Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced (~13 oz)
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced (5-6 oz)
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (~2-inch piece)
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala (seasoning that usually combines cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ground cumin, black pepper, and coriander)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, chilled and cut into pieces*
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (whole, low-fat, or fat-free)
- ½ cup half-and-half
Optional for serving: cooked white rice or cauliflower rice, naan, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and/or toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Slow Cooker/Crockpot Directions:
- In the bottom of a 6-quart or 8-quart slow cooker, place and layer the sliced onions.
- In a large bowl, combine the boneless chicken, bell pepper, carrots, tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and salt. Toss until well combined.
- Add the saucy chicken mixture to the slow cooker over top of the sliced onions.
- Dot the pieces of butter over the top of the marinated chicken mixture.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 ½ hours or on low for 6 ½ hours.
- After the time is up, remove the lid, stir all ingredients until well combined, and turn off the slow cooker.
- When the liquid stops simmering and steaming (after about 5-10 minutes), stir in the yogurt and the half-and-half. (NOTE: If you stir in the yogurt and half-and-half before letting the mixture cool down a little, it could curdle.)
- Serve over hot cooked rice or cauliflower rice, and/or with naan bread, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.
Stovetop Directions:
- Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pot and swirl to coat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onions, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken pieces, spices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and 1 cup water.
- Dot the top of the marinade mixture with the butter and cover with a lid.
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through (which will take about 20 minutes).
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove the lid, stir all ingredients until well combined, and turn off the heat.
- When the liquid stops simmering and steaming (after about 5-10 minutes), stir in the yogurt and the half-and-half. (NOTE: If you stir in the yogurt and half-and-half before letting the mixture cool down a little, it could curdle.)
- Serve over hot cooked rice or cauliflower rice, and/or with naan bread, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Place the onions, chicken, bell pepper, carrots, tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and butter into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Stir until well mixed.
- Add ½ cup of water to the chicken mixture and stir again until everything is combined and there is some of the saucy liquid under the ingredients at the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When the cooking time is up, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Stir well to allow the steam to escape.
- Let the butter chicken sit in the Instant Pot to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow more steam to escape. (NOTE: It’s important to let the mixture cool for around 10-15 minutes so that the yogurt doesn’t curdle when you stir it in.)
- After 10 to 15 minutes, stir in the yogurt and half and half.
- Serve over hot cooked rice or cauliflower rice, and/or with naan bread, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
It’s essential to allow the cooked chicken mixture to cool a bit before adding the yogurt; otherwise, the yogurt may curdle. It’s still fine to eat if it does, but the texture may not be as creamy.
*While I personally have not made this dish dairy-free, some of my friends have experimented with making a dairy-free version. They told me that they opted for:
- Vegan butter in place of the regular, salted butter
- Homemade coconut milk yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt
- Full-fat coconut milk to substitute for the half-and-half
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe (1 1/3 cups)
- Calories: 298
- Fat: 6g
- (Sat Fat: 3g)
- Sodium: 415mg
- Carbohydrate: 21g
- (Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 13g)
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 99mg