Who knew Butter Chicken could be so easy? My recipe gives you all the feels of the Indian curry dish you love with way less time and effort—yay for that!
I love Butter Chicken as much as anybody. It’s delicious! But what I don’t love is the time it takes to make. Most nights, I just don’t have the foresight. Or the energy.
So I was thrilled to discover that Butter Chicken doesn’t have to be laborious. It can even be relatively quick, thanks to a few key timesavers.
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken originated in India but can now be found in many parts of the world. At its most basic, it’s chicken marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices, then sauteed in butter or ghee with onions, ginger, and more spices, then simmered with tomatoes and cream.
All of which isn’t particularly difficult. It’s just that between the marinating and the long list of ingredients, especially the spices, it can take a while.
Easiest Butter Chicken
I’ve discovered that, by just skipping a few steps and a lot of ingredients, you can make a Butter Chicken that’s just as delicious with a lot less effort.
First off, skip the marinade. Instead, simply combine your chicken with yogurt and spices and set it aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. If you have the time and foresight, you can set it aside for an hour or even up to overnight in the refrigerator. But if you don’t, that very short, while-you-prep marinade is fine. The chicken will still be plenty tender and flavorful.
Which brings me to another Butter Chicken shortcut—I use dark meat chicken instead of light. That’s not extremely unique, you’ll see some recipes that use thighs and some that use breasts. But using thighs means the chicken already has lots of flavor and juiciness, so marinating isn’t as critical as it might be with breasts.
For flavoring the marinade, I’ve found I can significantly reduce the typically-long list of spices by leaning hard into two spice blends—garam masala and curry powder. Many Butter Chicken recipes use them, but mine uses them almost exclusively.
(In case you’re unfamiliar with it, garam masala is an Indian spice blend. You’ll find it in the spice section of your supermarket or you can make your own.)
Last but not least, I omit the ginger from the sauté. I love ginger, but grating up a big bunch can be tedious. And since I’m looking to make this recipe easy, I skip it.
Is this an “authentic” Butter Chicken? Nope. But it’s easy enough for weeknights and still bursting with amazing Butter Chicken flavor and sauciness. Which earns it a regular spot in my dinner rotation. And now, I’m betting, yours.
Podcast Episode On Making Butter Chicken
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this easy dish, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Easiest Butter Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
DESCRIPTION
Who knew Butter Chicken could be so easy? My recipe gives you all the feels of the Indian curry dish you love with way less time and effort—yay for that!
If you’d like, garnish it with cilantro and serve it with rice, naan, or both.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. curry powder
- 2 Tbsp. garam masala (see note)
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. pieces
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter or ghee
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, strained tomatoes, or tomato puree
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, curry powder, garam masala, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in the chicken and set aside while you prep the remaining ingredients (or up to overnight in the refrigerator if you have the time).
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken and yogurt mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, 8 to 10 minutes.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
Note: You’ll find garam masala, an Indian spice blend, in the spice section of the supermarket.
Susan says
This recipe is so easy and delicious. We paired it with cucumber salad with a yogurt dressing and naan. Do yourself a favor and let it marinate over night. Your taste buds will thank you!
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
That sounds fantastic, Susan! Thank you for sharing.