This easy butter chicken recipe gets curry on the table faster than takeout

What is butter chicken?

A mild curry originating in Delhi, murgh makhani, or butter chicken, is similar to tikka masala. In traditional butter chicken recipes, marinated chicken simmers in a rich, cream-filled tomato sauce flavored with warm spices like garam masala, ginger, cumin, turmeric and garlic. Many restaurant versions cook the chicken in a tandoor, a traditional clay oven, which can take over an hour, not including several hours for marinating. Luckily, there are some simple shortcuts you can take to get a tasty curry on the table in less than 30 minutes.

How to get slow-simmered tomato flavors in less than 30 minutes

Pureed tomatoes are essential in butter chicken, and they need a generous cook time to turn from bright and tangy to subtly sweet with a backbone of umami. Starting with fresh tomato puree won’t work for a 30-minute recipe, but canned tomato sauce, which is cooked before canning, is a perfect substitute. It carries long-simmered flavor, so it needs only a few minutes to meld with the spices and taste like it’s been on the stove for hours.

Can you make butter chicken without a lot of spices?

No, but also yes. To turn tomato sauce into curry, you can use a spice blend instead of numerous jars of individual spices to create butter chicken’s signature flavor. Start with garam masala, a blend that typically includes cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and add fresh ginger for a warm, peppery kick.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook in a flash

While some butter chicken recipes call for bone-in meat, using boneless, skinless thighs cuts down cooking time from around 45 minutes to just 15. (And using thighs instead of breasts means you don’t need to worry about accidentally overcooking them.) Cut the thighs into bite-sized pieces and give them a good coating in salt and garam masala before cooking. This step ensures that the flavorful spice blend is evenly distributed throughout the dish.

Just use butter (it is called butter chicken, after all)

While you’ll certainly find butter chicken recipes that include both cream and butter, butter alone contains all of the creamy dairy flavor needed to smooth out the kicky spices and tangy tomato. Don’t be shy: Use half a stick to bloom the spices and then finish the dish with the remaining 4 tablespoons.

Quick Butter Chicken Recipe

• 2 pounds boneless-skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons garam masala, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Hot cooked rice, for serving

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon garam masala and salt. Let sit at room temperature while the spices cook.
2. In a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. When the butter is foamy, add the ginger and remaining 1 tablespoon garam masala. Cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the flavorful butter. Add the tomato sauce, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is flavorful, about 15 minutes.
4. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and stir until melted.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve with rice.