Indulge your taste buds in a symphony of flavors with our Indian-Inspired Butter Chicken Recipe. Tender pieces of chicken bathed in a luscious, creamy tomato sauce – it’s the most comforting dish. If you’re ready to spice up your dinner routine, this recipe is a must-try!
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This recipe is…
Created by Kundan Lal Gujral, butter chicken actually originated in Northern India in the late 1950s. This dish is similar to Tikka Masala in that it includes a lot of the same spices and a rich tomato base, but a few rich, creamy additions (like butter and heavy cream) give it its namesake.
Picture succulent pieces of chicken bathed in a rich, creamy tomato sauce infused with a symphony of spices. Butter Chicken is the perfect blend of comfort food and bold, complex flavors. It’s a dish that bridges the gap between familiarity and adventure, making it a go-to for both those that already love curry dishes and those who haven’t tried them yet.
For more flavorful, comforting dinners, try our Thai Green Curry, Moroccan-Inspired Chicken skillet, and Chicken Arroz Caldo recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super comforting – this rich, creamy dish is the epitome of comfort food.
- It’s easy – this butter chicken cooks in one pot and is incredibly simple to pull together.
Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients
A lot of the ingredients in this recipe are actually kitchen/pantry staples, so I bet you have many of them on hand already. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Greek Yogurt – you’ll need plain Greek yogurt for this recipe. I prefer full-fat for the creamiest sauce.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – fresh is always best when it comes to citrus! You’ll need the juice of about 1½ lemons (3 tablespoons).
- White Rice – butter chicken is oftentimes served atop a bed of white rice, so be sure to grab that if you want the full, delicious experience!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free – to make this meal dairy-free, simply use olive oil in place of the butter, and replace the yogurt and heavy cream with 1 ½ cups of full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Make it low-carb – use cauliflower rice in place of the white rice.
- Swap the rice – if you want to keep the carb content about the same but you don’t love white rice, simply swap the white rice for brown rice, quinoa, or any other grain that you love.
How to Make Butter Chicken
You’ll need to cook the chicken thighs first, then make the sauce, and, voila!, butter chicken is ready for your devouring. Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, pat the chicken thighs dry, and sprinkle them with sea salt. Then, add the thighs to the pot, searing for 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
Step 2: Remove the chicken from the pot and chop it into 1-inch pieces.
Step 3: In the same pot that you cooked the chicken in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, yogurt, cream, lemon juice, and spices to the pot and whisk until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced in volume.
Step 5: Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat. Serve the chicken over rice, garnish with the chopped cilantro, and enjoy!
Recipe Tip
Keep things SUPER simple by using leftover cooked chicken in place of the chicken thighs. Chopped or shredded chicken will work great. If you’re going this route, you’ll skip straight to step #3, and when the spices go in to the pot in step #4, go ahead and toss the chicken in too. This will allow it to really be coated in the spices!
How to Serve
Serve your butter chicken over white rice and garnished with chopped cilantro. YUM!
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To reheat, simply pop a serving in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat in a skillet on the stovetop for 7-10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I think the biggest key here is to not add too many super liquid-y ingredients in the first place! Cassy kept the liquids to a minimum here, so the sauce is actually nice and thick all on its own. If you feel like your sauce is still too thin for your liking, simply let it simmer and reduce on the stove for a bit longer.
Because of the spices included in this dish, it’s super flavorful and delicious. I wouldn’t actually call it sweet or spicy, though. The tomatoes may slightly sweeten it, but it really isn’t a *sweet* dish, and though it’s super flavorful, I’d say that as far as spice goes, most anyone can handle it!
This butter chicken recipe includes a lot of healthful ingredients, but ultimately, “healthy” is entirely up to you and your body. If you read through the ingredient list and feel as though your body can tolerate each ingredient listed, it’s a great option for you! I will say, the macronutrient profile (especially if you’re serving this dish with white rice) is very balanced!
I personally prefer to store my rice separately from the butter chicken itself, but storing them together won’t hurt anything either. Store both the butter chicken and the rice (separate or together) in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to reheat, either pop everything into the microwave or into a pot on the stove and heat until warmed through.
You can! Freeze your leftover butter chicken in an airtight container, and when you’re ready to reheat, simply let it thaw enough to get it out of the container, and heat it in a pot on the stovetop until completely thawed and warmed through.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
If you tried this Butter Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons salted butter or ghee
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic grated
- 1 ½ tablespoon ginger from about a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 1 ½ tablespoons paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoons garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice the juice from about 1 ½ lemons
- 2 cups white rice uncooked
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, pat the chicken thighs dry, and sprinkle them with sea salt.
- Once the pan is hot, add the thighs to it, searing for 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown, and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and chop it into 1-inch pieces.
- In the same pan that you cooked the chicken in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.
- In the same pan, whisk together the tomatoes, yogurt, cream, lemon juice, and spices until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced in volume.
- While the above mixture is simmering, cook your rice according to package instructions.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat.
- Serve the chicken over the rice garnished with the chopped cilantro.
Recipe Notes
- Make it dairy-free – to make this meal dairy-free, simply use olive oil in place of the butter, and replace the yogurt and heavy cream with 1 ½ cups of full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Make it low-carb – use cauliflower rice in place of the white rice.
- Swap the rice – if you want to keep the carb content about the same but you don’t love white rice, simply swap the white rice for brown rice, quinoa, or any other grain that you love.
Nutrition
could you do this in a crock pot, if so.. how?
Hi! Can you recommend a veggie side dish to serve with this?
Hi Karen! Of course! We love a simple steamed or sautéed green bean or broccoli to go with the richness of the sauce. Enjoy! -Team F&F
What should I add if I wanted to make it spicy? My husband and I love spicy.
Hi Rachel! You could try adding some chili powder and cayenne pepper to the spices to add some heat. I would start with a teaspoon of each and adjust the spice level from there depending on your preference. ~Melissa
Hi! Is there a third option for the cream? We’re dairy free and my husband is getting real tired of coconut
Coconut milk is definitely our go-to cream substitute, Katie. The other flavors in this dish may cover up the “coconut” flavor so that it’s hard to distinguish from the others. I hope that helps!
Is the section on how long to cook it in the oven missing (since recipe says it requires oven and stovetop and the time frame also doesn’t line up)? Making this tonight so I guess I’ll see how things look after I’ve placed the chicken back into the sauce.
Nope, that’s totally my fault, Marie! It only cooks on the stovetop, and the times have been adjusted to reflect that. So sorry for the confusion!
Is there anyway to make this recipe dairy free? (Substitute Greek yogurt and heavy cream) or does that mess with the taste/consistency?
Hi Stephanie — to make it dairy-free, simply use olive oil in place of the butter, and replace the yogurt and heavy cream with 1 ½ cups of full-fat canned coconut milk.