Easy Butter Chicken in 30 Mins:
Fakeaway Feast!
You won't believe how budget-friendly this easy butter chicken is for such an incredible fakeaway feed. Your wallet will thank you!
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EASY PEASYWHY THIS ROCKS
One pan, a jar of passata, and pantry spices. Freezes brilliantly — make a double batch and future-you will be very grateful. Cheaper and better than delivery every single time.
WHAT YOU NEED
Total Estimate: $14
LET'S DO THIS
Cut chicken thighs into 3–4cm chunks. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chicken thighs are better than breast here — they stay juicy and don't dry out when cooked in sauce.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for 2–3 minutes until golden on the bottom. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Don't crowd the pan or it'll steam instead of brown — do two batches if needed. Remove chicken and set aside. It doesn't need to be cooked through yet.
In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 4–5 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and all the spices — garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika. Stir and cook 1 minute until fragrant. This is where the flavour happens. Don't rush it.
Pour in the passata and stir into the spiced onion base. Add the browned chicken back in. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook 12–15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened
Pour in the cream and stir through. Simmer another 2–3 minutes. Taste and season with salt. The cream is what makes it butter chicken — don't skip it.
Serve over steamed rice. Chuck fresh coriander on top if you're into it. If you hate coriander, leave it off — nobody's judging.
PRO TIP FROM THE CHAOS GOBLINS
Chicken thighs are the move — more flavour than breast, cheaper, and they don't go dry in the sauce. Passata is just blended tomatoes and is way smoother than crushed tomatoes.
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