Indian Butter Chicken Recipe

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Marinade Time: 3

Total Time: 3 30

Servings:

Calories: 543kcal

This easy Indian Butter Chicken is so creamy, tender, and delicious!

Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, and peppers in a large Ziplock bag. Gently smush the spices into the yogurt to combine, then add the chicken pieces to the bag, massaging to coat it in the spiced yogurt.
¾ cup full-fat plain yogurt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon Garam Masala Indian spice, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Seal the Ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
In a large skillet, melt the butter (or ghee) over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the coated chicken pieces in the skillet for 2-4 minutes, flipping once, until the outside of the chicken is a light golden brown.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add the tomato sauce, cream, tomato paste, and sugar to the skillet, then stir until well combined. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
8 ounces tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
Serve garnished with cilantro.
Fresh cilantro

You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of regular yogurt.
If you don't have fresh ginger, you can use ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
Feel free to leave the cayenne pepper out if you don't like a little spice.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in place of thighs.
You can use ghee in place of the butter.
You can use half-and-half in place of the heavy cream.
Let the chicken marinade for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
If you'd like a richer sauce, feel free to stir in some more butter or ghee at the end.
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread!
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Storage: Store Indian butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.