Name: Butter Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts ((Note 1)); 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt ((Note 2)); 1/2 teaspoon table salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon garam masala ((Note 3)); 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne; 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 15-ounce can tomato sauce ((Note 5)); 1 cup heavy whipping cream ((Note 6)); 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Summary:

This is a one-pot dinner recipe for Indian butter chicken, with tender bites of chicken breast browned and simmered in a rich and creamy tomato-based sauce. Onions add sweetness, and butter is stirred in at the end for extra richness. Cilantro and ground coriander add a subtle earthy flavor.

Butter Chicken

4.9 from 7 votes

PRINT PIN

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 560

Net Carbs: 8.5g

INGREDIENTS

Browning Chicken:

▢ 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (Note 1)
▢ 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (Note 2)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spices:

▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala (Note 3)
▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
▢ 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (Note 4)

Everything Else:

▢ 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
▢ 5 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 15-ounce can tomato sauce (Note 5)
▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Note 6)
▢ 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
▢ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and trim off excess fat, if any. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Stir together yogurt, salt, and pepper in large bowl until well-mixed. Add chicken chunks and stir until well-coated with yogurt.
Sear Chicken: Heat large nonstick pan (Note 7) over high heat until very hot. Add half of yogurt-covered chicken chunks to pan and spread out. Cook until golden brown and a bit charred, a few minutes, while stirring and flipping chicken to sear all sides. As they finish searing, transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Sauté Onions: Reduce to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter to now-empty pan, spreading around until melted. Add chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes to soften, stirring frequently and loosening any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan. Add minced garlic and all spices, stirring for a minute until aromatic.
Simmer Sauce: Add tomato sauce and heavy cream, stirring for a minute until mixed. Add seared chicken chunks (without drippings) to pan and submerge in sauce; no need to stir. Bring sauce to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and decreasing heat as needed to maintain light simmer. Chicken should be cooked through and sauce should be slightly thickened and orange.
Finish & Serve: Add 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoons butter to sauce, stirring until melted. Turn off heat. Serve into bowls (Note 8), and garnish with 1 tablespoon cilantro.

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 560 (56% from fat)
Total Fat 35g	54%
Saturated Fat 21g	107%
Cholesterol 199mg	66%
Sodium 530mg	22%
Net Carb 8.5g
Total Carb 11.5g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Sugars 6.5g
Protein 44g

Vitamin A 38% · Vitamin C 9% · Calcium 11% · Iron 12%

PHOTOS

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Chicken. I use fresh chicken; if yours is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator until thawed before using in this recipe. I use chicken breasts and they come out tender and moist, and don’t get tough. I haven’t tested with other cuts, but chicken thighs should also work well.

(2) Greek Yogurt. About 4 ounces weight. Greek yogurt is used because of its thick consistency; don’t use American yogurts, which would result in a watery marinade. Select one with at least 2% fat, plain flavor, and unsweetened. I use the Fage brand. This can’t be substituted with sour cream.

(3) Garam Masala. This is one of those spices that can’t be easily substituted because it gives a characteristic taste to Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala and butter chicken. It’s a blend of ground Indian spices including pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cumin. You can easily buy garam masala online, or find it at many U.S. supermarkets.

(4) Cayenne. 1/8 teaspoon for mild spiciness, 1/4 teaspoon for medium spiciness. Adjust as needed to match your preferences.

(5) Tomato Sauce. I use canned tomato sauce that is unsalted and plain (no added herbs). Tomato sauce is the same as tomato puree. Don’t substitute with other tomato products like diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, or pasta sauce.

(6) Heavy Whipping Cream. I haven’t used anything other than dairy-based cream, but readers have told me that they have successfully substituted some or all of the cream with half and half or coconut milk. I think the taste of coconut milk would go wonderfully with the flavors in this dish, especially if you use full-fat coconut milk. For a thicker, luxurious sauce, a better substitution might be coconut cream.

(7) Large Pan. I use a 10-inch wide and 3-inch tall nonstick pan. No oil needed.

(8) Serving. Like many Indian dishes, butter chicken is often served with basmati rice and naan. You can replace them with lower carb options like fried cauliflower rice and low carb tortillas. Bags of pre-riced cauliflower can be found in the produce section of many U.S. grocery stores, or you can buy florets and use a food processor to grate them into rice-sized pieces. Low carb tortillas are also available in many U.S. supermarkets — look for wraps by brands including Mission, La Banderita, and Kroger.

(9) Butter Chicken vs. Chicken Tikka Masala. Butter chicken is similar to chicken tikka masala, and some restaurants use those terms interchangeably. Also known as murgh makhani, butter chicken originated in India whereas chicken tikka masala is more of a British invention. Both recipes use garam masala, but butter chicken tends to be milder. I recommend butter chicken for those who prefer a less spiced, more buttery and subtle curry, and chicken tikka masala for those who prefer boldly flavored sauces. I’ve cooked the latter a number of different ways, with recipes for stovetop, pressure cooker, and slow cooker.

More Asian Takeout

Asian Lettuce Wraps

overhead view of chicken satay skewers on white plate

Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce

Tofu Stir Fry

Thai Chicken Salad

newest oldest most voted

Amanda K Neal

This is a family favorite in our home. Our children are used to spicy foods. When we make this we have to make a recipe and a half to feed the four of us and have left overs for my husband’s lunch the next day. It is flavorful, rich and a great meal after a cold day of working outside. ❤

Fabian

Hi, I’m from Australia so a little confused when you say “tomato sauce” for us that’s your version of ketchup.
Are you referring to a “tomato paste” style sauce?
Look forward to making this 😊

Julia

Hi Fabian! When I say “tomato sauce” I am talking about tomato puree that comes in canned form. If you took tomatoes and blended them until smooth, you would get tomato puree. It is not tomato paste, which is much more concentrated. Hope that clears things up!

Jake

Wow. Not lying when I say this is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had.

Kassandra

Just made the other day and my husband is already asking me to make it again. It is going to be a regular in my “favourite recipe” folder.

Valerie Di Paolo

I’ve made this recipes many times, I love it but mine never turns that deep orange color, what am I doing wrong? Thanks!

The color is most affected by the spices, heavy whipping cream, and tomato sauce. For example, different brands of garam masala may differ in color. Make sure you’re using exactly “heavy whipping cream” and not similar products.

Courtney Jarrell

I have been making this dish for years. It’s one of my favorite dishes and it’s always a hit with family and friends! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I do sometimes substitute the heavy cream with half-and-half, and I’ve never noticed a taste or texture difference. I also serve this with rice.

Jenny

Could I use 18% table cream instead of whipping cream?

That is a lower fat content than heavy whipping cream, which is usually 36%. I don’t think the fat percentage will be an issue because readers have substituted with ingredients that have a different fat content (like half-and-half) with good results, so I assume table cream will also work for this recipe.

If you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out for you.

Dean

Can I use minced ginger instead of ground ginger?

Using minced fresh ginger is fine. Use 4x the amount of ground ginger in the recipe.

Oisha Joseph

Is the Greek yogurt absolutely necessary? I want to try this recipe but the grocery stores near me are all out of plain Greek yogurt.

If you can’t find Greek yogurt, you can try substituting with a non-greek plain yogurt, ideally one that’s thicker in texture.

Thanks

Mona Seno

I loved and miss the old version of this recipe. I tried doing this one and it took forever to pick out all the bits of black burnt yogurt “browned bits” (which were like flaked charcoal) out of my dish. Is the old version available anywhere?

If you make this again, I suggest sauteing less and not to the point where you have to fish out many bits of burnt yogurt. Ideally, the chicken is nicely seared and golden brown. If you send me an e-mail, I’ll see if I can dig up the older version of this recipe for you.

Mona

I just tried it again and didn’t get too held up getting the chicken browned. It turned out great even though the chicken was barely yellow (though well cooked!) and I had some light brown pan scrapings instead of the black flakes I had before. Thank you, it’s a delicious recipe!

I’m glad to hear that, Mona. Thank you for taking the time to report back!

JerseyGirl

A lot of prep but worth it. Love the flavors. Served with Jasmine rice.

Heather

Just finished making this. Wow. Serves 5, HA! Not when it tastes this good. Thank you for this!!

Danielle

I love makhani, can’t wait to try this!

Butter Chicken