Creamy Cashew Butter Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This rich and warming cashew butter chicken is as good as it gets! By using cashews instead of cream, this recipe is as rich and creamy as any restaurant-style butter chicken, but it's so much healthier for you. Savory, mildly sweet, and creamy notes meld together with a blend of warming spices and tender bites of chicken. It's easy to make, naturally dairy-free, and delicious!
Can't get enough butter chicken? Try this easy butter chicken and this butter chicken poutine!
This dairy-free Indian dinner is one of those easy dinner recipes that is perfect to keep in your back pocket. Reliable, comforting, warming curry is always a winner, and this healthy rendition tastes like restaurant-style butter chicken. Whether you're rushing around with all the back-to-school prep going on, craving a warm and comforting dinner, or want delicious leftovers for lunch, this recipe's got your back!
Ingredients needed
Comforting butter chicken has never been this good for you! Blended cashews are liquid gold for this recipe. This is everything you need:
- Cashew nuts: Omit the heavy cream without giving up on the creamy, velvety consistency. Cashew pieces are less expensive than whole cashews and work well in this recipe.
- Oil: To cook the chicken and saute the onion.
- Boneless chicken:Ā The star protein that soaks up the rich flavors of the cashew-based butter chicken sauce. Use chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
- Onion: Adds depth and sweet undertones.
- Garlic and ginger:Ā For savory and zesty notes.
- Crushed tomatoes:Ā Add a burst of freshness and a little tang.
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar:Ā Balances the flavors.
- From the spice rack: Garam masala, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder, cardamom pods, and sea salt.
How to make cashew butter chicken
This recipe is as simple as blending cashews into a cashew cream, cooking the chicken, and making the sauce. These are the instructions:
- Make cashew cream: Blend cashews and water until smooth. Don't clean your blender yet!
- Brown the chicken: Cook the chicken on both sides until it browns up, then chop it into bite-sized chicken pieces.
- Make the sauce: SautƩ and stir the onion, then add garlic and ginger. Next, throw in the spices, toasting them before adding the tomatoes. Give it a whirl in your blender to make it creamy.
- Throw it together: Pour the curry back into the pan, add the blended cashews, chicken, water, and brown sugar. Bring it to a boil, letting the flavors meld together, then leave it to simmer. Enjoy!
Tips for making cashew butter chicken
- Cashews: Make sure they're blended until smooth. If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak them in water to make them softer and easier to blend. You can also run the cream through a sieve to make sure no gritty bits get through.
- Onions: Caramelize the onions and let them brown well to bring out a sweet undertone.
- Spices: While the onions brown, combine all the spices in a small bowl for a quick and easy addition.
- Rice: If you're enjoying your cashew butter chicken with rice, start the basmati rice first. The rice will finish before the cashew butter chicken is done, so remove it from the heat to the side until everything else is complete.
What to serve with cashew butter chicken
Make someĀ cauliflower rice,Ā basmati rice, or coconut rice to soak up the beautiful sauce, sprinkle cilantro or cashews over top, and serve with some naan or roti.
For some Indian-inspired appetizers, start the meal with some curried carrots, roasted tandoori cauliflower, or turmeric cauliflower.
Finish the meal off with aĀ mango chia puddingĀ for dessert.
Recipe FAQs
Can I substitute cashew butter for the blended cashews?
That is possible. Start with less, ā ā Ā½ cup, and add more as needed. You can add more to make it thicker or add water to thicken it. The cashew butter will thicken as it cooks. And remember that cashew butter is made with roasted cashews so it will add a slightly roasted flavor to the curry.
Can I store leftovers?
Yes, this is one of those recipes that somehow tastes even better the next day! Keep your leftover cashew butter chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to three months in freezer bags.
Can I adjust the level of spice?
Yes, this cashew butter chicken uses minimal chili powder for mild heat, so feel free to add more. Or add some red chilies while cooking the ginger and garlic if you like it spicier.
How would I make a vegetarian version?
To make a vegetarian version, use tofu in place of the chicken. Cut it into cubes and fry it until the edges are crispy.
Cashew Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Ā½ cups raw cashews (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 inch piece of ginger (peeled and chopped)
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- Sea salt (to taste)
The Spices
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Ā¼ to 1 teaspoon chili powder (depending how spicy you like it)
- Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Instructions
- Place the cashews and 1 Ā½ cups of water into your blender or food processor and blend on high until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and set it aside. Don't clean your blender yet ā you'll need it again.1 Ā½ cups raw cashews
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.1 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- While the chicken is browning, start cooking the curry. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and let it cook for 5 minutes more.1 medium onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger
- Add the spices to the onions and let them cook for a minute, stirring the whole time. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan. Carefully transfer to your blender and blend on high until smooth.28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, Ā¼ to 1 teaspoon chili powder, Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
- Pour the curry back into the pan, add the blended cashews, the chopped chicken, Ā½ cup of water, and the brown sugar. Bring the curry to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt.2 tablespoons brown sugar, Sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our curry recipes!
I put a twist on this recipe and used chili š¶ garlic sauce which is very Spicy! I cooked the chicken in chili garlic, milk, and turmeric in the insta-pot with some of the cashew mixture straight on top of the chicken breasts, After cooked I added the rest of the cashew mixture! So yummy! Thanks for the idea to purĆ©e my cashews had a huge container of them! Love this!
Thanks for this great recipe. Ā I made it with paneer instead of chicken (I’m vegetarian) and it was wonderful.Ā
Can I substitute cashew butter for the blended cashews? If so, how much would I use? Thanks!
That would work! I would start with ā – Ā½ cup and see how that works to thicken the curry. You’ll want to mix it with the water. Then you can always add more if you find the curry is too thin. The cashew butter will thicken as it cooks. š
I have no doubt this chicken will turn out to be yummers. substituting cream with cashews feels lighter and more fresh. Just in case you are wanting to do a differentiated butter chicken vs the typical curry, try these steps:
1) do not use coriander powder, standard cumin and turmeric in butter chicken – these spices, along with red chilli powder are the foundation of any curry. butter chicken sauce is not curry. Its tempting to add these, but please do not. A good chef is the one who knows what not to add than what to.
2) find a Garam masala which doesnt have Coriander powder and cumin seeds. such variants are also tagged under “royal garam masala”. some variants use caraway seeds (shajeera) instead of cumin seeds. Those are even better cos caraway seeds/shajeera is the secret ingredient to restaurant like butter chicken. I would recommend adding more shajeera separately.
3) if you are using fresh tomatoes sometimes they arent that tangy, play with some malt vinegar if you will
4) what is a butter chicken without crushed kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) garnish.
5) last but not the least give it a smoke treatment for a few minutes towards the end. Drop a small blob of ghee (clarified butter) on the burning coal placed in your pan and cover it for 10 minutes.
There you go. you have my years old secret butter chicken recipe. š
Hello Kristen, this recipe looks amazing! Can you please verify the amount of crushed tomatoes in grams? After doing the conversion it looks like double this recipe would be 1.5kg (56 ounces) which is a whole lot of tomatoes!Ā
Thanks in advance!
28 ounces is 794 grams. They’re sold in large cans, about twice as big as a can of beans. Here’s an example of the size of can to look for. To double the recipe, you’ll want 2 cans. š
This dish is a winner!
I made it exactly as described. It tasted awesome. Really great when cooking for someone with lactose intolerance. What would I change? Maybe less cashew cream so that the other flavours get a chance to shine too. That being said, still a fantastic recipe. Will definitely make again.
Does it matter if the cashews are raw or roasted? Thanks!
I personally prefer the neutral flavor of raw cashews in this recipe. š
Hi- Iām out of cashews but I have cashew milk- can I substitute? If so how much?
Cashew milk won’t thicken the sauce. If you go that route, you’ll need to add some flour or cornstarch. š
Hi Kristen,
I just made this recipe last night. It turned out amazing and so quick and easy. My husband said that he felt that being that it was dairy free it was easier on his stomach and did not make him feel the same heaviness that cream and butter would have. I was unsure what to do with the cardamom pods (i had never used them before) and there was no specifics in the recipe about what to do. Can you advise?Ā
I’m happy to hear that the recipe was a hit. With cardamom pods, I usually smash them with the side of a knife (like you do with garlic) and then remove the little seeds inside. You can also put them directly into the pot after you smash then, but you’ll want to remove them before eating the curry as they are not nice to bite into. š
The first time I made this, I followed the recipe exactly and it came out a bit bland. The second time I made it, I substituted the crushed tomatoes with a 15oz tomato sauce and a 6oz can of tomato paste (came out the same). I also added crushed chilies for some spicy (tasted amazing).
Spicy always makes everything better!
This was the perfect substitute for one of my husbands specialties. He loves making Tikka Massala but its so calorie dense. With this recipe we can enjoy all the savory goodness and spices we love and feel good about eating something healthier and enjoy it more often. I even prefer it to his recipe but that’s our secret ; )
Haha I love it! I’ll make sure to keep it a secret. š
Tried it tonight, a hit with the whole family! So simple to make. I used 100% cashew spread instead of blending raw cashews, just to make it quicker. I also used a curry spice mix which seemed to have all the spices mentioned. It worked a treat! I was really surprised how wonderfully creamy it was despite having no cream. Will definitely be adding this to the dinner rotation.
Hooray! Iām so happy that you love the recipe!
What would I need to do to make this a pressure cooker recipe?
I’ve never used a pressure cooker before so I can’t say. I would look for a pressure cooker curry recipe and use the instructions on that one with the ingredients on this one. š
Do you honk the Nutrobullet blender is good enough for this?
I mean think š
Hahahaha!!!
A Nutribullet should work just fine. Just make sure you don’t skip soaking the cashews as it will help to soften them. š
This is the best butter chicken!! So creamy and delicious! I have made this multiple times and each time I get asked how did you make this. Definitely one of our favorite meals.
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!!
Iāve made this for my family twice now and both times it was a hit. So nice to have a healthy recipe thatās easy to make. Thank you!
You are so welcome!!