mywhitekitchen.com.au

Butter Chicken

Tender marinated chicken in a rich, creamy tomato sauce

GF❄ Freezer Friendly

16 May 2026

This is the butter chicken you'll make on repeat — deeply spiced, creamy, and rich without being heavy. The yoghurt marinade keeps the chicken incredibly tender, and the sauce comes together quickly once the chicken is in the pan. Serve with fluffy rice, warm naans, and plenty of fresh coriander.

Ingredients

6 serves

1 kg chicken breast or thigh, cut into 3cm pieces
Marinade
2/3 cup greek yoghurt
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp garam masala
2–2½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder, or to taste
½ tsp turmeric
Sauce
2 Tbs butter
1 large brown onion, finely diced
600g tomato puree
½ lemon, juiced
½ cup chicken stock
¾ cup cream
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Tomato paste, to thicken (optional)
To serve
Rice
Naans
Fresh coriander

Method

1
Combine the chicken pieces with all the marinade ingredients — yoghurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala, kashmiri chilli powder, and turmeric. Mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).
2
Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly golden — about 5 minutes.
3
Add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is sealed and starting to colour — about 5–6 minutes.
4
Add the tomato puree, lemon juice, and chicken stock. Stir to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
5
Stir through the cream, sugar, salt, and cracked black pepper. Simmer for a further 5 minutes until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened. If you'd like a thicker sauce, stir in a little tomato paste.
6
Serve over steamed rice with warm naans and plenty of fresh coriander.

Kitchen Notes

Kashmiri chilli powder gives a beautiful deep red colour with mild heat — if you can't find it, use a mix of sweet paprika and a little cayenne. The sauce freezes brilliantly; freeze in portions for an easy weeknight dinner.

What I'd serve with this

With fluffy basmati rice, warm naans, a dollop of yoghurt, and plenty of fresh coriander. A cold beer on the side doesn't hurt either.