Description
This Indian Butter Chicken recipe is loaded with tender tandoori-spiced chicken swimming in a rich, creamy sauce made with butter, heavy cream, and aromatic spices. The secret is taking your time to caramelize the onions until they’re deeply golden and letting the sauce simmer for 30 minutes so all those flavors can really develop. Serve it over fluffy basmati rice with warm naan bread and you’ve got a restaurant-quality meal that comes together in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks (Thighs work beautifully too if you want extra juicy meat)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons tandoori masala (This is your secret weapon – find it in the spice aisle)
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup butter, divided (Yes, a whole cup. Trust me on this one)
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (Or about 3-4 cloves, freshly minced)
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups heavy cream (Full-fat is non-negotiable here)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Adjust to your spice comfort level)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Optional for Serving:
- Basmati rice or white rice
- Naan bread (Store-bought is perfectly fine!)
- Fresh cilantro/coriander for garnish
Instructions
Get your oven going to 375°F. You want it hot and ready when the chicken’s prepped.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in your skillet over medium heat. Toss in the minced onion and garlic. Now here’s the thing, you’re gonna cook these low and slow for about 15 minutes until they turn a deep mahogany brown. Stir them every few minutes so they don’t stick, but don’t rush it.
While those onions are doing their thing, grab your saucepan and dump in the cream, tomato sauce, the rest of your butter, salt, cayenne, and garam masala. Crank the heat to medium-high and bring it to a simmer. Once it’s bubbling, turn it down to medium-low, slap a lid on it, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir it every so often. When your onions are done, scrape them right into the sauce.
While everything’s simmering away, toss your chicken chunks with the oil until they’re coated. Sprinkle that tandoori masala all over and toss again so every piece is covered. Spread them out on your baking sheet—don’t pile them up or they’ll steam instead of bake.
Stick the chicken in the oven for about 12 minutes. You want it just cooked through, not dried out. Check at 10 minutes if your pieces are small.
Dump your baked chicken into the sauce and let everything simmer together for 5 minutes. The chicken soaks up the flavor and the sauce gets even better. Taste it and add more salt if you need to. Serve it over rice or with naan.
Notes
Your onions should look darker than you think is right. Almost burnt. That’s correct. If the sauce seems too thick after simmering, whisk in a little more cream or even some water. Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
Since the chicken keeps cooking in the sauce, slightly underbaking it is actually perfect. It stays tender instead of getting dry. If spicy food isn’t your jam, use half the cayenne and taste the sauce before adding the chicken. You can always stir in more heat but you can’t take it back.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking and Simmering
- Cuisine: Indian