Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches

If you love pulled butter chicken sandwiches, this recipe is about to become your new obsession. Imagine everything you love about rich, creamy butter chicken — tender chicken thighs folded through a silky tomato-cashew gravy perfumed with garam masala and kasuri methi — but shredded pulled-pork style and piled high into soft toasted brioche buns, with crunchy coleslaw and tangy pickled red onions cutting through every bite. It’s the best of both worlds: Indian comfort food meets American game-day food.

The best part? It’s genuinely easy. The chicken simmers in the butter chicken sauce until it falls apart with two forks, and there’s a hands-off slow cooker version that does all the work while you get on with your day. Pile the shredded butter chicken into buns, and you’ve got sandwiches that taste like you ordered them from a trendy fusion food truck.

Why You’ll Love These Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches

• Zero direct competition flavors — creamy shredded butter chicken in a bun is a mashup most people have never tasted, and everyone goes back for seconds.
• Slow-cooker friendly — set it and forget it for 4 hours, then shred and assemble. Perfect game-day food.
• Great use for leftovers — have butter chicken leftovers? Shred the chicken and you’re halfway there.
• Kid and crowd approved — mild, creamy, and sweet from the tomato gravy; the heat is easy to adjust.

Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches Ingredients

For the Shredded Butter Chicken

• 2 lbs (900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
• 12 cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes (for a silky gravy)
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed between your palms

For the Sandwiches

• 8 brioche buns (or soft slider buns), split and lightly toasted
• 2 cups coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot), or 2 cups shredded cabbage
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and quick-pickled (see tip below)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Extra butter for toasting the buns

Quick Pickled Red Onions (optional but recommended)

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

How to Make Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches

Step 1: Quick-Pickle the Red Onions

Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the sliced red onion in a jar and let sit at least 30 minutes (they keep for 2 weeks in the fridge). These tangy onions cut through the creamy chicken beautifully.

Step 2: Build the Butter Chicken Sauce

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, drained cashews, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and salt. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 12–15 minutes until thick and deep orange-red.

Step 3: Blend Until Silky

Let the sauce cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender, venting the lid). For the smoothest sauce — the kind that clings to shredded chicken — strain it through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pan.

Step 4: Simmer and Shred the Chicken

Return the sauce to medium-low heat. Stir in the cream, crushed kasuri methi, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce, cover, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until the thighs are fork-tender (165°F / 74°C internal temperature). Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks, then fold the shredded chicken back into the sauce. Simmer 5 more minutes so the shreds soak everything up.
Slow cooker variation: Add all the sauce ingredients (steps 2–3, blended and strained) plus the chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2½–3 hours. Shred the chicken, stir in the cream and kasuri methi, and cook 15 more minutes on HIGH.

Step 5: Make the Coleslaw

Toss the coleslaw mix with the mayonnaise, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. The crunch and acidity balance the rich, creamy chicken.

Step 6: Assemble the Sandwiches

Butter the cut sides of the brioche buns and toast them in a skillet until golden. Pile each bottom bun high with shredded butter chicken, top with a scoop of coleslaw, a few pickled red onions, and fresh cilantro. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.

Tips for the Best Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches

• Thighs, not breasts. Shredded chicken thighs stay juicy and tender; breasts dry out when shredded. This is non-negotiable for pulled-style sandwiches.
• Strain the gravy. A silky sauce coats every shred — grainy sauce gives grainy sandwiches. The sieve step is worth it.
• Sauce generously. Butter chicken sauce soaks into brioche fast, so don’t be shy — the chicken should look wet and glossy, not dry.
• Toast the buns. Buttered, toasted brioche holds up to the creamy filling far better than soft untoasted buns.
• Quick-pickle ahead. The onions only get better overnight, and the coleslaw can be made up to a day ahead (dress it an hour before serving so it stays crunchy).

What to Serve with Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches are game-day food, so lean into it: a tray of french fries or sweet potato fries, crispy onion rings, or masala potato wedges on the side. A cool cucumber raita works as a dip for the fries and a palate cleanser between bites. If you want a lighter plate, add a simple green salad or kachumber salad.

Storage and Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store the shredded butter chicken (without buns or toppings) in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Coleslaw keeps 1 day, dressed. Pickled onions keep 2 weeks.
• Freezer: The shredded chicken filling freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheating: Warm the chicken gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or cream. Assemble the sandwiches fresh — buns go soggy if stored assembled.

Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches FAQs

Can I use leftover butter chicken for these sandwiches? Absolutely — it’s the perfect shortcut. Shred or chop the leftover chicken, warm it through in its gravy (add a splash of water if the gravy thickened overnight), and assemble the sandwiches as written. Butter chicken leftovers taste even better the next day.
Can I make these as sliders instead? Yes! Use slider buns and make 16 mini sandwiches instead of 8 full-size ones — they’re perfect for parties. Reduce the chicken per bun and keep everything else the same. These pulled butter chicken sliders disappear fast at gatherings.
How spicy are these sandwiches? Mild to medium. Kashmiri red chili powder gives color with gentle heat, and the cream, brioche, and coleslaw all tame it further. For more kick, add a sliced green chili or a drizzle of sriracha to the coleslaw.
Can I make the filling ahead for game day? Yes — the shredded butter chicken is ideal make-ahead food. Cook it fully up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze it up to 3 months. On game day, just reheat, toast the buns, and assemble in minutes.
What buns work best? Soft brioche buns are the top pick — their slight sweetness pairs perfectly with the creamy tomato gravy. Soft potato rolls or slider buns work too. Avoid crusty artisan rolls, which fight the tender, saucy filling.

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken — the classic slow-cooked version of the filling in these sandwiches.
• Butter Chicken Recipe — the original restaurant-style murgh makhani this mashup is built on.
• Chicken Salad Sandwich — another crowd-pleasing chicken sandwich for your lunch rotation.
• Instant Pot Tandoori Chicken Lettuce Wraps — more Indian-fusion handheld food, lighter and low-carb.