Keto Butter Chicken

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

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. During my final semester of student teaching, I would each lunch in the teacher’s lounge with some of the other teachers in the school. On the days I packed some sort of Indian dish, they would always stare curiously at my plate for several minutes, before the 7th-grade science teacher/baseball coach would finally speak up and ask, “what the hell are you eating?”.

After explaining what it was (and how to pronounce it), I would usually offer a bite to anyone who was willing. I never had any takers. I will concede that sometimes a saag or even this keto butter chicken, if not presented well, can look a little gross, but the taste is unrivaled.

This may be a little of a curve-ball, 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 more 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

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!

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.

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!

4.8 from 5 votes

Print Rate

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.