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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 Erika,
      Yes, I would do 8 minutes on high pressure. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for another amazing recipe. Made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit with the entire family – kids included. Perfect amount of spice and just the thing to warm us up on a cold winter night!

    Reply

    1. Hey Bernadette,
      So sorry about this! We are working on a new recipe box coming soon, hopefully this will help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Thank you for enhancing our Christmas Eve dinner…all loved it. We have been having butter chicken on Christmas Eve for 20 years we tried yours and it has become the families new favorite. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hey Lynn,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Daniel,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 4 stars
    The whole family loved it including my picky 2 year old! Used 1/8 the amount of cayenne and there was no heat at all but still a hint of that flavor. Have to give it 4 stars though because prep alone took 30 minutes and the whole dish start to finish took about 1hr 15 minutes. The chicken took a lot longer to cook than stated. Will definitely make again but will prep the day before next time

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    WHAT???? Made this last night and made a plain chicken breast for my husband who prefers plain food BUT after trying a bite HE LIKED IT! Forgot to take a pic cuz we were all so happy!! Backed off on some of the seasonings but YUMMMMM! Perfect with the homemade naan!

    Reply

  9. 4 stars
    This meal is DELICIOUS – I paired it with some basmati rice and naan from Trader Joe’s. Perfectly warming on those cold winter nights. I’m giving it four stars, however, because this is not a thirty minute dish. My boyfriend and I love to cook and are good at it, but this dish took twice as long to prep and cook than stated. Overall, definitely not a deal breaker, I just would have started prepping sooner had I’d known! This will be made again!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Made this earlier this week… I never leave reviews but wanted everyone to know how AMAZING this recipe is! My husband and I are obsessed, and have been looking forward to leftovers for the last couple days 🙂 I didn’t have the chance to make the naan, so I’m gonna try to add that next, but the chicken is just so good either way!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    This was incredibly good! Honestly…comfort food at its finest. My husband and 23 year old son raved about it. Thank you for this recipe that will go into our favorite file to be made regularly!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Made this last night with half and half instead of coconut milk and marinated the chicken for a couple hours (because….kids) and it was the closest thing to restaurant butter chicken I’ve made at home!! I even skipped all the spice (cayenne and chili) because I was feeding it to my one year old and two year old. Rave reviews! The kids each ate two bowls. It was heavenly. Honestly, I was also distracted, so I even did a few things wrong (resulting in a super dark bottom of my Dutch oven after cooking the chicken) and it was STILL delicious. That’s how I know a meal works for busy parents!

    Reply

  14. Recently came across your Instagram account and have been drooling over every post since. This was the first recipe I made of yours and my first time making Indian food. It was absolutely delicious and pretty easy to make! Even my picky-eater dad loved it. Will definitely make again!

    Reply

    1. Hey Sydney,
      Thank you so much for your kind message and following along. I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. 5 stars
    This was incredible and liked by my most limited pallet children. Thank you for great recipes that introduce a variety flavors that don’t require the cook to be a professional. So consistent and easy!

    Reply