Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love Indian food, but my husband isn’t a fan of curry. This dish is a great compromise for us. It’s got an Indian flare without a strong curry flavor. My kids love this too! And we all agree, the creamy, tomato based sauce is lick-your-plate good. I have been know to eat it like soup, with a spoon.
- Restaurant-Quality at Home: This dish brings all the flavor of your favorite Indian restaurant into your kitchen. No need to leave the house!
- Family-Friendly: You can customize the heat by leaving out the cayenne to make it less spicy. Or add more, if that’s what you prefer!
- Simple Ingredients with Big Results: No hard-to-find items here. Just pantry staples and fresh ingredients that come together to create something delicious.
After you preview the recipe card, be sure to look below for ingredient substitutions, recipe and storage tips, and suggestions for pairings and tasty variations!
Creamy Butter Chicken (Indian-Inspired)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 whole lime juiced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and juice of 1 whole lime.
- Pour over 4 chicken breasts, cubed, in a shallow container or Ziploc bag and marinate for at least two hours.
- Sauté the 1 medium onion, diced in the 1/4 cup butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.
- Add the 1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce and 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on.
- Add the 1 pint heavy cream and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until sauce is thickened slightly. Serve over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts?
I usually make this recipe with chicken breasts, because that’s what I tend to have on hand. But chicken thighs are a great alternative! They tend to be juicier and more flavorful, which works wonderfully in this dish. In fact, if you order butter chicken in a traditional Indian restaurant, you’ll most likely find it’s made with chicken thighs.
Substitutes for Heavy Cream
Try substituting coconut milk for the heavy cream. Sometimes I opt for coconut milk because I love the flavor it imparts to creamy Indian-inspired dishes like this one. You could also use half and half, or a combination of coconut milk and cream.
Spice Substitutes
If you don’t have the exact spices for this recipe in your pantry, there are a few changes you can make to use what you have on hand.
- No cayenne? Use a dash of chili powder or red pepper flakes.
- No cardamom? Try a tiny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg instead.
- No ground coriander or cumin? You can leave these out if needed, but they really enhance the flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skimp on the marinating time! Letting the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, allows the spices to really penetrate the meat.
- The cayenne pepper adds a nice kick, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. If you prefer a milder dish, reduce the cayenne or leave it out altogether. If you like more heat, feel free to add a bit more!
- Fresh cilantro adds a burst of freshness and a pop of color that really lifts the dish. Even if you’re not a huge cilantro fan, try adding just a little—it makes a big difference in balancing the rich, creamy sauce. If you really hate cilantro, fresh parsley is a good substitution.
Make It Ahead
I think butter chicken tastes even better the next day after the flavors have more time to meld. You can make the entire dish ahead of time and simply reheat it when you’re ready to serve. Just reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or cream if the sauce has thickened too much. You can also prep the chicken and spice mixture up to a day ahead and keep it refrigerated until it’s time to start cooking.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover butter chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Butter chicken freezes well! Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, add the cilantro after thawing and reheating.
- Reheating: I recommend reheating gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Add a splash of cream if the sauce has thickened too much. To reheat in the microwave, place in a microwave-safe dish, loosely covered, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until hot.
Pairings
I like to serve butter chicken over jasmine or basmati rice, but brown rice or plain white rice work just as well. This chicken is also wonderful with some sort of flatbread, pita, or naan and a simple salad to round out the meal.
My family loves a traditional Afghan-style salad with this dish, but I find any salad that features cucumber and tomato, like a classic Greek salad, is a great choice for a healthy side.
16 comments
Linda
Cannot wait to try this! Picky Hubby might even like it because it has some of the same spices as chicken shawarma, which he likes. Will have to leave out the salt though, because I’m in a low salt diet…
Peter H Mathis
What did you do with the marinade?
Danelle
You can discard it, or just throw it all in the pot with the chicken to cook. Since you’re cooking it, it’s fine to use the marinade in the final product. I cook the chicken in it, since it has a lot of the seasoning in it.
Amy
This looks awesome. I’m trying to shed some pounds. In your professional opinion, do you think it would really screw up the flavors if I substituted the heavy cream for plain greek yogurt? Maybe I could water it down to give it a similar consistency?
Grace
I tried this with plain greek yogurt and it worked great! My family didn’t taste the difference. 🙂 This is one of our favorite recipes from here.