Try this easy butter chicken recipe that is foolproof, bursting with flavor, and rivals any restaurant or take out Murgh Makhani for half the price.
Butter chicken pairs perfectly with my cilantro lime cauliflower rice, Basmati rice, and garlic naan bread.
Contents
⏲️ Butter Chicken in 40 Minutes!
When I first started making this nearly ten years ago, it would take me between 4-6 hours, which is not easy and worse if you're not in the mood.
My family members and friends love butter chicken, but I would fret a little every time someone would request it. There is a stigma towards the difficulty of this food recipe, and I fully understand why.
Nevertheless, I would make it with love knowing it would bring everyone together and put smiles on more than a few faces. Yeah!
Earlier this month, a close friend requested this dish for his birthday, which meant making this for eight people. On the day of his birthday, I got an early start, deconstructed my original butter chicken recipe, and came up with something unique, authentic, and super easy.
The best thing about this recipe is that it's so much easier to make. Originally this butter chicken recipe took 4+ hours. Now you can make it in under 60 minutes and realistically even pull it off in 40 minutes once you know-how.
Impressive right? Lets recap! How to make this Indian butter chicken in 40 minutes. And the result is fantastic, tender pieces of chicken simmered in a creamy spiced butter sauce.
Yes, it is that easy and tastes better than what you get in a restaurant. Let's make it now?
🥘 Key Ingredients
This recipe is full of key ingredients, specifically spices like garam masala, turmeric, and cumin. These super spices burst with flavor but are also extraordinarily good for you. These spices are the key to the beautiful rich orange color in this dish.
Garam Masala
A genuine super spice, this powerful combination of spices improves digestion, fights diabetes, and general overall health booster (draxe). Adding garam masala to any chicken recipe elevates it to the next level. Garam masala is common in many Indian recipes and easy to buy.
Turmeric
This golden yellow spice is growing in popularity worldwide. Curcumin is the main active ingredient and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, and is a powerful antioxidant. Note that it is recommended to consume turmeric with pepper, which enhances curcumin absorption. (healthline)
Cumin
This super spice is far more common, and it is used in a variety of dishes. Even a small amount of cumin helps add depth to butter chicken and helps tie all of the spices and flavors together.
🔪 How do you make Butter Chicken
Yes, this is easy, like, super easy - one of the easiest butter chicken recipes ever! The marinade takes about 5-10 minutes, and the sauce takes about 30 minutes. And the best part is nobody will know you made this all in under an hour.
These delicious and healthy spices, coupled with the buttery mouthfeel, make this a dish to drool over. The best thing is that it's so much easier to make than you might think.
Chicken Marinade
Grab your mixing bowl and add your yogurt (1 cup), fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons), garam masala (2 tablespoons), ground turmeric (1 tablespoon), ground cumin (1 tablespoon), and Kosher salt to taste. Mix until fully combined.
Add boneless chicken pieces (chicken thighs or breasts), and make sure the marinade covers it so it can soak up this miraculous marinade. This step takes about 5 - 10 minutes. The secret to the tender, juicy chicken is the spice-infused greek yogurt marinade. Done, slide it in the fridge.
Butter Chicken Sauce
Heat your skillet or casserole and add your ingredients: butter (ghee), olive oil, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves of garlic. As soon as the ghee starts to bubble, give it another minute, and add your onion.
Depending on your taste, you can sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar (brown) into the butter chicken sauce halfway through. A small pinch of brown sugar helps caramelize the onions and helps balance out the acidity in tomatoes.
Next, add a can of diced tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and cook on medium until the tomatoes are fully cooked. This will take less time with canned tomatoes and slightly longer with fresh tomatoes. And we are done!
Combine and Cook
Grab the marinade from the fridge and combine it with your butter chicken sauce.
Add sour cream or heavy whipping cream once the chicken is fully cooked, simmer briefly, and garnish. This beautiful sauce gets its creamy richness from the yogurt and the cream.
Server over cauliflower rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley. Or whip up some fresh basmati rice for a more authentic Indian experience.
Cooking Tips
Your first time around, I'd estimate about 60 minutes. Your second time around, you should be able to pull this off in 40 minutes or less. I pretty much make this on autopilot, and we are eating butter chicken far more often now.
I love that this recipe is so easy, serves a crowd, tastes better the next day, and is a fantastic meal plan option. I've had people fighting over this the next day, which is pretty impressive.
You'd recall adding several spices to the butter (ghee) and olive oil if you followed along above. This step helps release essential oils and re-activate ground spices.
Most spices are now available in your local supermarket, but they can be a hit or miss. There is nothing worse than not finding an essential spice; it is flat-out frustrating. When it comes to spices, Amazon Pantry Staples is both a time saver and a helpful link. And I am picky when it comes to spices.
Another big time saver is how well this recipe works for meal plans, and this is a recipe that tastes better with time. A delicious butter chicken meal that you can make ahead and serve anytime!
And you could quickly turn this into a vegan dish by substituting tofu or possibly a veggie option. If you modify this recipe in any way and like how it turns out, please let me know!
For anyone interested in making the BEST BUTTER CHICKEN, consider putting the chicken on skewers and BBQ for about 10 minutes on high. This gives the chicken so much smoky bbq flavor, and it is fantastic.
🧾 Frequently Asked Questions
What is butter chicken?
Butter chicken is a famous Indian food and is originally called Murgh Makhani. Food in India is so flavorful and aromatic. This curry recipe is considered to be mild compared to the spiciness of other Indian dishes. Indian butter chicken is made with chicken cooked in a spiced tomato, butter, and creamy sauce.
How long should I marinate butter chicken?
Marinate the chicken as long as it takes you to prepare your butter chicken sauce. Of course, you can leave it longer; however, the benefits are trivial.
What is cut of chicken to use in Butter Chicken?
Any cut of chicken will work. I used chicken breast pieces for this recipe, but you can also make them using boneless skinless chicken thighs. I prefer chicken breasts, but some prefer chicken thighs, so use whatever you have in your fridge. If you opt for bone-in chicken pieces, you will need to add additional cooking time.
How do you make butter chicken less spicy?
This recipe is considered mild, but everyone's tastes are different. You can always use dairy to make this food less spicy. Add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt before serving if you need to adjust this delicious dish's spiciness.
How to make butter chicken creamy?
Ingredients that will make this butter sauce creamier include heavy whipping cream (heavy cream), coconut cream, coconut milk, or Greek yogurt.
Can I substitute fresh or canned tomatoes with tomato sauce or tomato paste?
You can use both; however, tomato paste and sauce have a higher carb count than fresh or canned tomatoes, so check labels for the carb count.
🥗 What to serve with
Butter Chicken is typically served with Basmati Rice. However, I've really enjoyed eating this with cauliflower rice lately. I feel a lot better in general after the meal.
Buttery garlic naan is another typical side dish for Indian Cuisine.
Cauliflower rice is my absolute favorite side to serve with this meal. My family eats cauliflower rice regularly, and they prefer it over Basmati rice.
If you decide to stick with authentic Indian side dishes. And if your looking for something new, cauliflower rice is another excellent option. Both are perfect for soaking up this famous delicious sauce.
🍳 Related Chicken Recipes
Try these fantastic chicken recipes for your next family meal!
🐓 Butter Chicken
The aroma of this butter chicken will drive you crazy, and I guarantee you won't be able to resist eating it straight out of the pot with a spoon - it is so good!! There are many quick and easy family recipes out there, but this is definitely on my list of favorites. Guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and ready in less than an hour. I love simple recipes like chicken stir fry that taste this good! I can't wait for you to try it!!!
📋 Recipe
40 Minute Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Large Skillet or Casserole
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Set
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 pounds Chicken Skinless
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt - to taste
Indian Butter Sauce
- 2 ounces Unsalted Butter - (Ghee)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion - Ideally Red
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Ginger - Fresh
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt - to taste
- ½ cup Sour Cream
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Grab your mixing bowl and add your yogurt (1 cup), fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons), garam masala (2 tablespoons), ground turmeric (1 tablespoon), ground cumin (1 tablespoon), and Kosher salt to taste. Mix until fully combined.
- Add boneless chicken (2 pounds) and combine well. Make sure the chicken is fully coated so it can absorb the spices and flavors and refrigerate.
Indian Butter Sauce
- Heat a large pan or even pot and add the butter or ghee and olive oil.
- Add garlic, ginger and cinnamon and fry for one minute. This helps release the flavors!
- Add in onion, stirring frequently until browned.
- Combine tomatoes, chilli powder, and salt. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
- Get the marinade from the fridge and combine in your pan and cook for 5-10 minutes. Cooking time here depends on thickness of chicken.
- Add a touch of salt or squeeze of lemon to taste.
- Stir in cream and simmer for a few minutes.
- Server over cauliflower rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Video
Notes
- Your first time around, I'd estimate about 60 minutes. Your second time around, you should be able to pull this off in 40 minutes or less. I pretty much make this on autopilot, and we are eating butter chicken far more often now.
- I love that this recipe is so easy, serves a crowd, tastes better the next day, and is a fantastic meal plan option. I've had people fighting over this the next day, which is pretty impressive.
- You'd recall adding several spices to the butter (ghee) and olive oil if you followed along above. This step helps release essential oils and re-activate ground spices.
- Most spices are now available in your local supermarket, but they can be a hit or miss. There is nothing worse than not finding an essential spice; it is flat-out frustrating. When it comes to spices, Amazon Pantry Staples is both a time saver and a helpful link. And I am picky when it comes to spices.
- Another big time saver is how well this recipe works for meal plans, and this is a recipe that tastes better with time. A quick and easy butter chicken meal that you can make ahead and serve anytime!
- And you could quickly turn this into a Vegan Butter Chicken recipe by substituting tofu or possibly a veggie option. If you modify this recipe in any way and like how it turns out, please let me know!
- For anyone interested in making the BEST BUTTER CHICKEN, consider putting the chicken on skewers and BBQ for about 10 minutes on high. This gives the chicken so much smoky BBQ flavor, and it is fantastic.
Betsie
I've made this recpe a few times and always successful and delicious. Today even added prawn meat. Loved it.