Slow cooker butter chicken is the meal for complicated days. Dump the chicken and jarred sauce in the slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. A few hours later, you've got tender, saucy chicken begging for a pile of fluffy rice. And the leftovers? Fantastic tacos. Frankly, I've put in more effort avoiding a phone call.
Table of Contents
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🥰 Is this slow cooker butter chicken recipe for you?
- You have chicken, a jar of sauce, and absolutely no desire to complicate matters.
- You love a dump-and-go dinner that tastes like you spent more than five minutes on it.
- You believe leftovers should be just as good as dinner, preferably stuffed into a taco.
- You're perfectly comfortable letting the slow cooker do all the work while you do literally anything more interesting.
🧾 Ingredients
Two ingredients. That's it. I almost feel guilty calling this a recipe, but I've seen people make much more complicated meals with considerably worse results. Here's everything you need to work this little miracle of culinary laziness.
- Boneless chicken breasts or thighs: Either works! I use breasts, but thighs are a little more forgiving if dinner gets delayed because life has decided to be difficult.
- Butter chicken sauce: I use Patak's Spicy Butter Chicken Sauce because I like a little heat. Use your favorite brand and spice level. We're opening a jar, not applying for a Michelin star.
You'll also want some fluffy rice or buttery noodles to spoon all that saucy chicken over. Neither is technically part of the recipe, but leaving all that delicious sauce behind seems like the sort of poor decision we'd rather not discuss.
If you love ridiculously easy chicken dinners, my Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice is another comfort food favorite that practically makes itself.
📖 Recipe
2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
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- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 15 ounces butter chicken sauce, I used Patak's spicy
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with no stick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken.
- Pour the sauce over the top.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature is 165℉.
- Shred and allow to simmer 20-30 more minutes.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Get every last drop! I pour ¼ cup of water into the empty sauce jar, put the lid back on, give it a good shake, and dump it into the slow cooker. I'm not leaving perfectly good sauce behind for the recycling bin.
- Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker. Two forks and about a minute of effort. Stir everything together so every little piece gets coated in that delicious sauce.
- Want it creamier? Stir in a splash of heavy cream toward the end of cooking. Totally optional, but delicious.
- Give it a little zip. A squeeze of fresh lime juice or a handful of chopped cilantro just before serving brightens up the rich sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
Not much, honestly. If you can open a jar, you're dangerously close to being qualified to make this recipe. But just in case:
🍗 Dry chicken: Chicken breasts can dry out if cooked too long, even in sauce. Check for doneness early. The chicken should reach 165°F.
🍗 Sauce seems too thin: Chicken releases liquid as it cooks. Remove the lid and cook on High for 15 to 20 minutes to help the sauce reduce if necessary.
🍗 Not enough sauce: Shredding the chicken spreads that delicious sauce around. If you like things extra saucy, warm up another jar and stir in as much as you want.
🌮 Don't you dare throw out the leftovers
One of the reasons I shred the chicken is that the leftovers make fantastic tacos! Just pile the chicken into warm tortillas and add fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a dollop of plain yogurt. Or skip the toppings entirely. I'll eat almost anything in a taco shell, and I refuse to apologize for my priorities.
🍽 More stupid easy meals
And when you're craving something cheesy and cozy, this Crock Pot Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole gets dinner on the table without turning your kitchen into a disaster area.
🏡 Some nights, dinner is a labor of love. Other nights, it's two ingredients dumped into a slow cooker while you go find something more interesting to do. This slow cooker butter chicken is proof that a good dinner doesn't require a sink full of dishes or a personal relationship with the spice cabinet. Serve it over rice tonight, stuff the leftovers into tacos tomorrow, and enjoy being ridiculously efficient for once.
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