Try this butter chicken recipe that is extremely easy to whip up on those busy nights. This butter chicken dish will be perfect on those cold fall and winter nights. It’s both comforting, filling and definitely will become a family favorite.
Preparing chicken
Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise then cube. In a large bowl add the plain yoghurt, ginger, garlic and all the spices together then mix. At this point you can taste the marinade and adjust to your liking. Then add the cubed chicken pieces and mix the marinade through, covering each piece of chicken. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator. It’s best to marinade the chicken overnight or early morning so that the yoghurt can slowly tenderize the chicken. Doing this will allow you to achieve those tender chicken pieces in the butter chicken.
Cooking the chicken
Place about 1 tbsp of olive (vegetable or ghee) in a skillet and cook the chicken. Cook the pieces until it changes to a brownish color for about 2-3 minutes until it cooks through. Take note that the chicken will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat and it will continue cooking once placed in the sauce.
The sauce
Add the rest of the oil in the skillet and add the tomato paste. Fry it until it becomes dark red in color. At this point you can add more garlic if you desire. Add the tomato sauce, cream and sugar. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens. The sauce will continue to thicken once taken off the heat. Place the chicken back into the sauce and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
This butter chicken dish is very simple and one to add to your list of recipes. Try my other 30 minute chicken marsala dish if you haven’t yet. Another recipe that’s very easy and delicious.
Easy Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts cut in cubes
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt heaped spoons
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp coriander ground
- 2 tsp cumin ground
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 3 tbsp olive oil vegetable oil or ghee
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup cream heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cubed chicken breast, yogurt, ginger, garlic, garam masala, coriander, cumin, salt, and turmeric then mix. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes or more for best results.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (vegetable / ghee) to a pan and cook your chicken over high heat until its color has turned brown and cooked through.
- In the same pan, add the rest of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes until the paste has become dark red in color.
- Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream and sugar. Stir until smooth.
- Add the chicken into the sauce.
- serve with rice or naan
Notes
- You can add cayenne pepper, chili powder or chilies if you want the butter chicken to have some heat.
- Try not to overcook the chicken as it will continue to cook once you have taken it out of the skillet and after you add it back to the sauce.
- You can substitute chicken breasts with chicken thigh.
- Marinade the chicken overnight or early morning for best results. You may use it immediately after mixing the plain yoghurt and spices.
