Butter Chicken

Warm and cozy Butter Chicken is a great weeknight dinner. Tender chicken coated in a savory spiced sauce is a dinner your family will love.

This creamy butter chicken recipe is one of my all-time favorites. It’s so easy you’ll want to keep the ingredients on hand because, once you try it, I know it will be in your regular dinner rotation.

I’ve shared my love of Indian food, and today I’m sharing again with this easy homemade butter chicken.

If you’ve never tried it, butter chicken is a type of curry made with tomato sauce, warm spices, and chicken. The curry sauce is creamy and rich, and it’s served with rice.

I fell in love with Indian food years ago on a work trip when I ate at a wonderful restaurant in Boston. Since then, I love to recreate easy versions of the dishes in my own kitchen. My slow cooker tikka masala is another dish I love to make inspired by that special meal so many years ago.

Recipe Highlights

• This is an easy recipe, ready in about 30 minutes!
• This is not an overly spicy dish because the half-and-half tempers the heat. My kiddos enjoy it, so it’s an excellent option for the younger palates or the spice-averse people in your life.
• It’s a one-pan butter chicken that cooks on the stove. No fussy steps with this recipe.

Serve it with rice to soak up all the wonderful sauce. I can’t wait for you to try this dish; you will love it.

Ingredients

• Oil
• Butter
• Diced onion
• Grated fresh ginger – or you can use ginger paste in a tube.
• Minced garlic – mince it yourself or use the garlic paste sold in tubes.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ¾-inch pieces
• Tomato sauce
• Garam masala is a specific type of spice blend and is not the same as curry powder.
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Half & half or heavy cream

Recipe Steps

You can make this dish in four steps. It really couldn’t be easier!

Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, butter, and chicken, and cook them for five minutes.

Step 2: Add the onions and cook for another three to four minutes. Add in the ginger and garlic and stir them into the other ingredients. Cook them for 30 seconds or until they are fragrant.

Step 3: Add the tomato sauce and all of the spices. Stir and simmer for five minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the tomato sauce is hot.

Step 4: Add the half-and-half and simmer the butter chicken for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Recipe Tips

Look for garam masala in the spice aisle. It should be available at most grocery stores.

I love this dish with chicken breasts, but you can use the same amount of boneless, skinless thighs, too.

The leftovers are always amazing! The flavors develop even further when it sits in the refrigerator. Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them well for three to four days.

You can freeze this dish, but I recommend waiting to add the half and a half. So, make it as instructed, except don’t add the half and half. Cool it and then freeze it for up to two months. When you reheat, stir in half and half.

My kids love this dish with naan. They devour it! I love it with some coconut rice.

Love your slow cooker? You might like my slow cooker butter chicken.

Cozy, comforting, and easy. This is the kind of dinner that I never get tired of. I think you’ll agree! Give it a try this week, and enjoy. XOXO San

More Easy Dinners

• Firecracker Shrimp
• Thai Curry Red Pepper Quinoa Soup
• Chicken Curry Casserole
• Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.