Spicy Butter Chicken

5 from 3 votes

You can make this authentic spicy butter chicken recipe in 30 minutes or less of cooking, with just one pot for easy cleanup!

Servings servings

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 25

Total Time 4 25

Equipment

Enameled dutch oven 5.5 quart
Digital meat thermometer

Ingredients

Marinated Chicken

1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder 2x for extra spicy (see Notes)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon powdered ginger

Curry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder 2x for extra spicy (see Notes)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped

Optional Sides

2 cups steamed basmati rice
2 pieces naan warmed and buttered

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinated Chicken

Combine the chicken, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl and mix until the chicken is well coated.
Then, add the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, coriander, onion powder, kashmiri red chili powder, oregano, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, and powdered ginger. Stir to combine, making sure the chicken is completely coated.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours.

Cooking The Chicken

After the chicken has marinated, heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook until done, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the chicken is evenly browned.
Check the internal temperature of the largest piece of chicken with a digital meat thermometer to know when it's done. It should read about 160 to 165 degrees F.
Then, transfer the cooked chicken to a small bowl and set aside.

Curry

Next, build the curry in the dutch oven. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, and butter.
Then, add the coriander, onion powder, kashmiri red chili powder, oregano, turmeric, salt, garam masala, cumin, and powdered ginger. Stir until the butter is melted and the spices are fully incorporated into the sauce, then simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavor develop, stirring occasionally.
Next, stir in the fresh cilantro and add the chicken back into the pot. Stir to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes to warm the chicken through.
Serve hot with steamed basmati rice and naan.

Notes

Greek yogurt: We recommend using a thicker, creamier Greek yogurt brand for the chicken marinade, like Fage 5% (or even Icelandic skyr like siggi’s). We’ve found this makes the chicken more moist and tender, versus thinner styles of Greek yogurt.

Kashmiri red chili powder: This is a spicy chili powder made with Indian red chili peppers. You can find it at specialty spice stores and most Indian grocery stores, and some Middle Eastern stores as well.

Spice levels can vary, so be mindful the first time you cook with it! If you want this dish to be extra spicy, you may want to double the amount of kashmiri in both the marinade and the curry.

If you can’t find this ingredient, you can substitute with 2x the amount of ground red cayenne pepper.

Making the curry: The dutch oven will be hot when you add the tomatoes, heavy cream, and butter since you've had it over medium-high heat to cook the chicken. Lower the heat first and give it a minute or two to adjust before starting the curry - especially if you have an electric cooktop.

Helpful tip: Measure out all the spices you need for the marinade and the curry ahead of time. Grab two small bowls - one for the chicken marinade, and one for the curry. The same set of spices goes into both, so measure it all at once while the spices are on the counter and save yourself the time and effort later on.

Serving suggestions: We recommend serving spicy butter chicken with steamed basmati rice and naan for an authentic Indian dinner. You can also serve this alongside other Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, or vegetable pakora.

Variations: You can easily adjust the ingredients in the curry to make this butter chicken more or less spicy, thicker, or thinner. Check out our blog post above for tips.

Storing & reheating leftovers: Store leftover butter chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Or, reheat larger portions (3 or more servings at a time) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

Slow cooker: You can make this butter chicken in a slow cooker or crockpot if you wish! Marinate the chicken as directed (or up to 12 hrs so you can do it overnight), then add everything to a crockpot MINUS the heavy cream, butter, and fresh cilantro. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, then stir in the heavy cream, butter, and fresh cilantro before serving.

Author: Nicole Langdon

Calories: 457kcal

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: butter, chicken breast, cilantro, coriander, crushed tomatoes, cumin, garam masala, garlic, ginger, greek yogurt, heavy cream, kashmiri chili powder, lemon juice, onion powder, oregano, salt, spicy, takeout, turmeric, vegetable oil

Nutrition