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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Style)

    Published: May 16, 2021 · Modified: Jun 12, 2022 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

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    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe, my take on the classic Indian chicken curry that is popular all over the world. With a rich and heavenly creamy sauce and a fantastic blend of spices, this dish is one of the must-try easy family dinner recipes. 

    Close-up shot of a white bowl with chicken curry, rice and fresh parsley leaves

    Few are the dishes that make such an impression on me from the very first time I try them. It wasn't until I moved to the UK some 13 years ago that I first tried a restaurant-style chicken curry. Coming from a country where strong spices are not really a thing, this was certainly different. Good different.

    It did take me a while to get used to the heat, since I used to eat food that's rather plain. I knew I had to cook it myself, and so this easy chicken curry was created. My recipe is a well simplified one, and although I have used the basic spices, I decided to play safe and keep it mild, just the way I like it.

    Now, the authentic Indian chicken curry may use a different cooking technique, and a lot more spices, but I must admit I'm kind of rubbish at buying a large variety of spices.

    Still Romanian to the bones, I'm cautious not to add to much heat to my dishes, I really don't think I can handle spiciness too well. Maybe if I have spicy food for a while, I might get used to it a lot quicker, but I don't really eat spicy that often.

    Jump to:
    • How to make Indian butter chicken
    • The best sauce for butter chicken
    • Best curry recipes
    Overhead shot of a white bowl with butter chicken, basmati rice and fresh parsley leaves

    How to make Indian butter chicken

    Although the name could make you think this recipe has butter in it, in actually hasn't. The chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt and spices, and the sauce is made with cream. Still, you get a superbly rich and delicious homemade chicken curry that tastes exactly like the one you get in a restaurant.

    The mariande

    • In a bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, ginger and spices, add the chicken pieces, and mix well to coat.

    The cooking

    • Cover with a clingfilm and refrigerate for at least one hour, ideally overnight.
    • Heat up the oil in pan, add the chicken pieces and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through.
    Collage of 4 photos to show how to make butter chicken curry

    The best sauce for butter chicken

    Once the chicken is cooked, add the tomato passata, ginger, garlic, sugar, garam masala, and leave to cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced and it coats the chicken well.

    Add the double cream, give it a good stir, garnish with coriander or parsley, and remove from the heat. Serve it with rice, or flatbread for a true Indian feast experience.

    Collage of 4 photos to show how to make butter chicken sauce

    Best curry recipes

    You can go for more spiciness if you like, depending on your family's taste buds. My little ones don't handle spicy food very well, so my curries are usually mild. But mild does not mean less taste, all on the contrary, I think there is a perfect balance between spices, at least for me.

    By the way, did you know that in the UK curry has been adopted as a national dish? Not at all surprising, since it's so delicious. Although the term curry is a Western one, usually referring to a spiced dish cooked in sauce.

    From tikka masala to rogan josh, korma, balti, to vindaloo and so many more, curries are ever so popular. And rightly so. And by the way, there is no butter is this creamy butter chicken, how funny, isn't it?

    Close-up shot of chicken curry, rice and fresh parsley

    If you’ve tried my EASY INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE  or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    3.89 from 61 votes
    Close-up shot of butter chicken, rice and parsley
    Print
    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Style)
    Prep Time
    1 hr 5 mins
    Cook Time
    30 mins
    Total Time
    1 hr 35 mins
     

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe, my take on the classic Indian chicken curry that is popular all over the world. With a rich and heavenly creamy sauce and a fantastic blend of spices, this dish is one of the must-try easy family dinner recipes. The sauce doesn't have any butter in it actually, just double cream, and the spices are earthy and give deep flavours to this chicken recipe. Quick and easy, a big hit with the whole family. The best chicken curry recipe!

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: indian chicken recipes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 535 kcal
    Author: Daniela Apostol
    Ingredients
    For the marinade
    • 3 chicken breasts
    • ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon Garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander (cilantro)
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
    For the sauce
    • 2 cups tomato passata
    • ½ cup double cream (heavy cream)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
    • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    • freshly-chopped coriander (cilantro) to garlish
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    Metric - US Customary
    Instructions
    1. To make the mariande, combine all the ingredients together, toss the chicken pieces in and mix well to coat.

    2. Cover the bowl with clingfilm, and refrigerate for at least one hour, ideally longer.

    3. Heat up the oil in a large pan, and fry the chicken pieces on a medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until cooked through.

    4. Add the tomato passata, garlic and ginger paste, sugar and garam masala and give a good stir.

    5. Leave to cook on a low to medium heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by almost a quarter, and it coats the chicken pieces well.

    6. Add the cream, mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes.

    7. Remove from the heat and garnish with freshly-chopped coriander leaves.

    Recipe Video

    Recipe Notes
    • To see the measurements in cups and ounces, please click on the US CUSTOMARY link.
    • The amount of ingredients listed can be adjusted depending on the number of servings you need, just click on the number next to SERVINGS.
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Style)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 535 Calories from Fat 234
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 26g40%
    Saturated Fat 14g70%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 200mg67%
    Sodium 335mg14%
    Potassium 1676mg48%
    Carbohydrates 21g7%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 10g11%
    Protein 54g108%
    Vitamin A 1646IU33%
    Vitamin C 22mg27%
    Calcium 104mg10%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. cookingwithauntjuju.com

      September 01, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      This is another Indian recipe I have been wanting to make. Your recipe sounds spicy to me and looks like it has most if not all the necessary ingredients. This kind of dish can always be made to taste and you certainly have done that. Happy Fiesta Friday and have a great weekend.

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        September 01, 2017 at 9:18 pm

        Thank you! It certainly is tasty, and I am glad you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jhuls

      September 05, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      I've always wanted to make my own butter chicken. I am a little afraid, though coz I haven't tasted an authentic one. You inspire me to try. This looks absolutely fantastic!

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        September 05, 2017 at 4:22 pm

        Thank you, Jhuls! Worth trying, l loved it!

        Reply
    3. sadhna grover

      September 06, 2017 at 4:11 am

      This curry looks so good. The ingredients and spices you have used in this chicken curry can definitely make it tasty. Thanks for sharing it with Fiesta Friday.

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        September 06, 2017 at 4:59 am

        Thank you 😊

        Reply
    4. Jay

      September 17, 2017 at 3:41 pm

      Looks amazing!!!! 😍😍😍

      Reply
    5. Adina

      July 14, 2018 at 11:02 pm

      Wow what a great recipe! Very easy to follow the instructions. The balance of heat coming from all the spices is just perfect! Absolutely delicious! Thanks Daniela!

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        July 15, 2018 at 2:41 pm

        Thank you, l’m glad you like the recipe.

        Reply
    6. Brittney

      June 15, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      can you use regular yougurt in place of greek yougurt

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        June 15, 2019 at 9:16 pm

        Absolutely! I like the Greek one for its creaminess, but the plain one will work just fine.

        Reply
        • Brittney

          June 15, 2019 at 10:14 pm

          Thank you i was worried because i grab the wrong yougurt

          Reply
          • Daniela Anderson

            June 16, 2019 at 1:04 pm

            Not a problem! Let me know how it goes!

            Reply
    7. Zach

      August 01, 2019 at 11:52 pm

      You should update this to not say “paste” in the parentheses for tomato passata. I’m not sure what the intent was, but 2 cups of tomato paste is an absurd amount. My rookie cooking skills didn’t know any better. Had to trash the chicken unfortunately.

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        August 02, 2019 at 4:44 am

        I’m sorry if the term was misleading, l should have specified tomato puree instead of tomato paste. The thing is, for different countries the terms tomato passata, tomato puree and tomato paste will have different meanings. I’m sorry if you felt you had to throw the chicken away. I do use the thick tomato paste if don’t have passata on hand, and l don’t think it tastes bad at all. Especially that the butter chicken also uses cream which makes the sauce thinner, and balances well the sharpness of the tomato sauce and spiciness of the dish. I’ll take the tomato paste off then.

        Reply
    8. shrikant sharma

      September 16, 2019 at 11:43 am

      Daniella, thank you for sharing this post regarding Butter Chicken recipe alongwith pictures so that a thorough impression is made on the readers as well. In India, families with kids who are still not accustomed to hot and spicy food choose Butter Chicken from the restaurant menu. It is a creamy delight.

      Reply
      • Daniela Anderson

        September 16, 2019 at 3:30 pm

        Thank you, it's one of my favourite curry recipes, and always a big hit with us!

        Reply
    9. Angela

      January 20, 2021 at 4:20 pm

      Can you use coconut milk instead of yogurt?

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        January 20, 2021 at 4:33 pm

        Yes, it can be used the same way.

        Reply
    10. Kailey

      April 26, 2021 at 10:57 pm

      My favourite butter chicken recipe! I was just wondering if anybody has made this in a instant pot, I just received one as a gift and I’d love to make this in it.

      Reply
    11. Angela

      September 25, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      The recipe seems easy to follow. However when it gets to combine the sauce, it's not clear when you add the chicken .

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        September 26, 2021 at 8:29 am

        The chicken is already in the pan, once it's cooked, you add the ingredients for the sauce over it.

        Reply
    12. Jessica

      October 15, 2021 at 5:24 pm

      This was a great recipe. We enjoyed the flavors and will be making this easy butter chicken dish again and again. Thanks for sharing this.

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        October 20, 2021 at 12:49 pm

        I am glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    13. Robyn Warnes

      May 18, 2022 at 8:30 am

      Can you freeze this recipe, as I am looking for an easy one for the school canteen I lease.

      Reply
      • Daniela Apostol

        May 18, 2022 at 10:14 am

        Absolutely! It can be frozen without problems.

        Reply

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