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Butter Chicken

A quick and easy recipe for a creamy and flavorful butter chicken, perfect for busy weeknights, served deliciously with naan or rice.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken Marinade
  • 1.5 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
For the Cooking
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 can 15-ounce tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for heat
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
  • 0.25 cup freshly chopped parsley, optional, for garnish
For Serving
  • Naan bread
  • Steamed rice

Method
 

Marinade Chicken
  1. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces, salt, garlic powder, sweet paprika, curry powder, and yogurt. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Cook Chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Prepare Sauce Base
  1. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the minced garlic and diced onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent.
Build Sauce
  1. Pour the tomato sauce into the skillet. Add sugar, salt, black pepper, and bring to a simmer.
Season and Simmer
  1. Stir in heavy cream and optional cayenne pepper. Mix well, then return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Finish with Butter
  1. Stir in the remaining butter, garam masala, and curry powder. Mix until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Serve
  1. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot with naan bread or steamed rice.

Notes

Make sure to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavors. You can adjust the level of heat by adding or omitting cayenne pepper. For a quicker version, you can use pre-cooked chicken. Just add it to the sauce after preparing the base.