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This is a truly easy recipe for keto butter chicken, a wonderful Northern Indian dish with intense, complex flavors.
I love serving this saucy dish on a bed of cauliflower rice, and since the leftovers are delicious, I sometimes double the recipe.
I adore Indian cuisine. I often make Indian-style recipes such as homemade tandoori chicken, mango frozen yogurt, and this keto butter chicken.
I'm not usually a big fan of chicken, preferring beef or lamb (these lamb chops are incredible), but this recipe is amazing. Like most Indian recipes, it's incredibly flavorful, and in this particular case, it's also wonderfully creamy.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- The Best Tomatoes To Use
- Variations
- Keto Butter Chicken Instructions
- Expert Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Indian Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
The list of ingredients for making this recipe isn't particularly short - I usually aim for much shorter in my recipes.
But that's the thing with Indian cuisine - all these amazing flavors must come from somewhere. And that "somewhere" is lots of spices and aromatics.
However, don't let that deter you. It takes just a few minutes to assemble everything. And once that's done, the cooking itself is a matter of minutes.
The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this keto butter chicken:
- Heavy cream: Full-fat Greek yogurt can also work. But heavy cream is better, and then you also have less of a risk of it curdling.
- Tomato paste: Not a particularly low-carb ingredient, but used sparingly here.
- To season: Kosher salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, and crushed red peppers. All of these can be found in most supermarkets. If you cannot find garam masala, you can order it online.
- Butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and ginger. It's best to use freshly minced garlic and ginger in this recipe.
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs will work too.
- Tomato sauce: I use canned tomato sauce. Pomi Chopped Tomatoes or standard diced tomatoes can also be used. See the discussion below under "The Best Toamtoes To Use."
- Parsley: Used primarily for garnish, so it's OK to skip it.
The Best Tomatoes To Use
I have tested this recipe with three different tomato types. I tried this canned tomato sauce. It gave me a smooth and silky sauce.
I also tried Pomi Chopped Tomatoes, as shown in the video below. I liked the result - it was a bit chunkier, but still very good.
Diced tomatoes (undrained), as shown in the photo above, are another option that I tested and liked, but they result in a chunkier sauce. If you opt to use them, chop them finely before adding them to the sauce.
As you can see in the image below, there's a big difference in texture between canned diced tomatoes and canned tomato sauce. Pomi chopped tomatoes fall somewhere in the middle - not completely smooth, but not as chunky as standard diced tomatoes.
Variations
- You can add cumin to the spice mix. I like to add ½ teaspoon.
- Ghee is a good substitute for butter.
- I often use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. They are fattier and juicier.
- Cilantro can be used instead of parsley. It's more flavorful.
Keto Butter Chicken Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
- You start by combining spices, tomato paste, and water to create a thick paste.
- Next, cook onion, garlic, and ginger in some butter. Add the seasoning paste, then add the chicken cubes and sauté them. (Photo 1).
- Add the tomato sauce and keep cooking until the chicken is cooked through. (Photo 2).
- The final step is to lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. This creates a beautifully silky sauce. That's it! Garnish with parsley and serve. (Photos 3,4).
Expert Tips
- This recipe requires just two tablespoons of tomato paste. To avoid waste, you could either use the remaining tomato paste in another recipe (such as this keto meat pie) or divide it into small plastic containers and freeze it for later use. An ice cube tray with a lid works well for this.
- While you want the chicken pieces to be cooked through, you don't want them overcooked and dry. So make sure to only cook them until they're cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and not longer.
Recipe FAQs
Why is it called "butter" chicken?
Because it contains butter! This is an Indian curry dish of chicken cooked in a well-seasoned sauce of tomatoes, butter, and cream.
Is butter chicken the same as chicken tikka masala?
They're very similar. The difference is that butter chicken is creamier while tikka masala is dryer, and its flavor profile focuses more on tomatoes.
What is garam masala?
Garam masala is a blend of ground spices used in Indian cuisine. It typically contains cinnamon, mace, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cardamom.
The name garam masala means hot or warm spice, but the spice blend is actually relatively mild and focuses on aromatic rather than hot spices.
Serving Suggestions
This flavorful, saucy dish is traditionally served over rice, which works well to absorb the tasty sauce. I have found that the following keto options are just as good:
- Cauliflower rice
- Mashed cauliflower
- Zucchini noodles
- Hearts of Palm pasta
- Baked spaghetti squash
- Mashed butternut squash
- Sauteed spinach
In addition, I often serve this dish with a side of a green vegetable, such as microwave broccoli, roasted asparagus, roasted Brussels sprouts, or sauteed green beans.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. To avoid drying the chicken, reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
More Indian Recipes
- Tandoori Chicken
- Turkey Curry
- Mango Frozen Yogurt
- Sweet Potato Patties
Recipe Card
4.97 from 98 votes
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Keto Butter Chicken
This is a truly easy recipe for keto butter chicken, a wonderful Northern Indian dish with intense, complex flavors.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 364kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
Spice Mix:
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Remaining Ingredients:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped (3 oz)
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
- 1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 15 oz canned tomato sauce, no salt added or Pomi chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
In a small bowl, use a small spatula or a fork to combine the tomato paste, water, kosher salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, and crushed red peppers, to create a thick paste. Set aside.
Measure out the cream and remove it from the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic, ginger, and seasoning paste. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.
Add the chicken cubes. Stir to coat. Sauté the chicken on all sides for 2 minutes.
Add the canned tomato sauce. Keep cooking over medium-high heat, stirring, for 3-5 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Lower the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream to create a silky, creamy sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.
Video
Notes
- While you want the chicken pieces to be cooked through, you don't want them overcooked and dry. So make sure to only cook them until they're cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and not longer.
- Canned tomato sauce will give you a smooth and velvety sauce. You can also successfully use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes. Diced tomatoes (undrained) are another option that I tested and liked, but they do result in a chunkier sauce. If you opt to use them, chop them finely before using them.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. To avoid drying the chicken, reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 643mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Tiffany
This was delicious. I didn't have fresh ginger but used a good amount of ginger powder and some spicy curry powder. I will definitely be making this more often.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Tiffany!
Reply
