I love this Butter Chicken because it’s reliable, fast, and forgiving. The recipe keeps the flavors classic — yogurt and ginger in the marinade, a buttery onion base, tomato sauce, cream, and a hit of garam masala and cayenne — but it doesn’t demand exotic shopping lists or an all-day commitment. That makes it a weekday hero and a weekend centerpiece both.

There are quick decisions you can make to control richness and spice, and the method is intentionally straightforward: marinate, brown, build the sauce, finish together. I’ll walk you through what each ingredient does, how to avoid the usual mistakes, and small swaps that keep the texture right if you need them.

Read through once, gather the few tools you’ll need, and then follow the short sequence. The result: tender chicken, a saucy, velvety finish, and a dish that pairs perfectly with rice and naan.

Ingredient Breakdown

1/2 cup plain yogurt, full fat — Tenderizes the chicken and gives mild tang to the marinade; full fat keeps the meat juicy.
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger — Bright, warm backbone for the marinade; freshly grated beats powdered for freshness.
6 cloves garlic, minced — Adds savory depth; mince finely so it blends into the marinade.
2 tablespoons curry powder — Provides broad spice character and color; this is a shortcut-friendly base spice mix here.
1 teaspoon ground cumin — Earthy note that supports the curry powder and garam masala later.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces — The protein; cut uniform so pieces cook evenly in the pan and finish in the sauce.
1 tablespoon olive oil — Initial frying fat to get a quick sear on the chicken without burning the butter.
1/4 cup butter, divided — Adds richness and silk to the sauce; part goes in for browning onions, part for finishing.
1 medium onion, chopped — Builds the savory, caramelized base for the sauce; softening it slowly brings sweetness.
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, see note — The acidic base for the sauce; choose plain tomato sauce for a smooth finish.
1 cup heavy/whipping cream — Rounds acidity and creates a velvety, rich sauce; controls sauce body and mouthfeel.
1 tablespoon sugar — Balances the tomato acidity; small but effective.
1 teaspoon garam masala — Warm, aromatic finish spice added to the sauce for signature flavor.
1 teaspoon salt, see note — Seasoning for the marinade and overall dish; adjust to taste, especially if using low-sodium tomato products.
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste — Provides heat; start small and adjust to your preference.
Chopped fresh cilantro — Bright finish; scatter over the finished dish just before serving.
Cooked rice (try basmati or jasmine) — Traditional accompaniment; fluffy grains soak up the sauce.
Naan — Great for scooping and for people who like a bread component on the plate.

Butter Chicken — Do This Next

In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 6 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add the 1 pound bite-size chicken pieces and stir so they are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the 1/4 cup butter (reserve the remaining butter). When the skillet is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs, letting excess drip back into the bowl, and discard the remaining marinade. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer (do not pour extra liquid into the pan).
Cook the chicken until lightly browned on the first side, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining butter (about 3 tablespoons) and the chopped medium onion to the skillet. Sauté, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the pan, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, about 5–7 minutes.
Add the 15-ounce can tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy/whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste). Stir until combined and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Increase heat until the sauce is bubbling, then reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over the butter chicken and serve with cooked rice and naan.

Reasons to Love Butter Chicken

This version of Butter Chicken is approachable without losing the soul of the dish. It’s versatile, quick-ish, and crowd-pleasing. Here’s what makes it work every time:

Predictable timing — short marinade and a brief pan finish mean dinner is ready in an hour if you plan the marinating time.
Layered flavor without fuss — the yogurt marinade tenderizes, the pan browning adds savory caramel notes, and the tomato/cream mixture brings balance and richness.
Friendly for cooks at any level — no special techniques, just basic sauteing and simmering.

Serve it plain for a weeknight, or dress it up with extra cilantro and warm naan for guests. It scales well too: double the chicken and simmer a bit longer to accommodate the extra volume.

Texture-Safe Substitutions

If you need to adjust mouthfeel or richness without changing the character, use only the components already in the recipe to keep textures safe and predictable.

For a lighter sauce

Reduce the heavy cream slightly and increase the tomato sauce proportion to thin the sauce and pull acidity forward.
Skip the reserved butter at the end and use only the initial tablespoon with the oil for browning to reduce total fat.

For a richer, silkier finish

Use the full 1 cup heavy cream as written and make sure you add the butter back while the onions cook so the sauce carries more butterfat.
Keep the sugar as written; it softens tomato acidity so the fat reads smoother on the palate.

What You’ll Need (Gear)

Minimal, reliable tools are all you need:

Medium bowl — for the marinade.
Sharp knife and cutting board — to cut the chicken and chop the onion and cilantro.
Large skillet — wide enough to give the chicken pieces space to brown in a single layer.
Tongs — for removing chicken from the marinade and turning during searing.
Spoon or spatula — for scraping browned bits and stirring the sauce.
Lid or plate — to cover the bowl while marinating and for resting cooked chicken.

Avoid These Traps

There are a few predictable missteps that turn a decent meal into a disappointment. Avoid them:

Don’t pour the leftover marinade into the pan with the chicken. The recipe tells you to discard it — otherwise the pan will steam instead of sear and the texture suffers.
Avoid crowding the skillet. If pieces overlap, they steam and you lose the light browning that gives depth to the sauce.
Don’t rush the onion. Let it soften and brown gently; that process adds natural sweetness that balances the tomato sauce.
Mind the heat when adding cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer; avoid rapid boiling once cream is in or the sauce can separate slightly.

Year-Round Variations

Use these small adjustments to match the season without straying from the recipe’s ingredient list:

Summer: Add extra chopped cilantro as a finishing herb and serve with warm naan while the herb is at its brightest.
Fall/Winter: Let the sauce simmer an extra few minutes for deeper caramelization and warmer flavors; serve with steaming jasmine or basmati rice.
Holiday-style: Double the garam masala (added to the sauce) for a more aromatic finish; keep the cayenne unchanged unless you want more heat.

Behind the Recipe

I developed this version to be a balance between tradition and practicality. The yogurt-based marinade is a classic technique: it softens strands of protein and adds flavor without heavy prep. Browning the chicken briefly gives you Maillard flavor without overcooking since the pieces finish in the sauce.

The butter-and-onion step builds a savory base; using some butter for flavor and a splash of oil keeps the butter from burning at higher heat. Tomato sauce plus a touch of sugar evens out acidity, and the cream brings that signature velvety texture. Garam masala at the end is a finishing note — it lifts the whole dish.

Cooling, Storing & Rewarming

Leftovers are one of this dish’s strengths. Cooling and storing correctly keeps texture and flavor intact:

Cool to room temperature for no more than 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within 3–4 days.
To reheat on the stovetop: simmer gently over low-medium heat. Add a splash of water or cream if the sauce has thickened too much.
To reheat in the microwave: heat in short bursts at medium power, stirring between intervals to distribute heat. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro if you have it.

Your Questions, Answered

Below are the questions I see most often, answered plainly.

Q: Can I marinate less than an hour? A: Yes. One hour is the minimum recommended here; if you’re tight on time, even 30 minutes will add some flavor, but the longer you go (up to overnight), the more tender and flavored the chicken will be.

Q: Is the cayenne required? A: No. The 1/4 teaspoon adds a mild heat; omit or reduce it if you prefer no heat. You can always add a pinch at the end if you want more kick.

Q: Will the sauce separate when reheated? A: If reheated gently it should be fine. If it thickens too much, loosen it with a small splash of water or cream and warm slowly.

Q: Can I use a different cut of chicken? A: This recipe lists bite-size chicken breasts. If you choose a different cut, adjust cooking times so pieces are cooked through when returned to the sauce.

Next Steps

Make a plan: marinate the chicken the night before for the easiest dinner, or start in the morning for a later meal. Gather the few gear items listed, line up your onion and garlic, and pull the butter and cream from the fridge so they’re ready. Follow the Do This Next steps in order and you’ll have a balanced, comforting Butter Chicken that’s ready to plate in about an hour from start to finish.

Serve with the suggested basmati or jasmine rice and warm naan. Scatter cilantro on top, taste for salt and heat, and adjust if needed. Enjoy — and once you’ve made it once, you’ll find the small tweaks that make it your go-to version.

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Simple Butter Chicken

A straightforward butter chicken made with a yogurt-based marinade, tomato-cream sauce, and warm spices.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cupplain yogurtfull fat
1 tablespoongrated fresh ginger
6 clovesgarlicminced
2 tablespoonscurry powder
1 teaspoonground cumin
1 poundboneless skinless chicken breastscut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoonolive oil
1/4 cupbutterdivided
1 mediumonionchopped
1 15 ounce cantomato saucesee note
1 cupheavy/whipping cream
1 tablespoonsugar
1 teaspoongaram masala
1 teaspoonsaltsee note
1/4 teaspooncayenne pepperor to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro
Cooked rice try basmati or jasmine
Naan

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 6 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add the 1 pound bite-size chicken pieces and stir so they are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the 1/4 cup butter (reserve the remaining butter). When the skillet is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs, letting excess drip back into the bowl, and discard the remaining marinade. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer (do not pour extra liquid into the pan).
Cook the chicken until lightly browned on the first side, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes until browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining butter (about 3 tablespoons) and the chopped medium onion to the skillet. Sauté, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the pan, until the onion is softened and lightly browned, about 5–7 minutes.
Add the 15-ounce can tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy/whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste). Stir until combined and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Increase heat until the sauce is bubbling, then reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over the butter chicken and serve with cooked rice and naan.

Notes

Tomato sauce in USA/Canada can be replaced with tomato puree or passata in other countries.
Spice level: It has a little kick, so you can up the cayenne pepper if you want more heat or eliminate it if you want it mild (but ensure the curry powder you’re using is mild if that’s a concern).
You can swap the chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs if desired. They’re less likely to dry out.
If you’re not using sea salt or kosher salt, you may want to start with half the suggested salt amount.