Description
This one-pan baked butter chicken recipe features tender bone-in chicken thighs marinated in a blend of yogurt and aromatic spices, then baked in a rich, creamy tomato sauce infused with ghee. Easy to prepare and loaded with flavor, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner served with basmati rice and naan.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb (6 pieces) bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
Butter chicken marinade
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder (pure, not US blend) or cayenne pepper powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Butter chicken curry sauce
- 2 tbsp / 30g melted ghee or butter
- 1 cup tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 3/4 cup heavy / thickened cream (or regular cream, or coconut milk)
- 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Serving
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish (optional)
- Basmati rice or other plain rice
- Naan bread (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced) to get it ready for baking.
- Coat chicken: In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, then add the chicken thighs and toss thoroughly to ensure each piece is well coated.
- Optional marinating: For deeper flavor, you can marinate the chicken overnight, though this step is not mandatory as the baking process infuses good flavor.
- Assemble for baking: In a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish, mix together all the sauce ingredients. Place the chicken pieces skin side up on top of the sauce. Scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl and dab it onto the chicken surface.
- Bake the chicken: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. At the 30 and 40 minute marks, baste the chicken with sauce to keep it moist. The sauce color will deepen from pink to orangey-red as it thickens.
- Rest and serve: Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve the butter chicken over basmati rice, garnished with coriander if desired. Naan bread on the side makes a wonderful accompaniment for mopping up the sauce.
Notes
- Chicken: Skin removal helps prevent greasiness. Bone-in thighs stay juicy during the bake. Drumsticks can be used with slight quantity adjustments. Boneless thighs require initial sauce cooking before adding chicken to avoid overcooking. Breast meat is not recommended as it is too lean and lacks flavor.
- Garam masala: A commonly available Indian spice mix that adds authentic flavor at no extra cost.
- Ghee: Clarified butter used for its rich flavor; can be substituted with regular butter if necessary.
- Tomato passata: Smooth pureed tomato, sometimes called tomato puree, ideal for thick sauces.
- Marinating: Not essential but can be done overnight for enhanced flavor infusion.
- Sauce thickness: If sauce is too thin after baking, remove chicken and bake sauce alone to thicken further.
- Storage: Leftovers keep 3-4 days refrigerated or up to 3 months frozen.
- Make-ahead: Entire dish can be assembled and refrigerated overnight, then baked fresh the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 200g with sauce)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 125mg
