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    Stovetop Butter Chicken

    September 5, 2024

    The most fragrant, creamy tomato sauce envelops tender pieces of chicken in this super easy, stovetop butter chicken recipe.

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    homemade butter chicken in a bowl served with rice, naan and cilantro

    Indian Comfort Food at it’s Simple, Cozy Best

    Butter chicken is a modern Indian dish, originating—according to Madhur Jaffrey (and we always defer to her!)—at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s. But in just a few decades, it has fast become a globally beloved dish. After one bite of the generously spiced, savory tomato-cream sauce and the tender chicken that’s cooked in it, it’s not hard to understand why butter chicken has had such a stratospheric rise from kitchen experiment to absolute staple. We’re crazy for this dish. We’ve even adapted the recipe to be made in a slow-cooker. But today, we’re focused on an equally simple way of making this dish—say hello to your beloved butter chicken, cooked quickly and easily in a skillet on the stovetop! The whole thing takes under 30 minutes to make, and (of course) only requires you to dirty one pan.

    onion, garlic, ginger, butter, stock tomato paste, spices, chicken, and cream in prep bowls to make butter chicken

    Easy Butter Chicken Ingredients

    Two of the ingredients for Indian butter chicken are probably pretty easy to guess, right? Butter—yes, butter chicken has butter in it—and chicken! But what else? Unlike many Indian recipes, butter chicken can be made quite authentically without having to hunt down any special spices! While we love an excuse to try cooking with new herbs and spices, we also love being able to easily recreate our favorite restaurant recipes at home, and butter chicken has a really approachable ingredients list for those of us who are new to making Indian food at home. Here’s everything you’ll need to make our creamy butter chicken recipe:

    • Olive oil

    • Garlic

    • Ginger

    • Yellow onions

    • Chicken stock

    • Tomato paste

    • Cinnamon

    • Cumin

    • Garam masala

    • Turmeric

    • Boneless, skinless chicken breast

    • Lemon juice

    • Heavy cream

    onions, garlic and ginger cooking in a pot with olive oil
    onion, ginger, garlic, butter, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala and tomato paste being stored in a soup pot with a spoon
    raw chicken being added to butter chicken sauce in a large white pot
    heavy cream being added to butter chicken in a large white pot

    How to Make Butter Chicken on the Stovetop

    Grab yourself about 30 minutes and your favorite skillet, and get ready to make the best butter chicken ever! We mention this tip a lot, but it’s a good one—it’ll be easier to cut that chicken into cubes if it’s just a bit frozen. So, if you can remember to pop the chicken breasts into the freezer about an hour before you start cooking, yay! If not, no biggie. Oh! And one more thing! If you’d like to make this butter chicken recipe dairy-free—or are simply looking to cut back on animal fats—you can swap coconut oil for the butter and full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream and still get a delicious version of butter chicken. Whether you use heavy cream or coconut milk, here’s how easy it is to make our stovetop butter chicken:

    1. Sauté onions, garlic and ginger for a few minutes.

    2. Stir in butter, stock, tomato paste, all of the spices—the flavorful base of the butter chicken sauce!—followed by all of the chicken pieces.

    3. Pop a lid on the pan and simmer until the chicken is done.

    4. Stir in lemon juice and heavy cream, and simmer on low for just a few minutes to let everything cohere.

    5. You’re done! We love this with plain, steamed basmati rice, and serve some warm naan on the side if you’ve got it!

    a pot of butter chicken made with garlic, ginger, stock tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala, cumin and cream
    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Quick, Easy Indian Inspired Comfort Food

    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon
    a bowl of Butter chicken on top of white rice topped with cilantro and served with naan

    Just a Gosh Darn Easy Butter Chicken Recipe

    This comforting stovetop version of everyone’s Indian dish only takes 40 minutes, and is guaranteed to yield pure weeknight dinner bliss. If you make it, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

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    Stovetop Butter Chicken

    Updated on September 5, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  25 min
    • Calories:  307
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup grated yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • ¾ cup chicken stock
    • 8 ounces tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 2 teaspoons garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
    • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemon)
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • Fresh cilantro, for serving
    • 6 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and the garlic and ginger are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

    2. Stir in the butter, chicken stock, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt, cumin, garam masala and turmeric until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then stir in the chicken until coated. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

    3. Stir in the lemon juice and heavy cream. Return to a simmer and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

    4. Divide the rice between 6 bowls. Serve the butter chicken over the rice and sprinkle with cilantro.


    Note: To make this dish dairy-free, use coconut oil in place of butter and full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 307
    • Protein 41 g
    • Carbohydrates 13 g
    • Total Fat 12 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 132 mg
    • sodium 241 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Stovetop Butter Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Tom

      Does this dish freeze well?

      Ya freezes great! hope you enjoy!

    • Jamie

      Why must we use salted butter, could I use unsalted butter instead?

      Sure, if it needs a little more salt just add some at the end. Hope you enjoy!

    • Carol

      I love all your recipes but I need to limit dairy in my diet. Can I substitute full fat coconut milk for heavy cream and oat "butter" in this recipe.

      We haven't tested those exact substitutes, coconut milk shouldn't cause a problem. We aren't positive if oat "butter" will change the thickness of the sauce. We'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try.

    • E.

      Hi, I’d love to make this for a group, approximately 30 people. Do you have any ideas how that would work best? Is there any way I could do it in a large roasting pan in the oven??

      We've never tested in the oven, so I'm not sure how that would work. I would just get a few large pots out and cook it on the stove in large batches.

    • Megan

      Hi! Could I sub half n half for the heavy cream? Thanks!

      We haven't tested it but it should be fine!

    • Unique

      This stovetop butter chicken recipe is a true winner! The fragrant, creamy tomato sauce perfectly coats the tender chicken pieces, creating a dish that's both comforting and irresistible. Im amazed at how easy it is to prepare such a rich and flavorful meal right on the stove. Its become a staple in my kitchen for busy nights when I want something special and satisfying. Your recipe has made it so simple to enjoy restaurant-quality butter chicken at home. Thanks for sharing this delicious gem!

      Beth, so glad you loved it!

    • Nanajee

      The most fragrant, creamy tomato sauce in this stovetop butter chicken recipe is absolutely divine! It wraps around the tender chicken pieces, creating such a comforting and flavorful dish. I love how easy it is to make, and the result is always restaurant-quality. This recipe has quickly become a favorite for busy weeknights when I still want something hearty and delicious. Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe!

      Thanks, so glad you loved it!

    • Rachel

      One of the best recipes from Modern Proper! Hands down. I come back to it time and time again. It's EASY to make for your family or large groups and everyone loves it. Do yourself a favor and put this in your regular food rotation.

      Thanks Rachel, we are so glad you love it!

    • Haley

      Amazing dish! I add quite a bit more spices than called for, but otherwise, this recipe is spectacular. I get asked often when I am making this again. Definitely a staple in my home!

      Thank you! We are so glad you loved it!

    • Kat

      very nice. i turned to low temp and cooked it longer then added yoghurt instead of cream at the end. Also tried it again with Coconut Cream and full cardamon pods....was delish. Thanks for the recipe.

      Thanks Kat, we are so happy you loved it!