Description
Tender chicken, onions, carrots, and red bell pepper cook in a warmly spiced tomato sauce before Greek yogurt and half-and-half create a smooth, creamy finish. Serve this easy slow cooker butter chicken with rice, naan, cilantro, and lime.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled, halved, and sliced
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Cooked white rice or cauliflower rice, optional for serving
- Warm naan bread, optional for serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro, optional for serving
- Lime wedges, optional for serving
- Toasted sesame seeds, optional for serving
Instructions
- Arrange the sliced onions in an even layer across the bottom of a 6-quart or 8-quart slow cooker.
- Combine the chicken, red bell pepper, carrots, tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and salt in a large bowl. Toss until evenly coated.
- Spoon the chicken mixture over the sliced onions and spread it evenly.
- Dot the chilled butter pieces over the top of the chicken mixture.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours 30 minutes or on low for 6 hours 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the vegetables become tender.
- Remove the lid, stir the mixture thoroughly, and turn off the slow cooker.
- Let the uncovered chicken mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes, until it stops bubbling strongly and releases less steam.
- Stir the Greek yogurt and half-and-half together in a small bowl.
- Gradually stir the yogurt mixture into the chicken until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Serve over hot rice or cauliflower rice with naan, cilantro, lime wedges, and toasted sesame seeds as desired.
Notes
- Let the cooked chicken mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the yogurt and half-and-half. Adding dairy to bubbling sauce may cause curdling.
- For a dairy-free variation, replace the salted butter with vegan butter, the Greek yogurt with plain coconut yogurt, and the half-and-half with full-fat coconut milk.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs may replace chicken breasts in equal weight.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat gently and avoid boiling the sauce so the dairy stays smooth.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 358
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 592
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 112