Easy Butter Chicken (30 minute recipe!)
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Since making this easy butter chicken recipe, I’ve stopped ordering takeout. My family likes this better than the murgh makhani we used to order, and dinner is on the table in only 30 minutes!
This easy butter chicken recipe has been my go-to for years. We eat a lot of curry around here, but this is one of the recipes I come back to again and again. It has a rich, creamy sauce, tender chicken, and all the warm spices that make butter chicken so irresistible. Whenever I serve it to friends, they’re quick to ask for the recipe.
One of my favorite tricks is blending the sauce. Not only does it create that silky, restaurant-style texture, but it also means you don’t have to spend time finely dicing onions and garlic. A rough chop is all you need before everything gets blended into a smooth, velvety masala.
The flavor starts with onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes, then a generous blend of spices, including garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and chili powder. Chicken simmers in the sauce until tender, while cream and almond butter add richness and body. A touch of sugar rounds everything out, creating a curry that’s creamy, balanced, and packed with flavor.
And if you love using your slow cooker, make sure to check out my crockpot butter chicken!
What makes this recipe easy?
I’ve been making versions of this recipe for many years, so I’ve had ample opportunities to refine the method. My butter chicken recipe is straightforward to make, but still every bit as delicious as what you’ll find at your favorite restaurant. I simplified the traditional recipe in two ways:
- Cook the chicken in the sauce. Rather than marinating and then sauteeing the chicken (which is unnecessary with such a flavorful sauce), I cook it right in the sauce. This allows the chicken to poach gently, keeping it very tender.
- Simmer the sauce. Since I cook the sauce and chicken together, you get to skip the time most recipes spend simmering the sauce on its own: two birds, one stone, same result.
Tips for making this easy butter chicken recipe
- Brown the onions well. They add the most amazing flavor and contribute to the sweetness of the curry.
- When the onions are browning, add all the spices to a small bowl. This will make it quick and easy for you to add the spices once the onions are brown.
- If you’re serving this with rice, you can start the rice first. It will finish cooking before the butter chicken is ready, but you can remove it from the heat and set it aside until everything else is done.
Store, freeze, and reheat
Store: Leftovers taste amazing, so you may want to make a double batch. Let them cool, then store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Butter chicken freezes well, making it a great option for a freezer meal. I often make a double batch and put leftovers in the freezer. It’s better and easier than takeout. I love these big reusable Stasher Bags for freezing leftovers. It will keep for at least 3 months in the freezer.
Reheat: I like to reheat curry in a pot over medium-low heat, but you can also reheat it in the microwave.
Easy Butter Chicken (30 minute recipe!)
Ingredients
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
- ½ cup whipping cream (plain yogurt or coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter (see notes)
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
- Sea salt (to taste – I like about 2 teaspoons)
- 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
- Heat the butter in a large-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until well-browned, reducing the heat if necessary.2 tablespoons butter, 2 yellow onions, 3 tablespoons chopped ginger, 6 cloves garlic
- While the onion cooks, place the spices in a small bowl.1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 4 cardamom pods
- Add the spices to the pan and cook for 1 minute to remove their raw flavor. Pour the can of tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom to remove any bits that are stuck to the pan.28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pan, add the chicken and water, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let the chicken cook for 10 minutes, until it is fully cooked.1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, 1 cup water
- Stir in the cream, almond butter, and coconut sugar. Season to taste with sea salt.½ cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar, Sea salt
- Serve with rice (and if you have it, naan) with some cilantro on top.Cilantro
Equipment Used
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This turned out fabulous.
Absolutely easy and more importantly delicious!!!
Thank you, love your recipe’s instructions. Very well explained. I am really excited to make this one with my sister.
This is so quick and easy and was a great family meal. Thank you so much ☺️ 💗
Almond butter as in the nut butter?
That’s right!
This recipe definitely takes more than 30min, however it was worth the time and effort. So cool learning how to make the sauce in a blender! I’ve never done that before! It really is delish. I will make this again for sure.
I cooked this recipe exactly as written. The recipe took me much longer than 30 minutes to make. Transferring a large volume of hot liquid from a pot to a blender and back does not make for an easy recipe.
Also, the option to use coconut cream, full fat yogurt, or dairy cream was confusing because each of those ingredients will produce a very different end product. The yogurt has tang, the coconut milk has a distinctly coconut taste, and the dairy cream has a higher fat content. I unfortunately used yogurt, which amplified the tomatoes’ tanginess. Regardless, the fat content of the recipe is nowhere near enough to give it the creamy Makhani taste that I was hoping I could cheat my way to. Looks like you can’t. Regardless, it’s fun watching people creating new recipes.
This is seriously a crowd pleaser! It’s so easy to make and everyone loves it. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
This was delicious and so easy compared to other butter chicken recipes. I didn’t have almond butter, loved it anyway.
I have Cardamom seeds, not pods. How much do I use?
¼ teaspoon should be all you need. 🙂
This is the best recipe for butter chicken I have ever tried.
An absolutely delicious, and easy recipe thank you so much…. This is my new take on Butter Chicken with my whanau (family)…
Yummo defiently will make this again didnt have cardamom so will buy some next time but still was delicious
Oh my life!!!
Just delicious!!
Could have been from a shop ?
Maybe just a “little” less coconut sugar otherwise right on point!!!
I don’t keep almond butter around and don’t want to buy a whole jar. What would you substitute, or should i just leave it out? Add a bit of extra yogurt or cream?
You can omit it and add a little extra cream.
I used this recipe. Amazing, absolutely delicious, thank you,