Butter Chicken

We love Indian flavors - curry tends to be my go-to, but I have made that a couple times over the past few months and thought it was time to branch out just a little bit! We'd seen something mentioning butter chicken recently and so that was in my head when I was deciding what to do with some thawed chicken breast and leftover rice. Butter chicken it was! 

Oh my goodness I just loved this recipe so much! Amazing, warm spices complementing a perfectly rich and creamy sauce base and tender bites of chicken. This was a delicious, cozy, and comforting meal! I couldn't get over the complexity of the flavor profile, and yet how harmoniously it all works together. 

This is definitely one we will make again, and again! It has comfort food stamped all over it. 

Butter Chicken

For the chicken marinade:

28-oz boneless and skinless breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 1/2 TBS minced garlic (jarred)

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce:

1-2 TBS olive oil

1-2 TBS butter

1 large onion, diced

1 1/2 TBS minced garlic (jarred)

1 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 TBS sugar

Directions

1. Place diced chicken and all marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag, gently press chicken around to evenly blend the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken, then place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Brown the chicken 3-5 minutes total (fry in 2 batches if needed, to avoid overcrowding the pan. It's ok for it not to cook all the way through; you'll finish cooking the chicken in the sauce).
3. Remove browned chicken from the pan and set aside. Discard the bag with any remaining marinade.
4. Add butter to the skillet, and when melted add the onion and brown for about 5 minutes until it begins to brown slightly and become tender. Add in the minced garlic and cook another minute, until tender. Add in all seasonings: ginger, cumin, garam masala, and coriander. Stir gently until spices are fragrant and then add in the tomatoes, chili powder, and salt. Simmer on low 10-15 minutes. Mixture will reduce slightly and become a deeper red color. 
5. Scrape mixture into a blender and blend until smooth (add 1-3 TBS of water or broth if needed to thin, so mixture will blend smoothly).
6. Scrape smooth sauce back into the skillet and whisk the whipping cream and sugar into the mixture until well combined. 
7. Scrape browned chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce and bring mixture to a low simmer. Simmer 8-10 minutes until chicken is very tender and sauce is thick and bubbly.
8. Serve over rice if desired.

Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites