Easy Butter Chicken

A simple version of a classic, creamy and sumptuous, this one-pan recipe will rival any Indian restaurant!


Just look at that indulgent sauce!

Butter Chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Asian, Indian

Ingredients
  

MARINADE

  • 800 g Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs Cut into bit sized pieces
  • 150 ml Plain Yoghurt
  • tbsn Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsn Minced Ginger
  • 2 tbsn Garam Masala
  • 1 tspn Turmeric
  • 1 tspn Ground Cumin
  • 1 tspn Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tspn Salt

SAUCE

  • 2 tbsn Ghee Butter Butter+oil mixed if you don't have Ghee
  • 1 Onion Sliced
  • tbsn Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsn Minced Ginger
  • tspn Ground Cumin
  • tspn Garam Masala
  • 1 tspn Ground Coriander
  • 400 g Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 tspn Red Chilli Powder
  • 1-2 tspn Salt Add more or less if needed
  • 300 ml Double Cream
  • 1 tbsn Sugar
  • ½ tspn Dried fenugreek Leaves Ground will do

Instructions
 

  • Combine the chicken with all of the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
  • Heat oil in a large skillet, wok or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in two or three batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only around 3 minutes on each side.
    Place in a bowl off to the side
  • Heat the ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to soften (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. 
  • Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, chilli powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown-red colour.
  • Remove from heat, transfer the mixture into a food mixer/blender and blitz until smooth. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to help it blend. You could also use a hand blender for this in the pan.
  • Pour the sauce back into the pan. Stir in the cream, sugar and fenugreek leaves. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
  • Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with fresh basmati rice and naan bread.
Keyword Butter, butter chicken, Chicken, Creamy, curry, indian, one pot