This easy keto butter chicken recipe features a simple, quick marinade and rich butter chicken sauce! Learn how to make butter chicken for an Indian feast at home.

Butter Chicken

Keto Butter Chicken Recipe by Cast Iron Keto

We absolutely love Asian food, it’s definitely one of our favorite types of cuisine and this Keto Butter Chicken is our current favorite Indian recipe to make at home! Unfortunately, we didn’t discover how much we loved sub-continent food until sometime in late 2015…that’s too many years of our life wasted.

This may be a little of a curveball, but if you want to make the most (nutritiously speaking) out of this butter chicken, forgo the butter.  Wait, what?  Yeah, you heard me, substitute ghee in its place.

WHAT IS GHEE?

If you haven’t tried ghee before, it is like concentrated butter and it kind of has a nutty and a butterier flavor, but with even more nutritional benefits. This is great for those following a keto diet. Since ghee is essentially concentrated butter (without the milk solids), the nutrients and vitamins in regular butter are condensed in ghee. This makes it a nutritional powerhouse.

ready-to-serve-butterchicken

HOW TO MAKE KETO BUTTER CHICKEN:

  1. First, you’ll start by cutting the chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add in the yogurt, stir to combine. You’ll then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes but this can be overnight as well taking a bit of the prep time off you come dinner time!
  2. For the sauce, place the onion, ginger, garlic, crushed tomatoes and spices in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can also be done ahead of time!
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (10.5″ or larger) over medium-high heat. Place the chicken along with the marinade in the skillet, browning 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once browned pour in the sauce cook 5 to 6 minutes longer.
  4. Stir in the heavy cream and ghee, continue to cook another minute. Taste for salt and add additional if needed. DONE!

WHAT SHOULD WE SERVE THIS WITH?

We like to serve this keto butter chicken with sliced jalapeños, minced cilantro, and cauliflower rice. Sliced cucumbers are also delicious with this recipe as well! Also, Keto Naan is perfect for soaking up the butter chicken sauce! It’s also delicious with a side of raita.

Our go-to recipe for raita is to take a few Persian cucumbers (about one per person), slice them into 2″ pieces, then crush them with a back of a spoon. Sprinkle with salt and mix them with yogurt (about a 1/4 cup per person – either whole Greek yogurt or plain almond milk yogurt), a pinch of garam masala, and a tablespoon or two of minced fresh mint and cilantro. Yum!

CAN I MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN DAIRY-FREE?

Yes, you can! Simply use a butter substitute in place of the ghee or butter and swap the heavy cream for coconut milk. Miyoko’s vegan butter is a great dairy-free option.

IS THIS RECIPE SPICY?

A touch but it’s pretty mild, especially if you leave out the sliced jalapeños.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER KETO BUTTER CHICKEN

This recipe keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator for up to 5 days making it perfect for meal prep!

Other recipes you might like to try: Italian Meatballs Keto Recipe, Savory Carrot and Zucchini Fritters, Smoked Salmon Frittata Recipe

Butter Chicken

Low Carb Butter Chicken Recipe

Butter Chicken is creamy and easy to make right at home in one pan with simple ingredients. It only takes about 30 minutes to get ready.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6
Calories 293 kcal

Ingredients
  

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast cubed
  • 2 tbsp garam masala
  • 3 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 3 tsp minced garlic
  • 4 oz whole milk plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp cocunut oil

Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Salt to taste

Optional for serving:

  • minced cilantro
  • cauliflower rice
  • sliced fresh jalapeños

Instructions
 

  • Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Add in the yogurt, stir to combine. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 30 minutes.
  • For the sauce, place the onion, ginger, garlic, crushed tomatoes and spices in a blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken along with the marinade in the skillet, browning 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once browned, pour in the sauce cook and 5 to 6 minutes longer.
  • Stir in the heavy cream and ghee, continue to cook another minute. Taste for salt and add additional if needed. Top with cilantro and serve with cauliflower rice if desired.

Notes

Notes:
Nutritional information does not include cauliflower rice
 

Nutrition Facts

butter chicken nutition facts
Keyword butter chicken recipe, chicken, chicken recipe, keto chicken recipe, keto diet