Easy Homemade Indian Butter Chicken

This quick and easy Indian butter chicken recipe is perfect for busy days and weeknight dinners! Made with simple ingredients and packed full of flavor, this lazy version of traditional Indian butter chicken is sure to be a hit with the whole family, and is a great way to switch up your weekly meal rotation.

A few years ago, for reasons I don’t really remember, it dawned on me one morning that I had never in my life tried Indian food. Not even once. I had never been to an Inain restaurant, and I certainly had never tried making any at home. 

To be fair, I do understand this is a pretty random thing to have pop into one’s head, but I’m afraid I can’t really offer any better explanation when it comes to that. Only that once the idea came into my head, I couldn’t get it out. 

My whole life, I’d spent countless hours watching cooking shows, flipping through every cookbook or food-related magazine I could find, and eating at a variety of different restaurants. And trying several different cuisines.

But for some reason, Indian and Middle Eastern food had never been a part of that, and regrettably. I never knew what I was missing out on!

Needless to say, I knew this was a problem I needed to fix as soon as possible. And to make a long story short, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

Today I’m happy to say I’ve tried a variety of Indian cuisine, eaten it at restaurants, and tried my hand at making it at home, too!

And I’m here to tell you that it is downright delicious, and that this super easy, dare I say, cheat version of Indian butter chicken, is something you won’t want to pass up on making. 

This easy recipe is something that can be whipped up in as little as 45 minutes, has amazing flavor, and can easily be adjusted to fit your spice tolerance.

It’s sure to be a hit with the whole family, and is an easy way to explore new foods!

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken(also known as murgh makhani) is a popular Indian dish that, from what I can find, originated at a restaurant in New Delhi in the 1950s.

Today, it’s a dish that seems to be quite popular all around the world. And you can easily find recipes ranging from traditional, authentic recipes to quick and easy stovetop versions. Not to mention a variety of premade versions and butter chicken sauce. 

I’m not sure exactly where this recipe falls on the spectrum, probably closer to an easy stovetop version. Or as I said above, more of a ”cheat” version of butter chicken, an easy recipe that can be tossed together on any given day, uses dried spices, and doesn’t carry as much heat as traditional butter chicken. 

That being said, this recipe still carries all the traditional flavors and spices, has a rich depth of flavor, and features a delicious creamy sauce and tender chicken!

I’d say it’s the perfect beginner recipe, and while it might seem a little basic, this is a recipe I’ve found myself falling back on time and time again over the past few years. 

Easy Homemade Butter Chicken Recipe 

For the chicken

• chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Garlic, minced 
• Dried ginger, you can also use fresh ginger. 
• Garam Masala
• Chili Powder
• Tumeric
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Cumin powder
• Sour cream, or full-fat Greek yogurt.
• Lemon juice

Sauce Ingredients

• Butter
• Garlic, minced
• white onion, finely diced. 
• Ginger, fresh or dried
• Garam Masala
• Cumin powder
• Chili Powder
• Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Canned diced tomatoes. You can also use 14 oz of diced fresh tomatoes. 
• Heavy cream. Heavy cream will give the creamiest sauce, but you can also use whole milk, full fat coconut milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk. 

For serving

• Naan bread
• Basmati rice
• Roast broccoli, optional, but always delicious!

How to Make Butter Chicken

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the chicken ingredients, except for the cut chicken breasts, and mix well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix or toss until the chicken is completely coated in the sauce. 

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes. (If needed, this step can definitely be skipped, and you can cook the chicken immediately. Marinating will  create a better flavor overall, but can easily be skipped if needed, and you’ll still have a very delicious butter chicken.)

After 30 minutes, heat a large skillet over medium heat(I love using a cast iron skillet!), add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring often until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set it aside until ready to use. 

In the same pan, melt the butter. Once the butter is hot and bubbly, add the diced onion and cook until it is translucent. Add the minced garlic and dried ginger and cook until fragrant

Add the remaining spices, mix well, and cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. It should have a very warm and spicy smell. 

Then add the canned tomatoes and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering, stirring often until the tomatoes have broken down, 5-10 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the heat.

Now it’s time to blend your sauce. I like to blend mine right in the pan using an immersion blender. But you can also transfer the mixture to a bowl and then blend with an immersion blender. Or puree the sauce using an upright blender. (see notes for how to make an extra creamy sauce.)

Once the sauce is blended, return the sauce to the pan(if needed) and return the pan to the heat, and bring it back up to a simmer. Add the heavy cream and mix well.

Finally, return the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. 

Serve over a bed of rice or with fresh naan(or both!) Or my personal favorite with a side of roasted broccoli.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Any leftover butter chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Feel free to adjust the crushed red pepper in this recipe to make the dish spicier or less spicy to better suit your taste. You can also add additional fresh or dried chilies!

To make extra creamy or a more traditionally creamy butter chicken sauce, puree your tomato mixture in an upright blender, then pour through a fine mesh sieve. This will remove any small pieces of tomato, onion, or flakes of crushed red pepper that didn’t blend, and leave you with a super creamy, smooth sauce!

Garam Masala is an Indian spice blend that can be found in most grocery stores, but if you are having trouble finding it, be sure to check your area for local Indian grocery stores. Or it can be ordered online. You can also make it yourself! Check out my easy homemade garam masala recipe HERE! 

Be Sure To Check Out These Yummy Recipes Too!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Curry 

Curried Black-eyed Peas