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    Home » Recipes

    Keto Butter Chicken

    Jan 5, 2018 · 55 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Keto Butter Chicken is a delicious and easy low-carb skillet dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes!

    Keto Butter Chicken in a cast iron skillet with cauliflower rice

    We absolutely love Indian 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 Indian food until sometime in late 2015…that's too many years of our life wasted.

    I guess you could say now we're making up for lost time.

    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 us, substitute ghee in its place.

    Jump to:
    • What is Ghee?
    • How to make keto butter chicken:
    • What should I serve this with?
    • Can I make butter chicken dairy-free?
    • Is this recipe spicy?
    • How to store leftover Keto Butter Chicken
    • 📖 Recipe

    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.

    For more information on the nutritional benefits of ghee and how to make it, check out the links below.

    • Dr. Axe - Are Ghee Benefits Better Than Butter?
    • Organic Facts - 7 Impressive Ghee Benefits
    • Downshiftology - How to Make Ghee

    Keto Butter Chicken in bowl with cauliflower rice

    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 I 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, our 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 ¼ cup per person - either whole Greek yogurt or plain almond milk yogurt), a pinch of garam masala, and a tablespoon or two of mince 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!

    Looking for more Keto Indian recipes? Check these out!

    • Keto Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs
    • Keto Vegan Tofu Vindaloo
    • Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
    • Keto Halloumi Fries: Indian Style
    • Low-Carb Biryani with Shrimp
    • Keto Naan
    • Curry In A Hurry

    📖 Recipe

    Keto Butter Chicken in a cast iron skillet with cauliflower rice

    Keto Butter Chicken

    This Keto Butter Chicken is a spin on our favorite Indian dish. It’s super easy to make, only takes about 30 minutes, and everyone at your table will love it!
    4.47 from 52 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: 30-minute, easy, keto, low carb
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 293kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 lbs chicken breast cubed
    • 2 tablespoons garam masala
    • 3 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
    • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 4 oz whole milk plain Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

    Sauce:

    • 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
    • 1 onion
    • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • ½ tablespoon garam masala
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 teaspoon 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

    Nutritional information does not include cauliflower rice

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Butter Chicken
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 293 Calories from Fat 153
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 17g26%
    Saturated Fat 10g63%
    Cholesterol 111mg37%
    Sodium 278mg12%
    Potassium 724mg21%
    Carbohydrates 9g3%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 29g58%
    Vitamin A 697IU14%
    Vitamin C 10mg12%
    Calcium 84mg8%
    Iron 2mg11%
    *

    Nutritional values are estimates only and do not include carbs from sugar alcohols.

    # Hashtag with us!Don't forget to mention @castiron_keto or tag #castironketo on Instagram with your creations! We love seeing what you're making.
    « Keto Enchiladas
    Keto Chicken Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Grady says

      February 26, 2018 at 3:22 am

      This was tasty. My sauce was quite thick and there was a ton of it. Probably could have supported 2.5 -3lbs of chick with the amount of sauce i had. I think the whole onion was driving volume and thickness and i would have called it a medium onion - we definitely get larger onions come through the store. I thinned with chicken stock which didnt help the volume thing though. Will be a repeat.

      Reply
      • CB says

        March 23, 2022 at 2:56 am

        5 stars
        This was freaking AMAZING!! Even my daughter enjoyed it...and she never compliments lol. Thanks for creating such a wonderful recipe with such clear instructions!

        Reply
    2. susan says

      March 27, 2018 at 3:42 pm

      Just an FYI...Turmeric comes out of clothes if you leave them in direct sunlight.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        April 18, 2018 at 12:45 am

        Awesome, good to know!!!

        Reply
        • Debbie says

          September 06, 2022 at 8:22 pm

          Hi,
          Can't find an area to write a comment so replied here...
          Can you sub sour cream for the yogurt?
          Thank you!

          Reply
          • Cast Iron Keto says

            September 09, 2022 at 5:18 pm

            You can!

            Reply
    3. Serena balch says

      April 17, 2018 at 12:02 am

      I cooked for a lot long than it said about 20 more minutes. Next time I will cook the onion before putting them in the blender, they were a little to crunch for me but overall it was very taste and will cook it again.

      Reply
    4. Jan Sessions says

      May 17, 2018 at 9:54 am

      Made exactly as directed-I thought the timing was perfect to end up with still juicy but cooked breasts. It made for a delicious dinner that I'll definitely make again. Plenty of sauce and Plenty of flavour.

      Reply
    5. Leanne says

      May 20, 2018 at 9:47 pm

      Wow SO GOOD!!!! And SO simple and fast! Not too spicy and incredible flavours. I left out onion from sauce but it is still delicious. Wasn't sure what to put it on as we're keto but was out of cauliflower. So cut up cabbage with spinach to the rescue. Will be making this one again!
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:57 am

        Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    6. Matt says

      May 25, 2018 at 7:05 am

      Very nice mate, enjoyed! (as did my two boys, which for one of their dad's weird keto dinners is a little unusual ;)) They didn't even ask for rice! I was actually just looking for a quick curry idea to use up frozen (ready roasted) chicken breasts as I have a ton of them vacuum sealed. This will be my go to curry for using cooked breast.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:56 am

        Hey Matt, great to hear that! This is definitely one of my favorites.

        Reply
    7. Tommy says

      June 26, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Can you recommend a reliable site for carb contents in spices? Googling Garam Masala I found it ranging from 45g to 6 to 0 on several different sites for the same serving size...

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 19, 2018 at 6:48 am

        The best I can find is this chart on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/537406168006686516/

        Reply
    8. Anthony says

      November 09, 2018 at 1:24 am

      hey sorry but i`m new here and will be trying quite a few of these recipies, but can i ask when you show the macro breakdowns is that for a single serve? and what is a single serve?
      Sorry if this is mentioned elsewhere.
      Anthony

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 10, 2018 at 11:13 am

        Hi Anthony, yes macros are for one serving. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    9. Michele G says

      December 11, 2018 at 5:49 pm

      Sooooo amazing! Liked it on cauli rice - can’t wait to try your other recipes!
      Michele

      Reply
    10. Molly Mac says

      January 09, 2019 at 5:53 pm

      Just made this. Absolutely wonderful. Shouldn't tell you this but husband scraped the last of the sauce out of the pan. Lol

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        January 09, 2019 at 7:20 pm

        Never leave the sauce behind! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    11. Crystal says

      February 06, 2019 at 3:37 am

      This recipe is awful. I was so hopeful after reading the comments, but this really miss the mark for me. It doesn't taste anything like authentic butter chicken, at all. Very disappointed with this recipe. Happy the others enjoyed it but its a no from me

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        February 06, 2019 at 7:57 pm

        Hi Crystal, thanks for sharing your thoughts. We're sorry that you didn't care for our Keto Butter Chicken like the majority of our readers. We're all different with different tastes. We hope you give another CIK recipe a try soon!

        Reply
    12. Micah says

      February 23, 2019 at 7:11 pm

      Ghee is butter....Clarified, Fat is skimmed out of any butter while simmering, resulting in ghee. The nuttiness comes from the light cook. Friendly Chef 🙂

      Reply
    13. Berny says

      March 30, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      I never leave reviews...but this certainly needed a special mention! I follow keto and have been trying to find a nice curry recipe for ages!! Wow...absolutely gorgeous!! This will be my new Saturday night treat...cooked for me and the girls, we were all blown away. This tasted better than any Indian takeaway. 10 out of 10

      Reply
    14. Denise says

      May 22, 2019 at 2:52 pm

      So, the spiced yoghurt in which the chicken is marinated is not included in the final product? I saw no instruction in the recipe to add it.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        May 22, 2019 at 5:26 pm

        Hi Denise, thanks for pointing that out - it's a bit confusing as written but you add the yogurt marinade to the skillet with the chicken when browning. I've updated the post to reflect that.

        Reply
    15. Stephanie Bailes says

      May 27, 2019 at 1:58 am

      How much would you say a single serving is? Like the weight or cup amount?
      To get the 6 net carbs?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        May 28, 2019 at 2:28 pm

        Hi Stephanie, most recipes don't include this type of information. The serving size is simply 1/6th of the recipe.

        Reply
    16. Alena O'Donnell says

      June 04, 2019 at 11:52 pm

      Why! Sooooo good. Here's what I had on hand: Lava plant-based yogurt (original flavor), Vanilla Oat Milk Creamer (I would have used a non-flavored but it's what I had) and threw in some frozen peas and kale. So rich, so good...and I'm on my 3rd plate (ma belly's smiling...I bet my gut is too!). Thank you for this, cast iron keto!

      Reply
    17. Jamie says

      June 08, 2019 at 6:05 pm

      Are you including the onion and ginger in the carbs per serving. I know both are very high in carbs and I am a bit nervous to make it.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        June 10, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        Yes, all of the ingredients are always included in our nutritional information.

        Reply
        • Brooks Rodrigue says

          May 15, 2020 at 3:49 pm

          Can you make this without the yogurt? My boyfriend doesn’t like Greek yogurt

          Reply
          • Cast Iron Keto says

            May 18, 2020 at 2:06 pm

            You could try sour cream, it needs the yogurt to create the sauce. Sour cream would work though, just a tad bit different in flavor.

            Reply
    18. Rachel Newman says

      June 19, 2019 at 10:10 am

      Love this recipe! So much so we are having it twice this week. The only change I made was to cook it slowly for about 2 hours and it tasted better than our favourite Indian takeout 🙂

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        June 19, 2019 at 12:21 pm

        Great to hear that, thanks for sharing Rachel!

        Reply
    19. Erin says

      January 15, 2020 at 2:55 am

      This meal was AMAZING! My husband and I are on the Keto diet and are always looking for something new that the whole family will enjoy. Everyone went back for seconds and my husband even asked that I add this meal to our normal rotation of dinners. Only problem was, there weren't any leftovers for me to enjoy! You nailed it Cast Iron Keto. Thank you!

      Reply
    20. Sharon Robertson says

      February 12, 2020 at 6:17 pm

      We really loved this recipe! But could I ask how many grams are in 1 portion?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        February 12, 2020 at 9:45 pm

        Hi Sharon. Unfortunately, unlike a packaged food product recipes can't really provide this information accurately. This is due to variances in different branded ingredients and how folks cook (for example cooking the chicken for more or less time will change the final weight of the chicken). To grab a weight amount for each serving you'll want to weigh your final dish then divide that number by the number of servings. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    21. Jody says

      March 08, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      Can i use sour cream instead of yogart?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        March 14, 2020 at 2:50 pm

        I wouldn't, the flavor just won't be quite right.

        Reply
        • Dan says

          March 20, 2020 at 2:21 pm

          5 stars
          Hi, excited to try, sounds delicious!

          Reply
    22. Theresa says

      March 12, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious and so simple. Thank you!

      Reply
    23. Christine says

      March 19, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      4 stars
      The recipe at the end does not include how much ghee to use so I guessed. Sauce tastes pretty good. added some shrimp and diced red and yellow peppers into the mix for some more veggies. Served over cauliflower rice. Will make again!

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        March 20, 2020 at 6:37 pm

        Hi Christine, the recipe does state that 2 tablespoons of ghee are called for. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    24. Mary Beth Hunt says

      August 02, 2020 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      I won't use another recipe after using this one. Perfection - spicy but not "blow the lid off". My son and husband are huge butter chicken fans and they declared this the best!!

      Reply
      • Tara Collins says

        August 19, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        5 stars
        Made it today and I bloody love it! Slightly on the spicy side but might be because I was following the recipe for one person not realising it was for 6 😂😂😂 luckily I didn't use as much as he recipe called for but damn it's good!

        Reply
    25. Dalia says

      September 19, 2020 at 1:23 am

      I tried it, so yummy, super recipe, easy to make, Thank you.

      Reply
    26. Melodie Schlamp says

      October 09, 2020 at 1:33 am

      3 stars
      It didn’t taste quite like butter chicken. My first impression was just onion and tomato, and I used nice fresh spices and extra garlic and ginger. I had to add about 6 tablespoons of monk fruit sweetener to get it closer to what I think of as butter chicken. Not sure what other spice was missing. I will keep trying.

      Reply
    27. Melanie Gosselin says

      January 22, 2021 at 11:24 pm

      Hi there castironketo!
      I'm making this recipe now, and feel like an idiot as I've reviewed the recipe over and over and feel like I'm continuing to miss something. The "ingredients" section includes 3 tsps of fresh grated ginger (& only 1 tsp used in the marinade before chilling?) and 3 tsps of minced garlic (& only 1 tsp used in the marinade before chilling?)... and I guess the coconut oil is used to brown the chicken... right? Sorry in advance for my confusion! I'm sure it's plain as day to everyone else! Lol!

      Reply
    28. Claire says

      February 07, 2021 at 11:47 am

      5 stars
      Delicious. Added a bit more cream and butter along with sweetner and a sprinkle of pathia powder

      Reply
    29. Kristin says

      February 18, 2021 at 2:58 am

      5 stars
      Soooooo good!! Quick and delicious.

      Reply
    30. Dottie says

      February 24, 2021 at 2:17 am

      5 stars
      This was super delicious! Tasted like the Butter Chicken I get in restaurants. Had no idea it would be this easy to replicate! I was a little concerned not blooming the spices before adding in the tomato sauce, but the flavors melded well and came through. Loved it over cauli rice! Thank you!

      Reply
    31. Diana W says

      August 09, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      3 stars
      Made exactly to recipie, too much sauce...and the sauce was bland. Should have been cooked separately from chicken to reduce and develop depth. Chicken was fabulous. tender and tasty. Will make again but add more spices and cook sauce much longer.

      Reply
    32. Brittany says

      August 09, 2021 at 9:21 pm

      2 stars
      My fiance and I did not enjoy this recipe. Respectfully, it tastes nothing like butter chicken. I was hoping it would with all the good comments about it. It helped to add an acid to it, which all I had on hand was lime. This didn't make it taste like butter chicken of course, but made it less bland.

      Reply
    33. Julia says

      October 28, 2021 at 12:45 am

      3 stars
      I agree with the poster above, this recipe isn't butter chicken at all, it's still very tasty and very similar to butter chicken, but this recipe is missing crucial ingredients like fenugreek and brown cardamom that give a subtle sweet note and are actually in the creator's original recipe.

      Reply
    34. Natasha says

      June 05, 2022 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      This would have to be one of the best butter chickens recipes I've made to date. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

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