Indian Butter Chicken
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This 29 Minute Indian Butter Chicken recipe is a quick & easy twist on a classic Indian dish that’s perfect served with cilantro rice & garlic naan!
Put your hands up if butter chicken is your go-to order at Indian restaurants! You too? I’m seriously obsessed with it!
Every time we go to our favorite Indian restaurant, Kurt and I order butter chicken and like 5 sides of Naan, because there’s garlic naan, onion naan, cilantro naan, and obviously we need one (or two) of each to sop up all of that scrumptious butter chicken sauce!
After the last trip to our neighborhood Indian restaurant, I was determined to come home and make a delicious and easy butter chicken recipe for the blog, a feat I had yet to conquer.
After three tries, I can say, I’ve made the perfect butter chicken recipe in just 29 minutes! It’s equal parts creamy, flavorful and slightly spicy.
I am the butter chicken champion, my friends! 😉
Even though I’ve eaten butter chicken for my last 14 meals (ok slight exaggeration, but I did make it 3 different times, so I have eaten A LOT of it over the last week) I still want more, it’s that good!
Ingredients you’ll need
- ½ cup butter (divided)
- 1 cup white onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp garam masala (divided)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (divided)
- ½ tsp salt (divided)
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cubed)
Step by step instructions
Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onion 4-5 minutes, add the garlic and ginger, saute 1 minute. Stir in ¼ cup butter, lemon juice, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ salt, tomato sauce, tomato paste, yogurt and heavy cream. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chicken, season with the remaining 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp cayenne and ¼ tsp salt, cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Serve the butter chicken over rice with a side of naan. I mix a little lemon juice and fresh cilantro into my rice before serving. For a low carb option, try this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
For the naan, I purchase the original Stonefire Naan at the grocery store, then brush it with butter and sprinkle minced garlic and cilantro over each piece, then place in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
Pull it apart and dip it in the butter chicken sauce, O-M-G good!
I’m so excited that I now have an easy butter chicken recipe to make at home when I’m craving this delicious Indian dish… which happens almost every week!
What can I say, it’s creamy, flavorful and a delicious excuse to eat lots and lots of garlic cilantro naan! 😉
If you can’t tell, I’m a little naan-obsessed!
If you are too, you have to check out these recipes for Naan Lasagna and Naan Pizza Rolls!
More Indian recipes to try
Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, divided
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp garam masala, divided
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 8 oz can tomato paste
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (cubed)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
- Saute the onion 4-5 minutes, add the garlic and ginger, saute 1 minute.
- Stir in ¼ cup butter, lemon juice, 3 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ salt, tomato sauce, tomato paste, yogurt and heavy cream.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chicken, season with the remaining 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp cayenne and ¼ tsp salt, cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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8 Comments on “Indian Butter Chicken”
I have been cooking since I was 8 with Aunts and my Mother. I have not tried any Punjabi cuisine before this dish. I was amazed at the ease of prep and the flavor this dish had. I brought some for a Punjabi friend and she asked for the recipe. This speaks loudly of the flavor this recipe has. Thanks for a great meal.
I made this the other night, delicious and easy!!!! I didn’t have naan but I may go get some to go with the leftovers, thank you!!!!
I made this tonight for dinner and we loved it! I served over cauliflower rice for me and my husband and over white rice for my kids. Plus we had naan for dipping. Thanks for the recipe! It was so delicious!
Fantastic! So great to hear Jennifer, thanks for sharing!