If we ever had the pleasure of going out to an Indian restaurant when I was a kid, I ordered the same thing every time: butter chicken and naan, with extra naan for endless dipping in that creamy, perfectly spiced sauce. Admittedly, if there’s butter chicken on the menu, I still order it most of the time now too. It’s just so yummy! Unlike most Indian food, butter chicken is not usually spicy, so it’s the perfect dish for the whole family. It’s actually one of the few things I’ve made in the past few months that my son hasn’t complained about. Which is probably why I’ve made it a good 5 times in the past 6 weeks or so. That, and the fact that it’s so easy! I can’t believe I had never attempted to make one of my favorite restaurant dishes at home before now.
So let’s get to it!
Indian Butter Chicken serves 6, adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Ingredients:
6 tbsp butter, cut into quarters and chilled, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 a jalapeño or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 1/2 tbsp garam masala (find this spice at any major grocery store)
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 c water
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1 c heavy cream
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use tenderloins because they cook faster)
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Method:
Melt 3 tbsp butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño/serrano. Stir frequently and cook until mixture is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until smooth. Add sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, but in batches), process until smooth. Return sauce to heat and whisk in remaining 3 tbsp of butter. Remove sauce from heat*.
At this point, if you want dinner to be ready much sooner, you can skip the greek yogurt, cut the chicken into chunks, and add the raw chicken straight to the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Then serve as directed in step 4. (This is how I’ve been making it every time recently because it’s so simple and still delicious, but if you want the crispier texture from broiling the chicken, then prepare as directed in step 3.)
Adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler, and turn on broiler. Toss chicken with yogurt and 1 tsp salt in a bowl until chicken is well-coated. Transfer chicken to baking sheet lined with foil. Broil until chicken has a nice brown char on both sides and internal temp is 175º, about 16 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
Return the sauce to heat over medium-low while chicken rests for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into chunks (about 3/4 inch) and stir into sauce. If desired, add 2 tbsp fresh cilantro and season sauce with salt to taste. Serve with rice (traditionally basmati, but we also like brown) and naan, and garnish with remaining cilantro.
*NOTE: Sauce can be made multiple days in advance and reheated on the stove when you’re ready to add the chicken to it.
