Healthier Indian Butter Chicken: this low carb / Keto-friendly recipe has all the flavor of the traditional curry dish without all the calories. I understand that this is the quintessential take away dish in the UK, but I’d never heard of Butter Chicken until my husband came back from a business trip to India. (He is totally hooked on Indian food and can’t wait to return after the pandemic!). His only complaint was that my version isn’t spicy enough for him!!!
Also called murg makhani, Indian Butter chicken is traditionally made with lots of butter and heavy cream. But by substituting ghee for butter and light coconut milk for cream, I was able to keep the calories down to 245 calories per serving…and that translates into only 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points!
Weight Watchers Smart Points = 7
MEAL PREP TIP: During your Sunday meal prep, dice the chicken and onions. Mince the garlic and ginger. Place the chicken in a plastic bag, season with the garam marsala, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, and shake or squish the plastic bag to combine. You can do this up to five days in advance. But you might want to double the recipe so that you have enough for leftovers for lunch!
What should I serve with Healthier Butter Chicken? Indian Butter Chicken is traditionally served with 1/2 cup of basmati rice. But if you are following a low carb or keto plan, simply serve with cauliflower rice…and eat as much as you want! For our family, I microwave a bag of frozen cauliflower rice while I am simmering the sauce and waiting for it to thicken – so the last 5-10 minutes of the cooking process.
What do I do with leftover Healthier Butter Chicken? You can safely store your leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five day. And like I said before, you can have leftovers for lunch if you make a double batch of Healthier Butter Chicken!
Now Let’s Get Cookin’!!!
First, add 1 tablespoon of ghee to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant – approximately 2 minutes. Believe it or not, I cook this dish in my “boat kitchen” (called a galley) on a two burner cooktop as shown here!
Next, add the chicken to the skillet. Season with the garam marsala, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper (optional). Cook until the chicken is slightly browned and almost done.
Next, add the chicken to the skillet. Season with the garam marsala, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper (optional). Cook until the chicken is slightly browned and almost done.
Then add the tomato sauce and light coconut milk. Stir to combine and simmer until the sauce slightly thickens – approximately 5-10 minutes.
Finally, serve along cauliflower rice (for low carb) or basmati rice (for runners). Garnish with plenty of fragrant cilantro!
Other One Skillet / One Pot / One Pan Chicken Recipes:
Healthy One Pan Chicken and Spinach
Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken and Vegetables
Sheet Pan Pesto Turkey Cutlets (Low Carb)
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Healthier Indian Butter Chicken (Low Carb / Keto)
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 tbsp ghee divided
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup light coconut milk
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Add one tablespoon of ghee to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add ghee to the skillet. Then add the chicken and saute until brown.
- Season with garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Once the chicken is almost cooked, add the tomato sauce and coconut milk. Stir to combine.
- Saute until the sauce thickens, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve alongside cauliflower rice (for low carb / keto) or jasmine rice (for runners).
Nutrition
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