Description
Whipping up Butter Chicken delivers pure comfort straight from the heart of Indian cuisine, delivering restaurant-quality flavors right in your kitchen. Tender chicken swimming in a velvety tomato-cream sauce becomes your delicious dinner solution with just a few simple ingredients and minimal cooking time.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups heavy cream
Seasonings and Spices:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooking and Supporting Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Blend 1 teaspoon each of salt, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and curry powder with 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt in a medium bowl. Thoroughly coat 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs in the marinade. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat at 375°F. Cook marinated chicken chunks for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove chicken from skillet. Keep oil in pan. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon butter. Scrape browned bits from bottom of pan.
- Add 6 minced garlic cloves and 1 diced onion to skillet. Saute for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent.
- Pour in 15-ounce can of tomato sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Return chicken to skillet. Mix thoroughly with sauce.
- Pour 2 cups heavy cream into skillet. Stir until sauce turns orange.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon curry powder, and black pepper into sauce. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter. Let melt and integrate into sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed. Optional: Garnish with ¼ cup chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken longer for deeper flavor penetration, ideally up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
- Use full-fat Greek yogurt for a richer, more tender chicken that stays incredibly moist during cooking.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with coconut milk or cashew cream to create a dairy-free alternative that maintains the creamy texture.
- Keep the heat moderate when simmering the sauce to prevent separation and maintain a smooth, velvety consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-28 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 557 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 760 mg
- Fat: 46 g
- Saturated Fat: 26 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg