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September 20, 2014

Best Butter Chicken

Name: Best Butter Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2.2 lbs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1" - 2" cubes; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tbsp garam masala; 1 tsp kosher salt; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 2 ½ cups chopped onion (about 2 medium-large); 2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic; 2 tbsp garam masala; 2 tsp paprika; ¼ tsp cinnamon; 2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste); 2 cups diced no-salt-added canned tomatoes; ¾ cup heavy (35% or whipping cream); 2 tbsp butter; Chopped cilantro (to garnish (optional))

by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

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Butter Chicken is one of the recipes most frequently requested of me.

It’s one I make fairly often, so I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to post it!

This restaurant favourite is creamy, flavourful and mild on the spectrum of Indian curries. My version is simplified (read: doesn’t require a plethora of spices that you’ll buy and only need one-eighth of a teaspoon of) but doesn’t suffer in the flavour department. This is definitely a lick-your-plate dinner.

Most butter chicken recipes require cooking the chicken separately first, then simmering in the sauce.

I don’t think this extra cooking step is necessarily crucial, especially for the sake of an easy weeknight dinner. The marinade, however, is important because the chicken breasts don’t take long to cook, so they won’t absorb much of the flavour from the sauce. If you are a planner, marinate the chicken overnight for maximum benefit (but even a half-hour to mingle with the spices will make a difference). And if you are a planner AND a perfectionist, then feel free to add an extra step and char the chicken cubes a bit on a grill/grill pan, or under a broiler for a few minutes before tossing them in the sauce.

Update: I turned the leftovers into this deliciously addictive Homemade Butter Chicken Pizza – you have to try it!

One thing you don’t want to rush is the caramelizing of the onions – it’s a really important layer of flavour in any Indian curry, and especially in a sweeter one like this.

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Best-Ever Creamy Malai Kofta

Easy Coconut Curried Lentils

Crispy Tandoori Fried Chicken

Famous Chickpea Curry (Channa Masala)

Easy Authentic Butter Paneer

Best Butter Chicken

Truly the best Butter Chicken recipe. It's a creamy and perfectly spiced Indian curry recipe with tender chicken and lots of sauce to mop up with warm naan.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Ingredients

For chicken and marinade:

2.2 lbs (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1" - 2" cubes
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp kosher salt

For sauce:

¼ cup vegetable oil
2 ½ cups chopped onion about 2 medium-large
2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
2 cups diced no-salt-added canned tomatoes
¾ cup heavy 35% or whipping cream
2 tbsp butter
Chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)

Instructions

For marinade:
Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag or shallow baking dish, massaging the marinade into the chicken. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the sauce, or marinate in the fridge overnight.

For sauce:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions and slowly cook until golden, about 20 minutes, reducing heat if they are getting crispy or browning quickly.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in garam masala, paprika, cinnamon and salt; cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, then add cream and carefully puree using an immersion blender (or standing blender, but do it in batches or the steam will blow the top off).
Return sauce to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove chicken from marinade and it to the sauce (discarding remaining marinade). Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 minutes (remove a couple of pieces to make sure they are no longer pink inside). A gentle simmer is required to gently cook the breasts so they don't become tough, and you don't want to overcook them.
Stir in butter, taste and add more salt to taste. Serve sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

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Main Ingredients:

Chicken, Comfort Food, Curry, Indian

by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Hi, I'm Jennifer Pallian, BSc, RD. I studied cooking, baking and food chemistry in a university lab, have years of experience as a professional test kitchen recipe developer and providing technical baking support to bakeries and home bakers. Want to know why your bread didn't rise? I've got your back.I now work full-time as a blogger, putting the years of science and baking to work right here. On Foodess, I share the best recipes in my arsenal - tested-till-PERFECT recipes for cozy baking, easy recipes for weeknight meals and delicious globally-inspired comfort food, plus lots of science-based cooking and baking tips. Welcome!