Easy Dairy-Free Indian Butter Chicken (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

Quick, easy, and healthy! This lighten-up Dairy-Free Indian Butter Chicken is gluten-free, paleo, keto, and allergy-free! A delicious dinner recipe starting with a simple coconut yogurt marinade, then cooked right in a single skillet with a creamy tomato-based sauce!

Let's get real. High calorie, high fat, high DIARY, yet delicious, indulgent Indian comfort food may be okay on occasion, but let's make it okay for any night of the week and for any dietary needs! Good thing it only takes a few simple swaps to make your craving for Indian Butter Chicken a healthier, dairy-free reality! You get the same cozy, creamy, flavor-packed chicken dinner with all the aromatic Indian spices, but not of the heavy dairy to weigh you down or cause your throat to close-up!

What is Indian Butter Chicken?

Well, my friend, if you've never had butter chicken, then you're in for a treat! (And no, it's not just chicken and butter, haha!) It's simply chicken, marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices. Then cooked in a tomato-based sauce or gray with a hint of butter, cream, and more spices. The traditional dish was first "accidentally" created by 3 restaurateurs at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, Indian back in the 1950s (so a relatively "new" dish). They took leftover chicken (this is why the chicken is cubed) and mixed it with a creamy tomato gravy with butter and cream.

How Do You Make Indian Butter Chicken Dairy-Free?

To make Indian butter chicken dairy-free you just need to swap in some coconut-based dairy alternatives! This recipe is also allergy-free, meaning no nut-based or soy-based alternatives are used. This recipe is also gluten-free, keto, and paleo. First, you are marinating the chicken in plain coconut yogurt, then you use vegan butter for cooking and thick coconut milk for that tomato gravy sauce. To thicken the sauce even more, a dash of arrowroot starch does the trick!

Want A Fully Vegan Version That's 100% Plant-Based?

To make butter chicken without chicken, try this VEGAN Butter Chicken (Indian Butter Chickpeas)

Ingredients For Dairy-Free Butter Chicken

There are so many delicious components to this dish. So many flavors that burst out at you with each and every bite. That tends to be the standard in Indian cuisine. So many beautiful aromatic spices and herbs; so much deep flavor! The selection of flavors is always intentional and not something you can "skip". It's still easy to make and I made sure all the spices and flavors are accessible.

• Chicken Breasts: This recipe uses 2 large skinless chicken breasts and all you have to do is cube them up! You can also use skinless chicken tenders, about 1 pound, however, the thicker pieces of chicken breast are better for not getting overwhelmed in the sauce!
• Coconut Yogurt: Creamy dairy-free coconut yogurt is used to marinate the chicken. It tenderizes the chicken slowly without leaving you with rubbery chicken! Make sure to use plain, unsweetened yogurt.
• Lemon Juice + Garlic + Shallot: The lemon juice, garlic, and shallot are added to the plain yogurt marinade to add some deep flavor to the chicken before cooking it. I like to use shallots as they are milder than onion but feel free to swap in Vidalia onion.
• Spices: Your butter sauce is going to need some flavor and aromatics! The spices you'll need are Garam masala, chili powder, cinnamon turmeric, cumin, ginger, paprika, and black pepper. You can adjust the ratio of these spices to your preference; make it as spicy (in heat) or mild as you'd like!
• Vegan Butter: Dairy-free butter greases the skillet and adds a rich buttery mouthfeel!
• Tomato Sauce + Tomato Paste: A can of plain unsalted tomato sauce for color and flavor tomato flavor, along with tomato paste, for a more concentrated tomato flavor.
• Unsweetened Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk is essential for mimicking the high-fat creaminess in the heavy cream that's traditionally used in butter chicken. For a lighter version of this dish, you can get away with using light canned coconut milk.
• Arrowroot or Cornstarch: To keep this dish grain-free you can use arrowroot or use cornstarch. The starch thickens the dairy-free butter sauce and helps it cling to the chicken so you won't end up with a runny sauce.

What Can I Substitute For Cream In Butter Chicken?

Instead of full-fat dairy cream, full-fat canned coconut milk is the best option. The canned coconut milk is naturally creamy with a high-fat content that will replicate the taste and texture of rich heavy cream. If you use canned coconut cream, the sauce will be too thick. Make sure to leave your full-fat coconut milk at room temperature and give it a good shake to distribute all the fat that may have accumulated at the top before measuring out for the sauce.

How To Make Dairy-Free Butter Chicken

1. Cube the chicken and combine the coconut yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, and all the spices. Mix in the cubed chicken to coat and let marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
2. In a large seasoned cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of dairy-free butter before adding the marinated chicken and yogurt mixture straight into the hot skillet.
3. Saute the chicken over high heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, coconut milk, and starch to the skillet.
5. Mix everything together to combine the sauce and coat the cooking chicken. Continue to cook the dairy-free butter chicken for another 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Do you have to marinate the chicken? The minimum amount of time I'd suggest marinating it if you're short on time is 1 hour. However, you can also prepare the chicken and marinate it overnight so it's ready to go the next day.
• Is butter chicken spicy? It's a mild Indian dish! While this dish has many spices, it doesn't mean it's spicy in heat. You can, however, add more black pepper, cayenne, or pot to use a spicy chili powder in your sauce.
• What if I can't have coconut? If you can use coconut-based dairy alternatives, you can opt to use another dairy-free yogurt, butter, and milk. Coconut is your best option due to its natural thickness and fat content. Look for a Greek-style dairy-free yogurt, any vegan butter, and full-fat non-dairy milk like cashew or oat milk depending on your allergen needs.

What's The Best Way To Serve Indian Butter Chicken?

Serve it with something that's going to soak up ALL that delicious creamy tomato gravy sauce! Rice or gluten-free naan. If you're keto or paleo and want to keep this meal low-carb and grain-free, cauliflower rice or some grain-free tortillas/bread/wraps can do the trick. Something that will soak up all the extra sauce and flavor from your bowl!

How To Store Leftovers

Allow the butter chicken to cool down completely after cooking before transferring leftovers to an airtight storage container. Store the chicken in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Can You Freeze Butter Chicken?

You can make a big batch and freeze it for later! Just allow the cooked dairy-free Indian butter chicken to cool before transferring it to a storage container (or multiple small containers) and freezing it for up to 6 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge.

How To Reheat Dairy-Free Butter Chicken

Reheat leftovers by adding the chicken to a skillet on the stove and heating it over medium-high heat until warmed through. Add a splash of room-temperature coconut milk to get the sauce moving again. I don't recommend heating it in the microwave as it may leave you with rubbery chicken.

More Gluten-Free Indian Recipes:

• Chicken Tikki Masala
• Curried Coconut Grilled Chicken
• Chana Masala
• Vegan Butter Chicken
• Gluten-Free Naan
• 10-Minute Coconut Yogurt & Chickpea Curry

Print

Similar to the leftovers you get with Chinese takeout, homemade Indian takeout dishes like this gluten-free butter chicken are out-of-this-world delicious the next day! Lunchtime meal prep for the week is solved and you'll be making all your coworkers jealous (not to mention the delicious aroma of the spices!)

So tell me:

+ Have you ever had authentic Indian butter chicken?

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