Savory, creamy Indian Butter Chicken. Easy enough to prep the night before, or even double (triple or quadruple) to keep hidden in the freezer for a busy week.
Pinterest-perfect. I know I’m guilty of it. I have boards upon boards of furniture, lighting, party ideas, gifts, style, vacation ideas and of course, RECIPES. All of them just waiting to be combined and perfectly executed, well some of the time.Every once in a while though, you come across some seemingly easy, delicious, meal and it takes a quick turn for disaster. First off, the photos are amazing, even the inedible looks delicious. They usually have a few “simple” ingredients, a short to-do list, and swear they’re the easiest thing ever. It appeals to every busy mama out there, right?
Say it isn’t so.
Then reality sinks in, the food looks nothing like the photo, you’ve decided cardboard tastes better and you’ve officially wasted a mani-pedi’s worth of food. Not to mention the wasted time shopping, prepping and cooking. Not cool, totally, not cool.
On the very bright side, I have managed to find a handful of really good recipes on Pinterest, like the inspiration for my “Butter Chicken.” It easily checks off all the boxes on the Busy Mama Checklist: pretty, fairly simple, tastes amazing. Plus, it freezes so incredibly well. I’ve literally made bags and bags of this deliciousness to keep in my freezer. Simply take out of the freezer the night before to defrost, then pop into the slow cooker in the morning. Done and Done.
Make ahead, the night before, or stash in the freezer for a busy weeknight.
The trick I’ve learned with this is to prep the night before. Combine the sauce ingredients and chicken right into your insert, then store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, post breakfast chaos-or before you leave for work, add everything to your crockpot, cover, and come home to dinner! An added benefit of having the chicken sit and marinade overnight is the yogurt really helps tenderize the chicken. Just be mindful when you add your curry. Some brands have a bit more kick than others. I used “Thai Kitchen” brand, which is fairly common at most retailers nationwide.
Enjoy!
xx
turnips + tantrums team
Pinterest Perfect, Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, preferably organic cubed
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1.5 c unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 c plain yogurt
- 1/4 c heavy whipping cream
Serve with: Rice and Naan
Instructions
- Cut up chicken into bit sized pieces, set aside.
- Combine remaining ingredients into slow cooker insert or freezer bag. Mix.
- Add chicken to sauce. Stir.
- Slow Cooker made the Day of: Cover. Low 8 hours. Slow Cooker Night before: Cover, place in fridge overnight. Place insert into heating element in the morning. Cook on low 8 hours.Freezer Stash: Place in freezer bags, label and freeze. The night before you plan to use, place in refrigerator overnight to defrost. Pour contents into slow cooker in the morning. Cook on low, 8 hours.Serve with rice and/or naan.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe source: inspired by the Half Baked Harvest
Looking for another chicken dish? Try our Orange Chicken recipe on for size. It’s one of our family’s faves and can easily be made vegetarian by using oven-fried tofu.