Indian Butter Chicken

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5 from 3 votes

Indian Butter Chicken ~ also known as Chicken Makhani, is a classic, flavorful Indian dish.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken, spicy

Servings: Servings

Calories: 521kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

7 ounces full-fat plain Greek yogurt, about 1 cup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground garam masala
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
8 ounces tomato sauce, low sodium or puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

To make the chicken marinade:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl. Toss to combine, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

To make the sauce:

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the garam masala, chili powder, cayenne and salt. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the marinated chicken pieces. Don’t worry about scraping out any remaining marinade mixture - just discard. Sauté until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the half-and-half and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and warm gently until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Serve over hot rice and garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Notes

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition