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4.87 from 23 votes

Butter Chicken

This super flavorful Butter Chicken comes together faster than you could order-in, and couldn't be easier to make!
Prep Time1 hour 5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 people
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup  Stonyfield Grassfed Greek Quarts
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the remaining part of the recipe:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 onion, roughly diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups heavy cream OR coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Naan bread to serve

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken, greek yogurt, lemon juice, and spices in a bowl. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  • In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in onion and cook slowly until the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes more.
  • Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and its marinade to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil - then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, tomato paste and salt and continue to simmer until the chicken has cooked through, about 15 minutes, and the sauce is thick.
  • Taste, adjust seasoning as needed, add lemon juice for a bit of acid. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve alongside warmed naan.

Notes

I freeze smaller portions of this all the time, once it’s fully cooked. In order to reheat it, I just remove it from the freezer, let it come to temp in the fridge and then transfer the mixture to a non-stick skillet and re-heat over medium heat. It’s a great dish to freeze because it re-heats so nicely!

Nutrition

Calories: 972kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 77g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 414mg | Sodium: 1662mg | Potassium: 998mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2786IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 5mg