Description
Butter Chicken brings rich, creamy comfort straight from Northern India to your dinner table. Tender chicken simmered in a velvety tomato-based sauce delivers a delicious meal that will have your family asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs
Base Spices & Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
Sauce & Finishing Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
- 0.25 cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix 1½ lbs chicken pieces with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp curry powder, and 1 tbsp yogurt. Coat the chicken thoroughly and let rest for 15-30 minutes.
- Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Cook marinated chicken for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tbsp butter to the pan. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Sauté 6 minced garlic cloves and 1 diced onion in the butter for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Pour in 15 oz tomato sauce and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to develop flavor.
- Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Add 2 cups heavy cream and stir until the sauce turns a rich orange color.
- Season with ½ tsp cayenne, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp curry powder, and 1 tsp salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp cold butter until melted and sauce looks glossy.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot with basmati rice and naan bread.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for maximum taste absorption.
- Use full-fat yogurt and cream for the richest, most authentic sauce texture and flavor profile.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with coconut milk and use ghee instead of butter to keep the dish dairy-free.
- Adjust cayenne and curry powder to control spice level, making the dish mild or more intense based on your preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28-31 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 556 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated Fat: 23 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg