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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.
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!
So so good!! Def takes longer than 30 minutes and chicken needs to be browned for longer than 2 minutes. But it’s delicious and leftovers get even better. I used coconut heavy cream. Mmmmmm I’ve already made it twice in the past week.
Hey Katie,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
This is an easy peasy delicious recipe! Prep time for me is way longer (hello ginger), but this meal is a winner every time I make it! Sadly I have to cut way down on the spices because kids. So glad you shared this one!
Hi Danielle,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have a great weekend! xx
This recipe was delicious. But there is NO possible way that prep takes 10 mins. I guess you are trying to achieve your “30 min” goal but it would be much more valuable to give a true time estimate.
Hey Ashley,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:) Sorry this took longer than expected! xx
THIS WAS AH MAY ZING!
Hey Deb,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
I’ve used another Indian Butter chicken recipe in the past but wanted to try this one…and it was so good. I prepared the chicken in the morning and let it marinate all day (mostly to save myself time in the evening). The chicken was so tender and flavorful, and the sauce delicious. We like to serve our butter chicken with chickpeas, green peas, and raisins. Yum. With homemade naan this is a real treat.
Hey Jess,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
Hey I’m making this now about to get my stuff from the grocery store will check back when I’m done
It turned out great! This is a true banger! And fast. I wonder what it would be like if one were to leave the chicken marinating overnight, as you say not necessary but nonetheless an intriguing proposition! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Ned,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend! 🏈
I hope you love the recipe Ned!!
Hey Tieghan,
Love your recipes especially this one. Want to make for family but fussy eaters- can I omit the onion?
Cheers Claire
Hey Claire,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xT
AMAZING!! Like others, we cut the cayenne down quite a bit (my trick was to make the marinade, and then add the cayenne in 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time – tasting along the way – until the spice level was right … then added in the chicken; I also used the same method for the sauce). The chicken was SO tender and flavorful … and the warm spices hit just the right comforting notes!!
Hey Lynne,
Happy Sunday!!💕 Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xx
My family loves this recipe! We have used it a number of times and switch out the rice for steak fries. So delicious. If there are leftovers we make pizza on naan too.
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Our son was raised on Indian food with his daycare provider. Your recipe is amazing. Thank you for making cooking easy and fun! We use Roti and he makes a butter chicken burrito! So easy, flavorful and a family favorite in our house.
Awe thank you so much Kary! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! xx
I LOVE this recipe, but beware it’s extremely spicy. I take the cayenne down to 1/4 ts and it’s plenty spicy for me (and I love spice)
Hey Morgan,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Delish! It is very spicy and we tamed back the heat like others are saying.
I also wanted to mention that this is great with chickpeas as well! I only made 1 lb of chicken and had leftover sauce that I froze for another time. Instead of cooking chicken again, I roasted 1 can of chickpeas with olive oil and chili powder while the sauce reheated then mixed it all together and scooped with naan. It was great!
Hey Rachel,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This was so good and so easy! Big hit with the family. Thank you!
Hey Kristy,
Happy Friday!😁 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This is delish! Everyone in the family loves it!
Thank you!
Hey Mary,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for making it! xT
This is one of my faves. Make it frequently!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
So yummy! I didn’t have Garam Masala so I used curry powder instead and it turned out great! Will make again!
Hey Cierra,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
Very tasty!!!! Loved it.
Hey Deanne,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT