My Best Butter Chicken Ever!
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November 4, 2015
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I’m so excited about this recipe, as you’ve probably heard! I was cheeky enough to call it the ‘best butter chicken ever’ because my 16 year old son insisted it was the best he’d ever tasted, and said that I HAD to call it ‘the best ever’, and I HAD to teach him how to make it so he could make it any time he liked!! (Don’t you love it when your teenage kids rave about a recipe you’ve made up?? It means so much more than a few likes on Facebook, as nice as that is!)
I know what you’re thinking. “It can’t be the best, it’s too simple. It just can’t taste amazing and authentic when it has so few steps and such basic ingredients.” All I can say is, TRY IT! Ok, it’s not cooked the traditional way, with chicken marinating for hours and then simmered slowly in a big pot for ages… but believe me, it tastes amazing.
I developed this recipe for my Quirky Cooking for Gut Health online program (which will be released soon – you can register here if you want to know more) and the criteria was as follows:
- not too spicy so it’s suitable for kids, but FULL of flavour so that when you eat it with cauliflower ‘rice’ the flavour doesn’t get lost
- super simple so even kids can make it
- dairy free, gluten free, grain and starch free (suitable for GAPS and Paleo diets)
- basic ingredients anyone will have on hand or can easily buy at the supermarket
- quick to make, perfect for those last minute dinner decisions
- and so delicious that you’ll want to invite some friends over to share it with you!
It worked out to be soooooo delicious I couldn’t wait for my program to be finished to share it – I had to share straight away! So I popped the recipe into my newsletter (as I often do with recipes I can’t wait to share) and it went a bit viral, so I thought I’d better just get it up on the blog! So here it is.
P.S. If you want to see some feedback before you try it, here’s a few comments:
“Very fussy about butter chicken BUT this was sensational. Thank you”
“Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing Jo! Recipe was super easy to follow, quick and totally delicious. Thank you, you’re a total ‘good food’ superstar. Oh and yes agreed – best recipe ever!”
“Made it tonight and it was such a delicious comfort food. It’s now in the rotating menu, big complement from our 5 and 3 year olds. You should have seen my son checking with everyone if it was now their favorite. Thanks for generously sharing Jo!”
“Jo, I think your butter chicken recipe has probably been made or will be made by nearly every Quirky fan! It looks as if it’s one of your most all time favourite recipes! The only other recipe I can think of that equals this is the macadamia lime cheesecake!”
Let me know what you think – I hope you love it too!
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- 800g cauliflower, (cut into small florets)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3cm fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 long red chilli, deseeded and halved
- 1 brown onion, halved
- 100g ghee or coconut oil
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 500g coconut cream
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 200g tomato paste
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3-5cm pieces (or up to 1.3kg for TM5 or stovetop)
- Place cauliflower florets into TM bowl, and chop 10 sec/speed 5, or until ‘rice’ sized pieces. Place into Varoma dish, poking a hole in the centre to let the steam through. Set aside. Wash and dry TM bowl.
- Place garlic, ginger, and chilli into TM bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7.
- Add onion and chop 2 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides with spatula.
- Add ghee or coconut oil, cinnamon, paprika, garam masala, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and cook 5 min/100/speed soft. Loosen mixture from sides and base of bowl with spatula.
- Add coconut cream, lemon juice, tomato paste, salt and chicken to TM bowl. Place Varoma dish into position, and cook 25 min/Varoma/reverse/speed soft. Cauliflower rice will steam above, as butter chicken cooks below. Check cauliflower is cooked - if not, add another 5 mins/Varoma/reverse/speed soft.
- Place cauliflower rice into a serving dish, and butter chicken into a separate dish.
- Serve butter chicken and cauliflower rice with steamed vegetables or a salad.
- Process cauliflower in a food processor until chopped into rice sized pieces. Set aside.
- Chop onion, garlic, ginger and chilli by hand, then saute in a heavy based saucepan with ghee or coconut oil, until soft.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer gently, covered, for 20 mins or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is beginning to thicken. Stir now and then.
- While chicken cooks, fry cauliflower rice in a frying pan with some ghee or coconut oil, for 15 mins or until soft.
- Vegetarian Version: Replace chicken with vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, cauliflower and peas and cook for 20 mins in sauce, or until done. Can add chick peas also if you like.
- Freezes well. Store for up to 4 months in the freezer.
329 Comments
I have been using this recipe for over a year now, I about to make it now too lol. This is the most delicious chicken I have ever had. THANKYOU for this !!
It’s a lovely meal. Very saucy though. I’ve reserved the extra sauce that was left to cook some chickpeas and veggies in tomorrow.
I love this recipe it is also great because of my alergys to nuts and all the other recipes shave. Ashes in them
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious. Your son was right, best butter chicken ever.
First time ever cooking Indian food. Family Loved it, such a winner!!!! Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe xx
Hi I’ve made this many times and love it! I need to make a double batch can you double this in the slow cooker?
I HAVE to make this at least one a fortnight!
Its on high rotation in our house, and before dinner is even finished there is dibs on who is having the leftovers!
I even have to make it to freeze so my husband can take it camping.
Thank you for a brilliant recipe, our favourite hands down!
We tried this for the first time tonight, and it was an absolute hit! Even my two and half year old loved it! Thank you for such a gorgeous, yet simple recipe!
Could I make a paste with roasted capsicums to use instead of tomato paste? There’s plenty of spices in this dish so I’m hoping so..
I think that would be delicious!
I have made and eaten many butter chicken recipes, but this one is the best. Thank you Jo.
Aww thanks!!
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for more than a year…yes, that’s right. I tried it tonight and it was a hit! I only had chicken tenderloins and the chicken was pretty good but a little dry so I’ll make sure to use thighs next time. I also struggled with guessing how big “one long chilli” was and the one I had looked huge compared to google images 😉 so I ended up only using half of the chilli just in case it came out too spicy. It was perfect for me although hubby said he’d like a bit more spice next time. My kids gave it a 9.5/10. haha Thanks Jo, for this lovely recipe and for sharing your story and knowledge.
I just had to leave a review on this recipe. It was SO delicious! Best butter chicken I’ve had, and my husband was impressed too! Will definitely make again
Speed ‘soft’? As in less than 1?
Yes!
This is on high rotation at my house too. I also add at least 5 cups of chopped veggies to it to make it go further and there’s still plenty of sauce! thanks 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe. I double the sauce in the Tm31 and cook the chicken in the oven till just done. Heaps of sauce for left overs which my 4 teenage boys are always looking for.
Now a weekly staple in our house… We’ve tried every other popular TMX Butter Chicken recipe out there and this one is the best (and easiest) 10/10
Awww thanks!!! xxx
I love butter chicken, but this is the first time I actually make it from scratch. And it was SO GOOD!!! Best I ever had! Besides I could just omit the chilli and make it kids friendly and still yummy!!!
Wow, this is amazing and beats anything out of a jar. Evan though this is suitable for kids I completely left the chilli out and put capsicum in its place, as chilli and I don’t get on. Everyone loved it. We will definitely be eating this on a regular basis. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So happy you loved it! Jo x
Wow! Totally agree with your son, it is ‘The Best’. I have made many versions including marinating the chicken and my husband announced tonight that this is better than any of them! Thank you 🙏
So happy to hear that! I’m glad hubby enjoyed it too!
Hi Jo
Any tips if I was to do this in the slow cooker?
Hi Jodie, I’d reduce the liquid or increase the amount of chicken, as the liquid won’t reduce in the slow cooker. Cook 4 hours on high or 8 on low. 🙂