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In This Post
- Why You’ll Love My Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
- How To Make Butter Chicken
- My Recipe Tips
- Common Questions
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- More Easy Indian Chicken Recipes
- My Favorite Pan For This Recipe
- Easy Butter Chicken RecipeRecipe card
- Recipe Reviews
I’d usually choose my garlic butter chicken over Indian food, but this quick and easy butter chicken recipe won me over toward the Indian version. It was the first dish to disappear when I served it for my friends after one of my recipe testing days — and everyone asked how I made the sauce taste like the takeout they were used to. But the biggest surprise was when my picky kids chose this Indian butter chicken over the sheet pan chicken thighs I made for them. Guess it’s kid-friendly, too!
Why You’ll Love My Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
- Buttery, spiced tomato sauce – This butter chicken sauce… it’s like a warm hug on a plate. It’s the perfect balance of a creamy, velvety texture against tomatoey, warm spiced flavors.
- Tender, juicy chicken – Marinating in a spiced yogurt marinade and then simmering in sauce makes some of the juiciest chicken I’ve ever had. Especially if you use chicken thighs like I did.
- Not too many ingredients – Don’t be fooled by my ingredient list. I use the same spices in the marinade and the sauce, so it’s actually only 12 ingredients total (plus salt). Not an easy feat — most butter chicken recipes need a lot more! But I figured out which spices are essential for that classic Indian flavor, and good news, they are common pantry staples. You’ll just need to pick upgaram masalaif you don’t cook Indian food often.
- Quick and easy – This dish makes a really quick weeknight meal if you plan ahead for it! You do need at least an hour to marinate the chicken, but other than that, it takes under 30 minutes — but tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my easy butter chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken & Marinade:
- Chicken – Either chicken breasts or thighs would work, but I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are the juiciest!
- Yogurt – The base of the marinade. I used full-fat Greek yogurt, but regular plain yogurt also works.
- Garlic– Fresh garlic tastes the best, but I won’t judge if you use jarred minced garlic. I’m always down for a shortcut!
- Spices – The main spice blend I use for this dish is garam masala. This combination of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander gives butter chicken its signature flavor. I also added extra cumin (or you can use an extra teaspoon garam masala instead, since it also contains cumin), ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. You can also add turmeric for added depth.
Butter Chicken Sauce:
- Tomato Sauce – This is the base of the sauce and leaves it very smooth. You could use canned diced tomatoes if you want it more chunky.
- Butter – We’re using plenty here, because — hello? — this is butter chicken! I prefer unsalted butter to control the salt myself, but feel free to use salted and just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Onion– You can use a white, yellow, or sweet onion. My recipe calls for it sliced thinly, but I’ve also made it using diced onions and they work just as well.
- Garlic– It’s in the sauce too, because I can never have enough! 😉
- Heavy Cream – A.k.a. heavy whipping cream. As you might guess, it makes the sauce creamy! Coconut cream or canned full-fat coconut milk (which I use for my coconut chicken curry) would make a great substitute if you need one.
- Spices – To keep it simple, I use the same spices in the sauce that I do in the marinade. So, you will need more garam masala, cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, and salt.
- Fresh Cilantro– It’s optional, but I always garnish my butter chicken with it.
How To Make Butter Chicken
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, garam masala, cumin, salt, ginger, and chili powder. Add chicken thighs, mix to coat, and marinate. Right before cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Saute the aromatics. In a large saute pan with tall sides, saute the onions in (plenty of) butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the center. Cook until fragrant, then combine with the onions.
- Mix the butter chicken sauce. Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ginger, chili powder, and salt.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the pan. Nestle them in the sauce in a single layer and stir to coat. All that’s left for this easy butter chicken recipe is a good simmer to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce! And like I said, I always garnish mine with fresh cilantro.
My Recipe Tips
- Coat the chicken evenly with marinade. The chicken marinade is quite thick, so it helps to use your hands to massage it into the chicken. I didn’t have much luck trying to mix it with a spoon.
- Feel free to dice the chicken before marinating. I cut mine into bite-sized pieces after the marinade step (right before cooking), but there’s really no reason for it. Either way works!
- Marinate for at least an hour, but overnight is even better. Between the marinade and the saucy simmer, this easy butter chicken definitely turns out juicy enough for me after marinating for an hour. But it’s even juicier if you have time to marinate overnight. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or it tends to get mushy.
- Puree if you want the sauce completely smooth. It’s already pretty smooth, but it does have soft onion pieces — which I actually love! If you want no texture to it at all, puree with an immersion blender before adding the chicken.
- Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin — it will thicken as it cools. It thickens after simmering, but gets even more thick after removing from heat.
Common Questions
- What is butter chicken? Butter chicken is an Indian dish of tender chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and cooked in a rich, buttery tomato sauce with spices. Garam masala is the primary spice blend, but many versions include a long list of others. I keep my recipe to just the basics!
- What does butter chicken taste like? As you might expect, butter chicken tastes like pieces of chicken in an Indian spiced tomato sauce. It’s somewhat similar to a curry, but more creamy and a little sweet.
- What is the difference between butter chicken vs. tikka masala? While both dishes are popular in Indian cuisine, butter chicken tends to be mild and creamy, while chicken tikka masala is more bold, spicy, and tangy.
- Is butter chicken spicy? My recipe has a mild kick from the chili powder and garam masala, but it’s not very hot. (Even my picky 6-year-old ate it!) If you want more heat, add a dash of cayenne pepper or black pepper.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The sauce does get very thick when you store it, but it will be right again after you reheat.
- Meal prep: Since you have to marinate the chicken before cooking it anyway, you can do this up to 24 hours in advance. You can also meal prep my entire butter chicken recipe and portion it into individual containers for easy lunches.
- Reheat: This dish reheats very well, since the sauce prevents the chicken from drying out. You can heat it in the microwave (be sure to cover or it splatters all over the place!), or on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this easy butter chicken recipe with homemade cauliflower rice (and sometimes even my low carb naan). I usually keep a stash of frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer for a shortcut. You can also opt for jasmine or basmati rice for a more traditional option.
More Easy Indian Chicken Recipes
I’ve got more ways to spice up your cooking routine! Check out some of my other saucy Indian-inspired chicken recipes:
Chicken Korma
Tandoori Chicken
Coconut Curry Chicken
Chicken Curry Soup
Between the chicken and the sauce, my butter chicken recipe needs a big pan with tall sides, or it will overflow! This saute pan is one of my favorites.
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Recipe Card
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
This easy butter chicken recipe has a quick spiced yogurt marinade and a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala. A simple weeknight dinner!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Marinade:
Butter Chicken Sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
In a large bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken thighs, stir to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and use kitchen shears to cut into bite-sized pieces. No need to wipe the marinade off the chicken, but leave behind what isn’t stuck to it.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 8-10 minutes, until soft and browned.
Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.
Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. Adjust salt to taste; other flavors will develop as it cooks afterward.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan, nestling them in the sauce in a single layer. Spoon additional sauce over the chicken to cover. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 3/4 cup, or 1/6 entire recipe
Nutrition info includes only half of the Greek yogurt in the marinade, because about half is discarded after marinating.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories517
Fat39g
Protein30.8g
Total Carbs11.8g
Net Carbs8.6g
Fiber3.2g
Sugar7.5g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course:dinner
Cuisine:Indian
Keywords:butter chicken, easy butter chicken, easy butter chicken recipe
Calories: 517 kcal
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Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
