What’s in this Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

Gather your ingredients and make this Indian Butter Chicken in just one pan. The chicken will need some time to marinate, but cooking time is less than 30 minutes!

Chicken: Chicken thighs work best for this recipe because they stay super tender, juicy, and flavorful. Use boneless, skinless thighs, and cut into bite-sized cubes. You can substitute chicken breast if you like.Yogurt: A full-fat plain yogurt creates the base for the yogurt marinade. Greek yogurt works great!Butter: You’ll need about 3 tablespoons of butter to cook the chicken in. You can use Ghee as a substitute. If you want a richer sauce, stir in more butter at the end.Spices: There are so many delicious spices in butter chicken, including a garam masala blend, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper.Tomato Sauce & Paste: Use both for the base of the tomato curry sauce.Heavy Cream: This adds a creaminess to the sauce. You can use half and half instead of heavy cream.

Make this Butter Chicken Ahead of Time

This simple Indian butter chicken needs at least 3 hours to marinate in the fridge, but you can let it marinate longer (up to 24 hours). So the easiest way to prep this dish ahead of time is to make the marinade (step 1) and let it sit overnight. That way it’s ready to cook at dinner time! You can also freeze it for up to a month. When ready to cook, allow it to thaw and reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat for best results.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover Indian butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How to Freeze Butter Chicken

Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Serve with Indian Butter Chicken

Tender chunks of chicken is the most delicious, creamy butter sauce is a great way to start a meal. It’s best served with rice to soak up the curry sauce, and some fresh naan to scoop it up. If you want to add some veggies, make cauliflower fried rice, mashed sweet potatoes, or crispy Air Fryer broccoli. If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

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