Home » Dinner Recipes

Creamy Butter Chicken

ByBrandie
9 Comments
Jump to Recipe

This Indian inspired Creamy Butter Chicken is a recipe that will soon be on your regular dinner rotation! A mild, easy and creamy dish that can be made in 30 minutes!

A HOMEMADE BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE

I learned to have an appreciation for Indian-style food while living in England. Lots of Indian restaurants in England tone down the spice to appeal to a broader amount of people who aren’t used to the traditional stronger Indian spices. England has large Indian communities and there are lots of Indian restaurants on almost every corner (similar to our Chinese restaurants here in America.) Butter Chicken is one of those Indian-style recipes that appeal to everyone since it’s not super heavy on the spice like other traditional Indian dishes. If you want to try a deliciously easy recipe that you can make in about 30 minutes, then you have to try my version of Creamy Butter Chicken!

Bowl of Creamy Butter Chicken with spoon in bowl.

TIPS FOR MAKING BUTTER CHICKEN:

  • You can use chicken breasts or chicken tenders for this recipe. This is also a wonderful recipe to use for chicken thighs!
  • This recipe has a mild spice. If you would like it spicier you can add more chili powder or more ginger to your liking.
  • Sometimes garam masala is hard to find. For this you can substitute this with curry powder.
  • You can also substitute grated ginger with ground ginger as well. For this recipe you would use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
  • This recipe uses turmeric which is one of my favorite spices as it has so many health benefits. It is supposed to help with inflammation, is an age fighting antioxidant, helps with cardiovascular health and helps with blood sugar.
Spoon holding up on a scoop of Creamy Butter Chicken with rice.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • oil
  • chicken breasts
  • butter
  • onion
  • minced garlic
  • grated fresh ginger
  • garam masala
  • turmeric
  • smoked paprika
  • chili powder
  • salt
  • diced tomatoes
  • tomato paste
  • chicken broth
  • heavy cream
  • cilantro, optional
Ingredients needed: oil, chicken breasts, butter, onion, minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, heavy cream and cilantro.

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY BUTTER CHICKEN:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir to cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Chicken in pan cooked surrounded by other ingredients.

Melt butter in the same skillet, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt and mix well, cooking about a minute to let the flavors meld together.

Butter, onion and spices added to skillet to cook.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth.

Diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth added to skillet not stirred.

Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce has  thickened.

Cooked chicken added back to mixture in skillet.

Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and cilantro.

Heavy cream and cilantro added to blended mixture in skillet.

Stir together until combined.

Pan of Creamy Butter Chicken with serving spoon in pan.

Serve over rice if desired.

Overhead photo of Creamy Butter Chicken on plate with rice and chicken and rice in the background.

HOW TO STORE:

  • To store Creamy Butter Chicken Recipe place in an airtight container or ziptop bag in the refrigerator, this should last 3-4 days.
  • Creamy Butter Chicken can also be frozen. Cook and let cool then place in a freezer bag and it should keep for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat, take out of the freezer and let defrost in the refrigerator, reheat on the stove by placing in a pan and cook until warmed through.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Close up square image of white bowl filled with Creamy Butter Chicken with spoon in bowl

Creamy Butter Chicken

A deliciously mild spice dish that is easy to put together this Creamy Butter Chicken is a recipe that is full of flavor and one that you will want to make over and over.
4.80 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir to cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  • Melt butter in the same skillet, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt and mix well, cooking about a minute to let the flavors meld together.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth and return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and cilantro.
  • Serve over rice, if desired.

Notes

  • You can use chicken breasts or chicken tenders for this recipe. This is also a wonderful recipe to use for chicken thighs!
  • This recipe has a mild spice. If you would like it spicier you can add more chili powder or more ginger to your liking.
  • If you prefer a smoother sauce, after adding the cream, remove the chicken and use an immersion blender until it reaches a consistency you like.
  • Sometimes garam masala is hard to find. For this you can substitute this with curry powder if necessary.
  • You can also substitute grated ginger with ground ginger as well. For this recipe you would use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
  • This recipe uses turmeric which is one of my favorite spices as it has so many health benefits. It is supposed to help with inflammation, is an age fighting antioxidant, helps with cardiovascular health and helps with blood sugar.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Indian

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 762mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Related Posts:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Loved this recipe. Not sure if it’s the difference in taste or ingredients here in the UK but we found it very sweet and it didn’t taste like a curry. We have decided to try it again but next time double the chili, Paprika, garam masala and turmeric and not add any tomato paste at all. other than that very good

    Reply

    1. Hey! Interesting! There’s no sweet ingredients in this at all so wonder what would make it sweet because it shouldn’t be at all lol. Maybe your tomato paste is sweetened? Here it’s strictly just tomatoes But I’m glad you liked the flavor and it is very customizable to your tastes for sure!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe and it was so easy to make. Thank you! I doubled up on the amount of chili powder because I like my dishes on the spicier side. I also used the 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger in lieu of fresh ginger. I highly recommend using the optional fresh chopped cilantro – it added a nice flavor and freshness to the dish.

    Reply

  5. Hi Brandie, this recipe looks so good and so easy. I’m just wondering if canned coconut milk could be used instead of the heavy cream? Hoping to make this on the weekend. Thanks.

    Reply