Butter Chicken
Tender nuggets of chicken in a satiny sauce that asserts the warming essence of Indian spices. You’ll be amazed by how much deep flavor evolves (in just minutes) with a few flavor-packed seasonings from your spice rack!
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken is an Indian curried chicken dish that features a velvety, spiced tomato and butter sauce. The traditional recipe takes eons to make, but I found a way to master those flavors in a fraction of the time.
Butter chicken sounds like a fattening dish, but it’s not. There are just 2 tablespoons of butter in this entire dish, plus 1/4 cup of cream. The sauce is rich, but not overly gluttonous. A lot of the flavor comes from the warming spices (garam masala, cumin, chili powder, turmeric) that are steeped in the warm butter and cream. Each bite coats your palate in the most wonderful way.
You can use chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs. That means, use what you have! Since we’re cutting the chicken into bite-size pieces, it truly doesn’t matter what you use. Use your favorite cut, or what’s on sale.
How should you serve your Butter Chicken? Since this sauce is so rich and delicious, you won’t want to miss a drop. I suggest you serve the chicken and sauce over rice and/or with naan or your favorite flatbread.
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, any color
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, tenders, or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and cook until golden on all sides.
- Add the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the butter, broth, and tomato paste, and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in the heavy cream and cook until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Top with fresh cilantro (if using) and serve.