Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Have you ever come across a recipe online that looked quite simple, but you had no idea that it would become one of your favorites? Yep. That just happened. Today’s recipe was found on Facebook. It was posted on the FoodTV Facebook page and now lands on my list for the top 10 best slow cooker recipes. I will link you to the original recipe here . But please read through my notes and you will find my modified recipe listed at the end of this blog entry.
I have always enjoyed the flavors found in Indian food. My husband on the other hand is just an average fan of Indian cooking. This dish had him going back for seconds and even thirds as he sopped up this amazing, slightly spicy sauce with plenty of fresh Naan bread. So if he enjoyed it this much, I know that those of you who are just “so-so” on Indian food will absolutely be sold on this version of Butter Chicken.
Like most recipes (except for when baking) I made modifications. I substituted 2 Serrano peppers for their recommended Fresno or Red Jalapeno (since that is what I grow in my garden). Because I wanted the dish to have a true kick, but not make you sweat or tear up, I sliced one pepper thinly and the the other pepper I sliced after removing the seeds and inner membranes. Experienced cooks know that the seeds and membranes on hot peppers is where all of the heat comes from.
Additionally I used chicken thighs with the bone in. Actually I don’t mind prepping meat, so I bought some good quality chicken thighs and removed the skin myself. Leaving the bones in adds such a depth of flavor to the overall dish it is worth doing. Once it’s cooked on low for 6 hours the bones just fall away from the meat. I ended up using 8 chicken thighs. There was plenty of sauce for all 8.
This recipe is another one of my attempts at trying to inspire cooks to move away from always using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In my opinion unless you marinate them, I find that chicken breast lacks deep chicken flavor. And since it’s such a lean piece of meat it requires perfect timing to cook it through without it becoming dry and boring. Chicken thighs are the way to go when cooking a dish low and slow.
Most of my readers know that I’m a fan of butter, No surprise that I doubled the amount from two measly tablespoons to four. It gives the sauce such a silkiness and rich flavor. I mean if you’re going to name a famous Indian dish “Butter” chicken…it ought to have a fair amount of butter in it! Four tablespoons of butter is not that much considering this pot of goodness feeds 6-8 people.
So go out and get some chicken thighs, peppers, potatoes and the absolutely essential spice (garam masala) and have yourself an amazingly delicious trip to India, if only on your plate.
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 slice naan bread
- 1 red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pound baby potatoes (red or yellow) cut in half
- 2 fresh serrano chili peppers sliced thin (remove seeds if you don't like heat)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro separate tender stems from leaves
- 1-2 pounds chicken thighs skinless, bone-in
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
- 1 stick cinnamon substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ground if you don't have sticks
- 1 15 ounce can of tomato puree
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Crumble one slice of naan and place in bottom of slow cooker
- Add the red onion, potatoes, serrano pepper and chopped cilantro stems.
- Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer over vegetables
- Sprinkle chicken thighs with garam masala, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Dot with butter. Add cinnamon stick.
- Pour tomato puree over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Cooking too much longer will cause the potatoes to be overdone.
- Turn slow cooker off. Uncover and gently stir in heavy cream. Let sit for about 10 minutes for sauce to thicken.
- Serve chicken and sauce in shallow bowls. Top with chopped cilantro leaves, a slice of lime and wedges of warm naan bread.
