Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice and Homemade Naan
Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice is a delicious, easy Indian recipe. This family favorite makes it simple to cook popular Indian recipes at home.
It features tender chicken in an Indian spiced creamy, tomato based sauce featuring the flavors of garam masala.
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It’s hard to believe that I first posted this recipe 9 years ago.
The other thing that is pretty hard to believe is that Logan turned 14 this month and Kayden turned 12!
There are some recipes here on Good Life Eats that have been more popular with our family over time, and this Indian Butter Chicken is definitely one of them.
We have cooked this easy Indian recipe at home twice this month.
Logan and Kayden both celebrated birthdays in March and they each requested that I make their favorite Butter Chicken Recipe.
Kayden requested it for his birthday last year, too!
It is definitely popular with our crowd – we almost never have leftovers.
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I got smart the second time around and made a big double batch of this recipe so I could stash away a few individual serving containers for lunch for myself.
And I was able to sneak away to my office for a few hours and photograph the leftovers for some pretty, new photos!
Indian Butter Chicken Ingredients
A visit to my regular grocery store easily supplies me with all the necessary ingredients.
So, don’t worry – you shouldn’t have to make a special visit to an ethnic market to make this recipe for Indian Butter Chicken.
Spices in Indian Butter Chicken
My recipe calls for:
- Garam Masala
- Chili Powder
- Cardamom
- Coriander
- Salt
- Pepper
- Bay Leaves
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
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What is Garam Masala?
You might be wondering what Garam Masala is if you haven’t prepared this Indian Chicken recipe at home before.
Garam Masala is a spice blend that is used in Indian cooking.
You can definitely make your own blend, but I find it just as easy (and usually less expensive) to purchase the blend at my grocery store.
Garam masala usually includes: Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Cloves, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg.
But, there are often variations depending on region or family recipes.
Indian Butter Chicken Sauce Ingredients
For the sauce you’ll need:
- Fresh Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Ginger
- Jalapeño
- Tomato Paste
- Chicken Broth or Stock (you can use Homemade Stock, too)
- Half and Half or Heavy Cream
- Butter
Besides those two lists, you’ll need olive oil and chicken breasts.
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What Goes With Indian Butter Chicken?
The kids’ absolute favorite thing to serve as a side dish when we cook Indian at home is this recipe for Whole Wheat Indian Naan. Naan is an Indian Flatbread. We like to cook ours on either a very hot griddle over the stove or on the gas grill outside, when weather permits.
Rice is also a great side dish to serve with Indian Butter Chicken because the rice soaks up all of the delicious Butter Chicken Sauce. When I don’t have time to make homemade naan, rice is a great substitute.
If you’re looking for side suggestions to go with this recipe, I recommend a big green salad.
It doesn’t have to be fancy at all. We often use mixed greens, lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, and tomato for a basic side salad. Check out these 3 Simple Salad Dressing Recipes to go along with your salad.
If salad isn’t your thing, try this easy recipe for Roasted Broccoli for a vegetable side dish.
Tips for the Best Homemade Naan
Outdoors works great when the weather is nice, but we opt for inside when it is cold or windy. Cold temperatures and wind both prevent the grill from getting and staying hot enough to cook this Naan well.
If you haven’t ever made a yeast based dough before, you’ll want to check out my 5 Tips for Baking with Yeast.
These tips will help you feel more confident in the kitchen and yield more successful results when you make Naan.
What is the Best Rice for Butter Chicken?
The best rice to serve with Indian Butter Chicken is Basmati Rice. Basmati Rice is grown in Indian, making it the traditional rice to serve with Butter Chicken.
Basmati Rice is fragrant – nutty and floral at the same time, perfect to pair with the rich, sauce in this recipe.
I love that its long grains stay individual and don’t get sticky. It makes it so the sauce from Indian Butter Chicken perfectly coats each grain for the absolute best flavor.
If I don’t have time to make the Homemade Naan, I can get away with serving some Basmati Rice.
Personally I like it best when we have rice AND Naan. I love the way the chicken can be scooped up with pieces of naan and the way the rice soaks up any extra sauce from the chicken.
Indian Butter Chicken Garnishes
For garnishes, I like to use fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
The cilantro and lime give a nice pop of flavor to the butter chicken sauce, and add a pretty contrast to your plate!
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Reader Reviews for Indian Butter Chicken
“You may not read this since this is an older post but I’ve now made this at least 4 or 5 times and we LOVE it! It’s become a total staple in our house. Thanks for this recipe!”
“ABSOLUTELY wonderful. I saw this and thought hey, this might help get us out of a rut. OMG did it ever. I am so glad I doubled this. Thank you for sharing.”
“I just made this for dinner and we loved it! My husband could not stop “mmmm”ing throughout the entire meal! Neither of us have had it before but we will definitely be having it regularly now. Thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to see what other amazing recipes you share on the blog.”
“I made this today. I am Indian and I must say this is THE best butter chicken recipe out there. It was DELICIOUS! I made very small modifications but generally stuck to the instructions. It’s as good as the restaurants. I have been looking for a good BC recipe for some time and I finally found it. My picky daughter just LOVED IT and thanked me a couple of times for making a “really tasty” dinner. Its ironic how I found the best BC recipe from a non-Indian website! LOL! Thank You!!“
“Thanks so much for the great recipe! I have never had this before, so I decided to make it last night for dinner. I was a little hesitant as my husband is not terribly adventurous and I do have 1 picky child. But everybody was happy and ate it! Next time I will have to try making the bread to go with it!”
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Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice is a delicious, Indian recipe featuring tender chicken in an Indian spiced creamy, tomato based sauce featuring the flavors of garam masala.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
- 1 onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, and chopped
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter
Serve With
- Basmati Rice
- Naan
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- In a large cast iron pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and eat over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauce for 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic, ginger, and fresh jalapeño and sauce for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Saute for an additional 2 minutes.
- Scrape mixture into a blender or food processor; add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry. Mix chicken with salt and pepper. Set pan over high heat (I usually use the same pan; add 1 tablespoon butter and the chicken.
- Stir until chicken is no longer pink on the surface, about 3 minutes. Depending on the size of your pan, it may be best to cook the chicken in batches so that it does not over crowd. If using this method, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or bowl before working on the next batch.
- Add the sauce from the blender to the pan with all of the cooked chicken, the bay leaves, and the half and half or heavy cream.
- Simmer over medium low heat, stirring often, until chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center (cut to test), about 15 minutes minutes. Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into sauce until melted.
- Spoon chicken and sauce onto rice. Squeeze lime juice over portions and garnish with cilantro. Serve with naan alongside.
Notes
Serve Indian Butter Chicken alongside basmati rice, or, if you have time, I highly recommend making a batch of this Whole Wheat Indian Naan - an Indian flatbread - to serve with the chicken.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 368Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 46g
This post has been updated from the archives. The original text follows.
A few years ago I had not even heard of Indian Butter Chicken. Was I living on some other planet?
It kind of seems that must have been the case.
I had this dish for the very first time, our last night living in college town.
My aunt and uncle made it for us and after a week of packing and cleaning with a 2 month old baby.
I thought that it was the best thing I had ever eaten.
The next morning we headed out to our new home in Albuquerque.
My husband was done with his Master’s degree and we were ready to move on to a job and a real life.
I am so grateful we are employed, and have been consistently since leaving college town.
I remember that last night and this meal so well because there were so many emotions going on.
I was sad to leave my comfort zone and sad to leave family members I love behind.
Add to that a mix of post-pregnancy hormones and you’ve really got something going on.
I have often made Indian Butter Chicken since that night.
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It’s still a favorite of ours, proving that it wasn’t my sleep-deprived-stressed-out-post-pregnancy perception about this dish being one of the best things I’d eaten.
I’ve never had authentic Indian restaurant Butter Chicken so I can’t compare it to that.
I do know I love this recipe.
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Brittany says
I’m SURE this has got to be AMAZING because I tried making this just now with about 1/3 of the ingredients and it is SO GOOD! I don’t know if I’ve been able to actually make something that tasted so good. I tried to stick to the recipe and use the amounts listed. I mostly just didn’t have all the spices and, unfortunetly, no cream available. -still yummy. I hope to make it with EVERYTHING sometime!!
rose says
Made this tonight and it turned out great! Thanks!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I make this, but with yoghurt instead of cream 🙂
Mother of a 5 year old says
I made this today. I am Indian and I must say this is THE best butter chicken recipe out there. It was DELICIOUS! I made very small modifications but generally stuck to the instructions. It’s as good as the restaurants. I have been looking for a good BC recipe for some time and I finally found it. My picky daughter just LOVED IT and thanked me a couple of times for making a “really tasty” dinner. Its ironic how I found the best BC recipe from a non-Indian website! LOL! Thank You!!
Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat) says
I make a similar recipe to yours. One of the differences is that I add ground up cashews to the dish at the end to thicken it up. I cannot wait to try your version. Indian Butter Chicken is one of my favorite meals ever!
Jennifer says
Thanks for your recipe. I marinated my chicken in yogurt w/ginger & garlic for a couple of hours first; and subbed cumin, coriander, and extra spices for the chili powder. Oh and an extra jalepeno & cardomom because we love them. Otherwise, I stayed pretty true to your recipe (a marvel for me). Very good, and pretty easy and quick. Kids said I’m a great Indian cook ;). Thanks again for sharing and for the beautiful site!
Willow says
May I ask, did you make it in the same pan that you display it in? I’ve seen these pans at Cost Plus and wondered how they worked because they look almost too pretty to cook in.
Katie says
The pan is from Cost Plus, but I did not prepare it in the pan just served it in the pan. They are small, about the size of a soup bowl.
Hilary @ KatrinkaJane says
Thanks for this! We’ve made it in the crockpot (courtesy of crockpot365.blogspot.com) but never “normally”. Reminds me to make it again! 😀
Albuquerque? Have you ever eaten at Monroe’s, on Osuna or Lomas? My aunt Kathy and uncle Miguel own them! My grandparents and other aunt and uncle are out there too. 🙂
New Orleans Honey says
I had never heard of your blog till Jamie(my baking addiction) mentioned it. I am so glad to find another recipe /food blog. The pics make it all the better. Thanks for this recipe my granddaughter is getting ready to move into her first house and needs lots of fast ,easy recipes.And best yet, her boyfriend is Indian.I will be checking in regularly.do you have any crockpot recipes.She goes to school and works 2 jobs. Time to cook is short.Thank you.
Stacey says
Thanks so much for the great recipe! I have never had this before, so I decided to make it last night for dinner. I was a little hesitant as my husband is not terribly adventurous and I do have 1 picky child. But everybody was happy and ate it! Next time I will have to try making the bread to go with it!
Vanessa says
Hmmm… i have had this before and didn’t know that it was called Indian Butter Chicken. I had a neighbor who was Indian and she would always knock on my door for random stuff like an egg, a cup of sugar, etc. So one day, she comes knocking at my door for this tasty chicken meal that my husband and I devoured. Just looking at the recipe reminded me of the flavors that were in the dish my neighbor brought to me. 🙂 I can’t wait to try this!!! 🙂
Michelle M. says
This was so delicious! I cooked it last week and my husband is already asking when we’ll have it again. Thanks!
Jane C. says
Used StumbleUpon and ‘liked’ your entry on Butter Chicken + Basmati rice! (link: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/02/indian-butter-chicken-with-basmati-rice.html)
Alecia says
This was a delicious recipe and loved by my hubby. It’s in the rotation!!
Sara{OneTribeGourmet} says
Wow, this butter chicken dish looks absolutely scrumptious!!! Love the pics too!
Janet says
This sounds fab! I’ve never had it before, but after seeing your drool worthy photos, it’s a recipe soon to grace my table. Thanks!