Description
This Most Delicious Butter Chicken recipe features tender marinated chicken thighs simmered in a rich, creamy, and velvety curry sauce made with aromatic spices, cashews, and tomatoes. Perfect served over basmati rice and garnished with fresh cilantro for a satisfying Indian-inspired meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Cooking and Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or ghee)
- ½ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
- Basmati rice
- Freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Dice the chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place them in a bowl ready for marinating.
- Marinate the chicken: To the bowl, add yogurt, lemon juice, minced ginger, garlic, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, and salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the chicken pieces turn opaque. Remove and transfer chicken to a separate bowl.
- Make the sauce base: In the same pan, add diced onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the spices to the sauce: Stir in minced ginger, garlic, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, ground coriander, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute to release the spices' aroma.
- Add cashews and liquids: Mix in the raw cashews, crushed tomatoes, coconut sugar, and water. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to blend flavors.
- Blend the sauce: Carefully transfer the sauce to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Prepare the creamy sauce: Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to remove any lumps. Return the blended sauce to the pan and stir in unsalted butter and heavy cream until well combined.
- Combine chicken with sauce: Add the cooked chicken back into the pan over medium heat. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through and coated with the creamy sauce.
- Serve: Serve the butter chicken on its own or over cooked basmati rice. Garnish generously with freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken overnight intensifies the flavor and tenderizes the meat.
- Use Kashmiri red chili powder for its mild heat and vibrant color, but you can substitute with regular chili powder if needed.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with ghee or coconut oil and heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
- Blend the sauce carefully to avoid splatters; let it cool slightly before blending if necessary.
- Serve with warm basmati rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 345 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 522 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 141 mg
