Butter Chicken
- Marinating Time: 30 mins
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Indian
An easy Butter Chicken recipe which the whole family will enjoy! Make this delicious curry with step-by-step photos.
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chillies (i.e. pure chilli powder)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken breast or chicken thigh fillets, cut into large cubes
For the Butter Chicken Sauce
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 500 ml (2 cups) tomato passata
- 500 ml (2 cups) double cream or thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2–3 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
To Serve
- steamed Basmati rice
- Yoghurt Flatbreads
- coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- Pickled Chillies
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.
- Add the chicken.
- Mix well to ensure that all of the chicken pieces are well coated.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, 3 hours if you have time, or overnight is best.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat some oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken in batches until they are lightly brown all over. The chicken pieces do not need to be cooked through completely at this stage.
Make the Butter ChickenSauce
- Heat some oil in a large skillet or pan.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they have softened.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients. At this stage, the sauce will look pink in colour.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce and give everything a good stir. The marinade from the chicken will start to mix with the sauce to give a nice golden colour.
- Simmer on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste for seasoning.
To Serve
- Sprinkle the Butter Chicken with coriander (cilantro) just before serving.
- Serve with steamed Basmati rice and/or Yoghurt Flatbreads.
Kitchen Notes
MAKE IT CHILD-FRIENDLY
Omit or reduce the ground chillies, and maybe serve some Pickled Chillies on the side for the adults.
PICKLED ONIONS
A condiment which I find obligatory to serve alongside Butter Chicken is Pickled Onions. Simply slice 2-3 red onions into half moons, and cover them with lime juice (fresh or bottled). Leave to steep for at least a few hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. The onions will soften as they steep, and the lime juice will turn bright pink from the onions.
OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
View the recipe online: https://eatlittlebird.com/butter-chicken/
