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Saturday, March 28, 2026

Butter Hen – Finances Bytes


For those who’ve by no means skilled the daring, unbelievable flavors of Butter Hen, then boy, are you in for a deal with! My husband loves Indian meals, and this butter rooster recipe is a favourite in our family. This Indian-inspired recipe consists of marinated tender rooster, a number of heat spices, and an irresistible sauce. It’s undoubtedly a fantastic budget-friendly recipe for those who’re trying to change issues up for dinner this week!

Overhead view of a homemade butter chicken in a cast iron skillet.Overhead view of a homemade butter chicken in a cast iron skillet.

Simple Butter Hen Recipe

In fact, there are lots of variations of butter rooster recipes, however right now, I’m sharing one which my household and I really like. Like our rooster tikka masala, it’s actually not an genuine recipe, nevertheless it’s made with easy-to-find pantry staples I nearly all the time have readily available. I marinate the rooster with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and plenty of spices to make it additional tender and flavorful, then simmer all of it in a buttery, spiced tomato cream sauce. It’s a complete weeknight winner in my home and all the time satisfies our takeout cravings!


Butter Hen

This selfmade Butter Hen recipe is wealthy, creamy, delicate, and filled with heat spices. Good for a straightforward weeknight dinner for the entire household!

Overhead view of a homemade butter chicken in a cast iron skillet.Overhead view of a homemade butter chicken in a cast iron skillet.

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Marinade

  • 2 boneless skinless rooster breasts (about 1.5 lb.)* ($6.25)
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt ($0.74)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.58)
  • 1 tsp grated recent ginger ($0.10)
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed ($0.08)
  • 2 tsp garam masala ($0.20)
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder ($0.05)
  • ¾ tsp salt ($0.03)

Butter Hen

  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
  • 3 Tbsp butter ($0.37)
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced ($0.48)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced ($0.08)
  • 1 tsp grated recent ginger ($0.10)
  • 2 tsp garam masala ($0.20)
  • ½ tsp floor cumin ($0.05)
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
  • ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder ($0.05)
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce** ($1.00)
  • ¼ cup water ($0.00)
  • cup heavy cream, room temperature ($0.35)

  • Minimize the rooster breasts up into small ½ inch items. Then, in a big bowl, mix the marinade substances (Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, garlic, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, and salt). Combine the marinade substances collectively till nicely mixed.

  • Add the reduce rooster items to the marinade and blend, ensuring all the rooster is coated evenly. Marinate within the fridge for at the least 1 hour or in a single day. Take away the marinated rooster from the fridge 10 minutes earlier than you might be able to cook dinner.

  • Warmth a big cast-iron skillet over medium-high warmth and add the cooking oil. Add the rooster and cook dinner till calmly browned on all sides and cooked by way of. It might be troublesome to see the brown shade as a result of marinade, nevertheless it ought to solely take roughly 8-10 minutes to cook dinner the rooster on all sides.

  • As soon as the rooster is absolutely cooked, take away it from the skillet to a separate plate. Cowl with foil and put aside.

  • Cut back the warmth to medium, then in the identical skillet, add the butter. As soon as the butter is melted, add the diced onion. Sauté the onion for about 4 minutes.

  • Now add within the minced garlic, grated ginger, and the remainder of the spices (garam masala, floor cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and turmeric powder). Stir collectively and cook dinner for 1 minute.

  • Subsequent, add within the tomato sauce and water. Stir and cut back the warmth to medium-low. Simmer the sauce for 7-8 minutes, stirring sometimes.

  • As soon as the tomato sauce has simmered, add the room temperature heavy cream to the sauce and stir to mix.

  • Add the cooked rooster again to the skillet and stir to mix with the sauce. Simmer the sauce and rooster for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, garnish with chopped cilantro, serve scorching with cooked rice or naan bread (all non-compulsory), and luxuriate in!

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  • Giant Bowl

  • Giant Solid Iron Skillet

*It’s also possible to use boneless, skinless rooster thighs.
**Tomato sauce within the US is simply cooked and pureed tomatoes with minimal added seasonings. The closest different can be passata in different international locations. It’s also possible to swap the tomato sauce for canned diced tomatoes. For those who’re utilizing diced tomatoes as an alternative of tomato sauce, you will want to mix the tomatoes and spices in a blender or meals processor to get a easy consistency to your sauce. The blender step just isn’t wanted in case you are merely utilizing tomato sauce.

Serving: 1servingEnergy: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 42gFats: 28gSodium: 1515mgFiber: 3g

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diet disclaimer right here.

the best way to make Butter Hen step-by-step images

Ingredients for butter chicken.Ingredients for butter chicken.

Collect your whole substances.

Diced chicken breast on a meat preparation mat.Diced chicken breast on a meat preparation mat.

Minimize the rooster: Slice 2 boneless skinless rooster breasts (about 1.5 lb.) into small ½-inch items. Attempt to reduce them evenly so that they cook dinner by way of on the similar charge in a while.

Greek yogurt and spices in a mixing bowl to make a marinade for butter chicken.Greek yogurt and spices in a mixing bowl to make a marinade for butter chicken.

Make the marinade: Add ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp grated recent ginger, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, and ¾ tsp salt to a big mixing bowl. Combine nicely to mix.

Diced chicken breast marinating in a bowl of butter chicken marinade.Diced chicken breast marinating in a bowl of butter chicken marinade.

Marinate the rooster: Now add your diced rooster to the marinade combination. Mix so every bit of rooster is nicely coated within the marinade. Place the bowl into the fridge for at the least 1 hour. As soon as the rooster has marinated, take away the bowl from the fridge 10 minutes earlier than you’re able to cook dinner.

Marinated chicken breast cooking in a cast iron skillet.Marinated chicken breast cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Prepare dinner the rooster: Place a big cast-iron skillet over medium-high warmth and pour in 2 Tbsp cooking oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the rooster and cook dinner till calmly browned and cooked during. (It may be tough to see any browning as a result of marinade, nevertheless it solely took me roughly 8-10 minutes to cook dinner the rooster on all sides). Take away the rooster from the skillet and place it on a separate plate. Cowl the plate with foil and put aside.

Diced onion cooking in melted butter in a cast iron skillet.Diced onion cooking in melted butter in a cast iron skillet.

Make the butter sauce: Flip the warmth right down to medium and add 3 Tbsp butter to the identical skillet you cooked the rooster in. When the butter is melted and bubbly, add 1 diced yellow onion and sauté for about 4 minutes. You should definitely scrape up any stuck-on bits from the underside of the skillet because the onion cooks!

Butter chicken seasonings and pressed garlic in a skillet with satueed diced onion.Butter chicken seasonings and pressed garlic in a skillet with satueed diced onion.

Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp grated recent ginger, 2 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp floor cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp turmeric powder to the sautéed onion. Stir to mix and cook dinner for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Tomato sauce being poured into spiced sautéed onions in a skillet.Tomato sauce being poured into spiced sautéed onions in a skillet.

Now, pour in 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and ¼ cup water into the skillet and stir to mix. Cut back the warmth to medium-low and simmer for 7-8 minutes. You should definitely stir the sauce sometimes because it simmers.

Heavy cream being added to a skillet to make a homemade butter chicken sauce.Heavy cream being added to a skillet to make a homemade butter chicken sauce.

Now add in ⅓ cup room-temperature heavy cream and mix.

Marinated and cooked diced chicken breast added to butter chicken sauce in a skillet.Marinated and cooked diced chicken breast added to butter chicken sauce in a skillet.

Assemble the butter rooster: Add the cooked rooster again to your skillet and blend to mix it with the sauce. Simmer every part collectively for 2-3 minutes.

Finished butter chicken recipe in a cast iron skillet.Finished butter chicken recipe in a cast iron skillet.

Serve: Sprinkle over some freshly chopped cilantro (non-compulsory) and serve together with your favourite sides! Get pleasure from.

Overhead view off a plate of butter chicken and rice.Butter Hen – Finances Bytes
  1. I prefer to marinate the rooster for at the least 1 hour, however you can even marinate it in a single day within the fridge for much more taste. The marinade helps to offer the rooster a light-weight tandoori-style taste, all without having a grill (or tandoor).
  2. I desire making this dish in a non-stick or well-seasoned forged iron skillet to assist the rooster brown with out sticking.
  3. Need to add some spice? Be happy to toss in a pinch of cayenne pepper for slightly additional warmth!

Serving Options

I normally serve this selfmade butter rooster with rice (ideally basmati or our yellow jasmine rice, however any sort will do) and a selfmade naan or chapati for dipping. A recent tomato salad can be a fantastic addition for one thing recent and juicy on the facet.

Storage & Reheating

This straightforward butter rooster recipe shops very well! I let any leftovers cool utterly, then switch them to an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 3-4 days. To reheat, I normally heat it gently in a skillet over medium-low warmth, including a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up an excessive amount of. It’s also possible to microwave it briefly bursts, stirring in between, till heated by way of. As for freezing, switch it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Simply observe that cream sauces can generally separate after thawing.

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