Indian Butter Chicken — An EASY, ONE-POT recipe for a classic Indian favorite!! Juicy, BUTTERY chicken simmered in a CREAMY tomato-based sauce! Next time you’re craving Indian food, you can make it yourself in 30 minutes!!
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
I am by no means an expert in Indian cooking. Or for any ethnic recipes that I share, from Mexican to Asian. But after plenty of research, trial and error, and condensing some very complicated and time-consuming recipes for Indian butter chicken into this very straightforward and easy one, I can definitely say that it’s a winner that my daughter and I loved.
It reminds me a lot of my Chicken Tikka Masala, but rather than having to marinate the chicken overnight in a Greek yogurt-based marinade, no planning ahead is required for Indian butter chicken. Score!
Sweet Vidalia onions are caramelized in butter before adding the chicken, garlic, and a slew of spices, including garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and ginger. I am not shy when adding spices because flavor development is my goal and bland food is my nemesis.
None of the spices are so exotic that they are hard to find and you can find them all in your regular grocery store. Keeping recipes convenient enough so that people actually make them is important to me!
Garnished with cilantro and served on top basmati rice, this is a keeper that’s faster than going to your local Indian restaurant because it’s ready in 30 minutes and tastes every bit as amazing. It may be a simple butter chicken recipe, but I promise it’s packed with flavor!
Indian Butter Chicken Ingredients
To make this simple butter chicken recipe (including the addicting butter chicken sauce), you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Sweet Vidalia onion
- Chicken breasts
- Garlic
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Heavy whipping cream
- Tomato sauce
- Basmati rice
- Fresh cilantro
The butter chicken spices that I used included:
- Garam masala
- Ground cumin
- Ground turmeric
- Ground ginger
- Salt and pepper
- Cayenne pepper
Can I Make This Vegetarian?
Yes, very easily! You can sub cubed tofu or chickpeas for the chicken, if desired.
Is There a Heavy Cream Substitute I Can Use?
Not that I’m aware of. Indian butter chicken is one of those dishes where full-fat butter and cream is a must.
If you tried to use a substitute like whole milk or yogurt, I’m not sure how well the butter chicken would taste. Not to mention the butter chicken sauce would likely be super runny.
A few readers have reported success using full-fat coconut or coconut cream, but both options would of course add a coconut flavor to the recipe.
How to Make Butter Chicken
This recipe for Indian butter chicken is as quick and easy as it gets! Here are the basic steps to making this simple butter chicken recipe:
- Heat a little butter in a skillet and sauté the onions until they begin to soften and caramelize.
- Add the diced chicken to the skillet and cook until almost done.
- Then, stir in the spices and garlic.
- You can’t have butter chicken without plenty of butter! After adding the spices, you add (more) butter and heavy cream. It’s a full-fat dairy marriage in heaven that produces a buttery, creamy, full-bodied sauce that is butter chicken’s signature.
- Let the sauce bubble away until thickened, then serve the butter chicken over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
What to Serve with Homemade Butter Chicken
I’ve had a few readers ask what they should serve as a side with this easy butter chicken recipe. I like serving naan bread (sold in most grocery stores), steamed or roasted veggies, or a side salad with butter chicken curry.
The butter chicken has so much flavor that you can pair it with simpler sides.
Can I Freeze Indian Butter Chicken?
Yes, this Indian butter chicken recipe can be prepared, allowed to cool, and then frozen for up to three months.
Tips for Making the Best Butter Chicken
Very Saucy – If you’re a sauce fan, this recipe produces an abundant amount of butter chicken sauce as written.
If you don’t want it as saucy, you can scale back on the amount of tomato sauce and/or cream. The sauce it good enough to slurp down as if it were a soup, which I relished doing.
Salt – I used no-salt added tomato sauce and used nearly 2 teaspoons salt in total, but if you’re using salted tomato sauce 1 teaspoon salt will likely be enough. Always salt to taste.
Not Spicy – Note that the cayenne pepper in the sauce doesn’t make the dish spicy. It just adds a nice depth of flavor.
However, you’re welcome to add more cayenne pepper if you like things spicy.
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Indian Butter Chicken
An EASY, ONE-POT recipe for a classic Indian favorite!! Juicy, BUTTERY chicken simmered in a CREAMY tomato-based sauce! Next time you're craving Indian food, you can make it yourself in 30 minutes!!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick + 1 stick), divided
- 1 large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1.50 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger or 1+ tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (see Notes below)
- one 8-ounce can tomato sauce (I used no-salt added; see Notes below)
- basmati rice (or your favorite rice), for serving
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, or to taste for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large skillet add 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onions begins to soften and caramelize about 5 minutes; stir intermittently. It does not have to be fully caramelized before moving on.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done; flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (does not make it spicy but adds depth of flavor), and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and heat until it has melted; stir frequently to encourage melting.
- Add the heavy cream, tomato sauce, stir to combine, and allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. Taste and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, etc.
- Add rice to the serving plates and top with chicken and as much sauce as desired.
- Evenly garnish with cilantro and serve immediately. Dish is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- If you’re a sauce fan, this recipe produces an abundant amount of sauce as written. If you don’t want it as saucy, you can scale back on the amount of tomato sauce and/or cream.
- I used no-salt added tomato sauce and used nearly 2 teaspoons salt in total, but if you’re using salted tomato sauce 1 teaspoon salt will likely be enough.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 906Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 37gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 303mgSodium: 975mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 58g
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Originally posted April 9, 2018 and reposted January 20, 2023 with updated text.
Thank you Averie for your advice regarding garam masala. I made this last night, I was blown away, so delicious! This was so easy, and my first-ever Indian dish; I felt I was reliving The Hundred-Foot Journey…haha! Next time I will combine the spices & seasonings in a bowl first, because things happen quickly at that point. This recipe is a KEEPER!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that your first Indian dish at home turned out amazing and that it was easy and that this is a keeper for you!
I am planning to make two of your recipes asap…but I have a question: Do you mix up your own blend of garam masala, or do you buy one? Would like to know either your recipe, or the brand you prefer most… seems like every ‘recipe’ out there is different.
Thanks!
I don’t mix up my own. There are so many elements that for me, it’s not worth it to buy all of the various componets and try to DIY. I just buy it.
Something like this is good https://amzn.to/3RnKzmq but honestly I would go with whatever your gut tells you if you’re ordering online or buying in person!
This might sound like a silly question, but I live on another continent with different products.
What is ‘canned tomato sauce’? Is it like ketchup or more like tomato puree?
I have been an ardent follower of your recipes!
Thank you.
I completely understand your challenge with the ingredients. I’ve cooked in many foreign countries, wondering what exactly I’m looking for and hoping when I get home and opened it up it functions like I hope it’s going to function. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t!
Canned tomato sauce is definitely more like a purée than ketchup. Hopefully this link will work for you so you can see what it looks like
https://www.amazon.com/Hunts-Tomato-Sauce-8-oz/dp/B000Q3R6KS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_f3_0o_fs?crid=1XHAB5XL0YVZY&keywords=hunts+tomato+sauce+8+oz&qid=1674282548&sprefix=hunts+tomato+sauce+8+%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-2
It’s basically the sauce you would use on pizza dough to make a traditional pizza.
Please report back if you makes us and how it goes for you!
Thank you so much!
I am curious, is it possible to make in the slow cooker? If so, would you alter in any way, like add the cream (or cream sub) later in the process of slow cooking? Thanks!
Here’s the thing – this is a 30 min recipe and I see no reason to “drag it out” with a slow cooker. Plus, you will have to sear, transfer into the slow cooker, make a sauce and transfer, and just too many considerations to off the cuff say oh yeah, do it. Honestly, make it on the stove. It is PERFECT and such a fast recipe. The slow cooker would just complicate a fast and easy recipe.
https://www.averiecooks.com/crock-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/ there are directions in this recipe for how to make it in a slow cooker. Similar flavor profile to the Butter Chicken and perhaps is of interest.
This recipe is the gift that keeps on giving! I just made it again, this time with boneless porkchops! Great sauce, great taste, great meal! Me and Hubby love it! This has become a favorite in our household!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad to hear this has been a fave in your house and that it worked well with boneless pork chops!
Excellent! Followed the recipe as written with one exception I used Jasmine rice as that is what I had on hand. Easy as you stated and is definitely a keeper.
Glad this is a keeper for you and excellent!
AMAZING. I love how it is flavorful with no marination required. I used fresh ginger and a regular yellow onion…. mmm so much sauce, great to eat with crunchy veggies & rice.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it was amazing! I know, the no marination is nice isn’t it!
You can sub in Coconut cream for the whipping cream for a dish that is just as yummy. My Indian friend taught me this trick.
Thanks for sharing!
What do you think about substituting turkey for the chicken in this recipe? I have a big turkey breast that I need to use and am thinking this would be perfect for a completely different taste from Thanksgiving! This is an amazing, amazing recipe for butter chicken and so easy too! We eat it often now!
Glad you love this recipe! As long as your turkey doesn’t have a lot of thyme, rosemary, etc. type of seasonings, it could work. If it does it could clash with Indian flavors.
I would make this! https://www.averiecooks.com/turkey-pot-pie/
Made this exactly as written and I am BLOWN AWAY. This was SO delicious and the prep was easy. Loved the flavor profiles and richness from the cream and butter. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were blown away! I know, this is a rich and delicious one and glad you loved it!
This was so fast and so delicious! I didn’t have cilantro but other than that I followed the recipe as written. I will not change a thing in the future when I make it again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it was fast and delish and that you’ll make it again and not change a thing!
Can you use chicken thighs?
I’ve only used breasts but thighs would probably be okay although I haven’t personally tried.
STUNNINGLY DELICIOUS
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was stunningly delish for you!
I can’t believe I had all ingredients on hand! I did sub Costco roasted chicken that they sell in the refrigerated section in a bag- all white meat. The recipe was a breeze to make and all came together very easily and quickly. Husband was super impressed and I thought it was pretty darn good. Now I’m ready to try more of your Thai and Indian recipes!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this worked well with the Costco chicken and that you’re going to try more of my Indian and Thai recipes!
I made this a couple months ago and substituted Curry Powder for turmeric, because I was out. It was amazing. We added a little lemon juice to it after serving and found it helped balance it.My family thought it was too hot, but I didn’t think it was spicy at all! 😆I’m making it again tonight. Doubled the batch, but did not double the cayenne. Hopefully that helps. 🤷
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you loved it and are making it again!
oh no, i dont have any heavy cream. will regular coconut milk work ok?? i cant wait to make this tonight – thanks for all of the super easy and extremely tasty recipes! your thai chicken coconut curry is one of our family favorites!
Regular full fat coconut milk is a great option and I think it will be fine as long as you know, of course, it will taste coconutty – whereas regular heavy cream is more neutral tasting.
Tried the butter chicken recipe. WOW!!Easy and delicious. You weren’t kidding about the sauce being so good you could eat it like soup. My husband even commented on how much he liked the sauce!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was a wow for you and that you both loved the sauce, too!
Send me recipe
I made this recipe exactly as written and it was absolutely, hands down, one of the BEST things I’ve eaten in a long, long time! I admit I was a little concerned about the large amounts of spices and almost cut them down but decided not to and am very glad I didn’t. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes now. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was one the best things you’ve ever eaten, hands down! What a compliment, thank you!
It is good but I was hoping for a stronger tomato flavor in the base. It didn’t really taste like the butter chicken from my favorite Indian place. I will keep looking for a butter chicken recipe with more tomato.
Add a 4 ounce jar of tomato paste. To me, that would overwhelm it and I love tomatoes but if you want something much stronger in the tomato department, that will do it.
This is 6-star; my teenaged sons and I LOVED it!! Had to hunt for your site again to make it this second time…I won’t make that mistake again and will be trying more of your recipes, too! I used table cream the first time (because I wasn’t sure while in the store if heavy cream is the same as whipping cream) and it turned out amazingly regardless. P.S. I have never left a comment on a recipe site before now!
Thanks for the 5 star review (or 6!) and glad these were a huge hit with the teenage sons!
Table cream, you mean coffee cream, that is half-and-half. The next jump up is whipping cream, and then after that, heavy cream, i.e. the heaviest because it has the highest fat content.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I just made this and it is amazing! After dinner I said to my Hubby, “Do you wanna put everything up honey?” And he’s like “No its too early to put it up now! Leave it out I’ll eat some later! Its really filling especially with rice!” This definitely makes it into our food rotation! Thank you so much for the recipe! God Bless!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will definitely make it again and it’ll be in your food rotation!
Hi! I love your recipes! Two questions:
1. I am wondering what tomato sauce you use- can I just blend diced tomatoes?
2. I don’t have garam masala on hand what can I use as a substitute.
Thanks so much!
1. Probably if that’s all you have on hand, it could work, but I haven’t tried it.
2. Google what’s in Garam Masala, see if you have any of that, and if not, add more of the spices you do have on hand that are called for in the recipe, to taste.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s perfect. Next time I might substitute shrimp for the chicken. You are a wonderful cook!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was perfect! If you do try with shrimp, LMK how it goes!
This is mine and my husband’s favorite new recipe! It is simple to make, cost-effective (once you buy those fancy spices), and delicious. I am so glad we stumbled upon this one!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s you and your husband’s new favorite recipe! Glad you stumbled upon it too!
This is a great recipe while on Keto Diet. Super Flavor great texture. Ate this with Cauliflower rice and loved every drop.Im not a big butter chicken fan but I would give this recipe 6 stars instead of 5. Used leftover Costco Rotisserie chicken Breast previously frozen. I will be making this recipe a regular.
Thanks for the 5 (or 6) star review!! Glad you loved this and will be making it as a regular recipe!
A great (non-dairy) alternative to the heavy cream is coconut cream, I use it for all of my cream based sauces. I buy the Kara brand in the 6.8oz foil box found in the Asian food section. It has a wonderful richness and full bodied consistency just right for the butter sauce.
Great suggestion and with this recipe, if there is a hint of coconut flavor in the background, the flavors would mesh well anyway.
Amazing! Probably my most favorite thing I have made off of the internet. I was craving Indian, and honestly I thought making this would only make my craving worse, but I was wrong. Pretty sure I could just eat it all day long. Thank you!!! I think I will have to try some more of your recipes 😁
Thanks for the 5 star review and for letting me know it’s your favorite recipe you’ve made from the internet! Glad to hear you will try more of my recipes!
I love this recipe! It is easy to make and is just as good as Indian takeout!Is there any way to lighten up the recipe (calorie wise) without losing the main flavor?
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s just as good as Indian takeout for you!
If you reduce the butter in step 5 to half of a stick, and reduce the amt of heavy cream to 1/2 cup from 1 cup, that will lighten it up by the sheer fact that not as much sauce will be produced. But I can’t comment on the taste. You could also try half-and-half rather than heavy cream. Or whole milk (but I personally don’t think whole milk would really do the trick for me).
Wow I really like Indian butter chicken .thank you
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you really liked this!
Nice recipe .Would like to make it asap
Great to hear!
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
yes
This was DELISH!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it turned out delicious!
Really good recipe. I made it with homemade naan bread which made it even better!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am sure it was amazing with homemade! naan bread!
I love butter chicken. It’s always been my go-to dish when we go out for Indian. I have tried at least four or five different recipes while trying to make it at home, but none of them even come close to this one! Soooo amazing! I will never use another butter chicken recipe again! 😄
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that this is the favorite recipe by far that you’ve tried and will never use another recipe again – awesome to hear!
This is so good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that it turned out great for you!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I was so apprehensive about making this because I was not sure how all of the spices were going to mesh together. It turned out better than expected. Next time I’m going to have to double the chicken because this dish went fast.
I am glad it turned out absolutely delicious for you and that you’re going to make it again!
This was delicious! I am a wimp when it comes to spice, and I did not find this too spicy. We may add some curry next time we make it, to add a bit more flavor and kick. It did seem to need more salt, which we added at the table. Definitely a winner, going into our favorite recipes file!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was delicious!
Salt is so personal and so yes, always add to taste. I am sure curry would be delicious in it!
Made this last night and it was yummy. Next time I would cut back on the tomato sauce as it was too saucy. Or maybe I just need to add more chicken? Also, my own fault but my rice was little too wet, next time my rice needs to be drier for this. The good thing is you can make this recipe as hot or mild as you want. Next time I might try adding some lemon juice for a little “zing.”
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you enjoyed it overall. I did mention in the blog post under the section ‘Feeling Saucy’ and to scale back if desired on the sauce since I know that’s personal preference. Something you can do for next time. And/or just add more chicken. And yes, drier rice is best too for this.
I used boneless skinless thighs and it was amazing!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out amazing with the thighs!
Big hit just as written. Served on zucchini to the Keto crowd and everyone was thrilled.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was a big hit as written!
Delicious dish that everyone enjoyed! I would not change any ingredient or amount … wonderful as is! So each to make and it truly is one dish!
Thanks for the 5 star review, glad everyone enjoyed it, and that you would not change a thing!
I have been making Indian butter chicken on a monthly basis for the past decade, at least. But every time I do, I either try a new recipe, or try to create a new one myself, because i’ve never quite got it to a standard I could compare with one of my all time favorite restaurant dishes. Until now!!! Oh my God…this came out so completely perfect in every single way. I followed the recipe exactly except for doubling the cayenne (I like it spicy) adding one chopped fresh tomato, and I did in fact go with the fresh ginger. Anyhow, I just want to thank you, thank you so very much!!! For creating a recipe I know I will be using for years to come. My search is over!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this came out perfect in every single way for you! Glad this will be your go to Indian butter chicken and your search is over! That’s a very high compliment since it sounds like you are quite the aficionado if you’ve been making it monthly for a decade plus!
Delicious! I used soy milk instead of heavy cream.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that soy milk worked great for you!
Followed this recipe exactly and my family loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your family loved it!
This recipe is great! I doubled it for my family of 8 and we had leftovers. I paired it with some steamed cauliflower and naan. My hubby and kids all love Indian and they said it was the best homemade Indian dish I’ve made. They’ve asked me to scrap all the other recipes I’ve tried. We have a winner! Even better the next day.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this was voted the best homemade Indian dish you’ve made and you’re scrapping all other recipes!
Fantastic recipe, tastes better then any indian food I have had… add with Trader Joe’s garlic naan and you have yourself the perfect meal. I also added in julliened carrots and some kale for some extra nutrition and cake out great.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was better than any previous Indian food you’ve tried! The TJ’s naan is perfect here, agreed!
I forgot to post my stars with my first comment!
I made this for supper for my husband and I and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing except when I make it for my vegetarian daughter. For her I’ll sub the chicken for roasted chickpeas or tofu or both. She’ll love it!! I always look forward to seeing your recipes in my inbox. I haven’t made even one that I didn’t like. Can’t wait to try more of them! God bless you for making cooking easy, fun, and delicious!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this and will make it again (vegetarian style)!
I appreciate that you appreciate easy, fun, and delicious recipes – that is always my goal!
Once the prep was done, this dish came together in minutes! I did play a little with the spices, based on what was on hand and personal taste, but the butter/cream/tomato tempering each other made this dish wonderfully silky and smooth. It’s definitely going into rotation, and I’m thrilled to find your site.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is definitely going into rotation!
I’m glad you found me as well :)
I tried this last week and came out so delicious!
What exactly is the ingredient you are calling “tomato sauce”? I would like to make this for my son’s birthday in 3 days.
Thanks!
Tomato sauce https://amzn.to/2IUl4V4
This was incredibly good. I picked this recipe since I had all the ingredients on hand. Many recipes called for cardamom pods, which I could not find in the supermarket. I made this twice. The first time I pounded out the chicken and then marinaded in buttermilk. The second time I skipped it. I really think it tasted better the first time. Also, I used fresh ginger. Definitely think that’s the way to go. Delicious.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you’ve made it twice and love it!
The recipe calls for one tablespoon ground ginger or 1+ tablespoon fresh. What does the 1+ mean? Usually dried spices are more potent than fresh and you need more fresh. I’m not sure if the plus sign means heaping tablespoon or something else. The recipe looks great, but I want to make sure I know what I need before I start making this. I have fresh ginger on hand so I want to use it up.thanks.
It means start with 1 tbsp and add more to your liking if desired. Everyone’s tastes vary, so add it to suit your personal preferences.
It was delicious and easy to make. Thank you.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious and easy!
This was a very good recipe. I did double the tomato sauce for my own tastes and it was good. I think I cut the chicken too small because with all the simmering, my chicken was tough.
I amdefinitely going to do it again but I’ll probably cut back on the cumin….I’m not a huge fan HOWEVER, since the recipe is agood one, I didn’t mind it so much.
Thank you for sharing this. You brokeme out of my cooking comfort zone and got me feeling a tad more adventurous with spices I normally shy away from
Glad that this recipe took you out of your comfort zone and you’ll make it again!
This turned out amazing! I love the flavor profile. I am excited to make it for my family. Which vegetable or side would go well with this dish?
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will make it again for your family.
I would go with some basic roasted vegetables or whatever your family is happy to eat!
It’s delicious, but mine looked more of a brown than orange/brown. How do you get that color? Please let me know. I did follow the recipe exactly as written. Thanks, Teresa
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it tasted delicious!
It could be the intensity of the pigment in the turmeric, or other spices, or tomato sauce; not sure exactly but glad the taste was great.
So good! My first Indian dish and the instructions were wonderful.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you appreciated the directions and had success with your first Indian dish!
This was a very simple, very tasty dish! It was a familyfavorite that will always be in rotation.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it will always be in your rotation!
My wife and I tried the Indian Butter Chicken at a local Indian restaurant and just loved it. The next day I started looking for a recipe that we could make at home. I googled Indian Butter Chicken, and with 5 star reviews it was an easy choice to make this one. I ordered the Garam Masala from Amazon and we decided to make it today. The instructions were easy to follow and the result was OUTSTANDING!!!! It tasted as good, if not better, than the butter chicken we had at the restaurant. We did use the basmati rice and bought some Naan bread to scrape up the delicious sauce. Since we are lovers of hotter food we doubled the cayenne pepper and it was perfect. If you ever wanted to make a easy fantastic Indian dish this is the one to try.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that this was as good or possibly better than at the restaurant!
I am glad the recipe was easy for you to follow and that you loved it! I am a total lover of spicy/hot food BUT for my website I write things more ‘middle of the road’ but I love your idea of doubling the cayenne :)
This was fantastic! This is the first time I’ve made an Indian dish and it was very easy to make. My wife is not a fan of ginger and she still liked it. I will try it with less ginger next time though.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that it came out fantastic! Yes feel free to adjust the seasonings to taste.
Let me preface this review by saying my husband is from India and I myself have been to India 3 times…so I know Indian food & I’ve been cooking Indian food for the 20+ years of our marriage. Averie, this recipe is fabulous! You nailed it! Butter chicken is always a favorite among American kids because it’s not very spicy if at all and just delicious in general. My kids being no different, I’ve tried many butter chicken recipes from various Indian cookbooks and websites and they are absolutely horrible compared to this one! Actually they were horrible not compared to this one! Either really dry and tasteless or swimming in so much butter you couldn’t even eat it! The only change I made to your recipe was adding more tomato paste because for some reason mine always turns out very pale compared to usual restaurant butter chicken and your photos as well. I have made this recipe 4 times now, tonight being number 5 and even my India born & raised husband loves it! Great job Girlie!!!!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad this is your favorite butter chicken and that you’ve been making it often! It’s a wonderful compliment and such high praise than your Indian-born husband loves this, too! Thank you!
Looks delicious, your video really drew me in.
Would you mind updating the ingredients list to specify how the onion should be prepared? Many thanks!
This is amazing!!!!! I usually don’t leave reviews, but after tasting this dish, I think everybody needs to know just how delicious and easy this meal is. Dinner was done in literally less than 30 minutes and that’s with a three year old asking a million and one questions while I cooked. The flavor is so rich and the sauce is velvety. Just fabulous! Thank you so look much for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you commented and that you loved the recipe so much!
We loved this recipe! I could eat the sauce by itself, it is so good! Thank you!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you loved it and could eat the sauce by itself (me too)!
Family loved it, as did I. My only regret was not having Naan bread to serve with it. The basmati rice was the perfect complement, but I love to tear off pieces of bread and dip in the sauce. I used to live in the Middle East and had butter chicken quite frequently, but never realized how easy it was to make. Shukran and shukria, Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad your family loved this!
Another great recipe!!I’ll make it again and again! I thought the spices were overwhelming but still good.
You can always tone them down to your personal preferences but in general Indian food tends to be robustly spiced. Glad you will make it again and again!
This recipe is on point. So simple and such a tasty dish. Best served with a side of basmati and naan.
Glad the recipe is on point, simply, and so tasty!
excellent recipe!! absolutely delicious my family and I loved it!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that it was delicious and your family loved it!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE, did I say I absolutely LOVE Butter Chicken – my addition to all these wonderfully fabulous suggestions is… near the end of cooking – a cup, or so, frozen sweet peas. TRUST ME!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you loved it!
This is incredible!!! Butter chicken is my ultimate comfort food and on a cold wintry night, I could not be happier with this dish! Bones: even my picky 8 year old cleaned his plate! I like this version even more than the local indian restaurant!Thanks so much!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you think it’s better than your local Indian restaurant and that your picky eater approved of it!
I followed the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect! So rich and creamy. Would not change a thing. Will definitely make this again!!! Thank you.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that following the recipe exactly yielded great results and that you will make it again!
This butter chicken is awesome. We made it last night and we both loved the flavor. We added a bit more cayenne than the recipe called for but other than that we completely followed the recipe. Our recipe did not turn out to be that color, it was more towards greenish brown. Could that be because of the type of garam masala? The cumin is not light colored either. We did use ground ginger and not fresh. The color really doesn’t matter as the taste was awesome, but I am curious as to how this change came about. Any ideas?
That’s interesting about the color. Between the tomato sauce and all the yellow/orange colored spices I would think it would be almost impossible to get it to turn greenish brown but I am guessing somewhere along the line there was some sort of chemical reaction that caused a color change but that’s above me. Maybe switch brands entirely of the products you used and see if that changes the color – but as you said, not that important because the taste was awesome! Glad you loved it!
Made this recipe today & it was awesome. We’re a big family so I tripled everything but cut down a little on tomato sauce. Everyone loved it. Thank you.
Good idea on not quite tripling the tomato sauce. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this worked out great!
When I do butter chicken I normally do the marinade first (although I don’t bother cooking it tandoori style). I tend to just blend the marinade which leads to no chopping. For the main dish I blend the tomatoes, chili (normally Serrano), and ginger which certainly cuts down on the prep time. This is the one Indian dish I prepare where I don’t use onions. Anyway, if you have any interest I can certainly give my recipe which involves almost no effort whatsoever although I do have many more spices on hand than most people.
I cook the butter Chicken for my family and they loved it. I used chicken thigh with the bone and without the skin. I made some cuts in thigh of the chicken in order for the sauce an flavor could go through the chicken. It was delicious, the flavor of the sauce were in every bite of chicken. I also prepared the Naan bread. Which were a little complicated to do, but the taste were there but not the look.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a success for you!
I just don’t see how you can get this rich color with only 1 spoon of turmeric. I have tried it twice now, and the color is pale yellow. What is the secret? Special brand of turmeric? Food dye?
I use turmeric from Trader Joe’s and also the tomato sauce has color. No food dye involved. I am not sure how or why yours is pale yellow given the tomato sauce and the turmeric and I also add cayenne to mine, too. It would seem at the very least it would be reddish in color and not pale given the tomato sauce. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I made this with great success today. And the ironic thing is that I eat this kind of cusine very regularly because of my ethnicity and it has to be one of the best Indian dishes I have made. But there is no way I put that much cream and butter in my dish so I reduced it but was still really good. maybe one day you can teach us how to make samosas!!
This is such an amazing compliment because I know you are Indian and you I’m sure do cook this way often and so it’s a HUGE compliment for you to say that it was one of the best Indian dishes you have made! That’s so amazing and thank you!!
I figured what the heck and just went for it with the butter/cream :)
Samosas…now that is one I have never attempted. I know they can be baked, but I’m sure are better fried, and I hate frying things in my house. A week later you can still smell it. lol
Butter Chicken is hands down Kailey’s fave meal (and her birthday meal every year!)…. I’ve never made it home made before. I’m going to make this for her!
It’s super easy to make and if she’s a butter chicken fan, I think she will love it! It makes a ton of sauce as I noted so if you’re not feeling so saucy like I am lol just cut back on some of the half & half.
OMG!!! This was perfect. Easy and delicious.
Thanks for the 5 star rating and glad you loved it!
My Hubby will love this Indian butter chicken! I can’t wait to make it!
This looks delicious! I remember reading somewhere that butter chicken is good Indian comfort food and I can see why after reading the recipe. I woke up to snow (yet again) this morning so I could use something yummy and warm with plenty of flavor!
I can’t believe it’s still snowing there! Wow! Well stay warm and this would be the perfect type of comfort food on a snowy day!
I am Indian and I have to say that your butter chicken looks divine :-)
Have to finish any Indian dish off with coriander
Thanks for the compliments on my butter chicken. Means a lot coming from an Indian! Thanks!