An Indian inspired dish – tender chicken in a creamy, aromatic tomato sauce is a year around favorite!
Butter and Chicken? Don’t let the name fool you! This recipe does NOT contain any butter! Coconut milk adds the creaminess without the dairy, and the slow cooker does all the work – makes great leftovers! Note, you really need to use CANNED coconut milk, that is full fat, to achieve the creamy sauce. If you use the boxed, or refrigerated coconut milk, you will be disappointed. 🙁
This is so dang good. Period.
I love this stuff. Really. If you’re not doing Whole30, it’s delish over white rice, garnished with sour cream and avocado. But whilst on Whole30, cilantro & avocado are my go-to garnishes over good ol’ cauliflower rice!
Where do you find Cauliflower Rice?
Well, you can make it yourself by pulsing cauli florets in the food processor, but who wants to deal with cleaning that up? Not me! I’m all about easy. Simply go to your frozen food section, and look for ‘Riced Cauliflower’. It’s cheap too! Do not buy the ‘Mashed Cauliflower’, like my husband did the last time I sent him to the store. 🙁 NOT the same thing. Just prepare as directed on package – I use the microwave.
Short on time?
If you are short on time, I have read that you can pour all the sauce ingredients into the crock of your slow cooker, mix thoroughly, and then add the chicken. I have always started the sauce on the stovetop as directed below. But I have seen TONS of comments from readers have successfully made this a dump-and-go recipe.
Recipe inspired by: Onelovelylife.com
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
A creamy, spicy, Indian inspired dish, that is a year around favorite for us! Coconut milk adds the creaminess without the dairy, and the crock pot does all the work. Serve over cauliflower rice (or rice if not Whole 30) - makes great leftovers!
Ingredients
- 1 LB chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 2 TSP coconut oil
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 TSP fresh ginger - grated
- 1 TSP coriander
- 1 TSP cumin
- 1 TSP cardamom
- 1/2 TSP salt
- 1/4-1/2 TSP cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk - (full fat) shaken to combine
- 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 C fresh cilantro - chopped (optional)
- Avocado - diced to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Heat coconut oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
- Step 2 Add onion and saute until translucent and tender.
- Step 3 Add garlic, ginger and spices – cook while stirring 1 min longer until well combined.
- Step 4 Stir in coconut milk and tomato paste until well combined.
- Step 5 Add chicken to slow cooker and pour sauce over top.
- Step 6 Cook on high heat 3-4 hours, or low heat for 6-8 hours.
- Step 7 After cooking is complete, shred chicken and mix all together with lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado.
- Step 8 Serve over cauliflower rice, rice or naan. Enjoy!
