Budget Butter Chicken with Chicken
Creamy butter chicken vibes, but weeknight-fast and budget-friendly.
If you want something warm, saucy, and a little more comforting than plain skillet chicken, this is a good tonight recipe. It gives you the familiar butter chicken feel—tomato, spices, creaminess, and tender chicken—without a long ingredient list or a big restaurant-style project. It’s realistic for a tired evening: one skillet for the sauce, simple rice or naan if you have it, and dinner on the table in under an hour. Expect a cozy, lightly spiced sauce rather than a perfectly rich takeout clone, but it still tastes complete and satisfying with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs — Cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 unit yellow onion — Small, finely chopped
- 3 unit garlic cloves — Minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger — Grated or minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp salt — Start with this amount and adjust at the end
- 0.5 cup water
- 0.25 cup plain yogurt
- 0.25 cup heavy cream
Method
- 1 Season the chicken with half the salt. Heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the chicken until browned and just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- 2 Lower the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, paprika, and remaining salt, and cook for 1 minute.
- 3 Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 4 Stir in the yogurt and cream off the heat, then return the chicken and any juices. Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter and warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt before serving.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 2 cans drained chickpeas or cubes of firm tofu and simmer just until heated through.
- Faster swap — Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken; stir it in during the final 3 minutes so the sauce still tastes fresh.
- Substitutions — Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter sauce, or swap yogurt for a little extra cream if that is what you have.
Notes
For the smoothest sauce, keep the heat low when adding yogurt and cream so they do not separate. Serve with rice, naan, or even toast if that is what you have. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — It gives the chicken room to brown and lets the sauce reduce in the same pan.
- Wooden spoon or spatula — It helps scrape up the flavorful browned bits without damaging the pan.
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