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bowl of butter chicken served with rice and naan bread, garnished with fresh chopped parsley, two spoons in the bowl, more naan on the side
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RECIPE FOR BUTTER CHICKEN

Indian night at home made easy thanks to this quick & flavourful recipe for Butter Chicken. Best served up with steamed rice and naan bread but so good, you might just wanna eat it by the spoonful (we don't judge).
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, main meal
Cuisine Indian
Keyword butter chicken, butter chicken recipe, Chicken, chicken breast, chicken recipe, chicken thighs, Curry, healthy butter chicken, how to make butter chicken, Indian, indian butter chicken, indian curry, indian food, indian recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 430kcal
Author Andrea Lagana

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE

  • 2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (or Thighs)
  • ½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • ¼ tsp Pepper

FOR THE BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE

  • 2 cups Tomato Sauce or Purée such as Passata*
  • 1 (14 oz.) can Full Fat Coconut Milk
  • 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger minced
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Fresh Cilantro chopped, for garnish, optional
  • Naan Bread for serving
  • Rice for serving

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into even size chunks or cubes.
    raw cubed chicken in a bowl
  • Mix the spices under the chicken marinade in a bowl.
    hand holding a bowl of blended spices
  • Add the greek yogurt and mixed spices to the chicken.
    spices over raw cubed chicken in a bowl
  • Stir to coat all the pieces. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight, if time allows).
    chicken pieces in a bowl marinating in greek yogurt and spices
  • Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
    coconut oil melting in a pan on a burner
  • Once hot, add the chicken (working in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan).
    yellow seasoned chicken cubes steaming in a pan on a burner
  • Sear 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned but not all the way cooked through. Be sure to save any excess marinade as we add it to the sauce in a few steps. Transfer the semi-cooked chicken to a plate and set aside until ready to use.
    seasoned chicken pieces steaming in a pan on a burner
  • In the same pan (adding more oil if needed), add the onions, garlic and ginger.
    diced white onion, minced garlic and ginger in a pan on a burner
  • Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
    diced white onion, minced garlic and ginger in a pan on a burner
  • Add the spices and stir until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds.
    diced white onion, minced garlic, ginger and spices in a pan on a burner
  • Add the butter and cook until melted, stirring frequently.
    diced white onion, minced garlic and ginger satuéeing in a pan on a burner with some cubes of butter
  • Add the coconut milk to the pan and use your spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
    watery orange sauce with diced onions in a pan on a burner
  • Add the tomato sauce, paste and any remaining yogurt marinade (there should be about 1-2 tbsp worth).
    dollops of tomato sauce and paste in a pan with orange watery sauce and diced onions
  • Stir to combine.
    red sauce in a pan on a burner
  • Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
    red sauce in a pan on a burner
  • Add the chicken and all their juices back to the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
    seasoned chicken pieces in red sauce on a burner
  • The sauce should be nice, thick and bubbly at this point! Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
    red sauce bubbling in a pan on a burner
  • Transfer to bowls with hot steamed rice, naan bread and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired.

    bowl of butter chicken served with rice and naan bread, garnished with fresh chopped parsley, more naan and butter chicken in bowls in the background

Video

Notes

Try making your own tomato purée to use in this recipe by following my homemade recipe for tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes (don't season it).
The nutritional information does not include the naan or rice for serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1740mg | Potassium: 1491mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1274IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg