Indulge guilt-free with our mouthwatering Keto Butter Chicken recipe! Creamy and rich, this low-carb twist on a classic Indian favorite combines tender chicken in a luscious tomato and butter sauce, all without the carbs. It's always a big hit with the family and when entertaining.
Try it this week, it really is a sensational keto curry recipe!
A bowl filled with keto butter chicken and palmini rice.

Is Butter Chicken Keto?

Authentic Butter Chicken recipes are packed with sugar-laden sauces and high-carb ingredients. To make keto-friendly butter chicken, we’ve made a few clever swaps:

  1. Low-Carb Tomato Sauce: We’ll use a keto-friendly crushed tomatoes without added sugar to maintain that delightful tomatoey flavor.
  2. Rich Creaminess: Heavy cream takes the place of yogurt or other dairy products, providing that classic velvety texture without the carbs.

Why We Love This Recipe

Murgh Makhani or Butter Chicken, is easily one of the most popular curry recipes around the globe. If you love a good curry and Indian food then this dish is a must-try!

Low carb – with just 6g net carbs per serving this butter chicken is not only delicious but also naturally low carb.

Everyday ingredients – Made mostly with everyday ingredients found in most pantries.

Quick and easy – an easy butter chicken recipe that really is fuss-free.

Various Cooking methods – you can make this butter chicken in Instant Pot, slow cooker, stovetop, low oven and thermal cooker e.g. Thermomix.

Butter Chicken Ingredients on a white table.

The Ingredients

  • Chicken Thigh fillets – use skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. You can use chicken breast fillets instead. Just watch the cooking time. For a vegetarian alternative use cauliflower florets, paneer, or firm tofu.
  • Black or brown cardamom pods – add great flavour to the butter chicken. You can find these pods in Indian market grocers.
  • Fenugreek leaves (also known as Kasoori Methi) – make all the difference in this recipe. Seeds or fenugreek powder are just not the same.
  • Kashmiri chili powder – is actually a mild chili powder.

How to Make It

Step 1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and coat with the marinade. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Step 2. Melt ghee in a pan over moderate heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and chilli powder. Stir well and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add fenugreek leaves, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and reduce by a third.

Step 3. Add the chicken to the sauce (or grill first then add) and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer chicken for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Add the butter, cream and almond meal.

Step 4. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is thick and velvety.

How to Make Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl coating chicken well. Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.

2. Add all ingredients to Instant Pot except butter, cream and almond meal. Set Pot to 10 minutes high pressure. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes then release remaining pressure

3. Add the butter, heavy cream and almond meal. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is thick and velvety. (Add more almond meal as needed if the sauce is not thick enough). Season to taste.

Brown bowl with butter chicken and rice in it.

How to Make Butter Chicken in the Thermomix

Cooking butter chicken in the Thermomix is surprisingly one of my preferred ways to do it. I do have a lot of Thermomix chicken recipes. The keto butter chicken is one of my personal favourites.

Thermomix Butter Chicken is highly searched for among the Thermomix Australia community and we all know that Skinnymixers Butter Chicken gets a lot of testing.

Personally, I love my keto butter chicken that is a third of the carbs, easier and quicker and uses more authentic ingredients and flavours.

Here is how to make my keto butter chicken in a Thermomix.

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl coating chicken well. Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.

2. Place onion and garlic into the mixer; chop 3 sec/speed 6. Add the ghee, ginger, cardamom, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and chilli powder to mixer; cook 2 min/100℃/MC off/stir.

3. Add fenugreek leaves, tomatoes and tomato paste; cook 14 min/100℃/MC off/basket on top/stir.

4. Add the butter, cream almond meal and chicken. Stir using a spatula to ensure chicken is completely covered in the sauce. Cook 12 min/100℃/ basket on top/reverse /stir. (Add more almond meal as needed if the sauce is not thick enough). Season to taste. Serve as above.

What to Serve with Butter Chicken

Serve this delightful keto butter chicken over cauliflower rice, steamed broccoli, or spinach for a complete, low-carb meal. Don’t forget to garnish with fresh cilantro for that authentic touch.

The butter chicken is also perfect with Stuffed Keto Naan from our Keto Breads eBook.

Bowl of curry chicken and rice.

Tips for Success and FAQs

  • Don’t skip the marinating step; it infuses the chicken with incredible flavor.
  • Adjust the spice level to your liking by tweaking the cayenne pepper or using a milder chili powder.
  • Simmer the sauce until it thickens to achieve that perfect creamy consistency.
How long will butter chicken keep in the fridge?

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze in individual serves in an airtight container for when you need an easy meal.

What is the difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala?

They are very similar but butter chicken is milder and creamier than a tikka masala.

There is too much sauce? My sauce is runny?

The sauce is so good you will eat it with a spoon, trust me. There is never too much sauce in my opinion. Allow the butter chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Or cook it the next day. The sauce will thicken upon resting.

I do love a good keto curry myself. Here are just a few of my best keto dinner recipes.

  1. Massaman Chicken Curry
  2. Thai Penang Chicken Curry
  3. Red Curry Chicken Chiang Mai Style
  4. Malaysian Meat Curry Powder
Keto Butter chicken in a brown bowl and topped with yogurt and cilantro.

Easy Keto Butter Chicken

Indulge guilt-free with our mouthwatering Keto Butter Chicken recipe! Creamy and rich, this low-carb twist on a classic Indian favorite combines tender chicken in a luscious tomato and butter sauce, all without the carbs. It’s always a big hit with the family and when entertaining.
Try it this week, it really is a sensational keto curry recipe!
4.96 from 47 votes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Lunch and Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Megan Ellam
Servings: 6 serves
Tap or hover over number to scale ingredients
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Ingredients 

CHICKEN MARINADE

  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) Kashmiri chilli powder See notes
  • 70 g ( cups) Greek yoghurt plus extra to serve
  • 900 g (6 cups) chicken breast or thigh fillets (I recommend thigh) cut into 3 -4 cm cubes

CURRY SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) 40g ghee or melted unsalted butter or coconut oil
  • ½ (½) onion 100g finely minced
  • 2 (2) garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) ginger paste
  • 2 (2) brown/black cardamom pods bruised. See Notes
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Kashmiri chilli powder See Notes
  • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) fenugreek leaves See Notes
  • 400 g (14 oz) tomatoes crushed
  • 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
  • 40 g (1 ⅖ oz) butter
  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) thickened cream or coconut cream. See Notes
  • 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) almond meal or use 1 tablespoon of gelatin to thicken
  • Salt and pepper to taste

TO SERVE

  • Fresh coriander leaves cauliflower rice and extra yoghurt
  • Cauliflower Rice

Instructions

CONVENTIONAL METHOD

  • Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl coating chicken well. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours or leave overnight.
  • Melt ghee in a pan over moderate heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and chilli powder. Stir well and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add fenugreek leaves, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and reduce by a third. Add the chicken to the pan and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer chicken for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Add the butter, cream and almond meal. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce begins to thicken. Leave to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Season to taste. Serve with cauliflower rice, coriander leaves and extra yoghurt.

THERMOMIX METHOD

  • Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl coating chicken well. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Place onion and garlic into mixer; chop 3 sec/speed 6. Add the ghee, ginger, cardamom, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and chilli powder to mixer; cook 2 min/100℃/MC off/stir.
  • Add fenugreek leaves, tomatoes and tomato paste; cook 14 min/100℃/MC off/basket on top/stir.
  • Add the butter, cream almond meal and chicken. Stir using a spatula to ensure chicken is completely covered in the sauce. Cook 12 min/100℃/basket on top/reverse /stir. Leave to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Season to taste. Serve as above.

INSTANT POT OR PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

  • Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl coating chicken well. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Add all ingredients to Instant Pot except butter, cream and almond meal. Set Pot to 10 minutes high pressure/naturally release for 10 minutes then release remaining pressure.
  • Add the butter, cream and almond meal. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is thickened. Leave to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Season to taste. Serve with cauliflower rice, coriander leaves and extra yoghurt.

Notes

TO SERVE
I recommend a small serving of Cauliflower Rice, extra Greek yoghurt (or our 2 Ingredient Yoghurt) and coriander leaves. Simple and delicious. Serve with Stuffed Keto Naan which you will find in our Keto Breads eBook.
STORING Low carb butter chicken will also store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Otherwise, freeze in individual serves in an airtight container for when you need an easy meal. 
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTES
Kashmiri chilli powder is a very mild Indian chilli powder. It adds flavour and colour to the low carb Butter Chicken without adding heat.
Black or brown cardamom pods are available at Indian/Asian grocers and have a different flavour profile than green cardamom pods.
Fenugreek leaves are authentic to a butter chicken gravy. They are completely different to the powder or seeds for adding flavour and I strongly recommend sourcing them and using them in this recipe.
To make dairy free butter chicken or paleo butter chicken recipe replace butter with coconut oil and swap cream to coconut cream.  Swap breast or chicken on the bone, if preferred. The chicken can be grilled before adding it to the gravy.
For a vegan butter chicken alternative, use tofu or cauliflower. For more tasty low carb chicken recipes try our Baked Italian Chicken Thighs, Chicken Tikka, Baked Tandoori Chicken or Chicken Korma.

Your Own Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 843mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 691IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg | Magnesium: 58mg | Net Carbs: 6g
Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

You will find a lot of keto chicken recipes here as well as keto Indian recipes. I am a little bit of a fan so you will find more each month.

Megan Ellam is an Australian keto recipes blogger living in Thornton, NSW. She is the author of amazing keto cookbooks such as Slow Cook KetoKeto LocoThe Healthy Family Keto Cookbook and Every Day Keto.

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