Quick & Easy Homemade Butter Chicken
A simplified version of the Indian take-out classic Butter Chicken; rich and spicy with not an overwhelming amount of heat.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 8 large boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt and pepper to season
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 large white onion diced
- 6 large ripe tomatoes diced (about 4 cups or use 3 cups canned tomatoes)
- 4 seeded green chilies chopped, substitute crushed red chili paste or cayenne pepper to taste if unavailable
- ½ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon fresh ginger finely grated
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon honey more or less to taste
- ½ cup cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces for faster cooking. You can substitute chicken breasts but they dry out if simmered too long.
- Grill the chicken thighs for extra smoky flavor if preferred.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 3 tablespoon butter and peanut oil. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 3 teaspoon garam masala. Brown chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside.
- Sauté the minced garlic and diced onion in the same pot until softened.
- Add the diced tomatoes and sauté until they break down into a chunky sauce.
- Transfer the sautéed mixture to a blender with green chilies, yogurt, 4 tablespoon garam masala, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, chili powder, lemon juice, ginger, 1 clove minced garlic, and ¼ cup melted butter. Puree until smooth.
- Return the puree to the pot, add chicken stock, and simmer until sauce reduces by about ¼.
- Add the chicken back, simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, and finish with honey and cream.
- Simmer for an additional minute or two before serving over rice or with naan.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, make the sauce without chicken and add 2 cups of cooked chickpeas and 2 cups of cooked lentils during the last few minutes of simmering. Adjust spices to taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 469mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11g
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