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Butter Chicken Recipe

Updated May 3, 2019Published Feb 1, 2018 By Julia 21 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
An easy, one-pot dinner recipe for Indian butter chicken where tender bites of chicken breast are browned and simmered in a rich and creamy tomato-based sauce. One of my favorite keto/low carb Asian Takeout recipes.

Butter Chicken Recipe

4.9 from 8 votes
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Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 560
Net Carbs: 8.5g

INGREDIENTS

For Browning Chicken:

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless fresh chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) plain 2% fat greek yogurt (I use the Fage brand)
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spices:

  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (for mild to medium spiciness)

Everything Else:

  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15 ounces canned unsalted plain tomato sauce
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Browning Chicken:

  • Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Trim off excess fat, if any. Cut into 1-inch chunks.
  • In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, salt, and pepper until well-mixed. Add chicken chunks and mix until well-coated with the yogurt.
  • Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat (I use a 10-inch wide and 3-inch tall nonstick pan) until very hot, no oil needed. Add only half of the yogurt-covered chicken chunks, spreading them out in the pan. Cook for a few minutes until they are golden brown and a bit charred, frequently stirring and flipping the chicken to sear different sides (tongs are useful for this).
  • Once the chicken chunks are seared, transfer them to a large plate. Repeat the searing process with the remaining half of the chicken chunks. Doing this in 2 batches prevents the pan from cooling too much, resulting in a better sear.

Making The Sauce:

  • Reduce to medium heat. Add half of the butter (2 tablespoons) to the now-empty pan, spreading it around until melted. Add chopped onions and cook for about 5 minutes to soften them, stirring frequently and loosening browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  • Add all of the spices and the minced garlic, stirring them for a minute to release their aromatics.
  • Add tomato sauce and heavy cream, stirring for a minute until mixed. Add seared chicken chunks without pan drippings and submerge them into the sauce; no need to stir. Bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and decreasing the heat as needed to maintain a light simmer. After simmering, the chicken should be cooked through and the sauce slightly thickened and orange.
  • Add two-thirds (2 tablespoons) of chopped cilantro and the remaining (2 tablespoons) butter, stirring it in until melted. Turn off the heat. Serve into bowls, and garnish with remaining (1 tablespoon) cilantro.

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 560  
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%

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This dish can also be made in an electric pressure cooker — see Instant Pot Butter Chicken.

keto butter chicken served in white bowl

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, which is a spice blend containing cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, but butter chicken tends to be milder in taste.

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.

stirring indian butter chicken in black nonstick pan

Butter Chicken Recipe Overview

Prior to searing, chicken breast chunks are coated in Greek yogurt to accelerate the browning process. They’re seared in two batches to maintain the pan’s hot temperature; otherwise, adding all of the chicken at once will cool the pan too much, resulting in a subpar sear. To save time, the chicken isn’t marinated prior to cooking.

Finely chopped onions add a lovely sweet note to the whole dish, and also adds bulk to the generous sauce. Additional butter is stirred in at the end for extra richness. Both cilantro and ground coriander add an earthy but subtle flavor to the dish.

This recipe is also designed to be a carb conscious and keto friendly dinner by minimizing carb-heavy ingredients. Each serving is estimated to have 8.5g of net carbs.

serving low carb butter chicken with wooden utensil

Low Carb Serving Options

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 prevalent in many U.S. supermarkets — look for wraps by brands including Mission, La Banderita, and Kroger.

close up overhead view of butter chicken topped with cilantro

MORE EASY ASIAN DINNERS:


Roasted Cauliflower Curry

Tandoori Chicken

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Beef Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Filed Under: Asian Takeout, Mains: Poultry, Per Serving: 5-10g Net Carbs Tagged With: cayenne, chicken breasts, cilantro, coriander, cumin, featured, garam masala, garlic, ginger, gluten free, heavy cream, more10ingredients, more60min, onion, stovetop, tomato sauce, yogurt

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth. She shares simple recipes and guides for keto and low carb diets. Learn more.

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newest oldest most voted
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 😊

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Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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!

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 months ago
Jenny

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
9 months ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
9 months ago
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. ❤

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
11 months ago
Dean

Can I use minced ginger instead of ground ginger?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Jake

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Oisha Joseph

Thanks

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

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.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
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!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
JerseyGirl

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Heather

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Danielle

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

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Denise

I love the color of that sauce. Big fan of chicken tikka masala, so I can’t wait to try this!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago

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