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Quick & Easy Homemade Butter Chicken – Creamy, Flavorful & Ready in 40 Minutes

Quick & Easy Homemade Butter Chicken

This creamy, mildly spiced Butter Chicken is a comforting weeknight favorite. It's lighter than restaurant versions, packed with flavor, and comes together in under an hour using pantry staples and fresh ingredients.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Marinade
  • 1 lb boneless chicken thighs or breasts cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger minced
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
For the Sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 cup tomato purée
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Spatula

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, mix chicken with yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cumin. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and sear marinated chicken until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté onions until translucent.
  4. Add tomato purée, paprika, turmeric, and simmer until thickened.
  5. Return chicken to the pan. Stir in cream and simmer for 5–10 minutes until flavors meld.
  6. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with rice or naan.

Notes

For a dairy-free version, substitute cream with coconut milk. Leftovers keep well for meal prep and taste even better the next day.