Simple Butter Chicken
A straightforward butter chicken made with a yogurt-based marinade, tomato-cream sauce, and warm spices.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
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
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.
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.