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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
Loved this dish – so delicious!
Would love to know where you found your dinnerware ?!
Thanks in advanced!
Hey Carly,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! So sorry I do not have a link for the dinnerware. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Another winning recipe! I don’t have a lot of experience cooking Indian food, but I love it! After making your Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala, I decided to try this one. Love them both! I had bought naan but next time I’ll surely make that too. Thank you and Happy New Year!
Hey Maria,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
My husband and I LOVE Indian food. We used to travel a lot (prior to kids) and always sought out Indian restaurants wherever we went (small towns in our tiny province of New Brunswick, Canada; London, England; Tallinn, Estonia; Kofu, Japan, etc). I have also tried countless recipes looking to create restaurant quality curry. Every recipe has come up short until this one!!! You nailed it Tieghan!!! We have enough for leftovers for lunch today and are giddy with anticipation ?
Hey Lana,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This just might be the best meal I’ve ever made … EVER!
Thank you Tieghan, for inspiring me to try cooking the foods I normally order out! Your illustrations are beautiful and your instructions make it so easy.
Now you need a cooking show!
Hey Jill,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan – I live in Southern California and on 1 of the 5 nights a year it rains, I decided to make this. Wow!! It’s divine and the best Butter Chicken I’ve ever made. Since I had a lot of chicken, I doubled the recipe and used a mix of coconut milk and cream because that’s what I had on hand. You’ve made a family very happy tonight 🙂
Hey Taylor,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Oh my word, this was amazing!!! I’m cooking a Lot from the books and the blog. This is a favorite. I did go the high side on the heat and wow it was Spicy! But I love spicy! I made the naan as well and my husband was able to roll it out and sear it on our super hot griddle for naan perfection. Happy tonight! Thanks! And loved seeing you on Katie C.!!
Hey Lorie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi,
I made this for dinner tonight. It came out great! I even made a little mistake ( added the whole 6 oz can of tomato paste instead of the 4 oz)- but I corrected the tomato taste a bit by adding a splash of half and half to the sauce. The flavors came together really nicely and the best thing was that the chicken was soft and tender- sometimes in these sauces it can get hard- but it did not- I was careful to follow your directions on cooking times. Thank you! Delicious!
Hey Margaret,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made this tonight So so good What a great winter dish And you definitely can taste the butter And the chicken is so tender Thank you for another wonderful dish I gifted your cookbook to my daughter for Christmas She was so excited Another fan of your skills in the kitchen
Hey Marie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
According to my boyfriend this is the BEST dinner I’ve ever cooked! This was delicious and tasted better than take out! I have a garlic allergy, so I used shallot infused oil instead of olive oil, added a little onion powder and overcompensated with the spices, but wow this was tasty! This was the first HBH recipe I’ve ever made. I will definitely be trying more. 2021 New Years resolution: try a new recipe every week!
Hey Jane,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
The hubby and teenage boys love this recipe. We love a good butter chicken. What would you suggest to make it more spicy. Wasn’t sure if tumeric, curry powder or something else would be better? Thanks, Julia
Hey Julia,
I am so glad your family enjoyed the recipe! For more spice add extra cayenne or chili flakes. Happy New Year! xTieghan
oh my goodness. made this last night and it was amazing! you really get the spices right this this – extremely flavorful. I must say this is brown girl approved!
Hey Nikkan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Delicious recipe! My husband and I did finally end up making this last night… after buying some turmeric per HBH’s reply to my earlier comment! Boy oh boy it ended up being too spicy for my husband haha, even when I added the lesser amounts of red chili pepper flakes + cayenne pepper. Will probably try the non-spicy butter chicken recipe next time for his sake. I loved the spice! Super yummy and all the spices make your house smell incredible.
Hey Kelly,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This recipe is SO good. I’ve tried so many butter chicken recipes and this one is the best.
Hey Simone,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Doubled the recipe so it lasted us for 4 days. It turned out so great! Leftovers were even better. I don’t know if it’s due to doubling the recipe, but this took me closer to 50 min to make rather than 30. Not a big deal, but there was more prep work than I expected. Will definitely make again! It’s the most authentic tasting butter chicken I’ve made to date ??
Hey Leah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This was phenomenal!! I felt like such a chef making this for my family! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Ashley,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan