Guest Post Friday ~ Butter Chicken

Have you ever found a recipe that you just HAD to make?  Just looking at it makes your mouth water and you KNOW your family will LOVE it.

I found this recipe for Butter Chicken several YEARS ago on The Pioneer Woman.  I was going to make it the next day.  The the next week for SURE.

Somehow I’ve made dozens of The Pioneer Woman’s recipes but never made the one that I had wanted to try the most.

So last week, I revisited that Butter Chicken recipe again. I read all the reviews (I always do that because you get some good hints in there).

I was determined that mine would not taste “bland” or “boring” like some of the reviews stated.

This recipe serves ten generously (and it is delicious heated up)

Ingredients:

• 8-10 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless cut up into bite sized chunks
• 15-20 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons black pepper
• 2.5-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending if you want it REALLY spicy)
• 3-4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 3-4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3-4 teaspoons ground cardamom 
• juice of four whole limes

Directions:

Combine above ingredients, stir to coat well and put in the refrigerator covered for 24 hours or so to marinate.  (This looks more like a rub than a real juicy marinade so just coat the chicken and you’re good!)

When ready to cook:

• 3 medium or two large onions diced small 
• 2 sticks of butter  (real butter, otherwise life won’t be good for you)
• 2 14.5 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 5 cups heavy whipping cream  (don’t panic, this is a LOT of chicken)
• 2 bunches cilantro, chopped  (save some for garnish)

Cook your diced onion in the butter until soft, for about ten minutes or so depending on how big your dice is.

Add the chicken pieces and cook for ten minutes.

Add both cans of tomatoes, turn down heat and cover the skillet (I used my electric skillet because it’s bigger and deeper). Cook for twenty minutes.

Add the heavy cream and cook until it thickens a little (it will thicken more as it sets), about five minutes or so.

Then toss in the chopped cilantro and stir around (I save a little bit to garnish the top with).

I cooked basmati rice and added a sprinkle of each of the same seasonings (except the cayenne) I used in the marinade and about half a cup of coconut milk to the water I cooked it in.

Just in case you’re not accustomed to cooking rice (like me) here’s how I did it.

3 cups basmati rice
5 1/4 cups water

Soak for twenty minutes

Add half cup coconut milk

I added a scant teaspoon of each of the spices I used in the chicken

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes or more.

I served mine family style, all the rice on a platter then added the chicken/sauce and topped with the rest of the cilantro.

I served it with naan bread and a cucumber yogurt sauce (which I thought of at the last minute and ran up to our local restaurant and spent the $3.75 for the “sides”).  Next time, I’ll start earlier in the day and make it fresh.

This is pretty spicy but in a good way. If you don’t like spicy, cut the cayenne in half but use all the other spices; they don’t give “heat” but just flavor.

This is now a favorite and it will go into the monthly meal rotation.