This quick butter chicken recipe—based on the flavours of the traditional dish hailing from India—is served with fluffy rice and a side of veg, rounding out a perfect weeknight meal.

Who doesn’t love butter chicken? It comes together quicker than you might think, making it the perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight. If you really want to streamline things, start with a deli roasted chicken; chop up the meat (discarding the skin) to use in the curry, and save the drumsticks for lunch the next day. If you don’t have the spices you need on your shelf, swap in a curry blend or paste. Quickly steamed green beans or broccolini make an easy side, and the leftovers can be stretched to serve on top of baked potatoes (yes, seriously!).

Ingredients for Quick Butter Chicken

canola oil, for cooking
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems (optional)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp grated ginger
6–8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (or a deli roasted chicken)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
salt, to taste
2 cups crushed or pureed tomatoes
1/4–1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
cilantro, for garnish

Directions for Quick Butter Chicken

  1. Set a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. Add a drizzle of oil and sauté the onions for 3–4 min, until soft. Add the cilantro, if you’re using it, then garlic and ginger and cook for another min. Add the diced chicken (if you’re starting with raw chicken, cook until no pink remains before continuing with the recipe). Add chili powder, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and salt.
  2. Stir in crushed tomatoes and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and smooth. If the mixture seems too thick, thin with a little water, tomato passata or cream. Serve over steamed rice, topped with cilantro, with a side of steamed green beans, broccoli or broccolini. Serves 4.

PER SERVING: 241 calories, 11.3 g fat (4.7 g saturated fat, 4.4 g monounsaturated fat, 2.1 g polyunsaturated fat), 106 mg cholesterol, 10.7 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 3 g fibre.

Leftover Bonanza! Quick Butter Chicken Baked Potatoes

Scrub 2-4 russet potatoes, then rub with a mild vegetable oil, such as canola.

Preheat over to 350°F. Poke once or twice with a fork and place directly on the oven rack to roast for 45 min to an hour.

Once fork-tender, split and fill with warmed leftover butter chicken. If you like, top with grated mozzarella cheese and/or torn fresh cilantro.

​Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, Winter 2017.