Can this recipe be made vegetarian?

Yes! Paneer, tofu, or meatless meatballs would all be great options here. Highly recommend these vegetarian meatballs !

Can this recipe be made dairy-free?

Using vegan butter and using the coconut milk option would make this dairy-free. You could also try blending a handful of cashews into the sauce to make it creamy (if you have a high-powered blender).

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

The only issue with gluten in this recipe could be the meatballs you use. For our Baked Chicken Meatballs , you can sub in some almond flour or GF breadcrumbs. Or, you can pivot to chicken breasts instead and eliminate the gluten entirely.

Is this butter chicken spicy?

As-is, not at all! But if you're looking for some spice, I'd recommend some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to increase the heat.

Can this recipe be made with chicken breasts instead of meatballs?

Yep! If you're making this in the Instant Pot, I would just throw the chicken right in as the sauce cooks! 10 minutes for smallish chicken breasts, 12-14 for chicken thighs. Then pull them out to chop or shred before you blend the sauce up, and then add the chicken back in after.

Butter Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Name: Butter Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil; half of an onion, roughly chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced (or a garlic paste); a small piece of fresh ginger, grated (or a ginger paste); 1/4 teaspoon turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or plain tomato sauce; 1/2 cup water (more as needed later); 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use 1 teaspoon, just depends how salty you want it); 1 teaspoon sugar; 20 ounces of cooked chicken or turkey meatballs (these are the ones I always use! this should be about 4 cups of meatballs); 2 tablespoons butter; 1/3 cup heavy cream (more to taste); 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, or precooked rice; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Description

These butter chicken meatballs are covered in a rich and mildly spiced tomato gravy that is made luxurious with just a little bit of butter and cream. Serious weeknight magic!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Butter Chicken Base:

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
half of an onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (or a garlic paste)
a small piece of fresh ginger, grated (or a ginger paste)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin
one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or plain tomato sauce
1/2 cup water (more as needed later)
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use 1 teaspoon, just depends how salty you want it)
1 teaspoon sugar
20 ounces of cooked chicken or turkey meatballs (these are the ones I always use! this should be about 4 cups of meatballs)

To Finish:

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream (more to taste)

To Serve:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice, or precooked rice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make your rice according to package directions.
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and spices; sauté until softened.
Add tomatoes, water, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend.
Add sauce back to the pan. Add the meatballs; simmer with the cover on or keep on low heat until warmed through.
Add the butter and cream to make a luscious, heavenly sauce to coat your meatballs.
Serve over rice with a sprig or sprinkle of cilantro. Add spiciness to taste with cayenne or chili oil! OH ME OH MY.

Notes

Blending methods: For the silkiest sauce, I like to use a regular blender (we have a Blendtec at home). But an immersion blender can also work and it is the easier option; this works best with a deeper pot like a Dutch oven or the Instant Pot. If you’re using an immersion blender, tilt the pot to one side to pool all the sauce together before using. If you’re getting splatters, you might need to add an extra bit of water to make sure there’s enough volume of sauce to run it through the immersion blender smoothly. I would not recommend using an immersion blender in a shallow skillet where it will splatter over the sides – in that case, best to transfer to a blender!

Instant Pot instructions: Add all sauce ingredients; cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender directly in the Instant Pot to make it smooth; add meatballs and turn it to warm or sauté until heated through (this takes 5-10 minutes). Finish by stirring in the cream and butter.

Instant Pot instructions with regular chicken: If you’re using just regular chicken breasts or thighs instead of meatballs, add the chicken to the Instant Pot right at the beginning of cooking with the sauce. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, then remove and shred or pull apart the chicken. Meanwhile, blend sauce, and then add chicken back in with the cream and butter. We do it this way quite a bit as well!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired

Keywords: butter chicken, butter chicken meatballs, Indian recipes, quick and easy dinner, dinner recipe