Creamy Butter Chicken

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins

Creamy Butter Chicken

The easiest and creamiest butter chicken you’ll ever make just like your favorite take out! It only takes 30 minutes to throw all together and the whole family will love it. Just serve it with some basmati rice and garlic naan!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yields6 servings
Servings6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds chicken breast about 2 large breasts cubed
  • 1/4 cup plain whole yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne powder to taste for spicyness
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or sweetness to taste
  • garnish: chopped cilantro and yogurt

Instructions 

  1. In a large bowl, add the cubed chicken breast, yogurt, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and turmeric. Mix together and optional, allow to marinade for at least an hour or more.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee to a pan and cook your chicken over high heat until it has some browning and is cooked through. Do not overcook because it will continue to cook in the sauce. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons oil or ghee over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 3-4 minutes until it darkens in color.
  4. Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, butter, and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
  5. Now add the chicken into the sauce, mix, and taste. Adjust to your liking.
  6. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a yogurt drizzle!

Rate & Review

Recipe Rating




84 people are discussing this recipe. Join in

  1. Solly Marin

    5 stars
    Family loved it! Quick amazing meal

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      YAYY!!

      1. ashjan shafi

        easy and best

    2. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      YAYY!!!

      1. Kate

        5 stars
        This recipe is absolutely amazing! This is my fiancé’s favorite thing to order at our local Indian place, I’m so glad I can make it at home now! If I could give it 10 stars I would! The recipe is awesome and super easy to follow, all the ingredients are cheap and easy to find. Highly recommend

      2. Maryam

        Can i use fresh tomato insted of tomato sauce, and how many insted of 1 cup tomato sauce?

  2. Robin Bear

    This is incredibly delicious! Tender chicken and fantastic flavor! I loved being able to control the amount of cayenne. It’s even better than at our favorite Indian restaurant!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      I don’t like it too spicy either haha! so happy you enjoyed it Robin. Thanks for sharing!

      1. Enzo

        Love the video cooking this recipe 2morrow quick question after you make the sauce what were those spices you put in

  3. Linda

    5 stars
    Oh my… this is so delicious! It tastes just like at the restaurant! Thank you my kids loved it! I’ve been wanting this for 2 yrs now and I can make it at home. Thank you again

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      You know it’s a hit when the kids love it! Thank you for the lovely comment Linda!

    2. Dani

      5 stars
      I made this and it was so incredible. I thought I was going to mess it up because I had to make my own garam masala and also my store only had heavy cream alternative, but it was so forgiving and delicious!! I swear I’m gonna make the 3X soon. Can’t wait to see how it reheats.

      1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

        AWW SO happy it was a success! and so impressive that you made your own garam masala. Enjoy Dani!

  4. LA

    5 stars
    This was the perfect butter chicken! So delicious and so easy. Will make often. 10/10

  5. Mia H.

    5 stars
    This was my first time with an Indian recipe and let me tell you… out of this world. I’m usually hesitant to try recipes with a low number of reviews, but let this review be the indicator that this is a must-try recipe! It came out so creamy, better than restaurant butter chicken. I recommend eating this with a side of rice! I urge you to try and not substitute anything in this recipe, trust me it will be worth the time and effort. Also, if you cannot handle spice, I recommend adding less cayenne pepper than it calls for. Happy cooking and prepare to be wowed by this recipe!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      Hi Mia! Thank you for leaving the sweetest comment! I really appreciate you trusting my recipe and I’m so happy it turned out beautiful.

  6. Andrea

    This is a mindblowing recipe! I made this for my family tonight and paired it with some garlic naan and everyone went crazy!! Thank you for your amazing recipes

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      Ahh thank you!! Glad the whole family loved it. That’s the best feeling ?

      1. Shah

        What brand of tomato sauce do you use for this recipe?

  7. Hailey

    5 stars
    This recipe was amazing! So flavorful. It went over very well in my family. I adjusted the cayenne down to 1/2 tsp because spicy food doesn’t like me. I will definitely make this again.

  8. Zara

    Hi! Have you tried this with chicken thighs and if not, would that work as a chicken breast substitute? I wouldn’t want it to be too soft (with chicken thighs) but I tend to make chicken breast too dry. Thanks!

  9. Abigail Ralph

    5 stars
    My boyfriend says this is the best dish I have ever made!! I made it three times this past week (once because all my coworkers wanted to try it and they loved it)! Simple easy and incredible better than take out from my favorite Indian Restaurant. This woman is incredible I am going to cook my way through all her dishes now (: Thank you so much!

  10. erica

    I don’t know what tomato sauce to use…

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      Hi Erica! Just regular canned tomato sauce if you’re in the US 🙂

    2. Rahiyyah

      Thank you for all those delicious recipes that you post for us! My datr has started cooking after getting inspired from your recopies. They are easy to use, follow and bring the best taste on table. Keep up your good work. Jasakallah

  11. Umm AnNisa

    5 stars
    Asalam Alakium I made this recipe and took it to the masjid for maghrib and Isha class for a few sisters that attend and I only expected them to eat just a little bit……yo, they smashed! Ma shaa Allah. Everyone loved it and said it tasted like a restaurant recipe and now I have to make an individual pan for one of them and I am expected to make more dishes in the future. Thank you for sharing these recipes.

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      WAS! I’m so happy that they all loved it – that’s amazing!! Thank you for sharing 🙂

  12. Katherine

    5 stars
    We absolutely love this dish!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      YAY! Glad it’s been a hit

  13. Destinee

    5 stars
    I love this recipe!!! I love spicy food and am really happy with it! My husband though is a picky eater and wasn’t a fan. Who cares though I loved it! He can eat pizza rolls

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      haha I’m glad you still loved it at least! Thank you for sharing!!

  14. Ashley Mclain

    5 stars
    Warning: extremely dangerous. You will want this every. single. week. This is the most highly requested meal at my house and I now usually have to make double batches so there are plenty of leftovers for lunches. Had to buy all the seasonings in bulk!

    1. hajarlarbah@gmail.com

      Hi Ashley! Thank you so much sharing. Always so happy to hear a recipe has become a favorite in a household 🙂

      1. Makayla

        5 stars
        This was sooo good! I’m in college and I just happened to find you on TikTok! This looked so good, I had to try it! Roommate and Fiancé approved- and I loved it too! So good!

  15. Lauren

    5 stars
    Made this for my whole family last night and it was delicious! Mum said it was the best butter chicken she’s ever had!!

  16. Travis Hurd

    I made this the other day and it was finger licking good. I also impressed myself cause it was the first time I ever made dough. So the garlic butter naan was so amazing with it. I loved it my mom and brothers loved it as well. Will be making this again sometime

  17. Hana Mohammed

    Looks yummy! Going to try this today. What were the spices you added in at the end??

  18. Markie

    Paprika is listed in video but not on ingredient list? How much do I add?

  19. Markie

    How much paprika?

  20. Wanda Hamdan

    5 stars
    I have tried a few recipe hands down this is the best and easiest one to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  21. Laura

    5 stars
    SIMPLY STUNNING THANK YOU!

  22. Desiree Young

    5 stars
    I see you used paprika but wasn’t listed in the ingredient list, how much should I use?

  23. Layla

    Hello im a bit skeptical seeing this is a very different recipe seeing there are no onions but looking forward to try it anyway my family is very picky

  24. Yalda

    5 stars
    I don’t usually like butter chicken, but this recipe is mouth watering.

  25. Natheera

    5 stars
    Tried it and my family loved it! Highly recommend.

  26. Emily Stoehr

    5 stars
    My boyfriend and I wish we had discovered this recipe many years ago! We LOVE it. This recipe is the perfect combination of creamy and spicy. The chicken marinade is easy to make and smells delicious. The meal itself comes together quickly and is great paired with basmati rice and naan bread. We make this meal at least twice a month and enjoy it thoroughly each time!

  27. Ellie

    5 stars
    I make this all the time and it’s AMAZING. Everyone who’s tried it always asks me for the recipe and I send them here!

  28. Yesenia Perez

    I made this for my boyfriend and he loved it! Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe!

  29. Lisa Hefner

    This recipe calls for 1/3 cup of butter but I never seen you use it

  30. Cindy

    5 stars
    I friend made this for me while I was over one night. It was amazing & I had to get the recipe to make for my family

  31. M

    5 stars
    Made this for the family and was nervous about if it would come out right but it came out sooo good! Will be making again

  32. Subrina

    5 stars
    I cooked this butter chicken a few times a month. My friends and family always asks me to make it for special occasions. I also followed this recipe and used paneer instead od chicken and it came out so yummy!! I love how easy it is to follow your recipes. Your videos and recipes inspired me to start cooking at home more. I would love it if you would post a Palak Paneer recipe!!!

  33. Lina

    5 stars
    This is a 5 star recipe!! It was so easy and so delicious!!! It will be my go to butter chicken recipe! I highly recommend it!

  34. Leslie

    5 stars
    This deserves more than 5 stars! This recipe is absolutely delicious, it’s so easy, and has become a staple in our house! (Quick tip! If you are not a big yogurt person like we are and don’t want to have to get the tub of it since you don’t have another use for it, the individual cups that are 150 grams/5.3oz are the perfect size for the recipe, no more, no less!)

  35. Mariama

    5 stars
    Made Garlic naan with butter chicken using this recipe it was delicious and flavorful. My family loved it.

  36. Kelly

    5 stars
    Absolutely an amazing recipe. I tripled the quantity as I have 3 boys who absolutely love butter chicken. The recipe was so easy and quick to make. Get Trader Joe’s naan bread & bon appetit!

  37. Mona

    5 stars
    This is officially our go to butter chicken recipe. I’ve made it 5 times in the last year, it’s a hit with everyone in the fam.

  38. Sophie

    5 stars
    Made this with my roommates and we all LOVED it! It was super easy and didn’t take too long either.

  39. Saar

    5 stars
    Sooo so good and easy

  40. Heidi

    5 stars
    This is the best butter chicken I’ve ever had. I like it quite spicy so I add a lot of cayenne but I’ve made it for relatives without and it’s still absolutely delicious.

  41. Mobile app localization in the USA

    4 stars
    Everyone loves it when folks get together and share thoughts.
    Great website, stick with it!

  42. Meadow

    5 stars
    Par excellent!! My family is raving about the dish!

  43. fabi

    my go to butter chicken recipe, so comforting and so so good + easy to follow

  44. Joy

    I’ve made this probably 5 times now and this recipe never fails it is absolutely delicious and extremely easy!

  45. Ariana Mohammed

    Super easy recipe and delicious! Maa shaa Allah!

  46. Hanan

    My go to recipe. Sooo good. Easy to tweak the sauce to your liking. Thanks for all the amazing recipes Hajar!

  47. Laurel Swartz

    Absolutely divine!!!!!!!!

  48. Naomi

    5 stars
    Made this tonight, it was delicious! Will definitely have this on regular rotation, thank you!

  49. Rawan

    5 stars
    I made this and it was so goooooood!! Thank you so much 😘

  50. Amber

    5 stars
    Amazing!

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