Butter chicken is one of those Indian-inspired dishes that feels like a special occasion meal, but is totally doable for a weeknight dinner. It uses pantry staples and warm spices and I’ve included options to make it with either cream or coconut milk. Tender chicken is simmered in a spiced creamy tomato sauce and finished off with lime juice and just a little butter. Served over white rice, it’s a perfect one dish meal, but you can round it out with a veggie side and our favorite, some naan or flatbread to scoop up the sauce. Scroll below for some helpful tips I’ve learned from perfecting this recipe over the years at my house!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Oil
- Garlic
- Fresh or ground ginger
- Canned tomato sauce
- Coconut milk or heavy cream
- Brown sugar
- Lime
- Butter
- Spices: garam masala, paprika, cumin, curry powder, salt and black pepper
How to Make Easy Butter Chicken
- First you’ll prep your chicken thighs and place in a bowl with a few spices. Chicken is seared in a large pot and then cooked with garlic and ginger.
- With the fat from the chicken, you’ll “bloom” your spices, which helps bring out all the flavors. That’s the photo you see above with the pieces of chicken in the dark spice mixture.
- Next you’ll add some tomato sauce to simmer with all of those seasonings.
- You then have a choice of creamy bases. A can of coconut milk works great and adds mild coconut flavor, or heavy cream with some water gives it a really delicious finish.
- Lastly you’ll stir in just a touch of brown sugar, lime juice, and butter, which makes the sauce come alive.
- Serve it over hot white rice.
Ingredient Tips and Prep Note
- Garam Masala – This is a main flavor component in Butter Chicken so there’s no substitutions. It’s an Indian spice blend, which can vary by region and brand but typically has things like coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Some brands include chili which can add mild heat. Find it in the spice aisle of well stocked grocery stores, or in the international foods aisle. You can also order it on Amazon.
- Tomato Sauce – After making this many times, I’ve learned that the consistency of canned tomato sauce varies greatly by brand. You might find your finished sauce much thicker or thinner depending on the tomato sauce. Walmart brand is one that I’ve found the thinnest, and Contadina (my preference and what you see in these photos) is one of the thickest.
- Prep Tip – This recipe is quite simple but does require cutting up chicken and measuring out spices in a few different steps. If you have time to prep earlier in the day, prepare and season your chicken, and measure out your spices ahead of time, and this turns into a lightning-fast weeknight meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this with chicken breasts?
You can, but chicken thighs are better. Chicken breasts will not render fat to bloom your spices, so you’ll want to add in a pat of butter or drizzle of oil at that step, and it will be prone to drying out so you’ll want to reduce the finished cook time.
My sauce turned out really thin, how do I make it thick like yours?
Sauce consistency can vary depending on a lot of factors, like which creamy base you use and your brand of tomato sauce. If it’s too thin at the end, simply combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk it in during the final simmer.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You bet. Butter chicken reheats really well and leftovers are delicious! Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Easy Butter Chicken (Coconut Milk or Cream)
A rich, flavor-packed butter chicken made with pantry ingredients, warm spices. and easily adapted to dairy-free. Yields about 6 cups, so 4-6 main dish servings.
Servings (1 cup Servings)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2½-3 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Oil Olive, or Avocado
- 4-6 cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated or minced ginger OR 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Additional Spices
- 2 teaspoons Garam masala
- 1½ teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Curry powder
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Sauce and Finish
- 15 oz Can tomato sauce
- ⅔ cup Heavy cream OR one 15oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup Water
- 1½ tablespoons Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Butter
For Serving
- White Rice, cooked 2½ – 3 cups dry rice is a good amount for this recipe.
Instructions
Prepare and Cook Chicken
- Pat chicken completely dry with paper towels. Trim off any excessive fat (kitchen shears are my favorite tool for this task) and cut into 1" pieces. Place in a bowl and add 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Mix until completely coated.
- Heat a large pan to medium/medium high. I like to use an enamel coated dutch oven. A skillet will work if it is extra large, like 14". Once pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add chicken, spread out into an even layer and do not disturb for a couple minutes while it sears.
- Once chicken has a nice sear, stir occasionally and cook about 6-8 minutes until mostly cooked through and lightly browned in some spots. I suggest cooking at as high of a temperature as you can without it burning or splattering. For me this is medium-high to high. This helps quickly evaporate extra liquid that can water down your sauce. While your chicken is cooking, measure out your spices for the next step and place in a small bowl.After 6-8 minutes, lower heat to medium and add garlic and ginger. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds.
Bloom Spices
- Push chicken to one side of the pan. You should have some fat and juices in the bottom of the pan, add to it the spices you measured out: 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon curry, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.Stir the spices around in the fat/juices for about one minute. It's okay if some of the chicken is mixed in there too. After a minute, stir everything in the pan together.
Sauce and Finish
- Add 15oz can of tomato sauce and stir for 2-3 minutes, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add your creamy base. Either one 15oz can full fat coconut milk OR ⅔ cup heavy cream + 1 cup water. Tip: if you want it more cream-heavy, feel free to add more cream and less water, it's flexible.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add additional salt to taste, if needed.
- If for any reason your sauce is too thin for your liking, simply combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk in during the final minutes to thicken. If your sauce is too thick, just add a little water or additional cream/coconut milk. Serve over hot white rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup chicken mixture (without rice), Calories: 451kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 255mg, Sodium: 1064mg, Potassium: 829mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1285IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 3mg
Calories: 451kcal
Cost: $18
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Questions & Reviews
Great recipe! We added a Tbsp of tandoori masala and a little red pepper flake.
This was a great recipe! Easy to put together for dinner after my work day. My pickiest loves it and is having the leftovers for dinner tonight.
Delicious and quick! My first attempt at making butter chicken and I’ll definitely make it again.
I’m so excited for this. I have been wanting to make it forever but I never trust online recipes unless they come from you or Pioneer Woman. You know, regular people. Ha! Thanks!
I hope you love it, Emily. Let me know how it goes!