Description
Ready in under an hour, this Creamy Butter Chicken is the ultimate comfort food for easy dinners and family meals. Tender chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt and warm spices, seared until golden, then baked in a rich tomato cream sauce. Perfect for quick dinner ideas, meal prep, or cozy weekend cooking.
Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
1 small onion finely chopped
15 oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar optional
Fresh cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
1. In a large bowl combine yogurt lemon juice garlic ginger and spices. Add chicken and coat well. Marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden.
3. Melt remaining butter in the same pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add heavy cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C. Transfer chicken to a 9×13 inch baking dish and pour sauce over.
6. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes until chicken reaches 165 F internal temperature.
7. Rest 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
Notes
Marinate the chicken longer for deeper flavor and tenderness.
Simmer the cream gently and never boil to prevent curdling.
Fresh cilantro added at the end balances the richness of the sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indian Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 145mg