Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Creamy, spicy but not too spicy, this dish is perfect over basmati rice with some naan bread on the side!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger I use the frozen ginger cubes from Trader Joe's
- 2 tsp + 1 Tbsp garam masala [divided]
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 + 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper [divided]
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion chopped fine
- 1 tube tomato paste [1/2 cup]
- 1 14 ounce can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place the chicken pieces along with the yogurt, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir well and set aside to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon butter and toss to coat the chicken. Transfer the chicken out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
- To the skillet, now add the chopped onion and saute until soft. Add 2 Tablespoons butter, the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 Tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook about 3 more minutes.
- Reduce heat to low/medium low. Add 1 cup of water and the canned coconut milk. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes while the sauce thickens some. Stir in last 1 Tablespoon of butter.
- Now add the chicken and any juices from the plate back into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Taste and season with salt and additional pepper if desired.
- Serve over basmati rice, garnished with the green onions and additional cilantro. Warm naan bread on the side makes it a meal! Enjoy!
Notes
Don't omit any of the pats of butter as you make this recipe! They are the secret to the creaminess of this dish. :)