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30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs. A delicious mix of cozy and healthy. This dish incorporates a variety of Indian spices, all with an abundance of health benefits. These meatballs are extra saucy, quick, easy, and delicious. Serve over steamed rice with a side of naan (preferably homemade because it’s the best). A great recipe any night of the week!
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And just like that it’s already Wednesday, September is well under way, and like clockwork I am slowly beginning to share some more cozy recipes that are perfect for the cooler temperatures the approaching fall season is sure to bring.
So here’s the story behind this meatball recipe.
Those of you who have been reading HBH since the beginning (almost 6 years now!), may remember that during my first year of writing the blog I shared this naan recipe. Honestly? This is the naan that changed my life, my mom’s life, and really anyone that’s ever made or eaten it.
I know, I am so overly dramatic, but it’s all true. I never knew I could love a recipe as much as I love this naan. It’s soft, buttery, and delicious. Whether eaten with a bowl of soup, paired with a creamy curry, or especially when eaten on its own!
So, why am I gushing about an old recipe? Well, because it’s a recipe that’s inspired a lot of other recipes here on HBH. And yes, you guessed it, including these butter chicken meatballs. Really, I just needed a good excuse to make naan on a Monday, and butter chicken is the perfect dish to pair my favorite homemade naan with, so butter chicken meatballs it was.
And I am excited about them.
Meatballs have never been one of my favorites to make or to eat. Mostly because I really hate the word meatball. I find it so very unappealing. I mean, meatballs? Doesn’t seem like the greatest word to me, but I guess it is what it is.
This past year I’ve slowly started to put the unappealing name out of my head and begin to embrace the meatball. Thus far I’ve made simple baked Italian meatballs, Greek lamb meatballs, and ricotta turkey meatballs. And today I am embracing meatballs once again, only going the Indian route.
It’s kind of different, but so good.
Let’s talk details.
Start off by making the chicken meatballs. This is easy. Mix together ground chicken (you could also use ground turkey), an egg, and some bread crumbs. Form the mix into balls and then bake in the oven. I love baking my meatballs as opposed to pan frying them. One, it’s easier, two it’s healthier, and three, I find the meatballs cook evenly all the way through. Plus, cooking the meatballs in the oven gives you all the time (and hands) to make the sauce.
Which brings me to the sauce. The sauce is EVERYTHING. it’s what butter chicken is all about it. It’s where all the flavor is. It’s creamy, spicy, coconutty, and eat-by-the-spoonfuls good.
Traditionally butter chicken takes a while to make because the chicken needs to be slowly simmered in the sauce. Since we are using meatballs instead of whole chicken pieces, we can speed up the process and turn an hour plus recipe into a 30 minute, one pan and done, kind of recipe.
Cool. Cool. Love it.
The key to my butter chicken sauce is a good amount of spices, coconut milk, and tomato paste. The spices add all the flavor, the coconut milk adds creaminess, and the tomato paste adds richness.
Finish the sauce with a couple of tablespoons of butter and…PERFECTION.
You’ll want to get started on the sauce while the meatballs are baking so that when the meatballs are finished cooking, the sauce is all ready. Then all you’ll have to do is combine the two together, serve and enjoy. With a generous side of steamed rice and naan.
Of course.
I really can’t begin to describe just how good these meatballs are. The sauce is super creamy, incredibly flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The meatballs soak it all in, making them tender and delicious…anything but boring.
If you wanted to bump up the vegetable count, toss some spinach, cauliflower, or broccoli right into the sauce. Any of these would be great, and would add a nice pop of color too.
As mentioned, this is a great recipe for transitioning from summer to fall…it’s cozy, yet still healthy.
Oh, and it will leave your house smelling like a fall candle. The BEST! Make this soon you guys, it’s one of those recipes that’s just really really good!
If you make these 30 minutes butter chicken meatballs, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- steamed rice and naan, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. Add the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.3. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.4. Add the tomato paste, coconut milk, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the yogurt and butter. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.5. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan. I made your 30 minute Butter Chicken Meatballs tonight for dinner. So good! I served it over Lundberg Wild Rice Blend with a salad on the side. The rice is very hardy but we felt it complimented the meatballs perfectly! Thank you for your creativity! Much appreciated!
Thank you so much Tanis!
Love evtthat I’ve cooked of yours. This was delicious and so easy.
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
I forgot to say that I omitted the cayenne pepper . . . I just couldn’t find it in my spice cabinet! However, we didn’t feel that the dish needed it. Maybe in the future I’ll add a dash but if I don’t it won’t be missed.
OMG!!!! This is sooo delicious!! Unfortunately (or fortunately) I could not make all in one night due to my schedule, but it worked out fine. As soon as I saw this in your “healthyish” round up I knew I had to make. I made the meatballs last night along with the naan dough. When I got home from work this evening I made the sauce, popped the meatballs in the oven and made a few naan. My little family ate it up quickly!! Love, love, love!! Thanks so much! Another recipe to add to my winter roster. Happy New Year!!
I am so glad you all loved this Teresa! Thank you so much!
I love this recipe! It’s quick, easy and full of flavor. I just got your cookbook for Christmas – can’t wait to dive in and start cooking.
Woo! Let me know what you end up making! Thank you Brandi!
I want to preface this by saying about 80-90% of the time I usually LOVE Tieghan’s recipes, however this one was just okay. I probably wouldn’t make it again. The sauce just tasted strange to us, not very Tikka Masala-y, and it definitely took more than 30 minutes. With prep time and properly cooking onions and simmering the sauce, this was about 1h 15mins. I loved the meatball technique though, which I will probably use again, just with a different sauce.
Hi Tori! I am so glad you usually like my recipes, but apologize that this one did not work for you. Is there anything I could help you with to make this better next time?
This was a big hit with my husband and young kids. The first time I made it my kids enjoyed it but thought the coconut flavor was too strong and also complained that there weren’t any left overs to take to school in their thermoses the next day. I now double the recipe and rather than double the coconut milk, I use equal parts of of coconut milk and heavy cream. It is the perfect meal for a busy week night!
Thank you so much Jessica! I am so glad you loved this recipe and your family did as well!
Best dinner EVER!! My entire family
Loved this meal! Thank you so much
For all your amazing recipes. Such
An easy weeknight meal for this
Busy mom.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Tracey!
I am still sitting at the dinner table with five empty bowls previously filled with your Butter Chicken Meatballs and five very satisfied tummies. My husband “mmm-ed” after every bite. I am not usually a reviewer, but this is seriously delicious. My first HBH recipe and certainly not my last. I doubled the recipe for the sauce and roasted a head of cauliflower for my vegetarian sister. The veggie version was as delicious and satisfying as the original. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Anna! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
I made this last week and it was delicious and did come together quickly!
I added a ton of veggies to my curry (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, spinach) and made the naan as well with whole wheat flour. My guests loved it all and were super impressed I made the naan (guys, its so easy!).
The meatballs were great too. I think next time, I might just braise chicken thighs and add them to the curry as that would be significantly faster. Or, omit the meat all together and just add chickpeas!
Thank you so much for another killer recipe!
Hi Maclean! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for making it!
Hi Tieghan! I can’t wait to make this dish on Thursday for my dinner party! Regarding the naan – if I do not have a cast iron skillet (my next investment) is it still worth making? Or does the cast iron make all the difference?
Thank you so much!
HI! Yes, totally still worth making. Just get the skillet nice and hot! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
This was a great weeknight rescue for my hungry, post-game hockey player. I made a double batch to be sure to have leftovers… No such luck! My family gobbled them up. 😉
Wow thats amazing! I am so glad your family loved this recipe, Patricia! Thank you!
I made this last night and it was soooo good! I put less cayenne pepper and added a handful of fresh spinache 10mn before serving and we had a wow dinner. Thanks for making things so simple!
I am so glad you loved this Anaïs! Thank you for making this recipe!
I made this last night and it was amazing! I halved the amount of cayenne and it was plenty spicy for us, but that’s the only change I made. So good! Will make this over and over with chicken, vegetables, etc. The sauce is perfect. Thank you!
Thank you so much Lindsay!
I made this today! it turned out well. Mine turned out more of a orange colour rather than a red, but that may be because I used a yellow curry powder. Next time I will use a red curry powder. I also found that the addition of the Greek yogurt gave it a slight acidic/bitter taste. Next time I will substitute a heavy cream.
Thank you so much Alisha!