Easy Butter Chicken Curry - Friday Night Fake Away Recipe

Friday night is CURRY NIGHT and this butter chicken is the recipe that is going to make you never order takeaway again. Rich, creamy, deeply spiced, and honestly SO much better than anything that arrives in a foil container, this is a PROPER butter chicken made from scratch and it is an absolute WINNER. The marinade does all the heavy lifting (overnight in the fridge is the move if you can manage it), and then it all comes together in under 30 minutes. Silky tomato sauce, a generous amount of butter because we are not here to apologise for anything, a glug of cream, and tender perfectly spiced chicken. This is comfort food at its absolute finest!

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Marinating Time: 10 minutes minimum (overnight is best!)
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes (plus marinating)
• Serves: 4
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Large frying pan or wide saucepan with lid, fine grater or microplane

The magic of butter chicken is all in the two-stage marinade. First, the chicken gets a quick hit of lemon, garlic, ginger, chilli, and salt, which starts to tenderise the meat and season it all the way through. Then the yoghurt and spices go on, and THIS is where the real flavour building happens. The yoghurt acts as a tenderiser, keeping the chicken incredibly juicy as it sears, and all those warm spices, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, get right into the meat. If you can leave it overnight, DO IT. The difference is remarkable. Then it's a quick sear to get some colour, a deeply flavoured onion and tomato base, butter (lots of it, no regrets), cream, and dinner is on the table in no time.

Watch me make this recipe on YouTube! Easy Butter Chicken Curry - Dishes with Del

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Better than takeaway: Richer, fresher, and way more satisfying than anything from a delivery app
• The overnight marinade is a game changer: Do the prep the night before and dinner practically makes itself
• Pantry friendly: Most of the spices are ones you'll already have sitting in the cupboard
• Crowd pleaser: Kids, adults, fussy eaters, everyone loves a butter chicken
• Great for leftovers: The flavour gets even better the next day

Ingredients

Stage 1 Marinade:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• Small knob of fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Stage 2 Marinade:

• ½ cup (approximately 125g) natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

For the Sauce:

• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 100g butter, divided (30g + 50g + 20g)
• 50ml water
• 3 whole cardamom pods, lightly bruised
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 jar (approximately 680g) passata
• 100–150ml double cream

To Serve:

• Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Steamed rice or flatbreads

Instructions

1. Stage 1 marinade: Cut the chicken breasts into generous chunks and add to a bowl. Add the salt, chilli powder, grated ginger, 2 grated garlic cloves, and the lemon zest and juice. Mix well to coat, cover, and pop in the fridge for 1 hour if you have time.
2. Stage 2 marinade: Add the yoghurt, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and curry powder to the chicken and mix well until everything is evenly coated. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 10 minutes, but PLEASE try to do this overnight if you can. The difference in flavour and tenderness is absolutely worth it!
3. Sear the chicken: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 30g of butter and once foaming, add the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes each side until you've got some lovely golden colour on the outside. You're not cooking them through at this stage, just getting colour. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Cook the onions: Reduce the heat to medium and add 50g of butter to the same pan. Add the sliced onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 50ml of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up all those gorgeous sticky bits from the bottom. That's pure flavour right there! Continue to cook the onions for a further 8 to 10 minutes until they are soft, sweet, and golden.
5. Add the spices: Add the bruised whole cardamom pods, garam masala, chilli powder, and turmeric to the onions. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the spices are fragrant and toasted.
6. Add the passata: Pour in the passata, stir everything together, and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has deepened in colour and flavour.
7. Finish cooking the chicken: Add the seared chicken back into the sauce, stir to coat, and pop the lid on. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. If you have a meat thermometer, you're looking for 72°C internal temperature.
8. Add the butter and cream: Remove the lid and add the final 20g of butter and 100 to 150ml of double cream. Stir gently until everything is combined into a rich, silky, glossy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
9. Serve: Scatter generously with fresh coriander and serve immediately with steamed rice or warm flatbreads. Get it on the table while it's hot!

Chef's Tips

Overnight marinade = next level results: If there's one thing you take away from this recipe, let it be this. Even if you only manage an hour, the yoghurt marinade transforms the chicken, but overnight is truly magical.

Don't skip the sear: That golden colour on the chicken before it goes into the sauce adds enormous depth of flavour. A hot pan and a bit of patience, don't move the chicken too soon!

Bruise those cardamom pods: Use the flat side of your knife to lightly crush the pods before adding them. This cracks them open slightly so the flavour can infuse into the sauce. Remove them before serving if you spot them, no one wants to bite down on a whole cardamom!

Deglaze properly: When you add that 50ml of water after the chicken, really scrape the bottom of the pan. All those sticky brown bits are concentrated flavour and they're going to make your sauce incredible.

Cream at the end only: Add the cream right at the end off or on very low heat. Boiling cream can split and you'll lose that beautiful silky texture.

Substitutions & Variations

• Chicken thighs instead of breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are actually even better here, juicier and more forgiving if slightly overcooked. Highly recommended!
• No double cream: Single cream or coconut cream both work well. Coconut cream gives a slightly different but equally delicious result.
• No passata: A 400g tin of crushed tomatoes blended smooth works perfectly.
• Dairy free: Use coconut yoghurt for the marinade, dairy-free butter, and coconut cream for the sauce.
• Add vegetables: Spinach stirred through at the end, or roasted cauliflower added with the chicken, are both brilliant additions.
• Make it spicier: Add an extra ½ teaspoon of chilli powder to the sauce, or stir through a teaspoon of your favourite hot sauce at the end.

Storage

Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It genuinely tastes better the next day once all the flavours have had time to meld together!

Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, adding a small splash of water to loosen if needed.

Reheating: Reheat gently over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. Don't boil it hard or the cream can split.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use chicken straight from the freezer? A: Defrost fully in the fridge first, never marinate or cook from frozen. Proper defrosting also means the marinade can actually get into the meat properly.

Q: My sauce seems too thick, what do I do? A: Add a splash of water or chicken stock to loosen it to your preferred consistency. Stir and taste as you go.

Q: Can I make this ahead for a dinner party? A: Absolutely, this is a brilliant make-ahead dish. Make it the day before, cool and refrigerate, then reheat gently before serving. Just hold off on adding the cream until you're reheating.

Q: I don't have all the individual spices, can I use a curry powder instead? A: You can use a good quality curry powder as a shortcut for the sauce base, use about 2 teaspoons. It won't be quite the same depth of flavour but it'll still be delicious.

Q: What's the best thing to serve butter chicken with? A: Steamed basmati rice is the classic. But honestly, my 2-ingredient yoghurt flatbreads are INCREDIBLE with this and take about 10 minutes to make!

You Might Also Like

2-Ingredient Yoghurt Flatbreads - Easy Homemade Recipe - The PERFECT thing to serve alongside this butter chicken, ready in 10 minutes!

Potato and Tomato Curry - Alur Dom - A brilliant vegetarian curry to serve alongside or save for a meat-free night!

Saag Halloumi - Saag Paneer but with Halloumi - Another gorgeous spiced dish that would make the most incredible curry night spread!

Enjoy!

Del x

This easy butter chicken curry is rich, creamy, and packed with warm spice, a proper Friday night fake away that's better than any takeaway. Two-stage yoghurt marinade, a silky tomato and butter sauce, and on the table in under 40 minutes. Once you make it yourself, you'll never order in again!