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Quick & Easy Homemade Butter Chicken

A rich and creamy butter chicken recipe that's quick to make and perfect for the whole family, featuring tender chicken in a velvety sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Indian
Calories: 600
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 Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 15-ounce can 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)
To Serve
  • Naan bread
  • Steamed rice

Method
 

Marination
  1. Combine chicken, salt, garlic powder, paprika, curry powder, and Greek yogurt. Let it chill while you prepare other ingredients.
Cooking Chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and cook the marinated chicken until browned. Remove and set aside.
Preparing Sauce Base
  1. In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the minced garlic and diced onion until fragrant and golden.
Building Sauce
  1. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, black pepper, heavy cream, cayenne pepper, garam masala, and curry powder. Mix well.
Season and Simmer
  1. Add the chicken back in, and let everything simmer together for about 15 minutes, letting the flavors meld beautifully.
Finishing Touch
  1. Stir in the remaining butter for that extra creamy goodness.
Serving
  1. Garnish with parsley and serve it up with fluffy naan or over steamed rice.

Notes

Use chicken thighs for moisture; they’re less likely to dry out than breasts. Adjust the spice levels to your liking — add more cayenne for heat! Swap out heavy cream for half-and-half for a lighter alternative while keeping the creaminess.