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
Ingredients
- ¾ 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
- ¼ 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
- ⅓ 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Originally posted April 9, 2018 and reposted January 20, 2023 with updated text.
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 recipe had too much garam masala for us and very little tomato flavor or that creamy goodness of a really flavorful but simple butter chicken. It was quick, so I’ll give it that! More like an ‘Indian-inspired chicken’ than any particular Indian dish. The ‘meh’ flavor plus the incredible frustration of navigating this site in mobile means I won’t be back.
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.
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!
So I don’t have everything to make the curry but I have curry powder already mixed up. Can you please let me know how much curry powder would be good for it and I would just omit everything else? Thank you!!
Just made this for lunch and it was DELICIOUS! Super flavorful and well-balanced with the spices. My hubby loved it too. I definitely will make this again.
Can you use chicken thighs?
I’ve only used breasts but thighs would probably be okay although I haven’t personally tried.
STUNNINGLY DELICIOUS
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!
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. 🤷
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!
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!