Description
A rich and creamy butter chicken recipe featuring marinated chicken thighs simmered in a velvety spiced tomato and cashew sauce, perfect served over basmati rice and garnished with fresh cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
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
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)
To Serve
- Basmati rice
- Freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Dice the chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place it in a bowl.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, and salt to the bowl. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight to let flavors develop.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the chicken turns opaque. Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Make the sauce: In the same pan, add diced onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- Add the spices: Stir in minced ginger, garlic, red chili powder, garam masala, coriander, and cumin. Cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. Then add raw cashews, crushed tomatoes, coconut sugar, and water. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Blend the sauce: Transfer the sauce mixture to a high-powered blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Combine it all together: Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to remove any lumps if needed. Pour the blended butter sauce back into the pan, then stir in butter and heavy cream until fully combined and creamy.
- Add the chicken back: Return the cooked chicken pieces to the pan over medium heat. Stir with the sauce and warm through for 3 to 5 minutes.
- To serve: Enjoy the butter chicken on its own or serve it over cooked basmati rice topped with freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
- This butter chicken is incredibly flavorful thanks to marinating the chicken overnight if possible.
- You can substitute ghee for butter and coconut cream for heavy cream for a dairy-free variation.
- Use Kashmiri red chili powder for color and mild heat; adjust according to your spice preference.
- For extra richness, gently toast the cashews before adding them to the sauce.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
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
