Healthy Butter Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe [Paleo, Gluten-Free]

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I’ve been on a quest to create a butter chicken slow cooker recipe that I can prep & freeze ahead of time, then just dump them in the crock pot when I’m ready to eat them. And this crock pot butter chicken is a keeper for sure.

Of course, if you’d rather not prep it ahead of time, you don’t have to. Just dump all the ingredients in the crockpot and in a few hours you’ll be glad you did. I’ve provided instructions for both options below.

Tools Needed to make this healthy butter chicken recipe

• Cutting board & sharp knife
• Crockpot with timer / Slow cooker or Instant pot with slow cook option – This is going to cook your meal.
• Zester – To zest the fresh ginger. We really love using the zester to get more flavor out of the ginger.
• Freezer bag – Use these if you want to make this recipe as a freezer meal (prep the ingredients and freeze it to make later). I recently discovered these compostable freezer bags and I love them!

Ingredients in Paleo Butter Chicken

• Chicken thighs – I prefer using chicken thighs, but chicken breast would work too.
• Tomato paste – This will be the base of the sauce.
• Coconut milk – To give a little creaminess in the sauce.
• Butter/Ghee – This is where the “butter” in “butter chicken” comes from.
• Onion, Garlic & Spices – To flavor your dish and make it sooooo good.

How to make Butter Chicken in the Crockpot (2 ways)

Crock pot chicken tortilla soup – as a crockpot meal tonight

If you’re ready to make this for dinner today, I don’t blame you. Dump all the ingredients into your crockpot, turn it on low, and cook it for about 6 hours.

Then, when the chicken is cooked through, serve it in a bowl with your toppings (optional – but recommended).

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup – freezer meal for another day

If you want to prep this recipe and freeze it for another day, no problem at at all. Here’s how you do it:

• Chop the veggies.
• Add the meat, veggies, and all other ingredients to the freezer bag.
• Label the bag with “Indian Butter Chicken” and the date, then lay it flat in the freezer.
• Once it’s frozen you can stand the frozen bag up like a book to save space.

FAQ & Recipe Tips

What goes best with butter chicken?

The best traditional side dishes to serve with butter chicken are lemon rice, sweet potato samosas, and onion bhajis. You can also serve a side of Peshwari naan, curried potatoes, or Indian cabbage stir fry. For more refreshing options, try a kachumber salad or some cucumber raita.

We often serve it with rice (or cauliflower rice), cilantro, and lime…sometimes soft Paleo flatbread.

What is the sauce in butter chicken made of?

The sauces used in this butter chicken recipe are made of onion, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, ghee or butter, and several spices.

Is slow cooker good for Indian cooking?

I especially like using the slow cooker when there are a bunch of spices in a recipe (like in Indian food). The slow cooking helps the spices blend together and the end result is just delicious.

Can I make this ahead of time?

My favorite way to make this recipe (and every recipe these days) is to prep the ingredients ahead of time, and freeze it in the freezer to cook later.

If you’ve already cooked the Indian butter chicken, you can store the leftovers in the fridge or freeze them for later. It will keep well for 3-5 days in the fridge.

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