Slow cooker butter chicken made with good for you ingredients and can be assembled ahead and frozen for easy weeknight dinners! Dairy-free, gluten-free, low carb and deeeelish!
Butter chicken is a total weakness of mine, and until now, I thought it had to be super heavy. But this slow cooker version is lighter without sacrificing flavor at all!
You guys are going to be blown away by this recipe! It has so much flavor, despite not sautéing anything, and despite there not being any cream or butter.
I'm sure traditionalists are going to turn their noses up at my recipe, but if you are looking for all the flavors of butter chicken, without the fat and calories, you're going to love it!
Reasons to love this slow cooker butter chicken:
- it is a freezer crockpot meal (assemble ahead and freeze!)
- it is low carb, dairy-free, and made from wholesome ingredients
- it takes 10 minutes to throw together and no pre-cooking is required!
How to make it
For this recipe, we are using tomato sauce (pureed tomatoes, not ketchup!), coconut milk, and a whole lotta spices!
Toss them all together with some cubed boneless skinless chicken thighs, and cook up.
Just before serving, we are going to add 3 tablespoons of almond flour and a teaspoon of lemon juice. This serves two purposes:
- the almond flour helps the sauce get luscious, thickened and creamy
- the lemon juice really boosts the flavor of the crockpot butter chicken
How to assemble it as a freezer crockpot meal
Crockpot freezer meals are a staple in my freezer and are an absolute lifesaver during busy weeks! Here’s how you can turn this recipe into a crockpot freezer recipe:
- Assemble all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag
or a large reusable meal prep container (Ikea has good larger glass containers, but they are quite heavy)
- Squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
So incredibly simple! When you’re ready to cook, you will need to thaw completely before placing everything in the slow cooker and cooking as directed.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts? Yes, you can! Swap an equal weight, and reduce the cook time to low 3-4 hours.
Can I add veggies? Yes, but I prefer to add them towards the end of the cooking (about 1- 1 ½ hours before serving). That way they don't get mushy! I think small cauliflower florets and frozen peas would be great in this recipe.
How can you call this butter chicken when there's no butter? LOL. This is the 'Denise-ified' version of butter chicken, I certainly don't claim it to be authentic, but I have to say I prefer this over the heavy traditional version (call me crazy!)
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Recipe tips
- this is my favorite slow cooker
- Looking for more freezer crockpot meals? Check out this Vegan Slow Cooker Tikka Masala, this Crock Pot Pulled Pork and this Freezer Asian Peanut Chicken
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into large cubes)
- 14.5 oz tomato sauce (1 can; NOT ketchup!)
- 13.5 oz coconut milk (full fat; 400 mL)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon tandoori masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Before serving
- 3 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Just before serving, stir in the almond flour, lemon juice, and adjust salt to taste.
Freezer Crockpot Meals
- Combine all ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag, 1.5 L reusable silicone freezer bag, or storage container.
- Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.
Freezer Lunch Portions
- Portion out the butter chicken with rice (or quinoa) and steamed vegetables into freezer-safe meal prep containers.
- Cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before reheating in the microwave until steaming hot.
Chevy Geach
Can this be converted to the instant pot?
Denise Bustard
Hi Chevy! I believe it would work! Make sure to use full fat coconut milk, as some people have had issues with coconut milk flaking in the IP (I have not for some reason!). I would try 6 minutes high pressure with a 10 min natural pressure release. Let me know if you try it!
Chevy Geach
Great! We will give that a try!
Karen
We really enjoyed this butter chicken, which was mild enough for our children (5 and 2) to enjoy and full of flavour. The leftovers have gone in the freezer for a night when I get home late and my husband is on kitchen duty 🙂
Denise
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Karen! It makes a great freezer meal. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Tanya
I can't find tandoori masala anywhere but jarred stuff. What spices can I use instead?
Denise
Hi Tanya! According to this post a great swap is either a homemade tandoori masala blend (here's a great looking one) or madras curry powder.
Miriam
Yum! So simple! I used a can of diced tomatoes and ended up adding 4x tablespoons of cornflour to thicken it slightly as the tomatoes are thinner than tomato sauce would have been. The lemon juice at the end really does the trick! Love it!
Denise
Hi Miriam! Thanks so much for your review, and good to know that cornstarch works as well!
Roxanne
Does it have to be almond flour? Or would regular all-purpose work as well? Recipe looks delish and can't wait to try it out!
Denise
Hi Roxanne! Looks like one reader used cornstarch instead of almond flour. Worth a try?