Description
Butter Chicken delivers pure comfort straight from an Indian kitchen to your plate, ready in just half an hour with tender chicken swimming in a rich, creamy tomato sauce that’ll make your taste buds dance. Serve this crowd-pleaser over fluffy rice and watch family faces light up with pure satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
Cooking Fats and Bases:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch chunks and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels to ensure even seasoning and browning.
- Blend garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl to create a fragrant spice mix.
- Sprinkle the entire spice mixture over chicken pieces, tossing carefully to distribute seasoning uniformly.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for exactly 2 minutes until shimmering.
- Add seasoned chicken pieces and cook for 6-8 minutes, rotating occasionally to achieve golden brown exterior and near-complete cooking.
- Transfer chicken to a clean plate, keeping the skillet ready for next steps.
- Dice 1 large onion into uniform small pieces for consistent cooking.
- Mince 4 garlic cloves and grate 2 tablespoons fresh ginger to prepare aromatic base.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter in the same skillet and sauté onions for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute to release intense flavors.
- Pour in 1 can diced tomatoes and 2 tablespoons tomato paste, stirring thoroughly to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce for 5 minutes to develop rich flavor profile.
- Stir 1 cup heavy cream into the sauce, creating a luxurious texture.
- Return chicken pieces to the skillet, nestling them into the creamy sauce.
- Simmer everything together for 8-10 minutes until chicken is completely cooked and sauce thickens nicely.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if your palate desires more complexity.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro over the dish for bright, fresh finish.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry to help achieve better browning and prevent steaming instead of searing.
- Toast spices in the pan for 30 seconds before adding chicken to enhance their deep, complex flavors.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with Greek yogurt or coconut milk to reduce calories.
- Choose boneless, skinless chicken thighs for more tender meat that stays juicy during quick cooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 476 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 413 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 165 mg