May 6, 2020| By

Better than Takeout Butter Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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Better than Takeout Butter is a quick and easy recipe that's beyond delicious! Why order out when you can get all of the flavor in your own kitchen?!

Love this recipe? Try this Healthy Orange Sesame Chicken and this Honey Za'atar Chicken with Chickpeas!

chicken and rice on a plate with naan

Better than takeout butter chicken

This Better Than Takeout Butter Chicken is such a delicious and easy meal to make! It'sthe perfect meal for Friday nights when you don't want to order out and just want a quick, home cooked meal. The flavors are so warm and remind me of kicking back and watching movies with my family. It's the true epitome of comfort food.

I paired this Better than Takeout Butter Chicken with roasted chickpeas which can easilt be made with salt and pepper.. and maybe a little garlic. (any seasoning of your choice) as well as cauliflower rice and a small salad. From start ti finish, it took maybe 30 minutes to make. The result is a creamy and tender chicken that's full of flavor!

Better than takeout butter chicken on a plate with naan and rice

Indian food is by far one of my favorite cuisines! This recipe is inspired by my favorite takeout dish - Butter Chicken! Butter Chicken has always had a special place in my heart. In fact, when making this dish, I was craving Butter Chicken and my favorite Indian restaurant was closed. Little did I know that this dish would turn out to be better than takeout!

What I love about this dish is how creamy it is. It's interesting because I believe that the ingredients that make this dish so delicious is actually heavy cream and tomato paste as opposed to butter. When tomato paste and heavy cream come together with butter, chili powder, and garam masala - magic happens! It's like a party for your tastebuds!

Also, if you love this recipe, check out this Soy Citrus Chicken and this Easy Moroccan Chicken!

tips and tricks

  1. Pat your chicken thighs dry prior to searing to get a nice crispy skin!
  2. Be sure not to burn the garlic. You can prevent this by stirring constantly and keeping your heat at medium.
  3. While chicken is simmering, be sure to stir every 5-10 minutes to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan and burning.
  4. I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet for this recipe!
better than takeout butter chicken garnished with cilantro

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Better than Takeout Butter Chicken

Better than Takeout Butter Chicken is a meal that is perfect for Friday nights in! It's full of flavor, cream, and best of all - butter!
Serving: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Calories: 350kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, sliced
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 tsp fresh ginger, diced
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsps garlic powder
  • 6 oz tomato paste, canned
  • 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsps lemon juice
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

  • Season chicken with salt.
  • In a skillet, allow olive oil and butter to warm over medium heat. Add diced onions and shallots and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, stir constantly so that garlic doesn't burn.
  • Add chicken to skillet and allow the chicken to brown. Add seasonings and tomato paste cook for another 3 minutes. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, pinch of sugar and stir until all ingredients come together.
  • Allow to simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro.
  • Eat!

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal
Course: Chicken, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian

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Recipe Rating




  1. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe, highly recommend to anyone who wants to delve into cooking Indian-style food. Really hit my craving for good butter chicken curry! Will definitely make again.

  2. 5 stars
    Better than takeout is right! I had no idea I could pull off butter chicken at home until trying your recipe. Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    I'm a huge fan of butter chicken so this was a must-try for me, and I was NOT disappointed! I love the flavors that came together in the sauce, and it was all so simple to make! Thanks for this recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    I spend more money than I care to admit on takeout and Butter Chicken is one of my favorite things to order from the Indian place around the corner. I decided to give this recipe a try in an effort to recreate my favorite dish and OMG I don't think I'll ever need to order out again. This is so good and easy enough to make that I'll be saving lots of money. Thanks for another great recipe!

  5. 5 stars
    This butter chicken was amazing Britney! Definitely on-par with my favorite local place. I'll take a home-cooked meal over expensive takeout any day! The recipe was super-easy to follow too!

  6. 5 stars
    Yes!! This butter chicken was definitely better than takeout! It was pretty simple to prepare, and was full of all the familiar flavors!

  7. 5 stars
    This butter chicken was definitely better than takeout! The flavors were on point, the chicken was tender and the sauce was amazing. I’ll be serving this at my next dinner party. I know everyone will be impressed!

  8. 5 stars
    You are so right! This butter chicken is way better than take-out! I took all your tips, including using a cast iron, and it turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    The flavors are out of this world! Our butter chicken turned so delicious, my husband is already asking when I am going to make it again.

  10. 5 stars
    I had heard of Butter Chicken but had never tried it until now. I and my family were blown away with the flavor - thank you!

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