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Angled view of a plate of butter chicken with rice
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Easy Butter Chicken

Made with lots of spices and ghee, this Easy Butter Chicken is bursting with flavor. It's such a comforting, hearty meal with plenty of extra sauce to soak up in your rice or naan bread, you'll be daydreaming about it long after the last bite!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Marinate Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: easy butter chicken recipe, easy Indian recipes, homemade butter chicken
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 1 & 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , minced
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (see note below)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric

For the Sauce

  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato passata (see note below)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For Serving

  • cooked white rice , for serving
  • fresh chopped cilantro , for garnish
  • naan bread , for serving

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, set aside.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, and all the seasonings until smooth.
  • Add the chicken to the bowl and toss in the marinade, cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour to marinate (12 hours is ideal.)
  • Place a dutch oven or large skillet with deep sides over high heat. Once hot add the ghee. Place the marinated chicken into the pot and sear, stirring occasionally, cooking until browned on most sides, 10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato passata, cream, sugar, salt, and any leftover marinade from the chicken to the pot and mix it all together, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
  • Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve with hot cooked white rice garnished with fresh chopped cilantro, and some naan bread.

Video

Notes

Tomato passata - Tomato passata is thinner than other tomato sauces and made with just cooked, strained tomatoes. If you can't find it, canned tomato puree or plain tomato sauce (not flavored spaghetti sauce) will work as well.
Fenugreek - If you can't find this, use an equal amount of mustard seeds or just leave it out.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 898IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg