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–+ servings
A bowl of white rice topped with orange butter chicken curry, garnished with chopped herbs, and served with a piece of naan bread.

Easy Butter Chicken (30 minute recipe!)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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!

Ingredients

The Curry

The Spices

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
    Image for recipe instruction: Diced onions are being sautéed in a stainless steel pan until softened and lightly browned, creating the perfect base for flavorful butter chicken.
  • 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
    Image for recipe instruction: A glass bowl containing four different ground spices, essential for butter chicken, arranged in separate sections on a light, textured surface.
  • 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
    Image for recipe instruction: A stainless steel pan filled with chunky butter chicken tomato sauce and diced vegetables sits on a light-colored surface.
  • Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
    Image for recipe instruction: A blender containing a thick, orange-red butter chicken sauce or puree, viewed from above on a beige countertop.
  • 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
    Image for recipe instruction: A stainless steel pan filled with orange-red butter chicken curry containing chicken pieces, being stirred with a black spatula, sits on a beige surface.
  • 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
    Image for recipe instruction: A stainless steel pan filled with orange, creamy butter chicken curry with chunks of chicken inside, being stirred by a black spatula on a light countertop.
  • Serve with rice (and if you have it, naan) with some cilantro on top.
    Cilantro
    Image for recipe instruction: A pan of orange-colored butter chicken curry with chunks of chicken, garnished with chopped herbs. Sides of white rice, naan bread, and a bowl of fresh herbs are nearby.

Notes

Butter: Using butter will give you the most authentic flavor. But if you need to avoid dairy, opt for oil. 
Tomatoes: I like to use canned tomatoes as they have better flavor than many store-bought tomatoes. But if it's tomato season and you have some homegrown tomatoes, feel free to use a few of those instead!
Almond butter: Raw cashews are a more traditional ingredient. I opted to use almond butter so that you'll be able to blend this even without a high-powered blender. Feel free to use cashew butter, if you have that on hand. 
Spices: If you don't have all of the spices, don't fret! Garam masala is the most important one here. If needed, you can substitute it with curry powder. 
Serving: 1 ½ cups, Calories: 345kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 216mg, Potassium: 651mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 584IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2mg