The Sunday Recipe: Butter Chicken

March 8, 2020 at 8:59 pm (Recipes)

A co-worker sent me this recipe years ago after I told him how much I loved the butter chicken at our local Indian restaurant and I’ve made it many, many times since. It is easy, makes a large batch for when you have company, is gluten and dairy free, and freezes really well. I made a few changes and you can too to make it convenient for you.

The garam masala can be difficult to find so I buy it online and share it with friends. I also prefer to use fresh garlic and put it in with the onion, but that’s not always convenient. You can even bake the chicken in the oven for an hour at 400 degrees if you don’t have time or inclination to use a slow cooker. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup diced onion
• 1 – 15 ounce can coconut milk
• 1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or 2 Tablespoons wheat flour)
• 2 teaspoons garam masala spice blend
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pounds of skinless chicken breast tenders

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onion until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste and coconut milk, stirring until blended.
3. Add all the spices and heat until bubbly.
4. Mix tapioca flour into a tablespoon of cold water then stir into sauce.
5. Pour over chicken in the slow cooker and turn to coat.
6. Cook on low for 5 hours.