Quick Easy Homemade Butter Chicken Recipe
This quick and easy homemade butter chicken recipe offers a rich and creamy Indian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken thigh pieces marinated in aromatic spices and yogurt, then simmered in a luscious tomato and cream sauce. Perfectly paired with basmati rice or your choice of flatbread, this flavorful butter chicken brings classic Indian flavors to your table with minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 3-24 hours marinating)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes (including marinating; active cooking approx. 25 mins)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 1/2 cup plain full fat yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
Cooking
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter (or 1 tbsp vegetable oil)
- 1 cup tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1 cup heavy / thickened cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
To Serve
- Basmati rice or white rice
- Coriander/cilantro leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Optional Marinade Blitz: For a smoother sauce, combine all marinade ingredients except chicken in a food processor and blend until smooth. This step is optional and can be skipped for a more rustic texture.
- Marinate Chicken: In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients with the chicken pieces, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, ideally overnight or up to 24 hours to deepen flavor.
- Cook Chicken: Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, keeping the marinade clinging to the pieces without shaking off. Do not add leftover marinade from the bowl yet.
- Sear Chicken: Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook for around 3 minutes until the chicken turns white all over. The chicken won’t brown significantly due to the marinade but should begin to firm up.
- Make Sauce and Simmer: Reduce heat to low. Add tomato passata, cream, sugar, salt, and the remaining marinade from the bowl to the pan. Stir well to combine. Let the mixture simmer gently for 20 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and the sauce to thicken. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally sprinkle with fresh coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve the butter chicken hot alongside basmati rice or white rice for a complete meal.
- Serve with Accompaniments: This dish is delicious when served with easy no-yeast flatbread or no-fry papadums for an authentic, satisfying experience.
Notes
- Note 1: Garam masala adds a warm Indian spice blend essential to flavor.
- Note 2: Adjust chili powder or cayenne to taste for desired heat level.
- Note 3: Ghee or butter provides a rich flavor; use vegetable oil if preferred.
- Note 4: Tomato passata is tomato puree, which forms the base of the sauce.
- Note 5: Heavy cream thickens and enriches the sauce; can substitute with thickened cream.
- Marinate chicken for at least 3 hours to enhance tenderness and flavor.
- Do not add leftover marinade early; add it with sauce ingredients for balanced cooking.
- Serve with basmati rice for best traditional pairing.
Keywords: butter chicken, Indian chicken recipe, easy butter chicken, creamy chicken curry, quick Indian dinner, homemade butter chicken
