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.
Recipe 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.
Looking for chicken recipe ideas? I have diverse collection of delicious and easy to make chicken recipes your whole family will love.