5 Ingredient Keto Butter Chicken
This 5 ingredient keto butter chicken is one of the easiest Indian-inspired meals you can make. It uses just a handful of ingredients, takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and delivers a rich, creamy sauce packed with flavor. Serve it with cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, or keto naan for a simple low-carb dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicy and tender during cooking. Chicken breast can also be used if preferred, although it is not as forgiving if overcooked.
- Butter: Butter gives the sauce its signature richness and helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Tomato Purée: Tomato purée forms the base of the sauce. In some countries this may be labelled as passata. Use a smooth tomato purée without added sugar where possible.
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream or a cream with a fat content of at least 30 percent. In some countries this is called double cream. The cream balances the tomatoes and creates the smooth, rich sauce.
- Water: The water adds extra liquid to the sauce so it can simmer properly without becoming too thick. As the sauce cooks, some of the water evaporates while the flavors concentrate.
- Avocado Oil: Used to cook the chicken. You can substitute another neutral cooking oil such as vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or light olive oil.
- Kasuri Methi: Dried fenugreek leaves are one of the signature flavors of butter chicken and give the sauce its distinctive aroma. If you cannot find kasuri methi, the dish will still be enjoyable, but it won’t have quite the same flavor.
Expert Tips
Brown the Chicken Properly
Cook the chicken over medium-high heat and allow it to develop some color before removing it from the pan. The browned bits left behind add extra flavor to the sauce and help create a richer finished dish.
Simmer the Tomato Sauce Before Adding the Cream
Give the tomato purée, water, and kasuri methi a few minutes to simmer before adding the cream. This allows the flavors to develop and helps reduce some of the sharpness from the tomatoes.
Add the Cream Over Low Heat
Reduce the heat before stirring in the cream. Gentle heat helps keep the sauce smooth and creamy and allows it to emulsify properly with the butter and tomato sauce.
Storage and Leftovers
Butter chicken often tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The sauce also freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot throughout. You can also microwave individual portions, stirring halfway through cooking.
More Keto Recipes You May Like:
- Butter Chicken Wings
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Coconut Chicken Curry
- Indian Chicken Curry
- White Butter Chicken
5 Ingredient Keto Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.3 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 ½ tbsp Butter
- ¾ cup Tomato Puree
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 ⅓ tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 ¼ tsp Kasuri Methi dried fenugreek leaves
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the chopped chicken evenly with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pan over medium- high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the tomato purée and stir until smooth.
- Add the kasuri methi and water, mix well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. The oil should begin to separate slightly from the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream until fully emulsified.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cook gently for about 1 minute, just until heated through.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Hi Sahil, amazing recipe and video as always. Sorry to be a pain, but what other herb can I use instead of Kasuri Meth. I’m in the UK and I don’t remember ever coming across it. Thanks! x
Hi Susana, you will get it in your local Indian grocery store and also on Amazon. I guess if there is no option I would use cilantro/coriander right at the very end. I’d all maybe add some onion/garlic/ginger if you have some before the tomato puree goes in.
Tesco do them
Hi,
Is this receipe 2 or 3 servings? With the nutritional information you wrote 3 but with the recipe it says 2. Just wondering for portion sizing
Thanks!
3 servings. Just fixed the error. Thanks for pointing it out.
Hey Sahil, big fan! Could you share a link of the puree you use please? When I click the order online link for the tomato puree it brings me to an isopropyl cleaning alcohol page. I used tomato puree and it didn’t look like what you used in the video. It also tasted a bit strong even though I weighed it. What you use looks more like crushed tinned tomatoes or passata to me. Thanks!
Hey Paul, I keep changing the puree I use and because of where I am located (India) it’s hard to ensure the link clicks hit the absolute right product on every amazon because the products vary across the country. I would say just find the most Keto friendly puree you can find in your supermarket or online. You want something with no added sugar and as few carbs as possible. You can also make your own puree by blitzing fresh tomatoes and straining it to keep the skin and seeds out. Or use canned ones as well, all of them will work and do the job. Cheers!
Ah perfect thanks I’ll just blitz some fresh ones then. Really appreciate the 5 ingredient recipes during lockdown. I’ve made the alfredo so many times lol the fam love it. Rock on brother!
Great Curry, simple recipe, one thing I need to say though…….. that photo just isn’t you – caption horns up just doesn’t go……… #Headbanger
Not sure if I can help with that. Glad you enjoyed the curry.
Really grateful to Headbanger’s Kitchen!! Didn’t know that so many tasty recipes existed.. minus the carbs and calories
Hi what can we use instead of avocado oil?
Olive oil, butter, ghee, coconut oil etc. Any KETO APPROVED cooking fat.
hi Sahil
I would like to know if this actually taste like butter childen without any spices?
It does but it’s definitely a ‘lite’ version of the dish. But you’ll still feel like it’s butter chicken just not a heavily spiced one.
Can I use soyabean oil to fry up some ginger garlic paste and onions before pouring in the puree? Is soyabean oil considered keto?
Soyabean oil is not considered Keto by the Keto Police but honestly it’s a fat at the end of the day and if you are using it in moderation I see no issue. So yeah yes you can do that or if you want to be more keto you can use a bit of clarified butter to cook it.