Description
Famous Butter Chicken is a creamy, aromatic Indian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich, spiced tomato-butter sauce. It’s a comforting and flavorful meal that’s perfect served with rice or naan.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (divided)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala (divided)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (divided)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (divided)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or paprika
- 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1 ½ cups tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, half of the garlic and ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, and chili powder or paprika. Mix well.
- Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best flavor.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken in batches and cook until browned and mostly cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add remaining butter. Sauté remaining garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
- Add tomato puree and cook for 5–10 minutes until thickened and deepened in color.
- Stir in remaining garam masala, cumin, coriander, and salt to taste.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream and sugar (if using). Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
- Return chicken to the skillet and simmer for 10–15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and sauce is thickened.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or naan.
Notes
For richer flavor, marinate chicken overnight.Use coconut cream instead of dairy for a dairy-free version.Adjust spice level with more or less chili powder.Store-bought garam masala works well if you’re missing individual spices.Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Reheat gently with a splash of cream or water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
