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    Home » In the kitchen » Dinner » Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

    Published: Jun 25, 2018 · Modified: May 27, 2020 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Have you always wanted to know how to make Indian butter chicken at home? Well now you can with my super easy Butter Chicken recipe. Ready in 30 minutes, and delicious served on white rice with garlic naan on the side. Plus, prepare the spice mix in advance and it's even quicker!

    Overhead shot of white bowl with butter chicken and rice with bowl of white rice, naan bread and blue tea towel in background

    You know that amazing feeling at the end of a long week, when you are sitting at home on the couch with the whole weekend ahead of you and the biggest decision you are faced with is what to order in for dinner? Well, when you live in the middle of nowhere with no possibility of having any sort of takeout delivered, you've gotta get a bit creative. Because we miss the luxury of takeaways on a Friday night, I'm slowly working my way through the list of our favourite takeout meals and recreating them at home. It's not quite the same, but that's what you get for living in the boonies!

    This is my version of the Indian takeaway classic, and one of our favourites -  butter chicken. You are going to LOVE it!! While it may not be totally authentic, it's a super simplified recipe and is so quick to make! And both Josh & I think it's as good as any we've had from an Indian place and so much better than any sauce that comes from a jar. There is no marinating involved - mostly because I always get mad when I'm frantically looking for inspiration at 5...ok 6pm and come across a recipe that looks perfect except that I needed to start it 4 hours ago.

    The other amazing shortcut with this recipe is that you can make the spice mix up in advance (similar to my Burrito Spice Mix) and keep it in a jar in the pantry so that you can whip up this butter chicken recipe at a moments notice. You know, for those times when your husband calls at 2pm to request curry for dinner, even though you asked him at 7am and got nothing. The instructions for making a large batch of the spice mix are in the recipe notes.

    CLICK HERE to pin this post to your dinner recipes or homemade takeout recipes board on Pinterest

    Close up of pan of butter chicken with rice and naan bread in the background

    There are quite a few different spices in this easy butter chicken recipe, but nothing fancy and definitely all things you will either have or can buy from the supermarket. The spices are ground coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and the key spice in butter chicken - garam masala. You can also add chili powder but I usually leave it out. I definitely like my butter chicken to be mild. Plus, Sadie is at the stage now where she eats whatever we eat so I don't want to scare her off certain foods with a bit hit of chili!

    The spices are what pack the flavour punch in this butter chicken so the sauce is a simple combination of tomato paste and water with cream added at the end to thicken it and create that amazing luscious, silky sauce that we all love. Plus a knob of butter thrown in for good measure...and because it's butter chicken right? 🙂 The good news is, I've also made this with coconut cream and it was just as good, so for anyone out there who is dairy free, you don't have to miss out! You can also just skip the butter at the end.

    Close up of white bowl with butter chicken and rice with bowl of white rice, naan bread and blue tea towel in background

    Easy Homemade Butter Chicken has become a staple at our house - it's definitely not the healthiest meal option but it's quick, easy, super flavourful and the perfect option for homemade takeout! And on a Friday, who cares!

    More easy dinner ideas:

    Chicken Burrito Bowls

    Super Simple Spaghetti Bolognese

    Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies with Satay Sauce

    30 Minute Stovetop Macaroni Cheese

    Mexican Rice

    Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Herb Butter Sauce

    Made this? Tag me on Instagram @thekiwicountrygirl and hashtag it #thekiwicountrygirl.

    Recipe adapted from Food Mag NZ

    White bowl with butter chicken and rice with bowl of white rice, naan bread and blue tea towel in background
    Overhead shot of white bowl with butter chicken and rice with bowl of white rice, naan bread and blue tea towel in background

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

    Have you always wanted to know how to make Indian butter chicken at home? Well now you can with my super easy Butter Chicken recipe! Ready in 30 minutes, and delicious served on white rice with garlic naan on the side! 
    4.73 from 40 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

    • 400 grams chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless and sliced into 2cm strips)
    • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil or butter
    • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 1 - 1 & ½ cups water (start with 1 and add extra if you want it to be super saucy)
    • ½ cup cream (see recipe note 1)
    • 1 Tablespoon butter (see recipe note 1)

    Instructions

    • Place the chicken pieces in a medium sized bowl, add the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt, cinnamon and chili powder (if using) and toss to coat the chicken evenly. 
    • Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. 
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.
    • Add the tomato paste and water and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir in the cream and butter and cook for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
    • Serve with rice and garlic naan bread. Cover any leftovers and store in the fridge for 2 days.

    Notes

    1. To make this dairy free you can substitute the cream for coconut cream and leave out the butter - it doesn't alter the flavour too much!
    2. To make a large batch of the spice mix in advance, mix together 8 teaspoon ground coriander, 4 teaspoon ground cumin, 4 teaspoon paprika, 4 teaspoon garam masala, 2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional) and store in a jar in the pantry. This will make enough for 4 of the above recipe. When following the recipe, add 2 tablespoon of the made up spice mix to the chicken before cooking. 
    3. To cook in the slow cooker: Add all ingredients except for cream and butter (and reducing the water to ½ cup) to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours until chicken is cooked through. Stir through cream and butter before serving
    4. To prepare a slow cooker prep bag: Add all ingredients (only ½ cup water) except cream and butter (including chicken if fresh) to a large snaplock bag and freeze or place in the fridge if using in the next 2 or 3 days. Label the bag with date and contents. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add to the slow cooker and cook according to instructions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 1161mg | Potassium: 1157mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2175IU | Vitamin C: 11.1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!
    If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sharon says

      August 28, 2021 at 7:34 pm

      Made this tonight and it was amazing - will totally be doing this one again.

      Reply
    2. Shan says

      August 27, 2021 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      Super easy recipe and so yummy! My one year old demolished her serving

      Reply
    3. Maria says

      June 03, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner for my family. Everyone loved it. I spiced mine up since I prefer a bit more chilli but it was perfect for everyone else. Thanks for a great recipe!! 🙂

      Reply
    4. Heidi Wruck says

      February 21, 2021 at 8:28 pm

      Hey Laura! I'm gonna try this recipe this week & I can wait. I'm gonna prep it the day before and put it in the fridge overnight to cook the the S.C the next day. My question is; when prepping in this way, are we bothering to coat the chicken, or are we putting the spices in with everything and give it a good stir? Tu meke!

      Reply
    5. Laura Evans says

      December 21, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      Love it! Make it all the time when I have people over for dinner ❤️❤️

      Reply
    6. Jasmine says

      October 01, 2020 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      Love this butter chicken, so quick and easy to whip up.

      Reply
    7. Kate says

      August 21, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious

      Reply
    8. Meg says

      July 01, 2020 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      Awesome and love how I can change the servings so it changes the amount of ingredients. Was a hit! Will premake a bit of the spice mix now for ease & future use. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Catherine de Seton says

      May 26, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      I have been relearning to cook i.e. feed myself better during Lockdown. I made your Butter Chicken last night but within the healthier version. I even created the spice mix. Next time, I will use more of the spice mix but overall...pleased. Lunch today: I had some left over, so I added some more spice and bit more of tomato paste/coconut cream and YESSH

      The reason wasn't exactly to do with the chicken but one of the essential foodboxes (no choice what came!) came with a Kashmir curry pouch and some UHT coconut cream. I wasn't sure about it all, the first night, well I was so "hot" afterwards so I took it back a notch.

      Reply
      • Amy Fraser says

        August 15, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        Hi there! Looking forward to trying this recipe as have done the meal prep and put in freezer. I was just wondering what the final instructions are for the slow cooker method. The final instructions given are 'thaw in the fridge overnight and add to the slow cooker and cook according to instructions.' But I can't find these instructions anywhere. How long should I put it in for and when would I add the final ingredients of cream and butter?
        Thanks for your help.

        Reply
        • Laura says

          August 16, 2020 at 11:22 am

          Hi Amy, sorry about that, I'll add those instructions in now. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until the chicken is cooked through, then stir through the butter and cream. Laura

    10. Michelle says

      May 18, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      I made this in my slow cooker today after previously preparing it and freezing (from your food prep page). It didnt look at all like this and was super watery. Hubby said it was bland. Not sure if it's just because it was cooked in the slow cooker or something, as I followed your recipe and slow cooker instructions!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 27, 2020 at 8:35 pm

        Hi Michelle! I am so sorry about this - I need to make a note in the freezer meal instructions to cut the water down to only 1/2 cup as of course cooking in the slow cooker nothing evaporates. I will change those instructions now, thank you for pointing that out! Laura

        Reply
    11. Michelle says

      May 14, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      My husband and I cooked this tonight and all we can say is WOW! It is so amazing. The flavours all go so well together and we won’t be getting a take-out butter chicken ever again!

      Reply
    12. Margie says

      April 26, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Hi,
      Is ground cumin the same as powdered? Thanks, sounds yum! 🙂

      Reply
      • Laura says

        May 03, 2020 at 9:07 am

        Hi Margie, yes it is the same thing 🙂 Laura

        Reply
    13. Jess64 says

      July 18, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      This sounds great, could you share how you make up the spice mix and how much you use in a recipe if you have the spice mix premade.

      Reply
      • Laura says

        July 19, 2018 at 8:03 pm

        Hi Jess! Sure thing - to make enough spice mix to make the recipe 4 times, mix together 8 tsp ground coriander, 4 tsp ground cumin, 4 tsp paprika, 4 tsp garam masala, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp chili powder (optional) and store in a jar in the pantry. When following the recipe, add 2 TBSP of the made up spice mix to the chicken before cooking. I've also added these instructions to the recipe notes, so they will be there if you print it off. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
        • Jess64 says

          July 20, 2018 at 1:16 pm

          Thank you so much, I will be making that spice mix this weekend.

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    Hi, I'm Laura!

    I live on a farm in rural New Zealand with my husband Josh, our kids Sadie, Macey & Finlay and our black lab Sage. We're all about simple & delicious, family friendly recipes that are made from scratch as well as tasty treats! Read More…

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