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Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

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Your favorite Indian dish, Butter Chicken, gets a healthy makeover in this quick and easy slow cooker recipe packed with warm spices like garam masala, cumin and fenugreek.
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken and Cauliflower - The Lemon Bowl

As a busy work-at-home mom of a 3 year old and 10 month old, it’s safe to say that I have good days and bad days. On a perfect day, the boys let me sleep past 6:20AM, we all hit the gym by 10AM (I swear my kids love the kids area more than I love working out!) and dinner is prepped or cooking away in the slow cooker by 1PM.

Indian Butter Chicken Ingredients - The Lemon Bowl

Does this always happen? Heck no. Does smashing together intoxicating spices from around the world with my mortar and pestle make even the hardest days seem a little better? You betcha.

Indian Butter Chicken in Crockpot - The Lemon Bowl

When it comes to healthy eating on a budget, I always recommend stretching more expensive ingredients (i.e. organic chicken breasts) with inexpensive, filling vegetables like broccoli, kale or, in this case, cauliflower.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Butter Sauce - The Lemon BowlCurries, soups, pastas and stir-fries are ideal for this because you can really stretch a pound of meat to feed a crowd.

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken - The Lemon Bowl

Warm, aromatic, slightly spicy and totally satisfying, this healthier Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken with Cauliflower is ideal for busy weeknights. To save even more time during the dinner rush, we love using Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice but you could even skip the rice and pick up some naan bread at the store.

Your fork is waiting.

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Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken - The Lemon Bowl
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Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
4 hr
Total Time
4 hr 15 mins
 
Your favorite Indian dish, Butter Chicken, gets a healthy makeover in this quick and easy slow cooker recipe packed with warm spices like garam masala, cumin and curry.
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4
Calories: 358 kcal
Author: Liz DellaCroce
Ingredients
  • 1 pound chicken breasts cubed
  • 1 in head cauliflower cut florets
  • 15 ounce can coconut milk light
  • 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 2 tablespoons ginger root minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne optional
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
  • prepared brown rice cucumber raita and fresh cilantro - to serve
US Measurements - Convert to Metric
Instructions

  1. Place cubed chicken and cauliflower florets in the bottom of your slow cooker.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together next 12 ingredients (coconut milk through cayenne.)
  3. Lastly, using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, crush together the cumin seeds, fenugreek and cardamom pods. Add to the yogurt mixture and whisk to combine.
  4. Pour spiced yogurt mixture into the slow cooker and stir until chicken and cauliflower is evenly coated.
  5. Heat on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.

  6. Five minutes before you're ready to serve, stir in green peas. Serve over brown rice with cucumber raita and fresh cilantro if you wish.

Recipe Notes

Don't worry if you're missing a spice or two. A little curry powder goes a long way!

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 358 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 12.8g 64%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5.2g
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 1225mg 51%
Total Carbohydrates 22.9g 8%
Dietary Fiber 7.2g 29%
Sugars 9.7g
Protein 32.2g 64%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

For more cauliflower inspiration, be sure to check out these delicious #FallFest recipes!

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Red or Green: Cauliflower and Peppers Pasta with Spicy Pesto
Swing Eats: Cauliflower T-Bone Steaks with Olive, Lemon and Parsley
Dishin & Dishes: Curried Cauliflower Chowder
Domesticate Me: Three Cheese Cauliflower Gratin
Weelicious: Vegetarian Tagine
Devour: 5 Reasons to Make Cauliflower Immediately
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Cauliflower Breadsticks
Taste With The Eyes: Spiced Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut, Cilantro, Mint
FN Dish: Reasons to Reconsider Cauliflower (recipes)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I love indian food but a mild version how can I cut down on the spices in this recipe but still have that authentic indian taste.One of my favorites is Mango chicken which we buy regularly.

    Reply

  2. I was wondering if the rice is included in the nutrition fact you have listed or if they are for the chicken and cauliflower alone. Looks delicious, thank you!

    Reply

  4. This sounds great! Quick question: I have all of the spices, but they’re already in powder form. I know freshly ground is better, but I’d prefer not to purchase the seeds/pods and don’t own a mortar & pestle yet. How much of the 3 spices do you recommend when using ground (like how much do you estimate those amounts of seeds/pods produce when ground)? Thanks!

    Reply

  8. This sounds delicious. I also find it interesting that you have combined Thai curry paste with Indian curry powder. I usually think of them in terms of being totally separate and never the twain shall meet. I will have to do this on the stove top, as I don’t have a slow cooker, but I’m looking forward to having my culinary horizons expanded.

    Reply

  10. I just tried butter chicken for first time! But at home not at a restaurant lol. We all loved it. I LOVE that you added cauliflower to this! My kids love cauliflower and this is a genius way to stretch the chicken. I’m so making this.

    Reply

  13. Last weekend I made butter chicken for the first time and it was sooooo good. We were inhaling it with naan. However, this lighter version provides that I can make it much more frequently! Love the cauliflower addition too!

    Reply

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