Description
This Easy 20 Minute Butter Chicken recipe is a quick and delicious Indian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken pieces cooked in a creamy and flavorful tomato-based sauce infused with garlic, ginger, and warming spices. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in a single pan, served best over basmati rice or with naan.
Ingredients
Scale
Main 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 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 powder (optional, seeds or mustard seeds can be used too)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream (can substitute half & half or yogurt for a lower fat option)
For Serving
- Hot cooked basmati rice
- Naan bread
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, butter, and diced onions. Cook the onions until they turn lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds while stirring continuously to avoid burning.
- Cook the chicken and spices: Add the chicken chunks along with the tomato paste and all the spices (garam masala, chili powder, fenugreek, cumin, salt, and black pepper). Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Finish with cream: Pour in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld together.
- Serve: Serve the butter chicken hot over cooked basmati rice or alongside warm naan bread.
Notes
- This recipe is simplified and cooks entirely in one pan, making cleanup easy.
- Adjust the chili powder according to your preferred spice level or substitute with paprika for a milder flavor.
- Fenugreek powder adds authentic flavor but can be omitted or replaced with mustard seeds or fenugreek seeds if desired.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half & half or yogurt to reduce fat content.
- Serve with basmati rice or naan bread to complement the rich sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 491 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 963 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 198 mg
