My family loves this easy recipe for keto butter chicken, a Northern Indian dish with intense, complex flavors. I serve this saucy dish on a bed of cauliflower rice, and since the leftovers are delicious, I sometimes double the recipe.
I adore Indian cuisine and often make recipes such as tandoori chicken, mango frozen yogurt, and keto butter chicken. I'm not usually a big fan of chicken, preferring beef or lamb, but this recipe is amazing. Like most Indian recipes, it's incredibly flavorful, and in this case, it's also wonderfully silky and creamy thanks to the butter and cream used in the sauce.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients for making this recipe isn't particularly short - I usually aim for much shorter in my recipes. But that's the thing with Indian cuisine - all these amazing flavors must come from somewhere, and that "somewhere" is lots of spices and aromatics. Don't let that deter you! It takes just a few minutes to assemble everything. And once that's done, the cooking itself is a matter of minutes. See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Heavy cream: Full-fat Greek yogurt can also work. But heavy cream is better, and then you also have less of a risk of it curdling.
- Tomato paste: Not a low-carb ingredient, but used sparingly here.
- To season: Kosher salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, and crushed red peppers. All of these can be found in most supermarkets. If you can't find garam masala, you can order it online.
- Butter: Adds silkiness and flavor.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and ginger. It's best to use freshly minced garlic and ginger. Don't attempt to substitute the fresh aromatics with powdered versions.
- Chicken breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs will work, too.
- Tomato sauce: I use canned tomato sauce. Pomi Chopped Tomatoes or standard diced tomatoes can also be used. See the discussion below under "The Best Tomatoes To Use."
- Parsley: Used mostly for garnish, so it's OK to skip it. Cilantro can be used instead of parsley.
The Best Tomatoes To Use
I tested this recipe with three different tomato types:
- Tomato sauce. This canned tomato sauce gave me a smooth and silky sauce.
- Chopped tomatoes. You can use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes, as shown in the video below. I liked the result - it was a bit chunkier but still very good.
- Diced tomatoes (undrained) are another option that I tested and liked, but they result in a chunkier sauce. If you opt to use them, chop them finely before adding them to the sauce.
There's a big difference in texture between canned diced tomatoes (chunky) and canned tomato sauce (smooth). Pomi chopped tomatoes fall somewhere in the middle - not completely smooth, but not as chunky as standard diced tomatoes. My personal favorite is canned tomato sauce.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Combine spices, tomato paste, and water to create a thick paste. Cook onion, garlic, and ginger in butter. Add the seasoning paste, then add the chicken cubes and sauté them.
Add the tomato sauce and keep cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. This creates a beautifully silky sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.
I've been eating this for two years now, and it's my family's favorite meal! Sometimes, we even have it 2x a week. I will sub heavy cream with coconut milk sometimes, too, and it's still really good. Thank you for sharing!
Rebekah McGuire
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I've been eating this for two years now, and it's my family's favorite meal! Sometimes, we even have it 2x a week. I will sub heavy cream with coconut milk sometimes, too, and it's still really good. Thank you for sharing!Recipe Tips
- This recipe requires just two tablespoons of tomato paste. To avoid waste, you could either use the remaining tomato paste in another recipe (such as this keto meat pie) or divide it into small plastic containers and freeze it for later use. An ice cube tray with a lid works well for this.
- While you want the chicken pieces to be cooked through, you don't want them overcooked and dry. So make sure to only cook them until they're cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and not longer.
- For a dairy-free version, replace the heavy cream with well-blended canned coconut milk (full fat) and the butter with coconut oil.
- For a lower-carb version, use half the tomato sauce, increase the heavy cream to ½ cup, and the butter to 4 tablespoons. This version has 435 calories, 39 grams of protein, 27 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber per serving.
- Storage: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing them. To avoid drying the chicken, reheat the leftovers covered in the microwave at 50% power. If reheating on the stovetop, use low heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
Serving Suggestions
This saucy dish is traditionally served over rice, which works well to absorb the tasty sauce. I have found that the following keto options are just as good:
- Cauliflower rice
- Mashed cauliflower
- Zucchini noodles
- Hearts of Palm pasta
- Baked spaghetti squash
- Mashed butternut squash
- Sauteed spinach
I often add a side of a green vegetable, such as microwave broccoli, roasted asparagus, roasted Brussels sprouts, or sautéed green beans.
Recipe Card
30-Minute Keto Butter Chicken
Video
Ingredients
Spice Mix:
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining Ingredients:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces onion - chopped; 3 ounces
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger - minced
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce, no salt - see notes below
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, use a small spatula or a fork to combine the tomato paste, water, kosher salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes, creating a thick paste. Set aside.
- Measure out the cream and remove it from the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
- Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the onion and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes, until soft.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and seasoning paste. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.
- Add the chicken cubes. Stir to coat. Sauté the chicken on all sides for 2 minutes.
- Add the canned tomato sauce. Keep cooking over medium-high heat, stirring, for 3-5 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Lower the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream to create a silky, creamy sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired.
Notes
- To lower the carb count, use half the tomato sauce, increase the heavy cream to ½ cup, and the butter to 4 tablespoons. This version has 435 calories, 39 grams of protein, 27 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber per serving.
- While you want the chicken pieces cooked through, you don't want them overcooked and dry. So, make sure to cook them only until they're cooked through (165°F internal temperature), not longer.
- Canned tomato sauce will give you a smooth and velvety sauce. You can also successfully use Pomi Chopped Tomatoes. Diced tomatoes (undrained) are another option that I tested and liked, but they result in a chunkier sauce. If you opt to use them, chop them finely before using them.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing them. To avoid drying the chicken, reheat the leftovers covered in the microwave at 50% power. If reheating on the stovetop, use low heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Susie K says
Just beautiful. So easy. Have saved recipe to make again.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Susie! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you very much for the review.
Anthony Murray says
How is this keto with so much carbs and sugar?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Great question, Anthony! The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to 20 - 50 grams a day. With 12 grams of net carbs per serving, this recipe should work for those on the upper end of carb intake. You're correct that it likely won't work for those on the lower end.
Rebekah McGuire says
I've been eating this for two years now and it's my family's favorite meal! Sometimes we even have it 2x a week. I will sub heavy cream with coconut milk sometimes too and it's still really good. Thank you for sharing!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe, Rebekah! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Tiffany says
This was delicious. I didn't have fresh ginger but used a good amount of ginger powder and some spicy curry powder. I will definitely be making this more often.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Tiffany!