Easy Butter Chicken (30 minute recipe!)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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. My family asks me to make it regularly, and when I serve it to friends, they always ask for the recipe.
My trick for making the smoothest, creamiest sauce is to pull out the blender. Bonus: you can roughly chop the onions and garlic rather than spending ages finely mincing them.
And if you love using your slow cooker, make sure to check out our crockpot butter chicken!
Key ingredients for butter chicken
- Onions, ginger, and garlic – This dynamic trio is the base of the masala.
- Tomatoes – Reach for a can of tomatoes unless it’s tomato season.
- Chicken – You can use breasts or thighs.
- Cream – Whipping cream will give you the most authentic taste, but yogurt and coconut milk make good substitutes.
- Almond butter – This thickens the curry and adds a wonderful flavor.
- Sugar—Butter chicken needs some sweetness, and I like to use coconut sugar as it has a slightly malty flavor that goes well with reicpe. You could use brown or granulated sugar instead if you’d like.
- Spices – I like garam masala, turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and cardamom. If you’re missing one, don’t fret; the curry will still taste delicious.
You’ll also want to put on a pot of basmati rice!
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 simplify 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 take to simmer the sauce by itself: two birds, one stone, same result.
How to make butter chicken
Over the years, I’ve refined the method for making this recipe to make it very simple. Here’s what to do:
- Cook the onions, garlic, and ginger until deliciously caramelized. You’re going for a dark brown and ultra-flavorful here.
- Add the spices and tomatoes, and let them cook for a moment to release their flavors. Then, blend the sauce until smooth.
- Now, cook the chicken in the sauce so it’s flavorful and tender.
That’s it! You’ve just made your favorite Indian curry!
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 excellently, making it an excellent 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
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Wonderful recipe, so tasty and just what I was looking for. It made lots and for me it was enough for two dinners and two lunches. Very good and delicious. I did add a little cornstarch and water to it just to thicken it a little bit as I did find it a little bit too runny. But that is just my preference to have it a little thicker. Thanks for such a great recipe.
I’m so happy you loved it! And thank you for sharing how it worked for you — getting two dinners *and* two lunches out of it is such a win. A little cornstarch slurry is a perfect way to thicken it up if you like a heartier sauce.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your note! 💛
Wonderfully quick to assemble and i would say the flavour is excellent used coconut cream from coconuts in our garden and substituted the almond with bleached almond flour. resulted in a satisfying thick gravy and it was wonderful.
thank you very much Kirsten+ I have just discovered you, xx
I’m so happy you found me—and what a beautiful version you made! Using fresh coconut cream from your garden sounds absolutely dreamy, and I’m thrilled the gravy turned out so rich and satisfying. Thank you for the lovely comment and warm welcome—can’t wait for you to try more! xx 💛
awesome butter chicken recipe.thank you.
You’re very welcome!
looks tasty
Thanks, Ezra!
Hello,
I want to start by saying I have a very picky husband. When I was pregnant, a friend gave me some butter chicken, and it became a huge craving. My husband didn’t like it when he tried it, so I put off making it. Then my craving got so bad that I made it but left out the chili powder (for him) and I substituted the 6 cardamom pods with roughlya teaspoon of cinnamon. To my surprise, he loved it. This has become a bi-weekly dinner in this household.
That is the best story! I love it. Thank you for sharing!
How can I make this so it isn’t spicy? Thanks
This isn’t a spicy curry recipe at all. Most garam masala blends aren’t spicy, but double check yours before using it. If you are very sensitive to heat, you can omit the chili powder
Hi Kristen,
I have been a fan of your site for years and used many of your recipes. I want to try this one for a potluck, but it needs to be nut free. Can I omit the almond/cashew butter?
Hi Sandy! If the person you’re cooking for is able to have seeds, I would use tahini instead of the almond butter. But if not, just omit it. 🙂
Can I make this recipe without chilli or pepper as I have allergy for chilli & pepper
Definitely! It will still be very tasty.
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it about four or five times now. It’s always a hit with the family. But I have some concerns.
1/4 cup of coconut milk is not enough to justify opening a whole can. I used 1/2 cup then made the recipe again to use the rest.
Secondly, the chicken will not cook in 10 minutes. I ate raw chicken, which was really great. The chicken needs 30 minutes.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. If you are using full chicken breasts (which I’m assuming you are) then yes, they will need much longer to cook. But if you cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (as per the recipe) then they cook very quickly in the simmering sauce.
Just what I needed. Easy and tasty!