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Butter Chicken Recipe

You probably know this dish if you like Indian food or Indian restaurants. We love Indian curries, and butter chicken is a family favorite. We worked on our simple butter chicken recipe and process for months and months. This traditional Indian recipe has been changed a little bit to make sure that the ingredients are easy to find in an American grocery store. We also cut up the chicken into smaller pieces to make this a faster weeknight meal for families. I love tasty recipes, but I don’t have time to cook all day!

Butter chicken is a tasty and fragrant dish with a creamy tomato-based sauce and a unique mix of spices. The dish tastes mildly sweet, tangy, and savory, and the cream and butter make it richer.

The sauce is made with butter, cream, and a mix of spices like ginger, garlic, and garam masala. These spices give the dish its unique taste. The sauce is thick and smooth, and it coats the chicken pieces. It tastes great with the smoky flavors of the chicken.

Butter chicken has a lot of different flavors that work well together. The cream and butter make it rich and creamy, while the sweet, tangy, and savory flavors work together. Butter chicken is a very tasty and filling dish because of the mix of spices and the creamy tomato-based sauce.

Why You’ll Love This

Taste: This butter chicken recipe is perfect! The sauce made with tomatoes is thick and creamy. Also, you can find all of the ingredients at most U.S. grocery stores.
Nutrition: 33 grams of protein and 440 calories per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Marinade Time: 30 minutes to 24 hours; Cook Time: 30 minutes
Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free, and keto-friendly
Method: On the stove, but can be changed for an Instant Pot or pressure cooker

What you need

2 to 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into pieces that are easy to eat
½ cup of plain Greek yogurt
9 cloves of garlic, chopped up
2 tablespoons of minced ginger (or ginger paste)
1 tablespoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 and a half teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of chili powder
2 ¼ teaspoons of sea salt
2 tablespoons of oil, like avocado or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of ghee (or butter)
14 oz of tomato sauce or a homemade tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of heavy cream or full-fat canned coconut milk
½ teaspoon of dried fenugreek
fresh cilantro (optional)

How to Make It Without Gluten

This recipe for butter chicken on the stove is naturally gluten-free. Always check to see if your spices and other ingredients don’t have gluten in them.

How to Make It Without Dairy

If you want to make this recipe without dairy, use canned full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. We love this recipe with coconut milk, and we always have some on hand, even when we don’t have heavy cream. Use oil instead of ghee. Instead of Greek yogurt, use a dairy-free yogurt or sour cream. If you can’t find any, use 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil instead.

Creamy Butter Chicken Recipe

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Marinade Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 people

Butter chicken is a popular Indian dish made with boneless chicken pieces that have been marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce that is flavored with butter and a variety of aromatic spices. It is typically served with rice or bread, such as naan.

The recipe card below has all the ingredients and instructions for making butter chicken. You can save it to Pinterest or print it out.

Preparation:

Before you start, use the recipe card below to measure and get the spices and other ingredients ready. This is very helpful before making the sauce after the chicken has been browned. It’s pretty quick to add spices and other things to the sauce. If you have to stop and measure all the spices as you go, your garlic and ginger will burn.

You will need a big pan or Dutch oven. If you have one, I suggest a 12″ skillet.

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs fat trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger minced
1 ½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Sauce

2 tablespoon oil vegetable, canola or avocado
2 tablespoon ghee (or butter)
5 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
1 ½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
14 oz tomato sauce
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp sea salt
1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk
½ teaspoon dried fenugreek or crushed kasoori methi
fresh cilantro optional

Instructions

Marinate Chicken

In a large bowl, combine sauce ingredients: yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and salt. Mix well.
Add chicken pieces and toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Brown Chicken

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When oil is sizzling hot, add chicken pieces, discard extra marinade.
Cook until brown, then turn. Don’t put too much in the pan. You might need to cook in 2 batches.
When chicken is browned remove, cover and set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce later.

Make Sauce

Heat the ghee or butter in the pan.
Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for a minute or until fragrant.
Add coriander, cumin, garam masala, chili powder and cayenne pepper to the hot pan. Stir for about 30 seconds.
Add the tomato sauce and salt. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and get all the spices mixed into the tomato sauce.
Reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Stir occasionally.
Reduce heat to low. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking to combine as you pour.
Add the dried fenugreek. Stir.
Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter. Stir to combine.
Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with naan and basmati rice.

Notes

Tips:

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces for quicker cooking.
Open the tomato sauce can and measure the sauce spices before you begin cooking. Combine the coriander, cumin, garam masala, chili powder and cayenne pepper in one small bowl.
If you have the time, marinate your chicken all day. The extra marinating time helps enrich the flavors.
If using coconut milk, use the full fat kind and use mostly the solid cream part at the top of the can.
Taste the sauce while it’s cooking! Add more spice if you prefer.

Nutrition

Butter Chicken Tips & Tricks

Cut your chicken pieces to about ½-inch to 1-inch so they don’t take too long to cook. If they are all about the same size they will cook at the same rate in the skillet. Bite-sized pieces also cook quicker than whole pieces of chicken, reducing your total cook time.
Measure your sauce spices BEFORE you begin making your sauce! Have them ready to go before heating up your ghee.
If you have the time, let your chicken soak in the marinade all day. The extra time in the marinade makes the flavors stronger.
While the sauce is cooking, taste it! If you want, you can add more spice.
If you’re using coconut milk, use the full-fat kind and mostly the solid cream part at the top of the can.

Butter Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Follow steps 1–5 to turn your easy butter chicken into a crockpot recipe. Put the browned chicken and the sauce from the pan into your slow cooker next. Cook on low until you’re ready to eat. Make sure the chicken’s inside temperature is at least 165°F.

Butter Chicken in an Instant Pot

You can easily change this recipe into an Instant Pot butter chicken recipe. Do steps 1 and 2 as they are written. Then heat your Instant Pot to the saute setting. Continue steps 3 and 4 on the saute setting. Turn the Instant Pot off for steps 5 and 6. Do not add heavy cream yet! Then place the lid on the pressure cooker and set to lock. Close the vent and set the timer for 6 minutes on manual. Manual release carefully and remove the lid. Add the heavy cream and fenugreek and stir to combine. Serve.

What To Serve With Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is typically served with rice (basmati rice or jasmine rice) or bread, such as naan or roti. The creamy tomato-based sauce of the dish pairs well with the neutral flavor of rice, making it a popular choice for serving with butter chicken.

Naan bread is another common accompaniment to butter chicken. Naan is a type of Indian flatbread that is soft and fluffy, and it can be used to scoop up the sauce of the dish. Roti is another type of Indian flatbread that is thinner and more crispy than naan, and it can also be served with butter chicken.

In addition to rice and bread, butter chicken can also be served with a variety of vegetable dishes or side salads. For example, a simple cucumber and tomato salad with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt can provide a refreshing contrast to the rich and creamy flavors of the dish.

Overall, the key is to choose sides that complement the flavors of the butter chicken without overpowering them. Rice or bread, along with a simple side dish, is a classic combination that works well with the dish.

Where Does Butter Chicken Originate?

Butter chicken is a popular Indian dish that has gained popularity worldwide. The dish is also known as murgh makhani and is a creamy tomato-based curry that is typically served with rice or naan bread. The origins of butter chicken are somewhat disputed, but it is believed to have been invented in Delhi, India, in the 1950s.

The dish was reportedly created by a chef named Kundan Lal Gujral, who owned a restaurant called Moti Mahal Delux. Gujral had previously worked in a restaurant in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he developed a method of cooking tandoori chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. When he moved to Delhi after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, he refined the recipe and began serving it at Moti Mahal Delux.

Butter chicken quickly became popular in Delhi and eventually spread throughout India. In recent years, it has become a popular dish in other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. However, the dish has undergone some changes as it has been adapted to local tastes.

In India, butter chicken is typically made with bone-in chicken that has been marinated in yogurt and spices and then grilled in a tandoor oven. The chicken is then simmered in a tomato-based sauce that is made with butter, cream, and a variety of spices, including ginger, garlic, and garam masala. The sauce is usually thick and creamy and has a slightly sweet taste. In some regions of India, the dish is also known as chicken makhani.

In other countries, butter chicken may be made with boneless chicken or chicken breasts instead of bone-in chicken. The sauce may also be made with less cream and butter, resulting in a lighter and less rich dish. Some versions of butter chicken also include additional ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit.

Another difference between butter chicken in different countries is the level of spiciness. In India, the dish can be quite spicy, but in other countries, it may be milder to appeal to a wider audience. However, the core ingredients and flavors of the dish remain the same, regardless of where it is prepared.

Overall, butter chicken is a delicious and popular dish that has become a staple of Indian recipes and Indian cooking. While there may be some differences between versions of the dish in different countries, the basic recipe remains the same, with yogurt and spice marinated chicken chicken simmered in a creamy tomato sauce flavored with a variety of spices.