Beautiful, silky, creamy, flavor-packed butter chicken—all the adjectives to describe this recipe because it truly is that good ♥︎

Today, we’re making butter chicken! I think this might be the most requested recipe I’ve received over the years, and I can’t believe it took me this long to film it for you guys—my favorite comfort meal 🫶🏼 Indian cuisine is always a warm and comforting choice for dinner. Also, a great plus side: if you marinate your chicken the night before, this recipe should only take you 45 minutes to whip up ˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

Few tips✮⋆˙

• I know some of us hate seeing the words “marinate overnight” in a recipe, but I truly think it’s a plus side to any recipe. Usually, throwing together a marinade takes no more than 5–10 minutes, and the next day, when you’re ready to start dinner, that step has already been completed, so you can hop directly into the recipe! Now, if you forget to marinate your chicken the day before, you can definitely still marinate the chicken the morning of or even an hour before you plan to start dinner—but you’ll achieve the full flavor a marinade has to offer if you let it do its work overnight.
• =Not including marination time, this recipe should only take you 45 minutes to cook up!
• Try your best to get a nice char on your chicken pieces before removing them from the pan. This adds depth and smoky flavor to the gravy and the overall dish.
• If you want to go the extra mile, you can use all fresh ingredients and grind your own spices, like your cumin and coriander—but no matter what, I recommend you use fresh garlic and ginger in this recipe
• Soaked cashews add a natural creaminess to the gravy. If you’re allergic or just don’t care to add them , you can skip them, but they definitely amp up the texture and flavor.
• Only add the cooked chicken to the gravy in the final few minutes to prevent it from overcooking and drying out

Here’s a video to guide you along the process✮⋆˙

Process✮⋆˙

Butter Chicken

Beautiful, silky, creamy, flavor-packed butter chicken.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs cubed
• 1 lb chicken breast cubed

Chicken Marinade✮⋆˙

• 1/2 cup greek yogurt plain
• 6 cloves garlic freshly grated
• 1 tbsp ginger freshly grated, about 6 grams
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt

Gravy (sauce) ✮⋆˙

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot finely minced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp powdered ginger optional (I enjoy doing both fresh a powdered in this recipe )
• 1 tsp garlic powder optional (I enjoy doing both fresh a powdered in this recipe )
• 1 tsp salt adjust to preference !!
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/3 cup cashews soaked the morning of in hot water (can skip this ingredient if you're allergic or simply don't want to include it) you can also skip soaking them – but it makes them blend better into our sauce
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 6 cloves garlic freshly grated
• 1 tbsp ginger freshly grated, about 6 grams
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 8 tbsp butter, unsalted cubed

Garnish✮⋆˙

• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp heavy cream for a heavy cream swirl if desired

Instructions

 

Marinate your chicken✮⋆˙

• In a large bowl, mix yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and salt. Add the chicken pieces, ensuring they’re evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for deeper flavor.

Time to cook✮⋆˙

• Preheat a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat with wither olive or avocado oil -Cook the marinated chicken until nicely charred on the outside and cooked about 95% through, about 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally. Set aside.

Make your gravy✮⋆˙

• In the same skillet or saucepan, melt the ghee with olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
• Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, and salt to the skillet. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Then, stir in grated garlic, grated ginger, cashews (if using), diced tomatoes, and 1/3 cup water. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together.

Blend✮⋆˙

• Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) to blend the sauce until smooth.
• This step is optional, but I love running the sauce through a mesh strainer after blending for an extra-smooth gravy base. It’s a small step, that isn't necessary, but I enjoy the texture that it brings!
• Return the sauce to the skillet over low heat.

Final steps✮⋆˙

• Stir in heavy cream, garam masala, and your 8 tbsp of butter. yesss, 8 tbsp – just trust the process, this is butter chicken after all. Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
• Add the cooked chicken to the gravy, stirring to coat well. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, let the chicken simmer in the sauce and finish cooking. Taste the gravy after adding the chicken and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you adjust the seasoning before adding the chicken, you risk the gravy being a bit too salty, as the chicken is already seasoned—so always season after!

Garnish, and you're done✮⋆˙

• Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with naan, or on a bed of rice .. or both !

Keyword butter chicken, dinner idea, gravy