One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs (6 pieces, skin removed)
• 0.5 cup plain yogurt (Full-fat)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp ginger (Finely grated)
• 2 cloves garlic (Finely grated or crushed)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp garam masala (See source Note 2)
• 0.5 tsp chilli powder (Pure chilli powder, not a US-style blend; cayenne pepper powder may be used)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp cooking salt (Kosher salt)
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter (Melted)
• 1 cup tomato passata (Tomato puree in the US; pureed, strained tomatoes)
• 0.75 cup heavy cream (Thickened cream; regular cream or coconut milk may be substituted)
• 1.5 tsp white sugar
• 0.75 tsp cooking salt (Kosher salt)
• 0.5 cup coriander leaves (Cilantro; for optional garnish, whole or chopped)
• basmati rice (Or other plain rice, to serve)
• naan (To serve and mop up the sauce; optional accompaniment)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F, or 180°C fan-forced.

2. 2

   In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin, and the first 1/2 teaspoon of salt to make the marinade.

3. 3

   Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat them with the marinade.

4. 4

   If desired, cover and marinate the chicken overnight. This step is optional.

5. 5

   In a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch baking dish, mix together the melted ghee or butter, tomato passata, cream, sugar, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt to make the sauce.

6. 6

   Place the chicken in the baking dish with the smooth side facing up. Scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl and dab it over the surface of the chicken.

7. 7

   Bake for 45 minutes. Baste the chicken with the sauce at the 30-minute and 40-minute marks. The sauce should change from pink to orangey-red as it cooks.

8. 8

   Remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Serve the chicken and sauce over basmati rice. Garnish with coriander leaves if desired, and serve with naan for mopping up the sauce.

Notes

The recipe source notes that sauce thickness and browning can vary with the oven, baking dish, and juiciness of the chicken. While the chicken bakes, prepare basmati rice to serve. Ghee gives an intense buttery flavor but can be replaced with butter. Plain yogurt should be unsweetened and unflavored; full-fat is preferred, though low-fat also works. The source also lists drumsticks, boneless thighs, and breast as alternative chicken options, with bone-in thighs preferred.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• South Asian
• Indian-inspired
• baked
• one-pan
• chicken
• gluten-free
• family-friendly