Make flavorful dairy-free butter chicken easily with this recipe! It’s packed with robust flavors, completely gluten-free, and perfect for a delicious cozy meal!
If you love tasty Indian dishes but without the heavy cream, then you’ll have to try this Dairy-Free Tikka Masala or Vegan Chickpea Curry next!
No longer do you have to miss out on your favorite dish due to dairy restrictions! Here I share one of my favorite Indian dishes to order at restaurants, but with a twist. I present, gluten and dairy-free butter chicken!
Indian food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, but I often have to skip out on many of the dishes because they are loaded with dairy, usually in the form of heavy cream. To solve that problem, I’ve done a lot of experimenting to learn how to create healthier, dairy-free renditions of my favorite Indian dishes at home.
You’ll Love This Butter Chicken (aka Murgh Makhani)!
- Instead of using heavy cream to make the luscious sauce, coconut cream is used!
- The chicken is seasoned to perfection with Indian spices and homemade ginger-garlic paste, giving the dish a wonderful flavor!
- It is a hearty meal that can feed the whole family or be used as meal prep!
- A healthier take on your traditional butter chicken, but just as tasty!
Does Butter Chicken Contain Dairy?
The sauce for typical Butter Chicken is a blend of spices, tomatoes, heavy cream, and butter. While the name “butter chicken” may imply that you need copious amounts of butter to create the dish, that is actually not the case! The true flavor comes from the spices and mixture of tomatoes and cream.
Some people may also marinate the chicken in yogurt and spices before cooking it. Keep in mind, you can either use dry seasoned chicken, like tandoori chicken, or yogurt marinated chicken.To keep this butter chicken dish dairy-free, coconut cream is used to mimic the high-fat, creaminess of heavy cream, and vegan butter is used to replace regular butter. We’re cooking the chicken dry style and seasoning it first with a special blend to get the best flavor before cooking it
Ingredients You’ll Need
GARLIC-GINGER PASTE: This is essential for any butter chicken dish and provides deep, delicious flavors. Make your own at home by blending the ingredients together or use a pre-made store-bought version. (I suggest homemade –it’s always better!)
- Fresh Ginger
- Garlic Cloves
- Olive Oil
- Pinch Of Salt
DRY SEASONING MARINADE FOR CHICKEN: Season the chicken generously with this blend of Indian spices and let it marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking it. This will give the chicken the best taste and enhance the overall flavor of the dish!
- Ground turmeric
- Cumin
- Ground coriander
- Kosher salt
- Lemon Juice
- Chile powder (Kashmiri Chili Powder works best for this dish)
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
CHICKEN BREAST OR CHICKEN THIGHS: Use boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this dish. Both work great. The choice is yours!
BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE: The sauce is the most important part. Quite a few ingredients go into making the perfect sauce, but it is actually quite simple to make!
- Olive Oil
- Seasonings: Ground Turmeric, Cumin, Chile Powder, Ground Coriander, Garam Masala, Fenugreek Leaves (optional, but recommended), Bay Leaf, Salt, Pepper
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger-Garlic Paste
- Canned Crushed tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes (optional)
- Green Chiles (optional)
- Raw Cashews
- Coconut Sugar or Cane Sugar (I use coconut sugar)
- Coconut Cream (like this one)
- Vegan Butter (Nutiva has a great option!)
- White Vinegar
- Fresh Cilantro For Garnish
How To Make Butter Chicken (Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free)
- Prepare the garlic-ginger paste
- Marinate the chicken
- Cook the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, prepare the sauce & let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- When the sauce is ready, blend in a heat-proof high-speed blender until smooth.
- Add the cooked chicken, coconut cream, vinegar, butter, and more seasonings. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in fenugreek leaves, optional. Garnish with fresh cilantro and more coconut cream.
- Enjoy! (*For more detailed steps, see recipe card below)
Serving Options
- Rice. Butter chicken is typically served with basmati rice. For a more flavorful option, pair your butter chicken with coconut cilantro rice or turmeric rice.
- Naan. This light, fluffy bread is perfect for soaking up the delicious butter sauce. Try making your own from scratch. You can also pair it with a homemade wrap, like these flaxseed wraps.
- Toppings. Before serving your butter chicken dish, top it with chopped cilantro, a dollop of (dairy-free) yogurt, and red pepper flakes. For a tasty crunch, try adding crispy chickpeas on top.
Tips To Making The Best Homemade Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
- Marinate the chicken in the seasonings and ginger paste for at least 20 minutes. It gives the chicken an incredible flavor that adds to the dish.
- Make sure to add the cashews in early while the tomatoes are simmering. The cashews help make the sauce extra luscious and creamy when blended. However, you want to make sure the cashews have had time to soften before blending.
- Use Canned Coconut Cream and be sure to use the thick part at the top only. You can always make coconut cream by placing a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The top will solidify and be ready to use. (discard the clear liquid at the bottom)
- The Fenugreek leaves help to give this dish the distinctive butter chicken flavor that we love. Adding the Fenugreek leaves is optional but highly recommended.
- Want to make it spicy? Add red crushed peppers to the sauce to give your dish extra heat!
- Want To Add Vegetables? Add veggies like chopped zucchini, peppers, spinach, or shredded carrots when you add in the chicken. Let it simmer with the remaining ingredients to cook and absorb the flavors.
I hope you enjoy this Dairy-Free Butter Chicken Recipe!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen.
More Delicious Chicken Dishes To Try!
- Gluten-Free Chicken Wings
- 30-Minute Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
- Spatchcock Chicken Recipe Video (Roasted Butterfly Chicken)
- Buttermilk Roasted Chicken Recipe
- Grilled Greek-Style Lemon Yogurt Chicken
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
Dairy-Free Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Ginger Paste (make using a blender or mortar)
- 3" Fresh Ginger, peeled
- 8 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Pinch of Sea Salt
Marinade For The Chicken
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Chile Powder (Kashmiri Chili Powder)
- 2 lbs Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp Garlic-Ginger Paste
- 1/2 Small Lemon, juiced
For The Sauce
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion, Chopped
- 1 (28oz) Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes (optional)
- 1/2 cup Raw Cashews
- 1/2 cup Water
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Green Chiles, chopped (optional)
- 3/4 cup Canned Coconut Cream
- 3 tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Garlic-Ginger Paste
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp Chile Powder (Kashmiri Chile Powder works best)
- 3 tsp Ground Coriander, divided
- 3 tsp Garam Masala, divided
- 1 tbsp Coconut Sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1 tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (optional)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- A Dollop of Coconut Cream or Dairy-Free Yogurt
Instructions
MAKE THE GARLIC-GINGER PASTE
- Start by making the garlic-ginger paste. Combine the ingredients for the paste in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
- Cut the chicken into cubes and place them in a bowl.
- Add the marinade ingredients. Mix well and let marinade for at least 20 minutes.
- In a large skillet or cast iron over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes, or until all pieces are golden brown. Place the chicken in a clean bowl and set it aside.
PREPARE THE SAUCE
- In the same pan, add cooking oil and chopped onions. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, raw cashews, minced garlic, green chilies, and diced tomatoes. Mix well
- Then, add the water, vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, sugar, bay leaf, and half of the garam masala and ground coriander. Mix well and let the mixture simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- After at least 20 minutes, the cashews and tomatoes should have softened. Remove the bay leaf. Carefully add the mixture to a heat-safe high-powdered blender and blend until smooth (or use an immersion blender).
- Pour the sauce back into the skillet. Add the cooked chicken, butter, coconut cream, remaining garam masala, and ground coriander to the skillet. Mix well and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes. Mix in fenugreek leaves, optional.
- Stir and taste, adjust the flavor as needed. Add more garam masala and ground coriander, as desired.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and coconut cream (or dairy free yogurt). Enjoy!
Notes
Tips To Making The Best Homemade Dairy-Free Butter Chicken
- Marinate the chicken in the seasonings and ginger paste for at least 20 minutes. It gives the chicken incredible flavor that adds to the dish.
- Make sure to add the cashews in early while the tomatoes are simmering. The cashews help make the sauce extra luscious and creamy when blended. However, you want to make sure the cashews have had time to soften before blending.
- Use Canned Coconut Cream and be sure to use the thick part at the top only. You can always make coconut cream by placing a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The top will solidify and be ready to use. (discard the clear liquid at the bottom)
- The Fenugreek leaves help to give this dish the distinctive butter chicken flavor that we love. Adding the Fenugreek leaves is optional but highly recommended.
- Want to make it spicy? Add red crushed peppers to the sauce to give your dish extra heat!
Nutrition
Hi! I’ve made this before and loved it! I want to make it for a friend with a nut allergy. Can I sub extra coconut cream for the cashews?
Hi Robin! Happy to hear you like the recipe! You can definitely substitute coconut cream for the cashews. It will work well and taste great
Great flavor!
Relatively simple recipe too.
I ended up adding a little extra water to thin out the sauce, some extra vegan butter, and I put in an entire can of coconut cream instead of only 3/4 cup.
So excited to try this! Just prepping this meal and wondering how early I can marinade the chicken? The meal is for tomorrow’s dinner.
Hi Kristin, you can marinade the chicken up to 24 hours before in the fridge. I hope you enjoy! 🙂
This recipe is good. You won’t miss the cream taste-wise but you’ll feel better after. My whole family, including my dairy-loving kids loved this
I’m so happy to hear you and your family loved the recipe! 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review