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Slow Cooker Butter Chicken: An Effortless Indian Feast

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This slow cooker butter chicken recipe creates a velvet-smooth, deeply spiced, and flavor-packed Indian feast with minimal hands-on effort. Uses chicken thighs for ultimate tenderness.

Ingredients

Scale

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano style)

One medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

Four cloves fresh garlic

Two tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Two teaspoons Garam Masala

One teaspoon ground turmeric

One teaspoon ground cumin

One teaspoon sweet paprika

Half a teaspoon cayenne pepper

One teaspoon kosher salt

Three pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into two-inch pieces

Four tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into four pieces

One teaspoon white granulated sugar

One cup heavy whipping cream (full-fat)

Two tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the Flavor Base: Combine the crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, all dry spices (Garam Masala through salt), and sugar in a powerful blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

2. Load the Slow Cooker: Pour the entire tomato and spice puree into the slow cooker. Add the cut chicken thighs and the four pieces of cold butter directly to the sauce.

3. The Low-and-Slow Cook: Secure the lid and set the temperature. Cook on the LOW setting for five to six hours, or on the HIGH setting for two and a half to three hours.

4. Check for Doneness: Verify that the chicken is fully cooked (it should shred easily with two forks).

5. Achieve Creaminess: Gently stir in the full cup of heavy whipping cream until it is thoroughly combined and the color of the sauce changes.

6. Rest and Serve: Allow the butter chicken to rest on the WARM setting for fifteen minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

Notes

Use fresh ginger for the brightest flavor.

Adjust cayenne pepper for heat preference, or omit for a milder dish.

Serve over Basmati rice with warm Naan bread.

To fix a thin sauce, stir in a cornstarch slurry during the final 15 minutes of warming.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.flavourrecipe.com/slow-cooker-butter-chicken/