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30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken…the perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s incredibly delicious. Indian inspired butter chicken made with plenty of spice and creamy coconut milk for a slight twist. It’s cozy, creamy, a little spicy, and filled with warming Indian flavors. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice and serve with fresh naan. You’ll have the perfect dinner that can be enjoyed any night of the week. Bonus? This is quickly made on the stove, with one skillet, and in just about 30 minutes. And…the leftovers are even more delicious the next day.

overhead close up photo of 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken

I’ve said this before I’m sure, but the reason I love to cook so much is because I really love cooking for others. I find so much enjoyment in creating meals for the people I love most. It’s really what inspires me to keep cooking away every day. There’s nothing I love more than having a friend or family member inspire a recipe.

I love the opportunity to make something for someone with the hope that it will be a dish they’ll truly love…one of those dishes my brothers would say is, “fire”. Those are the words I strive for when creating a recipe, but especially when a recipe is created with a specific person in mind.

That was the case with today’s Butter Chicken. This one was inspired by my oldest brother, Creighton. He’s here in Colorado working remotely right now, and the one thing about Creighton?

He loves to eat…like really loves to eat. And one of his favorites foods? Anything Indian inspired and anything spicy. This leads me right into today’s recipe. With Creighton in town, I excitedly have been testing out a new Butter Chicken recipe, and last week I finally got it just right.

Creighton’s exact words…”it’s fire!”

chicken searing in skillet

What Is Butter Chicken?

For any of you who are are not familiar, Butter Chicken it’s one of the most popular Indian curries served around the world. I’ve made a few variations in the past, but aside from the coconut milk, today’s recipe is the most traditional.

Butter chicken is made with spices, tomato, butter, and cream. It’s rich and warming, but the spice blend is really what makes this dish. Using a mix of Garam Masala, turmeric, garlic, and plenty of ginger is key to getting an authentic flavor.

Traditionally, Butter Chicken is marinated for many hours in yogurt and spices, but I’ve adjusted that slightly to create a quicker but still super flavorful recipe!

30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken cooking in skillet

Here’s how to make this 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken.

With such a quick cook time, I’m sure you guessed, but this is pretty simple, quick, and easy.

Start with the chicken. Just like in a traditional butter chicken recipe, we’re first tossing the chicken with yogurt and spices. But instead of marinating overnight, I found that a quick ten-minute soak in the spices really does the trick.

While the chicken is sitting, I like to start in on the prep for everything else, chop the onion, garlic, and ginger, grab that coconut milk and tomato paste and get everything for the remainder of the recipe ready to go.

overhead close up photo of 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken

Once the chicken has had some time to sit, pan-sear it in a skillet until crisp.

To that same skillet, add the onion and all those remaining spices and a whole can of tomato paste. Just like my pasta alla vodka, I like to cook the tomato paste together with the spices for a bit to really help intensify the flavors in the sauce.

Then just stir in the coconut milk, or if you don’t enjoy coconut milk, use cream. Either is truly delicious and just as creamy. But I love the subtle coconut flavor paired with these Indian spices, they’re delicious.

Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken, then just stir in a bit of butter and plenty of fresh chopped cilantro. And that’s it, super simple, so delicious.

As this cooks, the aroma in the kitchen is truly incredible. It’s just like your favorite Indian spot in town…but maybe just a touch better. I always find anything made at home to be even more delicious.

I like to serve my butter chicken over steamed rice with some fresh naan for scooping up the creamy, coconutty sauce. Absolutely DELICIOUS. You can’t skip the naan either. It’s reason enough to make a good butter chicken.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken

So how are the leftovers?

I swear they taste even better the following day. The flavors have time to mend and the sauce is just that more intense.

I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe and how much Creighton loved this recipe. I already know he’s looking forward to it for dinner tonight. This butter chicken is SO flavorful, SO full of color, and a nice switch up from the usual cheesy December pasta dishes I’m always sharing (don’t worry, they’ll be back soon). The best part, well aside from all the deliciousness, is that this requires only one pot and is ready in just about 30 minutes. Perfect for these crazy busy cold December days.

photo with half eaten bowl of butter chicken

Looking for other Indian inspired dinners? Here are my favorites: 

30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs

Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala

Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil

Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

30 Minute Spicy Coconut Butter Chicken

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 561 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 1. in a bowl, toss together the chicken, yogurt, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
    2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter and toss to coat the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.
    3. To the skillet, add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add 2 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and the chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.
    4. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter. If the sauce seems thick, thin with 1/2 to 1 cup additional coconut milk. Add the chicken and any juices on the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
    5. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
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This post was originally published on December 16, 2020
4.36 from 2371 votes (1,929 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. Hey Mackenzie,
      Sure, I would cook on low for 6 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. This butter chicken looks amazing. However, we are vegetarian.. any suggestions on what to substitute the chicken with?! And should i still be able to marinate it? Thanks Tiegan. You are the best!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kimberly,
      You can use your fave dairy free substitutes in this dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Em,
      You could use a dairy free yogurt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. I’ve made Indian butter chicken before but I knew you would have some tricks up your sleeve! I can’t wait to try this out. Garam Masala has become my go to spice for so many things lately. It’s delicious added to rice just before all of the cooking water is soaked up, I added it to a veggie pasta casserole last night along with a pinch of nutmeg and the dish had that warmth in your tummy and for others, “There’s something in this but I can’t put my finger on it” sort of reaction.

    Thanks again for a winner recipe!

    Jane

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner – a hit! My family prefers a bit more spice, so we added extra garam Marsala, salt, and cumin to our bowls. So delicious! I ended up using 3 tablespoons of butter and had to cook the chicken a bit longer. Success!!! 😀 thanks for the great recipe Teigan!

    Reply

    1. Hey Tabitha,
      Yes they both have a similar sauce! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. First of all, I’m DEFINITELY going to be making this!
    Second thing: the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of butter, but in the instructions, you need 4 (1 with the chicken, 2 for the sauce, and 1 more at the end) – which is the correct amount?

    Reply

    1. Hey Amanda,
      Sorry for the confusion, it is 4 tablespoons of butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. I see that you said to add 1 cup of water along with the can of coconut milk but i don’t see 1c of water in the listed ingredients. Is the 1cup of water correct? Just wanted to make sure. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Hannah,
      Yes, the cup of water is correct, I do not include water in my ingredients list…because it’s water:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. YUM! I love your Indian dishes so much. Making tonight!! I am out of Garamond masala..do you think it would be fine for me to just use 1-2 tbs red curry paste instead of the spice mix/tomato paste? Or should I make a grocery run? Haha

    Reply

    1. Hey Ciera,
      I would make the trip to the grocery store for these items:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. This looks delicious!! My husband and I JUST bought garam masala for the first time last night at the supermarket so I’m excited to try this! Two questions:

    1) We do not have turmeric – any substitution suggestions? Or do you think it’ll be okay without?

    2) I noticed the recipes aren’t “scalable” like they used to be, how we used to be able to change serving size and then the amounts would all adjust in tandem. Any chance that function will be coming back soon.

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kelly,
      I would use curry in place of the turmeric, but the turmeric is really a great flavor to have here. Yes, we are currently working out that feature. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. Made and loved your recipe for Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala. This one is next on my list for dinner. I know my kids will love it.

    Reply

    1. Hey Maria,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipes a try, I am so glad you family enjoyed the tikka masala, I hope this one is loved as well! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. Another yummy winter warming meal to add to the recipe box, thank you for sharing. I am thinking of buying a skillet, as I currently only have a frying pan and wanted to ask for your recommendation on whether to buy a skillet either with or without a lid?

    Reply