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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
Hi!! This looks so good! If I’m making it for my kids and don’t want it spicy, do I just leave out the red pepper and cayenne? I think those are the only “spicy” ingredients. Thanks!! xo
Hey there,
Yes just omit those two and it should be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This is the best Indian dish I’ve made at home!! Also, the naan recipe is amazing!:)
Hey Jen,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi: I made this dinner last night and was missing a couple ingredients and swapped out. I have never tasted anything so delicious. It was easy and I will never use a jar of Indian simmer sauce again. I am so blown away by your recipes and this site. I have learned to assemble all the ingredients first, and then measure them. This way I just go through the easy steps. There were no leftovers sadly today!
Hey Barb,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi, is there a way to make this less spicy?
Hey Veronica,
Yes, just reduce or omit the cayenne and chili flakes. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try the recipe! I still have curry paste from your tikka masala so can I use that here and if yes, how would you adjust the recipe? Thank you!
Hey Amalina! Yes, that curry paste will be so delicious! I would just omit the cayenne within this recipe and use the curry paste instead. Yum! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks great, looking forward to making it this week! I am counting 4 tbsp of butter in the recipe, but only 3 in the ingredients. Should it be 3 or 4?
What can I say…..being from India this is the best butter chicken we have eaten….superb combination of spices and the coconut milk takes it to another level. Plus the gravy was ample to be eaten with naan/roti and rice.
Hi Sudha,
Wow, what a huge compliment! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe:) Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021! xTieghan
These recipe looks incredible and I’m planning on trying it this week for dinner. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to incorporate vegetables in this dish or if you had any recommendations that might pair well? Thank you!
Hey Megan,
I think adding cauliflower would be delicious! I hope you love the recipe. If you have any other questions, please let me know! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Hi tieghan!
We’re planning on making this tonight and wondering if you have any suggestions for veggies to serve with or to add into the sauce? Would bellpeppers work? Or maybe spinach?
Hey Ina,
I think spinach would work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
We enjoyed this last night! I have a question about the point where the onions and spices are cooked. After taking the chicken out of the pan it did not seem that there was enough fat left in the pan to cook other things and the onion, tomato paste and spices pretty much burned in the pan. Should I split the olive oil or just add more when I cook the onion or maybe put the butter in with the onion? Thank you.
Hey Margaret,
Sorry for the confusion, you should not need to add more oil but you can if you feel it is needed. I would turn the heat down next time so the spices do not burn. I hope this helps for next time! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this tonight, followed the directions as posted, and it was delicious! Even my 5 year old grandson got used to the heat and ate it all up. Served it for my husband and grandson over rice, but topped mine with only cilantro and it was filling and wonderful! Great winter meal.
Hey Ellen,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was delicious ! Loved the textures, the kick to it, and the taste was delicious ! I shared some with a neighbor, and the best part is that there are still enough leftovers for tomorrow ! Love your recipes ! Thank you for sharing your talent with us !
Hey Myriam,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
hey T,
think I could make this with firm tofu??
Hey Laura,
Yes, I think that would work well. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
We made this dish tonight and it was amazing! I agree, this is “fire”. The sauce was velvety and rich, but wasn’t too heavy either. I will definitely keep this in my rotation.
Hey Lindsey,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made using suggested ingredients, but I made a big mistake in following the recipe, it still was delicious. I followed the recipe wrong and put the entire amount of spices in with the yogurt marinade! I anticipated having to add more spice when cooking the sauce. However, I swished the coconut milk in the bowl where the chicken had been marinading before adding the milk to the sauce. This picked up all the remaining seasonings and the sauce seemed spiced very well in the end. We loved this! I have more time/energy mid-day so I put the chicken marinade together 7 hours before cooking and precooked the rice. This worked out great, I will be making again and probably purposely making the same mistake since it worked well with how I like to schedule my prep time. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan