Last Updated 08-29-2024
Elevate your dinner with this rich and flavorful chicken curry recipe! Marinated in a blend of garlic, lime juice, and aromatic spices like cumin, cardamom, and coriander, the chicken is sautéed with onions and simmered in a creamy tomato sauce. Finished with fresh cilantro, this dish is perfect served over rice for a comforting and satisfying meal.
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Why You’ll Love this Butter Chicken Recipe
I love Indian food, but my husband isn’t a fan of curry. This Best Butter Chicken 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.
I LOVE IT!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! All of my kids ate it, which is HUGE at our house. This will go into the favorites file!
Megan
To be honest, I’m not sure where the name Butter Chicken comes from, since the sauce is more of a tomato sauce than a butter sauce.
There is still quite a bit of butter in it though…..and when something is this delicious, I’m not going to worry too much about what we call it.
I like to serve this over jasmine or basmati rice, but brown rice or plain white rice work just as well. And don’t worry when you see all that cayenne pepper in the recipe. It’s really not that spicy.
This is such an easy recipe too! Just make sure you remember to leave time to marinated your chicken.
Just between you and me, sometimes, I forget to marinade the chicken and this dish still turns out delicious!
I try a lot of new recipes, so I rarely make anything twice in a month. I’ve made this twice in two weeks. It’s that good! In fact my boys (who also happen to like curry) often request this butter chicken for dinner.
I’ve already recommended it to several friends, who loved it as much as we did. I’m pretty sure it’s destined to become an all-time family favorite.
What should I serve with Butter Chicken?
Obviously some hot cooked rice is a must–we prefer basmati or jasmine. This chicken is also wonderful with some sort of flatbread or pita, and a simple salad to round out the meal
These are some of our favorite side dishes to enjoy with butter chicken.
Ingredients for Butter Chicken
- Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for their lean texture. Cutting them into bite-sized pieces ensures they cook evenly and quickly.
- Limes
- Onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Spices: This blend of spices is what gives the dish its warm, complex flavor. The cayenne pepper adds a subtle heat, while coriander, cumin, and cardamom bring earthy and slightly sweet notes. Adjust the cayenne to your preferred level of spiciness.
- Butter – It adds richness and a silky texture to the sauce, and give the dish it’s name. I use unsalted butter
- Tomato sauce
- Canned diced tomatoes – The combination of smooth tomato sauce and chunky diced tomatoes ensures a well-balanced texture and flavor
- Heavy cream – Cream smooths out the acidity of the tomatoes and balances the spice, creating a luxurious and velvety finish.
Tips for making this Recipe
- 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.
How to make Butter Chicken
Step 1
Marinate the Chicken: Start by gathering all your ingredients. In a large bowl or a sturdy Ziploc bag, mix together the minced garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, cumin, cardamom, and the juice of one fresh lime. This spice blend will create that signature butter chicken flavor. Add your bite-sized chicken pieces and make sure they’re all coated in the marinade. Seal up the bag or cover the bowl, and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours—overnight is even better if you can wait that long.
Step 2
Sauté the Onion: When you’re ready to cook, grab a large skillet or Dutch oven and melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, toss in the diced onion. Sauté the onions until they’re soft and just starting to turn golden—this should take about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Cook the Chicken: Add the marinated chicken to the skillet with the onions. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the chicken to be nicely browned on the outside and fully cooked through. The smell at this point will be incredible!
Step 4
Add the Tomatoes and Simmer: Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the can of tomato sauce and the can of diced tomatoes. Stir everything together, making sure the chicken is well-coated with the sauce. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it all simmer for about 30 minutes. This is when the magic happens—the sauce thickens, the flavors meld, and you end up with a rich, deeply flavored dish.
Step 5
Finish with Cream and Cilantro: After the sauce has simmered, it’s time to make it creamy and luxurious. Stir in the pint of heavy cream, and sprinkle in the chopped cilantro. Let it simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes, just until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Step 6
Serve and Enjoy: Your butter chicken is ready to serve! Spoon it over a bed of fluffy rice, garnish with extra cilantro if you like, and get ready to dig in.
This is just…beyond words – awesome. As soon as you add the chicken to the onions it smells divine. Only thing I did different was to put mine over couscous instead of rice. This will be a regular around here.
Jenn
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FAQS
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?Absolutely! Chicken thighs are a great alternative to chicken breasts. They tend to be juicier and more flavorful, which works wonderfully in this dish.
Can I use canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream?Yes, you can substitute canned coconut milk for heavy cream if you prefer a dairy-free version or just enjoy the flavor of coconut. The sauce will have a slightly different flavor and may be a bit lighter in texture, but it will still be delicious.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?Yes. Butter chicken often tastes even better the next day as 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.
Be sure to save this recipe for the Best Butter Chicken to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
More Indian-Inspired Recipes to Try
- Butter Chicken Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Red Curry Meatballs
- Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes
- Beef Pineapple Curry
Best Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 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 garlic, salt, pepper, spices and lime juice.
- Pour over chicken in a shallow container or Ziploc bag and marinate for at least two hours.
- Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on.
- Add the cream and cilantro and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until sauce is thickened slightly. Serve over rice.
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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.
Jenn
OH EM GEE! This is just…beyond words – awesome. As soon as you add the chicken to the onions it smells divine. Only thing I did different was to put mine over couscous instead of rice. This will be a regular around here.
Megan
I LOVE IT!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!
I finally found ground cardamom. But at $18 for 1.75 oz. I decided to play with some of the substitutes. I put in a tiny bit of ginger, a little bit of curry, and a touch of gloves (all together equal to about 1/4 tsp). It was good. All of my kids ate it, which is HUGE at our house. Another thing I loved is that it made a lot. I typically have to 1.5 or 2 times all recipes to feed our motley crew but we had plenty with some left over for me to have today for lunch. This will go into the favorites file!
mydanishkitchen.com
Love a really good Butter Chicken. Yours look delicious.
Jennifurla
I have been wanting to try this for so long, it looks so flavorful
Mary @Delightful Bitefuls
Oh YUM! I’ll be making this SOON! Looks fab!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Kulsum
Husband doesn’t like curry! Thank God you do 😉
scrambledhenfruit
We have the same issues at my house. I love curry but hubby not so much. This would be a great dish for us! 🙂
Pam
Yum! This looks and sounds really good and I concur with your husband about the curry.
Lillie
PS- I highly recommend basmati rice!!
Lillie
@Allison – this tastes nothing like curry!
@Danelle – this is too funny – I feel like I’ve come full circle. I found your blog via Tasty Kitchen (I think), and now my recipe has appeared here via another blog. I never imagined when I posted this on TK it would get so much attention, but mmmm mmmm it is one of the yummiest things ever.
Allison at Novice Life
I really want to give this a try, but I am nervous my husband, who doesn’t like curry, wouldn’t like it. However, after reading of your hubby, maybe I should give it a go 😉