Homemade Butter Chicken

Backyard tomato season is upon us. While I’m still waiting on my Beefsteak and Brandywine tomatoes to fully ripen, our local farmstand, Pope Farms, is providing in the best ways possible.

A few weeks ago I noticed their field grown San Marzano Tomatoes were starting to show up and, my goodness, how beautiful those bright red, elongated tomatoes are. I immediately knew what I had to do.

So I made an Italian chicken stew and focaccia. It was so incredible, Prashant is still talking about it. He keeps telling me that was when he realized my cooking talent. As if I haven’t cooked thousands of meals for him already, but alright.

I didn’t take a video of that meal but I have been itching to make some Indian food recently and there are so many good tomato based gravies I could make. I just had a vision, so I went with it. To be honest, we didn't make butter chicken when I cooked at Shashi’s Cooking School in Udaipur (we didn’t cook any meat actually), so I’m not entirely sure if this is a traditional recipe. But I will say, it’s pretty dang good.

Scroll to the bottom for a 3-minute video showing the highlights of making this meal!

Butter Chicken with Fresh Summer Tomatoes

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus marinating)

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: About 3 hours with marinating

Description

Peak-season tomatoes are the star of this rich, creamy butter chicken. Roasting fresh tomatoes before blending them into the sauce creates incredible depth of flavor, while tender marinated chicken thighs and fragrant spices make this a comforting meal that’s perfect with homemade garlic naan.

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade

• 2½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 4 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons paprika (or Kashmiri chili powder for a spicy version)

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce

• 2½–3 lbs ripe tomatoes (San Marzano, Roma, or heirloom), halved

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 6 garlic cloves

• 2-inch piece fresh ginger

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons paprika (or Kashmiri chili powder, again)

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 2 tablespoons crushed kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves- it will still be delicious if these are not available)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

• Salt to taste

For Serving

• Chopped cilantro

• Lime wedges

• Steamed basmati rice

• Homemade Garlic Naan

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Add chicken and toss until well coated.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roast the Tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Arrange tomatoes on a sheet pan cut-side up.

3. Scatter the garlic cloves and ginger around the tomatoes.

4. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt.

5. Roast for 30–40 minutes until caramelized and softened.

Cook the Chicken

1. Heat a grill, pan, or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Cook the chicken just until browned with some char, about 2–3 minutes per side.

3. It does not need to be fully cooked.

Make the Sauce

1. Melt butter with the ghee in a Dutch oven.

2. Cook onion over medium heat for 12–15 minutes until deeply golden.

3. Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute.

4. Add roasted tomatoes, garlic, and ginger.

5. Simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Blend until completely smooth with an immersion blender or countertop blender.

Finish the Butter Chicken

1. Return the sauce to the pot.

2. Stir in heavy cream, garam masala, and crushed kasoori methi.

3. Taste and add honey if the tomatoes need a little sweetness.

4. Add the browned chicken.

5. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Finish with lemon juice and adjust salt to taste.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with basmati rice and warm garlic naan.

Note: I keep homemade ginger/garlic paste on hand so I use that in lieu of individually grated garlic and ginger, and I also did not roast mine with the tomatoes. It was still delicious. This is a pretty forgiving meal so if you’re missing items or don’t follow directions to a T…you’ll be fine 😝

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Homemade Garlic Naan

Yield: 8 large naan

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Rise Time: 1½–2 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Description

Soft, chewy homemade naan with blistered golden spots and plenty of garlic butter. Perfect for scooping up rich curries like butter chicken.

Ingredients

Dough

• 3½ cups (420g) bread flour spooned and leveled

• 2¼ teaspoons instant or active dry yeast

• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¾ cup warm whole milk

• ¼ cup warm water

• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil plus more for cooking (I use avocado oil)

Garlic Butter

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4–5 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

Make the Dough

1. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk with the sugar and let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy.

2. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add yeast mixture (or instant yeast), water, yogurt, and butter.

4. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.

5. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

6. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.

Shape

1. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.

2. Shape into balls.

3. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

4. Roll each into an oval about ¼-inch thick.

Cook

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.

2. Cook each naan in the skillet with a drizzle of avocado oil for 1–2 minutes until bubbles form.

3. Flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until charred in spots. I added a little more oil after flipping, but you don’t have to.

4. Repeat with remaining dough.

Garlic Butter

1. Melt the butter over low heat.

2. Stir in garlic, cilantro, and flaky salt.

3. Brush generously over each warm naan.

4. Keep covered with a clean towel until serving.

Note: The spoon-and-level method of measuring flour is important if you don’t weigh your flour. I actually made this naan two days in a row, in the video is my first batch. I didn't spoon and level it, and, while it was actually amazing and I probably shouldn’t even give it this much thought, the second batch was so much better 😒 I wish I would have taken a video of the second. The dough had a higher level of hydration which left it much smoother and more elastic than the first batch. It rose better as well and made much fluffier naan. It wasn’t my first time making this naan, but it was my first time perfecting it. Now you can learn from my experience!