Easy Butter Chicken (shortcut recipe)

5 from 1 vote

Easy Butter Chicken (shortcut recipe)

Creamy, buttery Easy Butter Chicken is a comforting shortcut recipe that saves you time and tastes like takeout! This Indian-style dish is full of so much flavor you'll never believe it comes together in 30 minutes with simple, shortcut ingredients.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Indian

Servings: servings

Author: Mallory Austin

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast chunks thighs work as well
5 garlic cloves grated
2 inch piece ginger peeled and grated
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
16 oz jar Zoup! Tomato Bisque or 15 oz can crushed tomatoes + 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: basmati rice and naan bread for serving

Instructions

In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low. Add the grated ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle over all the seasonings and stir into the mixture.
Pour in the jar of creamy tomato bisque (or a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce) and stir briefly to incorporate. Add a little water into the jar and shake to remove all tomato bisque; add into the skillet.
Optionally, use an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to a blender/food processor and puree to ensure the traditional velvety smooth consistency.
Pour the tomato mixture back into the pan over medium-low heat. Add the uncooked diced chicken chunks, submerging them in the sauce. This allows them to braise in the liquid as they cook.
Bring to a low boil, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the mixture, cover with a lid, and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Serve over rice with extra sauce.
If using heavy cream instead of tomato bisque, stir it into the finished skillet just before serving.

Notes

Pureeing the mixture is strongly recommended to ensure that it has a velvety smooth texture reminiscent of takeout.

To make this recipe without tomato bisque, follow these easy instructions:

Add a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes into the pan in step 2, as it's written for the tomato bisque. Follow the remaining steps.
After the chicken is cooked through and dish is ready to enjoy, add in a 1/2 cup of heavy cream into the skillet, gently stirring so it warms through. Serve over rice.

Nutrition