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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.
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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
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!
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.
Does the calorie count include the rice or just the butter chicken?
Hi Emily,
It is just for the butter chicken:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Can you make this recipe in the Crock Pot?!
Hey Kathy,
You bet! You can also follow this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easy-healthier-crockpot-butter-chicken/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This is one of our staple HBH recipes in our house! It’s absolutely delicious! I love eggplant in Indian dishes so I’ve started to add in eggplant to it and it’s so so good! I do the eggplant exactly the same way I do the chicken and just combine them all in the sauce at the end! It definitely takes me longer than 30 minutes.. more like 2+ hours but I think that’s partly do to the eggplant addition and the homemade sourdough naan I make with it! 10/10!
Hey Erica,
Love to hear it! I appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your input! Have the best week ahead! xT
Do the calories per serving include both the rice and naan?
Hi Tyler! No, the calories just include the butter chicken, not the rice or naan. Hope you enjoy! xT
I’m excited to try this but was wondering if it would work to marinate longer? Or would the acid from the yogurt break down the chicken too much?
HI Jennifer! You can definitely marinate the chicken longer, but for yogurt based marinades, it’s best to keep it between 12 and 24 hours! Any longer and the acid in the yogurt may start breaking down the chicken too much, making it mushy. Hope you enjoy! xT
It would be helpful, if ingredients in a recipe are to be divided, that the recipe indicate this by listing the ingredient, with a comma and the note “to be divided”. I was in a rush (it IS after all, supposed to be a super speedy recipe, amiright?!), and threw the full quantities of the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric (omitted the cayenne) into the marinade with the chicken, oh dear, and I see from older comments that I’m not the only one who’s done this.
Given we’ve got ourselves a seriously over-spiced marinade, would you recommend NOT adding anymore spices to the cooking portion of the dish? Thanks.
Hi Tricia! I am so sorry for any confusion in this recipe! In Step 1 it explains which spices go in the marinade, and in Step 3 it explains where the rest of them go! I apologize again for any confusion! I hope you were still able to enjoy the recipe! 🙂 xT
I don’t think you tasted this when you made it, unfortunately, because the amount of spice you put in the recipe is outrageous. It’s way too much. Please be advised that you often use way tooo much spice in your recipes and it would be better to tone it down for the recipe. People can always add spice if they want more, it’s very hard to tone down spicy when you over do it though!
Hey Melody! I’m sorry this was a little too spicy for you. If you want to adjust, just use half the amount of spice. I bet that will work well for you!
Sorry this was not what you wanted it to be!!
Have a great week! xT
Hi! Just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE this recipe. I love butter chicken but it can be time consuming. This is truly a 30 min recipe with all the awesome spice and flavor. I’ve made it with and without the cayenne. Both equally delicious!
Thanks so much, Amber:) I really appreciate this and so glad this dish is always enjoyed!!
hi! i was wondering if subbing coconut cream for the coconut milk would work? have a can open that i need to use and i was looking forward to trying out this recipe :p
Hi Lisa,
Yes, that would be okay for you to use! I hope you love this recipe!
This was a lot of fun! Very fresh and yummy. I thought the sauce was a bit acidic so I added a hint of brown sugar. I also added mushrooms, because why not?! Thanks for another great cooking experience! I feel like every recipe of yours is a journey that can be a bit bumpy at times, because I’m still learning all the things, but always ends well!
Hey Margo,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a hit! xx
This was incredible! I’ve tried so many online recipes for butter chicken and it just didn’t hit the spot like this one did. This one reminds me of some of the better Indian restaurants I’ve been to. I did add a touch more garam masala and added ground coriander which really helped the sauce pop!
Hi Jane,
Happy Sunday!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
My name is Lively, and I’m nine years old. My mom and I made this and loved it.
Hi Lively! Thank you so much for making this recipe:) I am so glad you and your mom enjoyed it! Have a great day! xxT
Hi – would this freeze well? Looking to double the batch and freeze for postpartum
Hi Erika,
Totally, that would be a great idea for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I thought this was great. I changed it a tiny bit to save a little time, blitzed the onion, garlic, and ginger in the mini food processor. Used the entire can of tomato paste and filled it with water instead of using the whole cup of water. Anyway, it’s delicious and would definitely add this to our regular rotation.
Thanks so much, Mary! So glad you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend! xx
Loved this butter chicken as it reminded me of the many times I’ve had butter chicken in India. My only wish is that the list of ingredients indicated with ones are to be divided. I was in a hurry and put most of the spices in the chicken to marinate. This caused some confusion while finishing the sauce. Other than that, it was delicious! Also took me way more than 30 minutes…
Hi Cathie,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! x
Wonderful!!😍😍😍 I hate coconut things, but felt zero coconut taste and it’s delicious! Also my souse was too liquid, probably shouldn’t add water to the milk, but I love it even with bread! And I was too shy about chili flakes and masala (didn’t measure it with spoons, just added kinda randomly) — next time I’ll double the dose and will take more onion, because I loved it! Thank you😍
Hey Renata,
Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your feedback! Have a great Thursday!
Delicious, made exactly in the recipe but it was way too spicy for my hubby. How can I tone it down without loosing the flavour?
Thanks so much, Johanna:) So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it! I would skip the cayenne next time. Happy Sunday!