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Front view of Paleo Slow Cooker Butter Chicken with rice. Small bowls of lime wedges off to the side.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole 30)

4.93 from 80 votes
Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
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)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
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Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 277kcal

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

"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.

Video

Course: Chicken, Main Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Indian-American
Keyword: butter chicken, crock pot butter chicken, paleo butter chicken, slow cooker butter chicken, whole30 butter chicken

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 recipe (about 2/3 cup per serving) | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.7g | Protein: 20.2g | Fat: 17.9g | Saturated Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 55.2mg | Sodium: 255.9mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 4.8g | Vitamin C: 12.6mg | Calcium: 43.5mg

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/