Cozy Butter Chicken
This is the kind of dinner that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible. Tender chicken coated in a spiced Greek yogurt marinade, then cooked in plenty of butter until golden and fragrant before being simmered in a creamy coconut tomato sauce with onion, garlic, warm spices, and fresh tomato. A few big handfuls of baby spinach get stirred in at the end for a little freshness, while the sauce gets thick, rich, and perfect for spooning over fluffy rice. Serve it all up with fresh cilantro and warm naan for soaking up every last bit of sauce. It’s cozy, comforting, full of flavour, and honestly one of those dinners you’ll want to make on repeat.
Cozy Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups water
For the chicken
- 2-3 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt and pepper
For the curry
- 3 tbsp butter divided
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 large tomato cut into thick chunks
- Splash of water
- 5 large handfuls baby spinach
For serving
- Fresh cilantro
- Warm naan
- Cooked rice
Instructions
- Add the chicken, Greek yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Stir until the chicken is well coated. Cover and let marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Rinse the rice well, then add it to a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for another 15 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork before serving.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or cast-iron pot over medium-high heat and add about 2 tbsp of butter. Once melted, add the marinated chicken and cook until golden brown and fragrant. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter to the same pot, followed by the diced onion. Cook until softened, scraping up all the golden bits left behind from the chicken. This is all flavour!
- Add the cumin, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes. Stir for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir well, cooking for another minute or two.
- Pour in the coconut milk, then add the diced tomato and a splash of water (about 1/2 cup). Return the chicken to the pot and stir everything together.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and any additional spices you like.
- Stir in the baby spinach and cook for a few minutes until wilted.
- Spoon the butter chicken over fluffy rice and finish with plenty of fresh cilantro. Serve alongside warm naan for dipping into all that creamy sauce.
