Quick 20-minute butter chicken is creamy and packed full of flavor. It’s simplified and cooked all in one pan and goes great with a side of rice or naan!
Ever since moving to Alexandria, Virginia we’ve been in luck with all the Indian, Pakistani, and Aghani restaurants around us. We love the cuisine because it’s loaded with flavor and spice and is great for cold nights. One dish we keep going back for is the butter chicken. The spicy creaminess is unforgettable and always makes us go back for more!
I’ve been experimenting with my own version of home-made butter chicken over the past few weeks and I’ve finally found the perfect one. This simple no-fuss one pan butter chicken is just perfect. It’s simplified and does not require a whole bunch of ingredients, yet it’s packed with just the right amount of spice.
Easy 20 Minute Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced or grated (or use paste)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
- 1 ½ pounds about 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste, or 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, or paprika, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek, I use powder, but seeds or mustard seeds can be used too, optional*
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream, sub for half & half or yogurt for low fat
- Hot cooked rice and naan for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, butter, and onions and cook onions down until lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the chicken, tomato paste, and spices. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until everything is cooked through.
- Add the heavy cream and simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over Basmati rice or with naan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made various butter chicken recipes but this one stands out by far!! Far less prep than other versions but tastes so much nicer than previous takes on it. The only slight difference with the recipe difference was I used 4tbs of double concentrated tomato purée rather than paste. Deffo have that happy fullness feeling after eating this dish!
I made this for the second time tonight, after it was a hit with the children last time, I used paprika instead of chilli and left out the fenugreek and cumin (personal preference because we don’t like the taste of cumin). This is definitely going to be a regular on my weekly dinner plan
Next time stir in about 2 Tbsp of smooth peanut butter . SOOOOOOOOO tasty
Great recipe, I’ve made this many times! I generally use the tomato sauce option and add a little more garam masala (an extra teaspoon usually).
Its delicious with the heavy cream, but its still really good with only 1/2 c heavy cream (or even no heavy cream, which really lets the spices stand out).
You can use leftover chicken as well! I often make this with leftover paprika-rotisserie chicken to use up leftovers.
i would cut the cream to 1/2 c instead of 1 c. this is my first indian dish so im not very knowledgeable on how it should taste, but i think it tastes fantastic. my room-mates said it smelled amazing
Phenomenal recipe! This is pure comfort food and a great intro to anyone who has never tried Indian cuisine.
Tried this today. Turned out excellent. Thank you
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Really good and easy. I used whole milk instead of cream and it still came out good!
This recipe is great! Here are the modifications i do to make it excellent – i season the chicken with a butter chicken mix you can get at any indian grocery store, really helps it taste more authentic. I use a whole 6oz can of tomato paste, gives so much more flavor to the recipe. And last, i add in some red pepper flakes for a kick. I do maybe a tablespoon for the whole batch then load it up in my individual bowl.
Easy and tasty! Really enjoyed this recipe!
This is a great recipe packed with lots of flavour! I substituted heavy cream with low fat yogurt and also added in some chopped red pepper as we like extra veggies!
Great recipe, my only issue was when I added the cream it became pale and completely lost its color am I doing something wrong? Other than that tastes amazing
This was my first time making Indian food, and it was so easy and delicious! I was worried about the chicken breasts drying out (especially since I was using defrosted chicken) so I dredged the chicken chunks in a very light layer of AP flour beforehand. I also added an extra tablespoon or so of butter when I added the chicken and tomato paste. It turned out great, thanks so much!
Thanks for the feedback! Happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Delicious! I will make this again but next time use half n half to cut down on the calories. I also only had 2tbs of tomato paste but still was amazing. Family loved it. I
Recipe turned out fantastic. Did not have cream so I used whole milk and a bit of cream cheese to get the creaminess of butter chicken. I also used about half of a rotisserie chicken that was in my fridge instead of raw chicken. I added the chicken at the end so it did not become too over cooked.
How many does this recipe generally feed?
Depends how much each person eats!
About 4 people with rice or naan.
I just add more chicken and don’t change the rest of the ingredients to feed more. Like the last time I made this recipe I used around 3 pounds of chicken instead of 1 1/2 and it fed 6 and still tasted great. Also as others pointed out adding rice and naan will make the servings go up.
We absolutely loved this recipe! We used ground mustard seeds instead of fenugreek, otherwise made it as described and it came out fantastic.
Would recommend to add some additional oil to the chicken to prevent it from getting too dry though!
I added a little bit of brown sugar to offset a slightly bitter flavour. I usually reduce sugar in recipes versus adding it – but in this case the sugar enhanced the flavour. Otherwise a flavourful and easy weeknight dinner.
On point with the brown sugar tip!
I really wanted to love this recipe. It was so easy and the pictures were a big help, but the sauce came out gritty and bitter, especially compared to other times I’ve made butter chicken. I think it’s due to all the dry spices, which were otherwise such a nice shortcut. I’m definitely interested in trying more recipes from your site, but I think I’ll just stick to making this particular meal when I have time to do it the long, luxurious way.
Delicious and so easy
Delicious! I started thawing my chicken too late to be done in time for dinner, so I substituted a can of chickpeas and half a potato for a vegetarian version. I couldn’t believe how simple yet flavorful the sauce was. This has definitely made it onto our regular dinner rotation!
So delicious and very quick. It’s a great go-to with pizzazz!
11/5 stars. Umm. Omg! This recipe is the best! First time making butter chicken and I want more but I can’t eat anymore! Definitely will be making this again!
The best quick recipe for our favorite dish. We looooove butter chicken. I had to make 2lbs and doubled the seasoning amounts. We live near a bakery(across the street) so the Naan was easy to come by. This is a great 20min dinner. It took me an hour because I always like to marinate my chicken for 30-40 min to give my dishes even more flavor. I used half and half and about 1 tablespoon on flour to thicken the sauce.
I did the steps wrong but still tasty
This.was.yummy! The sauce is the star ofvthe show. I did substitute mustard seed for the fenugreek and half and half for the heavy cream. It did take me a little longer than 20 minutes, but it was super easy to make! Even my picky husband liked it. Definitely will make again!
What is the best dairy free alternative milk?
Coconut cream works great!
Im a filipino but working on ship cooking for indian crew, can i asked a favor to please send me easy indian chicken recipe, thanks
Great recipe! It really helps to add paprika for the color, and marinade the chicken before with some yogurt and seasoning.
This is a quick recipe to make. I replaced the heavy cream with homemade cashew milk. The flavor was delicious. I served it over cauliflower rice and a side of sautéed zucchini.
Sounds Yummy; I must try.
Husband said I finally got it right with a curry.. So thank you! Will be using this from now on for curry.