Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)

Recipe courtesy Carla Fitzgerald Williams, Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue!, Hyperion Books, 2003

Show: Sara's SecretsEpisode: Shortcut Suppers:Rotisserie Chicken

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (113)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(113)

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 5 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 30 min
Total:: 35 min

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Ingredients

Spice Blend:

1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 skinless rotisserie chicken, boned out and pulled into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch chunks
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, placed in a colander and run under hot water to thaw
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Hot basmati rice, for serving
Pita bread, warmed according to package directions, for serving

Directions

To make the spice blend: Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces just begin to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices will be fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir will. Add the chicken pieces, spoon the sauce over the top and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Shake any excess water from the peas. Add the peas and cream to the sauce in the pan, stir well and heat through. Do not boil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice and warmed pita bread.

Variation: If you prefer shreds of chicken to whole pieces, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into large chunks by hand. Add to the pan along with the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce and continue with the recipe. Serve over basmati rice.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
Vanessa Houston , TX 02-09-2010
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too spaghetti sauce-like
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

There's too much tomato and too little Indian flavor. It's a little like Italian spaghetti sauce with chicken.
recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
Brian Kalamazoo, MI 01-18-2010
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Good, but not too authentic
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I agree that it should have a little more butter, probably 5 Tbsp or so. I also used yogurt in place of cream, and recommend... it that way (and i used a little more than called for as well.) I also used boneless skinless chicken breast, and either recommend using the rotisserie chicken, or what i did was cook the chicken breast in a skillet on low-med heat, covered, after i dredged them in a yogurt/olive oil mixture, then shredded the meat and put it in the pan with the onions to lightly brown and crisp before adding the garlic, etc. A little more work, but nearly authentic tasting. Also, I'd cut back a little on the peas and add in other vegetables. Overall a pretty delicious dish, although the flavors need more time to cook together, and i recommend letting it cook longer (up to an hour or more) before adding the cream/yogurt. Read more
recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
Miguel Lawrenceville, GA 01-14-2010
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This was AMAZING and fail proof!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I highly recommend this recipe! I used a rotisserie chicken from publix and it was wonderful. I was very doubtful and almost... bought raw chicken breast as others had done but being that I was running low on time I decided to go with the rotisserie chicken and I was very impressed. The rotisserie chicken definitely adds to the flavor and texture. Don't try and take the chicken out as the receipe suggests...there's no need and it really makes it much more complicated than is necessary. I did add quite a bit more butter and a little more garam masala and cayenne pepper than it calls for. I have an Indian friend and she suggested that I add approximately 8 tablespoons of butter rather than the 3 that it called for. My husband was highly impressed. We take turns cooking and his only question was "How am I going to top this tomorrow night?!" LOL Read more
recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
K ny, NY 11-04-2009
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really easy & delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ok, perhaps I shouldn't comment b/c I did change the recipe up a little, I used 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs... and cut them into large chunks,browned them first,removed them from a pot and used that same pot to create the sauce - and instead of separate tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, I just used a larger box of diced tomatoes...the step that was very different was that I used an immersion blender to blend the sauce and make it smooth - this made the sauce similar to what you get in many Indian restaurants. But the main components, i.e. the spices, and listed items are perfect in making a flavorful and delicious dish. So easy to make, I'll probably stop ordering take out Indian.Read more
recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
Sheila Raleigh, NC 10-20-2009
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Excellent
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We all loved this dish. Big fans of Indian food and this was perfect (followed spice amounts exactly). I did shred the... chicken, but next time would prefer cubed. Perfect with a bit of rice and some naan.Read more
recipe Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce)
Chris Olathe, KS 08-12-2009
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Inexpensive, quick, and delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe has become one of my favorites to make (good thing, since my honey requests it fairly often), especially when I'm... short on time and/or money. I usually add a chopped jalapeno in with the onions to give it even more kick! LOVE IT!!Read more