Description
This Easy Butter Chicken recipe delivers a rich and creamy curry in just 30 minutes, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Made with tender chicken, aromatic spices, and a smooth tomato-based sauce enriched with butter, almond butter, and cream, this dish offers authentic flavors with a simple, straightforward cooking process.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
The Curry
- 2 tablespoons butter (see notes)
- 2 yellow onions (roughly chopped)
- 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 6 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup whipping cream (plain yogurt or coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter (see notes)
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
- Sea salt (to taste, about 2 teaspoons recommended)
- Cilantro (to serve)
The Spices
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 cardamom pods (seeds only, discard the pods)
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the roughly chopped onions, chopped ginger, and crushed garlic cloves. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well-browned and fragrant. Reduce the heat if the mixture browns too quickly.
- Toast the spices: While the onions cook, combine garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and cardamom seeds in a small bowl. Add the spices to the pan with the browned onion mixture and cook for 1 minute to release their aromas and remove any raw flavors.
- Add tomatoes: Pour in the canned crushed or diced tomatoes into the pan, scraping the bottom with a spoon to lift any browned bits. This will add depth to the sauce.
- Blend the sauce: Transfer the tomato and spice mixture to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.
- Simmer with chicken: Return the blended sauce to the pan, add the bite-sized chicken pieces and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the whipping cream, almond butter, and coconut sugar. Mix well to combine and season the sauce with sea salt to taste.
- Serve: Garnish the butter chicken with chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice and naan if desired.
Notes
- Butter: For authentic flavor, use butter but for a dairy-free alternative, substitute with cooking oil.
- Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are preferred for flavor and convenience, but fresh homegrown tomatoes can be used when in season.
- Almond butter: Can substitute with raw cashew or cashew butter for a more traditional taste.
- Spices: Garam masala is key; if unavailable, curry powder can be used as a substitute without compromising too much on flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
