Description
A delicious and easy one-pan baked butter chicken recipe featuring bone-in chicken thighs marinated in a flavorful blend of yogurt and spices, then baked in a rich buttery tomato cream sauce. Perfectly juicy and infused with classic Indian flavors, served best 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) 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
For Serving
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish (optional)
- Basmati rice or other plain rice
- Naan bread (easy no-knead variety recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (400°F) or 180°C fan-forced, ensuring it’s fully heated before baking.
- Coat the chicken: In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients thoroughly. Add the chicken thighs and toss them well so each piece is fully coated in the marinade, infusing flavor.
- Optional marinating: For deeper flavor, marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator. This step is optional as baking will also infuse flavors.
- Assemble the dish: In a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish, mix all the curry sauce ingredients together. Place the marinated chicken pieces skin-side up in the sauce. Scrape out any leftover marinade from the bowl and dab it onto the chicken for maximum flavor.
- Bake the chicken: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce at 30 and 40 minutes. The sauce will change from a bright pink to a rich orangey-red color. If the sauce is not thick enough afterward, remove the chicken and return the sauce to the oven to thicken.
- Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after baking. Serve the butter chicken hot over basmati rice, garnished with coriander if desired. Accompany with naan bread for a complete meal.
Notes
- Chicken choice: Skin removal prevents greasiness. Bone-in thighs ensure juiciness; drumsticks may be used with slight quantity adjustments. Boneless thighs require partial pre-cooking of sauce before adding chicken and a shorter bake time. Breast meat is not recommended due to dryness and less flavor.
- Garam masala: A widely available Indian spice blend crucial for authentic flavor.
- Ghee: Clarified butter typical in Indian cooking, available in grocery stores and pantry-stable. Butter can substitute.
- Tomato passata/puree: Strained pure tomato product providing a smooth thick sauce base, commonly found in supermarkets.
- Marinating: Not essential but can enhance flavor if desired.
- Sauce thickening: If sauce is too thin after baking, remove chicken and bake sauce alone until thickened.
- Storage: Leftovers keep 3-4 days refrigerated or up to 3 months frozen.
- Make-ahead: Assemble in baking dish and refrigerate overnight, then bake fresh the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. one chicken thigh with sauce)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
