Slow Cooker Butter Chicken | Easy Keto Dinner

⏲ ~255 min total · prep 15 · cook 240 · 4 servings

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut into pats
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato puree
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp granulated erythritol (optional, rounds the tomato acidity)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the tomato puree, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, erythritol if using, and salt directly in a 6-quart slow cooker insert.
2. Add the chicken pieces and turn them through the sauce until fully coated, then arrange the butter pats over the top.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2 1/2 hours), until the chicken is tender well past 165°F and the sauce has darkened with melted fat pooling at the edges.
4. Stir in the heavy cream, then cook uncovered on HIGH 15 minutes more until the sauce turns a uniform orange and coats the back of a spoon.
5. Taste and adjust salt, then ladle over cauliflower rice and top with cilantro if you like.

Why this recipe works

• Thighs for the long haul Boneless thighs stay tender through four hours on LOW while breasts would turn stringy. Dark meat is built for slow cooking.
• Sauce built in the insert Whisking the tomato base directly in the crock means no extra pan and no flavor left behind. The spices bloom slowly as the butter pats melt down through everything.
• Cream at the end Heavy cream stirred in for the last fifteen minutes keeps the sauce from splitting over a long cook. It turns the color a uniform orange and the texture spoon-coating.

Tips for making this recipe well

The optional erythritol earns its keep

Tomato puree runs sharp after hours in the crock. The optional teaspoon of erythritol rounds that acidity; taste before serving and decide.

LOW beats HIGH when you have the time

Four hours on LOW gives the spices time to mellow and the chicken time to absorb them. HIGH for two and a half hours works on a short day, but LOW is the better pot.

Uncover for the finish

The last fifteen minutes on HIGH with the lid off thickens the sauce and deepens the color. Aim for a spoon-coating consistency rather than a watery one.

Fat pooling is normal

A stick of butter plus dark meat means orange fat at the edges of the sauce. Stir it back in with the cream; that's where the richness lives.

Salt at the end

Slow cooking concentrates salt unpredictably. Taste after the cream goes in and adjust then, not before.

Serving suggestions

Thirteen grams of net carbs a serving, mostly carried by the tomato puree and onion, which is the going rate for butter chicken that behaves like the original. Ladle it over cauliflower rice; the sauce demands something to soak into. Cilantro on top if your table agrees on cilantro. A 6-quart slow cooker holds the whole recipe with room to spare, and it does the work while you're out. Four hours on LOW and dinner solves itself.

Storage and meal prep

Butter chicken might be better on day two, after the spices have had a night to settle. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3 to 4 days and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave; the sauce thickens when cold and loosens with heat. It freezes well for 2 to 3 months in portions, cream included. Thaw overnight in the fridge and expect the butter to sit on top until stirred. Make the full recipe even for two people; leftovers are the point.

Variations worth trying

• Milder pot As written the dish runs gently warm rather than hot. For heat-sensitive tables change nothing; for everyone else, a pinch of cayenne turns it up.
• Coconut cream finish Swap the heavy cream for coconut cream and the dish turns dairy-free friendly. The color deepens and the flavor bends slightly tropical.
• Extra ginger Double the grated ginger if the household likes it. It mellows noticeably over four hours.
• Cauliflower in the pot Add cauliflower florets for the last hour on LOW so they steam in the sauce and stretch the recipe further. Keep the pieces large so they don't dissolve.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave out the erythritol?

Yes, it's listed as optional. The erythritol exists to round the tomato's acidity, and plenty of cooks skip it. Taste at the end; if the sauce tastes sharp, that's the moment to add it.

Can I cook this on HIGH the whole time?

Two and a half hours on HIGH gets you there per the recipe. LOW for four hours gives the better pot because the spices have longer to mellow.

Why did my sauce look greasy?

Butter and dark-meat fat separate when the pot is held on WARM too long. Stir vigorously when reheating, and add the cream only when you're close to serving.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

Breasts dry out over a four-hour cook and turn stringy. If breasts are what you have, use the HIGH setting and the shorter time, and check early.

How do I thicken the sauce more?

The uncovered fifteen minutes on HIGH is the built-in reducer. If it's still thin, leave the lid off another five to ten minutes; tomato puree condenses quickly without a lid.

Related keto recipes

Dinner

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Keto Dinner | 8g Net Carbs

40 min · 8.0g net carbs

Dinner

Keto Moroccan Curry Chicken Sheet Tray Dinner

53 min · 7.4g net carbs

Dinner

Keto White Chicken Chili

22 min · 5.0g net carbs

Dinner

Keto ‘Potato’ And Spinach Curry

22 min · 5.2g net carbs

As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Keto Food Ideas earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Nutritional values are estimates. Recipes are developed with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors before publishing.

← More Dinner recipes · Home