This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serving Butter Chicken is a simplified version of the classic Indian dish, made with tender chicken in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. It’s rich, flavorful, and cooks in just 30 minutes.
Featured Comment
“I just made this for dinner tonight. All is could say while eating dinner was wow! This was so delicious!!!”
– Michele
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Cooks in just 30 minutes – faster than takeout and made from scratch.
- Big, Bold Flavor: Marinated chicken, sautéed onions and garlic, and warm spices create a rich, flavorful dish.
- Simple Ingredients: No need for specialty items, this recipe uses pantry staples to deliver authentic taste.
- Scales Easily: Double the ingredients to make enough for two.
If you’ve ever ordered Butter Chicken at an Indian restaurant and wished you could make it at home, this recipe is for you. It’s rich, comforting, and incredibly easy to make in your own kitchen.
Butter Chicken, or Murgh Makhani, is one of my favorite dishes to recreate when I want something warm and flavorful. The sauce is creamy and spiced just right, and the chicken comes out tender every time. Whether you’re new to Indian-inspired cooking or just want a simple, satisfying meal for one, this is a great place to start.
If you enjoy this simple butter chicken recipe, be sure to try our chicken tikka masala for one and saag paneer for one too. They’re just as flavorful and perfectly sized.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch butter chicken recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Marinade Ingredients
- Chicken: Use a 4 to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh. Leftover grilled or a single baked chicken breast works too. Extra chicken? use it in chicken shawarma for one, jerk chicken for one, or chicken parmesan for one.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Helps tenderize and flavor the chicken. Use leftovers in a mini broccoli casserole or chicken tetrazzini for one.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottled works.
- Spices: Turmeric, ground cumin, and garam masala.
Butter Chicken Sauce Ingredients
- Butter: Salted butter adds richness and is used to sauté the onions and garlic.
- Vegetables: Finely chopped onion and garlic for the flavor base.
- Spices & Seasonings: Ground cumin, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
- Tomato Sauce: Use your favorite jarred or homemade tomato sauce.
- Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream: Creates a smooth, rich sauce. Leftover cream? Use it in a small mushroom casserole, creamy vegetable soup for one, or a small chicken and biscuits casserole. Use full-fat coconut milk or half & half if you prefer an alternative to heavy cream.
To Serve
- Cooked Rice: Serve with rice for a complete meal.
Try our easy single serving baked rice recipe.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few simple ways to customize your butter chicken:
- Vegetarian Option: Replace chicken with tofu, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or kidney beans.
- Dairy-Free: Use canned coconut milk instead of cream and vegan butter in place of regular butter.
- Low-Carb: Serve over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
How To Make Butter Chicken
These sphotos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serving of butter chicken. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Marinade the Chicken: In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and stir into the marinade until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook the Onions: In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Garlic and Spices: Stir in garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add Tomato Sauce: Pour in the tomato sauce, reduce heat to low, and let simmer.
- Cook the Chicken: In another skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through.
- Combine and Simmer: Add cooked chicken to the sauce. Simmer together for 5–10 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute more.
- Serve: Serve warm with cooked rice.
Expert Tips
- Read Before You Start: Review the full recipe, including Ingredient Notes and process photos, to better understand each step before cooking.
- Cut Even Pieces: Cutting the chicken into evenly sized cubes ensures it cooks evenly and stays tender.
- Make the Sauce Ahead: The sauce can be made in advance. Let it cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat and add chicken when ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Skip the marinade and add the cooked chicken directly to the sauce to heat through. The flavor won’t be as deep since the chicken wasn’t marinated, but it will still taste great with the rich sauce.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For reheating, use either the microwave or stovetop.
This recipe is mildly spiced. You can adjust the heat by adding a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes if desired.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this single serve Butter Chicken recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Butter Chicken For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 (4 to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast -cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon turmeric
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
For the Butter Chicken
- 2 tablespoons salted butter -divided
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and stir into the marinade until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook the Onions: In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Garlic and Spices: Stir in garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add Tomato Sauce: Pour in the tomato sauce, reduce heat to low, and let simmer.
- Cook the Chicken: In another skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through.
- Combine and Simmer: Add cooked chicken to the sauce. Simmer together for 5–10 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute more.
- Serve warm with cooked rice.
Notes
- Read Before You Start: Review the full recipe, including Ingredient Notes and process photos, to better understand each step before cooking.
- Cut Even Pieces: Cutting the chicken into evenly sized cubes ensures it cooks evenly and stays tender.
- Make the Sauce Ahead: The sauce can be made in advance. Let it cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat and add chicken when ready to serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can chicken thighs be used in lieu of breasts
Yes, chicken thighs can be used instead.
I made the Butter Chicken. It was supposed to be quick and easy. I used two saucepans and two skillets. There were also many spices that I happened
to have on hand. I followed the recipe
carefully. When I was done, my kitchen
looked like it was hit by a hurricane.
Also, there was too much sauce. The
chicken chunks were drowning in the
Sauce. It was tasty and we cleaned our plates, but I wouldn’t do it again. I was
Exhausted.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor of the Butter Chicken and that the plates were clean! Butter Chicken does have a rich and plentiful sauce—it’s one of the signature features of the dish and what many people love about it. We try to keep the flavor close to the traditional version, which does involve a few steps and spices, but we also aim to simplify where we can without compromising the result. I’m not sure why you needed so many pots and pans, but I appreciate you giving the recipe a try. It definitely helps to read through the steps beforehand, and sometimes having everything prepped ahead of time makes the process feel a little more manageable.
Delicious AND easy to make! I put the rice on at the same time I started cooking and everything was done at the same time!
This is a fantastic dinner. We loved it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Oh my gosh! Thank you soooo much! Yummy!
When you say “Tomato Sauce”. Here in the U.K. would it be “Tomato Passata” that I would use?
You can use passata but keep in mind it’s typically more concentrated than the tomato sauce commonly used in the US. To adjust, you may want to dilute it with a little water. Alternatively, feel free to use our own tomato sauce recipe for a perfect fit – https://onedishkitchen.com/how-to-make-a-small-batch-of-tomato-sauce/
I just made this for dinner tonight. All is could say while eating dinner was wow! This was so delicious!!!
This will definitely not be the last time I make this. I didn’t realize until I started making this that I didn’t have any turmeric, so I substituted curry, as a result it had a little kick and it wasn’t as orange. It was still very good.