Homemade Butter Chicken Recipe
This homemade butter chicken recipe is a cozy, creamy, family friendly dinner with tender chicken in a spiced tomato sauce, perfect for quick tasty dinners with naan or rice.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Mixing Bowl
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the marinade
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon curry powder for the marinade
- 0.5 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1.5 cups tomato sauce or tomato purée
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder for the sauce
- 0.25-0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat
- 1.5-2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley chopped, for serving
- cooked basmati rice and warm naan for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces with salt, garlic powder, sweet paprika, curry powder, and Greek yogurt. Stir until every piece is well coated and let it marinate for at least 15–20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are lightly golden and just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the flavorful oil in the pan.
- Build the sauce base: Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet. Stir in the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and sauté just until fragrant.
- Add tomato and simmer: Pour in the tomato sauce and sugar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture bubble gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened and deeper in color.
- Finish the butter chicken sauce: Return the seared chicken and any juices to the pan and stir to coat in the tomato base. Pour in the heavy cream or half-and-half and mix until the sauce turns creamy and orange. Season with black pepper, garam masala, extra curry powder, and cayenne if using, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes so the flavors blend.
- Stir in butter and serve: Turn the heat to low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring until fully melted and the sauce looks glossy and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning, then sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve the homemade butter chicken hot over basmati rice with warm naan on the side.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken longer, up to 4 hours in the fridge, for deeper flavor and extra tenderness.
- For a lighter version, replace part of the cream with half-and-half or unsweetened yogurt and simmer gently.
- Make it dairy-free by using coconut cream and a plant-based yogurt in the marinade.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months, making this ideal for meal prep.