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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.
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
This was amazing! Went easy on the cayenne and it was still pretty spicy. One issue- after I browned the chicken and put the onions in the pan, the bottom of the pan burned pretty bad. So I switched pans. How would I avoid this next time?
Hey Alison,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Sorry to hear about your pan, I am thinking your heat might have been a little too high. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Recommendations for making this a slow cooker meal?
Hey Lexi,
I would cook on low for 6-8 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made this today for my parents, who don’t like things super hot and they loved it so much! I did, too. Such a delicious flavor! ? I have been to 3 stores in the last week and not one had garam masala at the moment, so I used a recipe I found to make up a substitute. I also forgot Greek yogurt so I used sour cream. Still so good! I put the chicken, sour cream, and spices in the crock pot, making sure the chicken was covered, did the onions, spices, and then tomato paste in the skillet and added them in. Let it cook for a few hours. Then I added the coconut milk, stirred it, and let it warm through. It worked perfectly! I love using a crock pot because it’s super easy, but I would totally make this recipe as written, for the stove top, another time. It was delicious and delightful!! Thank you!!
Hey Jane,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this last night and my family had multiple helpings! It was SO GOOD!!!! My 7yr old told me it was birthday dinner good, which is the highest praise one can get in my house! Tons of flavor – the chicken alone is swoon worthy! Thanks for an amazing recipe! Will be making again and again!
Hey Stacey,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan
My husband and i LOVED this dish! It has so much flavor and is easy to cook! Next time, I want to make sure to marinate the chicken over night for more flavor!
Hey Lauren,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Another great meal thanks to Half Baked Harvest. The recipe and the easy to follow and thorough instructions will make this a favorite of ours for years to come.
Hey Ann,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am delighted that the recipe was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Made this last night for dinner. It was amazing! It will be a quick and delicious go to dinner forever in our home!
Hey Missy,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
This recipe is incredible! There is another recipe on the site for butter cauliflower, so I used both recipes to have a chicken cauliflower combo. The flavors were out of this world! Making the homemade naan was so much easier than I thought it would be and was totally worth it.
Hey Kristina,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
I’ve never commented on recipes, but THIS recipe is worth all the praise in the world! I’ve tried a TON of different Indian-inspired recipes, and none have come close to the perfection that is this Butter Chicken. It’s so, so creamy (even when using coconut milk!) and the flavors are perfect! Thank you so much! I’m definitely going to check out your other recipes now.
Hey Elisa,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
I loved this recipe! First time making a Half Baked Harvest recipe and it was DELICIOUS. First time any homemade recipe has rivaled Indian takeout. I went for full spicy and let me tell you, it was hot. Will tone it down slightly next time!
Hey Alix,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it; thanks! However I like the flavor of grilled chicken better than sauteed so I grill the chicken chunks first, coated simply in coconut oil. Then while still warm I add it to the yogurt. It absorbs the flavor nicely. I do the saute using ghee and then add everything to the Instapot for @10 minutes. After I release the pressure i let it simmer to the right consistency. Sometimes I add chickpeas and greens…spinach works well. Oh and chunks of cauliflower and peas go really good too! Its such an adaptable sauce.
Hey Celina,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
Love! This butter chicken is so good, and make the homemade Naan to go with it and you will not be disappointed! I was a bit intimidated by the thought of making naan but it was so easy and so good and you can freeze leftovers and heat them up in the toaster. I’ve made this recipe now 4 or 5 times and just keep going back to it. Thank you!
Hey Tess,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
I’ve made this meal twice in the last couple of weeks, it is so so delicious! And the leftovers are amazing, too! Thank you for sharing!!
Hey Jessica,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is a weekly favorite. Amazing!!!
Hey Brittany,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi Teigen! I have been making Indian food at least once a week snd xm living your recipes. I make my own garam masala, since I already have the slices on hand. I usually double or triple this recipe and keep in a sealed jar in the pantry. Thank you for the inspiration and delicious recipes!
Garam Masala
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
11/2 teaspoons ground coriander
11/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
11/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Thanks so much Mandy!! xTieghan