo + Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (Paleo + Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup (Paleo + Whole30)
SHOP OUR FAVORITE TOOLS + INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING BUTTER CHICKEN:
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole 30)
- Total Time: 3.5 hours
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken – This paleo butter chicken 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, Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (or chicken thighs)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tsp coconut oil (or ghee)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 (14oz) can coconut milk (full fat, please)
- 1 (6oz) 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
“DUMP & GO” DIRECTIONS: If you are short on time, you can pour all the sauce ingredients into the crock of your slow cooker, give it a whisk, then add the chicken and set it to cook.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours
- Category: Main Dish, Chicken
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Indian, Indian-American
This recipe is such a winner! My family loves it. I also sometimes make this using chickpeas (pre-cooked) instead of chicken and dump them in the slow cooker with the sauce. A delicious meat-free alternative!
I’m so glad you love it! I’ve LOVED it with chickpeas when I’ve had it that way. It’s all about that sauce for me!
I made this last night and it was the best! I did add a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acid of the tomato paste and it was perfect Also, did not use the lime or the cilantro because I didn’t feel it needed it. I added cauliflower 3 hrs before it was done (cooked on low for 8 hrs) and they were perfect. I think I would make a double batch of this sauce since, once you shred the chicken, it tends to soak it up. I’ve been sharing this recipe with people because it is so good.
Cissy – I’ll have to try you cauliflower trick next time. That sounds great!
We had butter chicken in an Indian restaurant the other day and liked it so much. So I cooked up your recipe for my family, they loved it even more. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe.
Oh my goodness! What a nice thing to say! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
I made this for our family and all 7 people had seconds! I doubled it, used powdered ginger (that’s what I had), and 1/2 tsp of cayenne. I didn’t use cilantro because I got lazy and forgot to cut it ahead of time but did garnish with the lime juice. Just a little wedge squeezed over each serving. I un-paleod it and served it with basmati and naan. This will be on our menu monthly now! Thanks for the fantastic, healthy recipe! I can’t wait to browse your page and see what else I can find 🙂
I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! I almost always make rice (it’s the only way my kids will touch it!) 🙂
I made a double batch of this in my Instant Pot pressure cooker tonight… I am by no means an expert on electric pressure cookers but i cooked it on Stew/Meat setting for 35 mins (whole breasts, shredded when done). I then added some fresh green beans & cooked on Manual Setting for 5 mins… next time i would add the green beans sooner or cook a bit longer (i like them a but crunchy but think in this curry it would have been better to cook them longer).
We microwaved a potato, cubed it & threw it on top of our bowl. Should have added the potato to cooking process but i forgot. Will prob add more veggies next time… mushrooms, sweet potato, etc or serve over riced cauliflower. Your suggestion of pureed pumpkin to another commentator intrigued me… id like to experiment with that in place of half of the tomato paste. I didn’t add the extra salt since the tomato paste has plenty. We didnt miss it.
Thank hou for the healthy recipe!
Jill – That sounds delicious and makes me excited to get an Instant Pot!
This recipe is fabulous, and indeed the best butter chicken I have ever made. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it Kordula!
This was made for the Instant Pot! Used the sauté function for onions and sauce. Put in frozen chicken breasts. Put it on “slow cooker” mode, on low, for 8 hours, overnight. And was all ready for me first thing in the morning to take with me for lunch! Thank you!
YAAAAAY! I’m getting an Instant Pot for Christmas and can’t wait to try your tips! Thank you!!!
A+ meal! Thank you for this delicious recipe! My husband forgot the cilantro so I can only imagine how much better it will be next time. The chicken was just as good leftover too!
I’m SO HAPPY to hear that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing!
I can’t wait to try this! I love butter chicken and literally read every last comment and response so I would repeat a question-lol I’m doing this on the stove top. Kicking of my whole 30 in January and want new recipes from my last whole 30. Thanks!!!
Oh my goodness! That’s a LOT of comments to wade through! Thank you for being so thorough. I hope you absolutely LOVE it and I wish you the VERY BEST of luck on your Whole30!!!
Hi Emily! I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s wonderful! We have a friend who just had his gallbladder removed this past week and needs low fat stuff for a while. Have you ever tried it with light canned coconut milk? I just don’t want to sacrifice any flavor or the consistency!
Oh, that’s tough. I had mine out in high school. MANY people have made this with light coconut milk over the years with good results. My own personal taste is that I prefer the creaminess of the full-fat, but light coconut milk will work and won’t mess with the flavor much at all. It’ll just be slightly thinner. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for getting back with me! I am tripling the recipe and alreadybhave two cans of full fat so I’ll get one more of light and call it good 🙂
Hi Emily!
I was planning on trying your recipe this weekend but I only have chicken legs on hand ( bone in of course). Do you think I should adjust the cooking time when using this cut?
Thanks!
Dellie – Great question. Honestly, it’ll be close enough, I don’t think you’ll need to adjust it. Hope you LOVE it!!!
Is it okay to use frozen chicken breasts straight in the crock pot? Or should they be thawed?
Amanda – For food safety, I try to always thaw mine. (Some slow cookers don’t heat evenly/quickly enough to keep them at a safe temperature if they go in frozen)
I made this tonight on the stovetop as I didn’t have time to put it in my slow cooker. Cubed the chicken breast and added it to the sauce. Made it exactly according to the recipe. Needed to add 1/2 tsp more freshly ground sea salt. Served over homemade cauliflower rice. This was DIVINE!!! My husband even ate it as is and said he would definitely like to have this again. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Jeannie – I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! Way to go!!!
I’m currently cooking this right now in my crockpot!
I’ll update later how it comes out!
Ooh! I hope you LOVE it as much as we do!!!
I want to make this tomorrow night but wondering if you knew how to convert this for an instant pot?! Far shot, but figured I’d check 🙂 Looks so good!
Jeni – I haven’t tried it in my Instant Pot yet, but another commenter gave these directions “I made a double batch of this in my Instant Pot pressure cooker tonight… I am by no means an expert on electric pressure cookers but i cooked it on Stew/Meat setting for 35 mins (whole breasts, shredded when done).” Another said she sauteed the onions for a few minutes, added the sauce ingredients and chicken and did 15 minutes on manual (but said her sauce scorched a bit).
If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to know how it works for you and what settings you used!