Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
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!”
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, use to your taste
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (or sub 1 cup cream)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly, chopped
- steamed rice and naan, for serving
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!
This post was originally published on December 16, 2020
Made it today. Absolutely fabulous! I used a bit less spice for a tingle of heat, so good. You’ve really cracked this recipe with the two step spices, lots of layers of flavour when eating it.
Thanks for a great recipe. Xx
Hey Kelly-Jane,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
It was delicious in everyway!
Thanks so much Judith! xTieghan
Wonderful flavors on a cold winter night, doesn’t disappoint. Have used so many of your fabulous recipes to get through this pandemic. Thank you.
Hey Annette,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
So so good. Used heavy cream in place of coconut milk but that was the only sub. Even the hub who swears he hates anything resembling Indian food devoured it. Def in the rotation.
Hey there,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Perfect week night recipe! So delicious. Will be adding this recipe to my tried and true recipe collection. My kids loved it !
Hey Leena,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This recipe is amazing! The best butter chicken I have ever made at home. I marinated my chicken for the better part of the day, used the lower amount of cayenne/red pepper flakes, 400 mls of creamo (half & half), left out the water and used a couple of glugs of 2% milk to thin the sauce a bit. I also dumped the sauce into the blender to make it less chunky before I added the chicken back. Definitely a keeper!
Hey Allison,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
I just tried out this recipe, but mine came out looking much more pale in colour than the photos – any ideas on why this could be? this isn’t the first time its happened to me with a butter chicken recipe!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am wondering if it the brand of tomato paste you use? This is where I get the dark color in the recipe, my tomato paste is super dark and concentrated. I hope this helps! xTieghan
This recipe was so good! I’ve been looking for a butter chicken recipe that’s full of flavor and easy enough for me to make after work. Glad to have found this one and will definitely cook this again.
Hey Allee,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Delicious! My daughter shared this recipe with me because she loved it and we did too. I will definitely make this again.
Hey Sharron,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This was so good! Just made it tonight for the family and it was a huge hit. My 15 year old told me it was better than our favorite restaurant, and I think I agree. Thanks for making a favorite easy for me to tackle at home on a Tuesday. 🙂
Hey Heather,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Very tasty but it is SPICY!!! be careful how much cayenne you put in. I omitted the chilli flakes as I was already nervous about the cayenne amounts. Would also love to know a good vegetable pairing with this dish.
Hey Abbey,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Butter chicken is one of my favorite dishes, and this recipe is perfect! I love that it is so quick to put together but has so much flavor. You can easily adjust your spice level as well. I also served it with the homemade naan recipe, which was a ton of fun to make.
Hey Sarah,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Made this tonight! And family raved! Your recipes are my Sunday dinners now in 2021! 3/3 for far! ❤️
Hey Meghan,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Can you use light coconut milk?
Hey Karen,
Yes, that is totally fine to use. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing and I plan on making tonight. Want to make in the slow cooker so wondering if all the ingredients go into the slow cooker at the same time. Thanks!
Hey Karen,
Yes, I would just add all of the ingredients directly to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan