This easy and delicious Butter Chicken recipe by Jamie Oliver is a creamy, flavour-packed dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal. With a blend of fresh chillies, tomatoes, and smooth cashew butter, it’s simple to prepare and adaptable with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
Ingredients Needed
- 2–3 fresh mixed-colour chillies
- 350g (12oz) ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 6cm (2.4 inches) piece of ginger
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 4 heaped tablespoons natural yoghurt (about 60g or 1/4 cup)
- 2 x 150g (5.3oz) free-range skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons smooth cashew butter (about 30g)
How To Make Butter Chicken
- Char the chillies and tomatoes: Halve and deseed the chillies. Place in a large non-stick frying pan on high heat with the tomatoes. Blacken all over, turning occasionally.
- Prepare the marinade: Peel the garlic and ginger, then finely grate into a large bowl. Add most of the garam masala, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt. Deeply score the chicken breasts at 1cm (0.4 inches) intervals, then massage the marinade into the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Once the tomatoes and chillies are charred, remove them to a board. Return the pan to medium heat with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway, while you discard the tomato skins and roughly chop 1–2 of the chillies, to taste.
- Make the sauce: Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the tomatoes, chopped chillies, and cashew butter. Pour in 250ml (1 cup) of boiling water, stirring to lift the sticky bits from the pan. Let it bubble for 2 minutes until it thickens.
- Finish the dish: Return the chicken to the pan and turn it in the sauce for a final 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove to a board. Off the heat, season the sauce and stir in the remaining yoghurt.
- Serve: Slice the chicken and serve with the remaining chilli and garam masala.
Recipe Tips
- Score the chicken deeply: Scoring the chicken breasts at 1cm intervals ensures the marinade penetrates well, giving the meat more flavor and tenderness.
- Char the chillies and tomatoes well: Make sure they are deeply blackened, as this adds a smoky, rich depth to the sauce.
- Peel the tomato skins: Removing the skins after charring avoids a grainy texture in the sauce, keeping it smooth and creamy.
- Use boiling water for the sauce: Adding hot water helps deglaze the pan quickly, mixing all the flavorful bits into the sauce.
- Adjust chilli quantity to your taste: Start with one chilli for mild heat and add more if you prefer it spicier, balancing the dish perfectly to your liking.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: First, let the leftover Butter Chicken cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the Butter Chicken to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Place the Butter Chicken in a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of water if needed. Stir occasionally and heat until piping hot, about 5–7 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 300g)
- Calories: 400
- Total Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
- Sodium: 600mg
- Potassium: 800mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 15g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 7g
- Protein: 35g
Try More Jamie Oliver Recipes:
- Jamie Oliver BBQ Chicken
- Jamie Oliver Chicken in White Wine Sauce
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Jamie Oliver Sticky Chicken Recipe
Jamie Oliver Butter Chicken
Description
This easy and delicious Butter Chicken recipe by Jamie Oliver is a creamy, flavour-packed dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal. With a blend of fresh chillies, tomatoes, and smooth cashew butter, it’s simple to prepare and adaptable with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Char the chillies and tomatoes: Halve and deseed the chillies. Place in a large non-stick frying pan on high heat with the tomatoes. Blacken all over, turning occasionally.
- Prepare the marinade: Peel the garlic and ginger, then finely grate into a large bowl. Add most of the garam masala, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt. Deeply score the chicken breasts at 1cm (0.4 inches) intervals, then massage the marinade into the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Once the tomatoes and chillies are charred, remove them to a board. Return the pan to medium heat with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway, while you discard the tomato skins and roughly chop 1–2 of the chillies, to taste.
- Make the sauce: Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the tomatoes, chopped chillies, and cashew butter. Pour in 250ml (1 cup) of boiling water, stirring to lift the sticky bits from the pan. Let it bubble for 2 minutes until it thickens.
- Finish the dish: Return the chicken to the pan and turn it in the sauce for a final 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove to a board. Off the heat, season the sauce and stir in the remaining yoghurt.
- Serve: Slice the chicken and serve with the remaining chilli and garam masala.
Notes
- Score the chicken deeply: Scoring the chicken breasts at 1cm intervals ensures the marinade penetrates well, giving the meat more flavor and tenderness.
- Char the chillies and tomatoes well: Make sure they are deeply blackened, as this adds a smoky, rich depth to the sauce.
- Peel the tomato skins: Removing the skins after charring avoids a grainy texture in the sauce, keeping it smooth and creamy.
- Use boiling water for the sauce: Adding hot water helps deglaze the pan quickly, mixing all the flavorful bits into the sauce.
- Adjust chilli quantity to your taste: Start with one chilli for mild heat and add more if you prefer it spicier, balancing the dish perfectly to your liking.
Jamie Oliver Butter Chicken