The quickest and easiest Butter Chicken Sauce recipe. A rich, creamy sauce that’s ideal over rice and perfect for dipping naan. Make ahead, freeze, and reheat with ease.
Butter Chicken Sauce
This mild, creamy curry sauce is shown here served with homemade chicken meatballs, but you can easily use bite-size chicken breast pieces or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. For an ultra-quick option, use store-bought frozen chicken meatballs.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the Meatballs:
- 1½ pounds ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, panko, curry powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly with your hands and form 1½-inch meatballs (yields about 30–35). Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.
While the meatballs bake, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent (about 3–4 minutes). Add minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, and curry powder; sauté about 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly (about 10 minutes). Stir in heavy cream, then add the baked meatballs and cook 2–3 minutes more until heated through and coated in sauce. Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Butter Sauce
- Bite-size chicken breast or chicken thighs
- Rice (basmati works well)
- Orzo
- Naan or other flatbreads
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Consume within 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Butter Chicken Sauce Recipe
Butter Chicken Sauce
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
For the Meatballs
- 1½ pounds ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the meatballs: combine ground chicken, egg, panko, curry powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly and shape into 1½-inch meatballs (about 30–35).
- Place meatballs on the prepared sheet and bake until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- While they bake, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3–4 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, and curry powder and sauté about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and the baked meatballs, cooking 2–3 minutes until heated through and coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For convenience, use pre-made chicken meatballs from the grocery store.
- If your canned tomatoes taste very acidic, add 1–2 teaspoons of sugar to balance the sauce.
- This recipe is great for make-ahead meals: it freezes and reheats well.