Dairy Free Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk
This dairy-free butter chicken with coconut milk is aromatic, flavorful, and creamy. Featuring juicy chicken thighs, Indian spices, and a silky coconut milk-based sauce, this fragrant recipe is also freezer-friendly—your future self will thank you!
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 708kcal
Ingredients
Seasoning Paste
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 inch knob of ginger chopped
- 2 chili peppers chopped
Chicken Marinade
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- ¼ cup coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoon seasoning paste from above
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
Butter Chicken Sauce
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ cup olive oil or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can ground tomatoes (28oz)
- 1 can coconut milk (14oz)
- 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place onion, garlic, ginger, chilis, and 2-3 tablespoons of water in a blender container and blend until smooth.
- In a medium mixing bowl, Add yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the seasoning paste from step 1, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, and coriander to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Toss the chicken in the marinade until coated and set aside to marinate while cooking the butter chicken sauce.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high. Once the oil begins to smoke, pour in the remaining seasoning paste from step 1, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle in the garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and coriander. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring often, until deep in color, then stir in 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, cooking another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.Chef's Tip: If the spices stick to the pan, add a splash of water to prevent them from burning.
- Pour in the pureed tomatoes and honey, then season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Uncover the pot and stir in the coconut milk until fully combined, then bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until they have grill marks, are caramelized, and cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- Roughly chop the chicken and stir into the butter chicken sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve with naan, on rice, or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
Scroll up for a visual walkthrough of the recipe.
Chef's tips:
- Cooking variations: If you don't have a grill available, cook the chicken in the oven on a baking sheet, at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
- Prepare the spice mixes: To prevent burning, prepare the spice mix for the butter chicken sauce by pre-mixing the spices before cooking.
- Building flavor: Although not required, the chicken will build even more flavor if marinated for several hours or overnight.
Modifications:
- Make it with dairy: Use Greek, Balkan, or skyr yogurt in the marinade instead of coconut yogurt, and use ghee instead of oil for cooking.
- Make it vegetarian: Use medium or firm tofu, beans, or veggies like mushrooms or cauliflower instead of chicken in the recipe.
- Make it vegan: Use medium or firm tofu, beans, or veggies like mushrooms or cauliflower instead of chicken in the recipe, and replace the honey with sugar.
Storage and Batch Cooking
Store leftover butter chicken and sauce in a container for up to 5 days in the fridge. We often make large batches of butter chicken and freeze the leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 253mg | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1364IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 5mg