30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs.
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs. A delicious mix of cozy and healthy. This dish incorporates a variety of Indian spices, all with an abundance of health benefits. These meatballs are extra saucy, quick, easy, and delicious. Serve over steamed rice with a side of naan (preferably homemade because it’s the best). A great recipe any night of the week!
And just like that it’s already Wednesday, September is well under way, and like clockwork I am slowly beginning to share some more cozy recipes that are perfect for the cooler temperatures the approaching fall season is sure to bring.
So here’s the story behind this meatball recipe.
Those of you who have been reading HBH since the beginning (almost 6 years now!), may remember that during my first year of writing the blog I shared this naan recipe. Honestly? This is the naan that changed my life, my mom’s life, and really anyone that’s ever made or eaten it.
I know, I am so overly dramatic, but it’s all true. I never knew I could love a recipe as much as I love this naan. It’s soft, buttery, and delicious. Whether eaten with a bowl of soup, paired with a creamy curry, or especially when eaten on its own!
So, why am I gushing about an old recipe? Well, because it’s a recipe that’s inspired a lot of other recipes here on HBH. And yes, you guessed it, including these butter chicken meatballs. Really, I just needed a good excuse to make naan on a Monday, and butter chicken is the perfect dish to pair my favorite homemade naan with, so butter chicken meatballs it was.
And I am excited about them.
Meatballs have never been one of my favorites to make or to eat. Mostly because I really hate the word meatball. I find it so very unappealing. I mean, meatballs? Doesn’t seem like the greatest word to me, but I guess it is what it is.
This past year I’ve slowly started to put the unappealing name out of my head and begin to embrace the meatball. Thus far I’ve made simple baked Italian meatballs, Greek lamb meatballs, and ricotta turkey meatballs. And today I am embracing meatballs once again, only going the Indian route.
It’s kind of different, but so good.
Let’s talk details.
Start off by making the chicken meatballs. This is easy. Mix together ground chicken (you could also use ground turkey), an egg, and some bread crumbs. Form the mix into balls and then bake in the oven. I love baking my meatballs as opposed to pan frying them. One, it’s easier, two it’s healthier, and three, I find the meatballs cook evenly all the way through. Plus, cooking the meatballs in the oven gives you all the time (and hands) to make the sauce.
Which brings me to the sauce. The sauce is EVERYTHING. it’s what butter chicken is all about it. It’s where all the flavor is. It’s creamy, spicy, coconutty, and eat-by-the-spoonfuls good.
Traditionally butter chicken takes a while to make because the chicken needs to be slowly simmered in the sauce. Since we are using meatballs instead of whole chicken pieces, we can speed up the process and turn an hour plus recipe into a 30 minute, one pan and done, kind of recipe.
Cool. Cool. Love it.
The key to my butter chicken sauce is a good amount of spices, coconut milk, and tomato paste. The spices add all the flavor, the coconut milk adds creaminess, and the tomato paste adds richness.
Finish the sauce with a couple of tablespoons of butter and…PERFECTION.
You’ll want to get started on the sauce while the meatballs are baking so that when the meatballs are finished cooking, the sauce is all ready. Then all you’ll have to do is combine the two together, serve and enjoy. With a generous side of steamed rice and naan.
Of course.
I really can’t begin to describe just how good these meatballs are. The sauce is super creamy, incredibly flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The meatballs soak it all in, making them tender and delicious…anything but boring.
If you wanted to bump up the vegetable count, toss some spinach, cauliflower, or broccoli right into the sauce. Any of these would be great, and would add a nice pop of color too.
As mentioned, this is a great recipe for transitioning from summer to fall…it’s cozy, yet still healthy.
Oh, and it will leave your house smelling like a fall candle. The BEST! Make this soon you guys, it’s one of those recipes that’s just really really good!
If you make these 30 minutes butter chicken meatballs, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
A delicious mix of cozy and healthy. This dish incorporates a variety of Indian spices, all with an abundance of health benefits. These meatballs are extra saucy, quick, easy, and delicious. Serve over steamed rice with a side of naan. A great recipe any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- steamed rice and naan, for serving
Instructions
-
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Add the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, cooking another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato paste, coconut milk, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the yogurt and butter. Add the meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
5. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
Our Favorite Recipes
Peachy Chipotle Chicken Tortilla and Avocado Rice Salad with Fried Halloumi.
Yum! Looks delicious <3
Rebecca | http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Thank you Rebecca!
Curry paste is mentioned in the instructions but is not in the ingredients list.
Hi Tricia, there is no curry paste in this recipe. So sorry for any confusion, recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Do you think this would freeze well completely cooked then just reheat and serve with rice? I’m looking to stock my freezer up before baby and love the idea of this! (I’m also eyeing your naan recipe to freeze with it lol)
Hey Shannon!! Both the meatballs and naan freeze perfectly after cooking. Great idea and congrats on the new little baby! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Really want to try this but have question about step 3. It sat to add curry paste with the spices, but I don’t see curry paste in list of ingredients. How much should I use?
Hi Kathy, there is no curry paste in this recipe. So sorry for any confusion, recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I love meatballs, but i never eat chicken meatballs, only off red meat
Thank you! I hope you still try this!
What sort of curry paste? I’m from Australia
Hi! there is no curry paste in this recipe. So sorry for any confusion, recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Another yummy recipe. Thanks
Thank you Joyce!
Just made this!! Except I used fresh pasta, and added some spices to the meatballs… So good! New homemade curry plans!
Thank you so much Tilly!
Sounds delicious…going to make soon. One question though, at the beginning of the recipe ingredients is the coconut oil supposed to be olive oil?
HI! Yes, that is olive oil. Sorry for any confusion. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan.
Oh boy. I am super excited about these. I can’t wait to try them later this week!
Thank you! I hope you love this recipe!
Looks delicious! Is it possible to make the meatballs in advance and freeze them?? If so, how should I go about thawing/baking them? I’d love to be able to make these in bulk so they’re on hand– I feel like I’m going to have frequent cravings!! Great work, as always, Tieghan!
Hi! Yes, you can make the meatballs, then freeze in a freezer bag. To reheat, thaw the meatballs and warm the sauce and meatballs together in a skillet over low heat. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan.
A regular annoyance of mine: this recipe looks delicious. I will try it tonight. But you list the prep time (for starters) at 10 minutes!! Are you kidding? There are 18 ingredients in this dish. You couldn’t get 18 ingredients and the tools to process them on the prep table in 10 minutes. The same goes for the cooking time. Simply not possible.
Hi Michael! Sorry about that. I hope you still like this recipe!
Could I substitute heavy cream for the coconut milk? My husband is allergic to coconut and this looks too good to not make! Thanks!
Hey Kori! Yes, heavy cream will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan.
You refer to curry paste in the instructions but not in the ingredient list. How much curry paste, if any?
Hi Michael! there is no curry paste in this recipe. So sorry for any confusion, recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I don’t’ see the curry paste listed in the ingredients…..
I am so sorry about that Erin! I will add it!
Hi! I am always confused when it says to use curry powder/paste as to which color I am supposed to use? Can I chose whichever one I like or is there a rule of thumb I am unaware of? Please help! I love Indian food and want to make it properly. Thank you for your recipes, cookbook, & blog. I love your recipes and look forward to seeing them in my “in-box”.
Hey Jodi! there is no curry paste in this recipe. Use yellow curry powder if you can find it. So sorry for any confusion, recipe is all fixed! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I love meatballs…such a creative recipe and twist on traditional meatballs!! 🙂
Thank you Brittany!
Is American tomato paste like purée tomato’s? Our tomato paste is concentrated like plain pizza base sauce which seems a lot? Thanks
HI! It’s tomato puree! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight and was absolutely splendid! Added a big green chilli for spicyness when I added the coconut milk and tomato paste.
Thank you so much Chi!
We are obsessed with your naan, too! We always double the recipe! I’m excited to try these meatballs – we have made your Crock-Pot butter chicken several times and this seems comparable. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Rebekah!
Such a wonderful marriage of two delicious things!!
Thank you Ruth!
Really enjoyed making this tonight. A little too spicy for my 2 girls but I should have watched the cayenne pepper a little. Some extra Greek yogurt encouraged them to finish it off! Will definitely make again. So very glad to have discovered your site. I have your book and pour over your recipes and photos often.
You inspire me to keep making great food and taking great photos too! ???
Thank you so much Maxine!
Made this recipe today. Like you mentioned, the sauce is on point! The cayenne gives it just the right amount of heat without numbing your entire palate. Not sure what happened, or if they are supposed to be this way but the meatballs (not a fan of that word also) but they turned out kind of rubbery and dry. I put them in the sauce at the end, and I thought that was going to help, but it didn’t. Not sure what would help make them less dry. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Anyone else have the same thing happen?
Hey Alexis! What kind of meat did you use and how long did you bake them? It sounds like they maybe got overcooked, especially if you used a very leave ground chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Your homemade naan is the best and these meatballs look delicious!
It so is! I hope you try these meatballs Laura! Thank you!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Because we love vegetables and wanted to lighten it up a bit, I added red and green peppers and onions that I roasted while prepping. I mixed these into the pan with the meatballs and coated them with the sauce. I also substituted quinoa for rice, sautéed some fresh spinach, and spooned all the yummy ingredients over the quinoa and spinach! Delish!!! Used olive oil, not coconut oil.
I am so glad you loved this Lori! Thank you so much!
I made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it! The meal came together quickly and was great for a busy weeknight. My Indian husband approved ? Thank you for another delicious recipe!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Kim!
This was so so so good! I’m so happy I found this recipe holy fuck, it was so tasty, FRAGRANT, delicious, EASY, QUICK. I made mine a little healthier by using light coconut milk and I added some spinach. It was delicious and my brother loved it and I love making him proud. Thank you so much for posting this.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much!
Thoughts on if this could be made and frozen? Looking for healthy and delicious freezer meals!
Yum! This was really good and very quick to make. My kids gobbled it up too. No leftovers – boo 🙂 I did add a healthy pinch of salt but otherwise made exactly as is. Very good. The real star is the naan though. Oh my! Definitely don’t skip the naan. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Lynn! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Perfection was right. So creamy and delicious. Made the naan as well. My adult son said it was the best naan bread he ever tasted. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much Kathryn! That is so amazing!
I commented before about freezing but wanted to let you know we made these tonight for dinner and also made your naan! Everything was soooo good! I was so impressed with the naan (We added desiccated coconut and sultanas to make a peshwari naan!!) The meatballs are also genius! Definitely planning on making some more and freezing everything 😀 Thank you so much for 2 more successful recipes!
Thank you so much Shannon! I am so glad you loved this recipe!!
It was 59 degrees for a high on this NH day, a perfect day to execute this recipe. So random- I had all the ingredients on hand, except for the naan bread and fresh cilantro so I grabbed them at the market this morning. This was so easy and delicious! Looked just like the photos and tasted even better. Paired with a Bordeaux wine and they played nicely! Thanks for sharing!
Wow sounds like a perfect dinner! Thank you so much Linda, I am so glad you liked this!
Oh my stars! Just made this recipe and the naan. You were so right….the naan was amazing, and we are hooked! And the butter chicken meatballs were so flavorful. I love how quick it was to make something so tasty. It rained here all day and was cool outside, so this meal hit the spot. My daughter introduced me to your recipes, and I’m looking forward to making more!
Thank you so much Jill! I hope you continue to love my recipes!
I made this last night for dinner and made the homemade naan too. I absolutely loved this recipe and couldn’t recommend it more! It came together quickly and so did the naan!
Thank you so much Mary!
Hey Tieghan -Sorry it has been a long time – life has gotten in the way 🙁
I made your awesome Indian recipe last night as I was craving those warm and favorite spices
and creamy sauce…wow, this was fantastic and so easy to put together! Had leftover
cauliflower rice that went so well with that sauce and put on tons of fresh cilantro on it,
so yum! This is such a keeper and the leftovers next day….mmmmmmm, the flavors munged
so much more – Hope all is well is in your world, keep up the good work as usual!
Tammy
I am so glad this turned out amazing for you Tammy! Thank you!
these turned out awesome! as i was making them my boyfriend said “it smells like an actual indian restaurant in here!” the recipe made a lot of sauce so i think i will save some and simmer some chickpeas in it later this week, to make a vegetarian version of this. don’t want it to go to waste!
Thank you so much Caitlin! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
I love to make a batch of turkey meatballs with a bit of a ginger and chilli in them to keep in the freezer, Great in thai curry or in a bowl of ramen!
Thank you so much Rosie!
Dear Tieghan,
I only recently discovered you and all your wonderful work on the social media. (Was I asleep all those years?!?) I am totally flabberghasted by your website, your youtube channel, your talent, your life!! Sincerely, as a food “passionata” and an avid cook, I am beyond thrilled to discover your recipes and all the inspirations you so graciously share with the world. I prepared the curried meatballs over the week-end and everyone loved them. I’m so excited at the thought of discovering more and more everyday as I peruse your extraordinary material. Thank you so much and long live “Half Baked Harvest”!!! (I’m from the French-speaking province of Quebec, in Canada).
Hi Marie! I am so glad you are enjoying my blog and welcome! Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious and so easy! Another winning recipe from HBH in our household!
Thank you so much Meghan!
I love all things meatballs so made this tonight and it hit the spot. I added grated carrot to the meatballs and broccoli florets and three large handfuls of spinach to the sauce to get some veggies in there. Loved how straight forward it was. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much Harri!
I made this last night! SO GOOD! Such a fun take on butter chicken. Even my two and 5 year old loved it. I will be making this one again! Thank you for such a good and creative recipe.
Thank you so much Vicky!
Delicious! My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Although it took me longer than 30 minutes (I’m a slow cook), it was very easy. I didn’t have any yogurt so I subbed sour cream. Will make again, thank you!
I am so glad you and your family loved this recipe Anne! Thank you!!
Oh My Lanta!!! This is SSSSOOOO very good! Made the meatballs yesterday morning and the sauce in the evening for dinner. Made according to recipe with the exception of powdered ginger and the addition of a little salt at the end. Very authentic flavor and the perfect amount of heat, really really tasty!!! I will deff make this again! Meatballs are great for food preps so this helps to change things up! Thank you!!
I am so glad you loved this Nicole! Thank you so much!
Made this last night and just had leftovers with lunch. First, this was really easy to make, and it smelled wonderful while cooking! Second, it turned out really good … definitely a fall’ish cozy warming meal! We served it with jasmine rice and naan and a side of Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Chopped Salad (A surprise find that completed the Indian themed dinner perfectly!). And third? It tasted even better the next day! The flavors had time to marry and wow, delicious! Thank you for this recipe … I just ordered your book and look forward to trying other recipes!
I am so happy to hear that Jerri! Thank you!
Hey could you make this without the Greek yogourt if trying to go dairy free?
Hi! I would use 1/2 cup of thick canned coconut cream (so no coconut water) in place of the yogurt. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I love this dish! Thank you so much for sharing it. I love that it’s quick and easy to make on a weeknight. So Yummy!
Thank you Pamela!
Made these with hamburger and they were delicious!! 😉
1 entire teaspoon of cayenne though? I bumped down to 1/4 and thought that was still almost too spicy….maybe I’m a lightweight?
Hi Nicole! I am so glad you loved these! My family usually likes things spicier, so I tend to use a lot. I am glad you used less so it was perfect for you!
Delicious with hamburger meat too! 1 whole teaspoon of cayenne though?!?! I bumped that way down.
I made these tonight and they were delicious! I thought the sauce was too spicy, but the yogurt tempered the heat. This will definitely be a repeater for our family.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Sue!
I’ve been experimenting with different spices and as soon as I saw this recipe I knew it needed to go on my short list. I love the idea of adding broccoli and spinach to the pan as well, yum!
LOVE adding broccoli and spinach to everything so i’m there with you. I hope you love this!
The meatballs were delish but the sauce wasn’t properly balanced. The flavors didn’t sit right together.
Hi Rachel! I am so sorry you did not enjoy the sauce. Is there any questions I could help with?
Made this one while my husband was out of town (along with your broccoli soup) and Shannon……FROZE it along with the rice. It reheated beautifully! So good and comforting. Such great flavor. I modified only slightly by skipping the garam masala – just not a fan, and adding sliced red pepper to the sauce — always trying to sneak in a few more veggies. My meatballs were a bit dense so I’m curious what I can do to improve that next time. I may have overcooked them? My husband didn’t notice and we both loved it! Thanks again for another great recipe Tieghan!
I am so glad you and your husband both loved this! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight! It was delicious! I used cauliflower rather than rice and grabbed parsley instead of cilantro (on accident). My husband and girls enjoyed as the flavors were a nice change of pace on our palates. Thank you for introducing so many new spices to experiment with.
I am so glad you all enjoyed this Ashley! Thank you so much!
I followed this to a “T” and loved it. It was really easy and the perfect mid-week meal. Next time i’ll Also try the homemade naan. Yum!
I am so glad you loved this, Sarah! Thank you so much!
We made this the other night and it was a HUGE HIT! I have yet to make one of your recipes that was not a winner. The meatballs were delicious, just on their own. I had to ‘fudge’ the garam masala, but it worked. My boyfriend took the leftovers for lunch and shared the recipe. Thanks for another quick and easy dinner. (oh, and it is great with Cauliflower rice)
Thank you so much Kristi! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Wonderful recipe!! Butter chicken is one of my husband’s favorite Indian dishes and he absolutely loved your meatballs and sauce. He liked it so much we ended up having it for dinner two nights in a row. And what an incredibly easy dish to make. It is definitely on our list of keepers. thanks so much!
I am so glad you and your husand loved this! Thank you so much Colleen!
Butter Chicken is my fav and this looks delicious! What curry powder and garam masala brand did you use? I have Madras curry powder.
HI! I typically just buy whole foods 365 brand or Simply Organic spices. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
These came out soooo yummy! I loved how quick they were too.
Thank you Stefanie!
Oh wow! This was great! Had with Basmati rice & used your Naan recipe. Your Naan recipe is da bomb!
Me and the kids loved thank you.
I am so glad you loved this recipe! And so glad you made the naan with it! Thank you Karen!
Made this and my husband and kids (yes even my picky kids) LOVED it.
Thank you for all your delicious recipes.
Thank you so much Tiffany! I am so glad you and your family loved this!
I made this today! it turned out well. Mine turned out more of a orange colour rather than a red, but that may be because I used a yellow curry powder. Next time I will use a red curry powder. I also found that the addition of the Greek yogurt gave it a slight acidic/bitter taste. Next time I will substitute a heavy cream.
Thank you so much Alisha!
I made this last night and it was amazing! I halved the amount of cayenne and it was plenty spicy for us, but that’s the only change I made. So good! Will make this over and over with chicken, vegetables, etc. The sauce is perfect. Thank you!
Thank you so much Lindsay!
I made this last night and it was soooo good! I put less cayenne pepper and added a handful of fresh spinache 10mn before serving and we had a wow dinner. Thanks for making things so simple!
I am so glad you loved this Anaïs! Thank you for making this recipe!
This was a great weeknight rescue for my hungry, post-game hockey player. I made a double batch to be sure to have leftovers… No such luck! My family gobbled them up. 😉
Wow thats amazing! I am so glad your family loved this recipe, Patricia! Thank you!
Hi Tieghan! I can’t wait to make this dish on Thursday for my dinner party! Regarding the naan – if I do not have a cast iron skillet (my next investment) is it still worth making? Or does the cast iron make all the difference?
Thank you so much!
HI! Yes, totally still worth making. Just get the skillet nice and hot! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I made this last week and it was delicious and did come together quickly!
I added a ton of veggies to my curry (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, spinach) and made the naan as well with whole wheat flour. My guests loved it all and were super impressed I made the naan (guys, its so easy!).
The meatballs were great too. I think next time, I might just braise chicken thighs and add them to the curry as that would be significantly faster. Or, omit the meat all together and just add chickpeas!
Thank you so much for another killer recipe!
Hi Maclean! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for making it!
I am still sitting at the dinner table with five empty bowls previously filled with your Butter Chicken Meatballs and five very satisfied tummies. My husband “mmm-ed” after every bite. I am not usually a reviewer, but this is seriously delicious. My first HBH recipe and certainly not my last. I doubled the recipe for the sauce and roasted a head of cauliflower for my vegetarian sister. The veggie version was as delicious and satisfying as the original. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Anna! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Best dinner EVER!! My entire family
Loved this meal! Thank you so much
For all your amazing recipes. Such
An easy weeknight meal for this
Busy mom.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Tracey!
This was a big hit with my husband and young kids. The first time I made it my kids enjoyed it but thought the coconut flavor was too strong and also complained that there weren’t any left overs to take to school in their thermoses the next day. I now double the recipe and rather than double the coconut milk, I use equal parts of of coconut milk and heavy cream. It is the perfect meal for a busy week night!
Thank you so much Jessica! I am so glad you loved this recipe and your family did as well!
I want to preface this by saying about 80-90% of the time I usually LOVE Tieghan’s recipes, however this one was just okay. I probably wouldn’t make it again. The sauce just tasted strange to us, not very Tikka Masala-y, and it definitely took more than 30 minutes. With prep time and properly cooking onions and simmering the sauce, this was about 1h 15mins. I loved the meatball technique though, which I will probably use again, just with a different sauce.
Hi Tori! I am so glad you usually like my recipes, but apologize that this one did not work for you. Is there anything I could help you with to make this better next time?
I love this recipe! It’s quick, easy and full of flavor. I just got your cookbook for Christmas – can’t wait to dive in and start cooking.
Woo! Let me know what you end up making! Thank you Brandi!
OMG!!!! This is sooo delicious!! Unfortunately (or fortunately) I could not make all in one night due to my schedule, but it worked out fine. As soon as I saw this in your “healthyish” round up I knew I had to make. I made the meatballs last night along with the naan dough. When I got home from work this evening I made the sauce, popped the meatballs in the oven and made a few naan. My little family ate it up quickly!! Love, love, love!! Thanks so much! Another recipe to add to my winter roster. Happy New Year!!
I am so glad you all loved this Teresa! Thank you so much!
I forgot to say that I omitted the cayenne pepper . . . I just couldn’t find it in my spice cabinet! However, we didn’t feel that the dish needed it. Maybe in the future I’ll add a dash but if I don’t it won’t be missed.
Love evtthat I’ve cooked of yours. This was delicious and so easy.
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
Hi Tieghan. I made your 30 minute Butter Chicken Meatballs tonight for dinner. So good! I served it over Lundberg Wild Rice Blend with a salad on the side. The rice is very hardy but we felt it complimented the meatballs perfectly! Thank you for your creativity! Much appreciated!
Thank you so much Tanis!
Hi there! What would you suggest substituting the greek yogurt with for someone who can’t have dairy? Thanks!
HI! I would use an equal amount of full fat canned coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Hi there! I’m so excited to make these. I have 3 questions, is the calorie count worth the naan? Also how many meatballs is 1 serving? Lastly, can these be frozen in individual servings with the sauce for on the go meals? Thank you so much.
HI! In my opinion the naan is 100% worth it. I am not positive, but I would guess 2-3 meatballs is a serving. And yes, these freeze so well with the sauce included. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and then warm! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I came across this recipe last weekend and knew I needed to try it as soon as possible. My husband ended up making it tonight as I got stuck at work late (bonus as he does not cook for me often). I cook a lot of Indian recipes and this one was so good (and easy). The consistency of the sauce is amazing. Flavor couldn’t be better. This will be a regular in our dinner rotation. Thank you!
Hi Annie! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight with your dairy-free suggestion that you gave in one of the comments (sub coconut cream instead of the yogurt and then just omit the coconut milk). I made 16 meatballs with the 1-pound of ground chicken and took them out after maybe 16 minutes. Perfect. And the sauce was awesome. I only did a dash of the cayenne because we’re big wimps. This was another winner!! If anyone’s wondering about gluten-free substitutions, I used GF panko and it was great.
I am so glad you loved these meatballs, Meredith! Thank you so much!!
Love this recipe so much! I make it weekly.
That is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you love this Allison! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi There,
Can I use heavy cream instead of yogurt?
Thanks!
HI! I am sure heavy cream will be fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this one tonight. It’s one of the best recipes I’ve ever made, while also being quick, easy, and healthy. I served it with brown rice and store-bought whole wheat naan, though I’m hoping to make your naan recipe one day. I’ll be making this recipe again and again!
Thank you so much Jill! xTieghan
This recipe is so delicious! I’ve made it 3 times since February and I’ve had 3 friends fall in love and make it also. It freezes great for on the go single serving meals that I prep for my daughter when she comes to visit to take home with her for lunch at work. So delicious.
I am so glad you have been loving this recipe, Chanel! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was so, so, so, so YUM! I made it for my husband and a good friend during a ski vacation. It was PERFECT on a snowy evening. The sauce and meatballs doubled easily. I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you so much Sally! xTieghan
I made the sauce for this recipe, and dropped in boneless, skinless chicken thighs to simmer. Easier than meatballs. 😉
1.) I wanted my butter chicken sauce super smooth (like the picture!) and I knew from experience that chopping the onion wasn’t going to do it. I asked my favorite Indian restaurant their secret, and they said they made an onion paste–they whirled the onions in the food processor until they were a paste and then cooked them, so I did that.
2.) I thought there was too much water and will cut down next time. I will probably not add any unless I have too.
Other than that it was tasty. I did it without yogurt because I wanted it like my favorite take-out dish and if it has any yogurt, it’s very little. Maybe next time I’ll try it, but I’m afraid of ruining it! lol. And I think next time I’ll try a smidge less tomato–maybe 4-5 oz instead of the full 6. I can always add more in!
But this is very close in taste to my favorite take-out dish, and I think with a few tweaks I can get JUST the way I want it. As with most dishes, there is an element of personal preference that comes in, but this recipe is a great launching board and actually closer to what I want than what I’ve tried before.
Hi Adrienne! Thank you so much for trying this dish and sharing how you made it! I hope you love this even more with a few tweaks! xTieghan
A weekly staple in our household!
I love that! Thank you so much Allison! xTieghan
Tieghan: I used ground veal and Angus burger for the meatballs. I did not use the cayenne b/c my cayenne is very old. I must say that this recipe worked for me and I will enjoy it. Once again, thank you for offering everyone tasty and almost simple recipes. Hugs.
I am so glad you loved this still! Thank you so much Jude! xTieghan
Do you use white or dark chicken? Thank you!
Hi Nancy, I like to use white meat chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
So delicious and super easy, my 9 and 11 year old children made it themselves and all 3 kids loved it! Next time I’ll need to double the recipe!
Yes! So glad you loved this Kathy! xTieghan
Can you make with ground chicken?
Hi Natalie, Yes, this recipe is already made with ground chicken. It works great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this tonight. It was really good (as your recipes are),but I realized the only salt was in the meatball itself, not in the sauce. Did I miss something?
Hey Rachel! There is salt and pepper in the sauce, but please feel free to add as much salt as your taste buds like! 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Too spicy for a butter chicken as written. Definitely reduce cayenne. Grainy as well. Should have immersion blended everything as I was considering but didn’t. My mistake. Also, timing is way off as another reader mentioned – for the time it takes for this recipe I would have preferred to spend the hour making real butter chicken.
I have tried several HBH recipes. Unfortunately the several I have tried have either missed/misstated ingredients. I have even gotten in the middle of making something and then realized the error. Author still hasn’t responded months later. May I suggest an editor before publishing. Good luck. Web layout and props are pretty though.
Hi Jennifer! I am so sorry you did not enjoy this recipe and some of the ingredients seem to be wrong. Could you please clarify which recipes you are speaking out, so I can fix them? Personally, I really love spice and so does my family, so I tend to add more. I would suggest adding less to recipes if you do not like it as much. xTieghan
The sauce was very good, but the meatballs were bland. Also, I would suggest turning the meatballs halfway during baking to get more even browning.
Hi Marie! I am sorry about that. Are there any questions I could help you with? xTieghan
I love this Butter Chicken Meatball recipe! Tonight was the second time I made it, and it is incredible! I added a cut up apple when sautéing the onion. Yummy! Thank you for this and the naan bread recipe. My husband loves it too!
That is so great! Thank you Susan! xTieghan
I recently had to go dairy-free…do you think this recipe would work with a yogurt alternative and butter alternative?
Hey Emily! I recommend using coconut yogurt and your favorite vegan butter. That will be so great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I cooked this tonight and it was heavenly. The meatballs were easy to make and the sauce, wow, the sauce! Nice and creamy and in good quantity. I know your dishes can be a bit spicy so I cut down on the cayenne pepper and it was perfect for us. I’ll be doing this again, but with cauliflower instead of meat for a veggie yet yummy dinner. Thank you Tieghan!
So glad this turned out amazing for you Enelye! Thank you! xTieghan
If I wanted to make this dairy free, what should I use in place of the Greek yogurt?
HI Sophia! I recommend an equal amount of canned full fat coconut cream OR plain coconut yogurt. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I added califlower and spinach to this already amazing recipe. So sooo good! Thank you!!
Thank you Joy!! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! My family loved it also. I followed the recipe as you have it and thought it was great. Next time I will try to make the homemade naan. I served the dish with store bought naan and it was very delicious.
Thank you so much Debra! I am so glad you loved this recipe so much! xTieghan
Can you prep the meatballs a day ahead and put them in the fridge?
HI Michelle! Yes, you can prep and keep in the fridge for a day. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Dear Tieghan, another knock-it-out-of-the-park home run! This is the recipe that my daughter shared with me that introduced me to your site. I was waiting for a “fall-ish” day to make this, and tonight was the night. Served with Basmati Rice and a very simple roasted cauliflower (because I’m a Pain in the Butt Mom that insists on veggies), I took the cayenne heat down to our taste level, but that was it. AMAZING DELICIOUSNESS! Cliffhanger Monday… will the leftovers actually make it to the fridge?
Hi Belle! I am so glad this recipe turned out amazing for you and your family!! & totally be that mom that serves veggies, its so great! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
My goodness! I was just looking around for something to do with readymade meatballs, and had a hankering for spicy curry. I made the exact same recipe just before finding yours! Haven’t eaten it yet (rice is still cooking), but smells good. Just sorry that I didn’t see your post earlier, would have loved to make the naan (bit too late now)
I am so glad you found this recipe! I hope this turns out amazing for you Kaliman! xTieghan
This was a big hit with everyone. I had a good amount of sauce left over too so froze that which made an easy meal the next time we had the dish since all I had to do was cook meatballs! Definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much Maria! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Better than takeout! It was the first really cool night of autumn and this was really perfect. First success at homemade naan as well. thank you!
Thank you Margo! So glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was a hit! The only thing in the recipe I did not follow exactly was the amount of cayenne pepper. I hovered the full tsp, but chickened out and only put half in. Personally, I don’t handle lots of heat well. That being said it was the perfect spice for me and everyone else I ate with would have loved the full tsp. Thank you for the wonderful and quick recipe!
Thank you for trying this Lauren! I am so glad this turned out so well! xTieghan
Loved this curry, and can see why it is so popular. I have been wanting to do this one for some time. I did this with my usual fat free type options and am accustomed to cooking that way to maintain my weight loss over the years. This recipe was full of wonderful flavors. Will be a go to recipe for a great curry chicken. I think I really prefer meatballs to chicken pieces, more interesting! A favorite to have again and again. Thank you
Thank you so much Frances! I am so glad you loved this and could modify to fit with your lifestyle! xTieghan
Made this recipe last week and it was so simple and good! My kids even enjoyed it!
I love to hear that! Thank you so much Stephanie! xTieghan
These were amazing! They’ll be joining our dinner rotation for sure. Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear that Jaki! Thank you! xTieghan
Was AMAZING!!! And so easy!
Thank you Rachel! xTieghan
This recipe was awesome! So easy to make since it was virtually a one pan recipe (minus the meatballs) and the flavor was delicious! It’s hard to find recipes that actually add enough heat, but this one was perfect. Will definitely be saving this and making again!
Thank you so much Abigail! xTieghan
I made these butter chicken meatballs for meal prep and had the four straight days in a row! I truly could not get enough of them, and will be making them again soon!! So so yummy!!!!
Thank you so much Andi! xTieghna
This is one of my all time favorite recipes!! I always add a tiny bit of curry powder and garam masala into my meatball mixture to add an extra kick of flavor!! I make this at least once every other week if not once a week!! A for sure favorite!
Thank you so much Kayla! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
This recipe was fabulous!!! I have raved about it to everyone. Will absolutely make this again!
Thank you so much Patti! xTieghan
This was excellent until I added the Greek yogurt. I tossed it out and restarted. I made two changes. I did 1.5x the spices and omitted Greek yogurt and added 1 tablespoon of cream. PERFECTION!
Hi! I am really glad you liked this without the greek yogurt! Thank you! xTieghan
Made these delicious little meatballs for one of my personal chef clients. They were a big hit with the family. I’ll be adding them to other clients’ menus too ❤️?????
Thank you so much Amy! I am so glad your clients love this! xTieghan
First time making this and it was a big hit. Followed the recipe except for the Greek yogurt; flavorful with just enough heat. We will be making it again.
Thank you so much Laurel! xTieghan
I loved this, such a good idea for an easy take on Indian food. I made it last night, I have a super picky father in law, and he loved it. My family was pretty much licking the sauce off their plates. I was a little scared for the meatballs at first because they were super mushy when I was trying to roll them so I ended up adding extra bread crumbs and could not make them as small as I wanted to, my ground chicken was really cold so maybe I needed to wait for them to get closer to room temp? Not sure, but either way they held their shape in the oven even if they weren’t perfectly round! They came out crispy just like the recipe calls for! 🙂
Will make again!
Hi Ally! I am so glad these turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan
Thanks – have made this a few times and really like it. One tip for anyone who is feeding someone who doesn’t like rice (like I am) – chop a head of cauliflower into bite size pieces, and roast with turmeric and garam masala than add to the sauce with the chicken. Yum!
Yes! So glad this turned out so well for you K! Thank you! xTieghan
This is the 3rd recipe from this website that I cooked, and I gotta say, it’s EASY and soooooo soooo delicious!!! I’ve been doing the prep once, cook all week. And since all your ingredients are so simple, and recipe are so easy, it saving a ton of money and time cooking lunch/dinner. So far, all three recipes I’ve tried (this, sticky ginger, sun dried tomato meatball pasta) will be a repeat recipes! Thank youuuuu!!! (Found you through IG -Arlaeats)
Hi Lea! I am so glad you enjoyed this so much! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Made this once, and it was really good! Looking to make it again this week, but we are currently renovating our kitchen. Do you think I can through it all in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or so? That’s what I’ve done with Italian Meatballs, hoping I can do the same with this recipe 🙂
HI Mackenzie! Love the idea of making this in the slow cooker and think that 6 hours on low will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Very tasty and easy to make! I had leftover curry paste from the easy Chicken masala recipe so I used that in place of some of the spices. Out of the three Indian recipes on the site I’ve tried (this one, pumpkin chickpea curry, and simple chicken tikka masala), this one was the tastiest. I think next time I’d use higher fat ground chicken rather than white ground chicken. Otherwise, perfect!
Hi Holly! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Make this at least once a month! So easy, delicious and flavorful! Much easier and faster than traditional butter chicken without skimping on any of the flavor. The last time I made it I forgot to buy coconut milk, so I added some coconut and used a mix of whole milk and half-and-half and it still came out delicious!
Thank you so much Jen! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this and your nann but a gluten free version and my kids loved it. My 10 year old daughter said it was the best thing I had ever cooked.
Thank you for all the thought and effort you put into your recipes and the blog ?!
Hi Alison! I am so glad you and your family loved this recipe! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
Delicious. I do seem to remember a healthier version on here which I’ll try next time. Every single recipe of yours that I’ve prepared has been soooo good. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Casey! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
I made this tonight. Tieghan, you my dear, are a rock star in the kitchen. Keep them coming, I absolutely love your recipes!!
Hi Abby! I am sure you are a rockstar as well! Thank you so much for trying this and other recipes of mine! I hope you continue to love them all! xTieghan
Just made this tonight – it is a 5-star!!
So fun with the meatballs and the flavor – girl!!! It’s like it has been cooking all day!! This was a fast weeknight pantry-friendly meal that will go in rotation!! The Indian lover BF raved!! Winner winner! Thank you!
Wow that is so amazing!!! I am so glad you all loved this, Kristen! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Delicious. I threw about a tsp of garam masala into the meatball mix. My 4 year old asked me to pack leftovers for his school lunch, which is very high praise. My first recipe from this blog but definitely not the last. I want to out this sauce on everything. It was honestly maybe 10% more effort than opening a jar of store bought simmer sauce and heating it up, but 100% tastier.
Wow that is too cute! Thank you so much for trying this Kris! xTieghan
Hi – what percent Greek yogurt should I use?
Hi Sophia! I like to use full fat great yogurt for a creamy sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
EXCELLENT! Such an easy recipe but delicious. Your instructions are perfect! We eat half baked harvest at least 4 times a week. I used turkey and it was Great.
As Always, thank you!
Cheryl
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying all of my recipes Cheryl! xTieghan
So much flavor! Will be making again during covid19; comfort food! Would love more recipes with coconut milk, ginger, and ginger. Thanks
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Deb! Thank you so much for trying it! I hope you are staying healthy and well! xTieghan
Can I leave out the yogurt/will it make a big difference?
HI! It will just be a little less creamy. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Made this tonight with ground turkey & a little bit of pork sausage that needed to be used up. So easy and DELICIOUS! The sauce is to die for. Didn’t have the marsala seasoning, but googled what’s all in it and made my own with spices I had. Obviously made HBH naan to go with this! Thanks for keeping my quarantine tasting wonderful 🙂
Thank you Hannah! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you are staying healthy and safe! xTieghan
I modified this for Whole 30 by using Almond Flour in the meatballs instead of breadcrumbs. In sauce I used Ghee and Almond Yogurt ( Kite Hill). I served over cauliflower rice. It was unbelievable.
Hi Nancy! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Also, thank you for sharing your modifications! xTieghan
Hi! I wanted to make this for my kids today, but only have coconut cream (not milk) on hand. Does that work too?
Thanks in advance! Love all your recipes.
Hi! Yes that should work great! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! xTieghan
THIS SAUCE!!!! I used to buy a pre-made spice paste and just add tomato paste and coconut milk to make butter chicken. I can’t find it in stores anymore, and was so sad. Now I’m embarrassed I ever bought it after making this – so quick and easy and insanely delicious. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Laura!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have a question… is the yogurt flavor strong? Yogurt is one food I really do not like the flavor or texture of. Can I substitute it with something else… or is it not even that pronounced?
Hi Tara! I do not think it is strong, but you could also use an equal amount of coconut cream if preferred! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Omg we made this tonight and it was delicious! My only suggestion for people with kids is to half the cayenne pepper. I loved the heat but those with sensitive palette may prefer a slightly lower heat.
Thank you so much Marcelle! xTieghan
This recipe was amazing. My husband said this was his favorite half baked harvest recipe we’ve tried! The sauce is what makes it. Next time we may double the sauce recipe because we just wanted more to dip naan in and really smother the bowl! We did want some veggies and so I added frozen peas to the dish near the end and it was excellent. The only thing I adjusted in the recipe was only did 1/2 tsp of cayenne and it was the perfect amount of heat. Would highly recommend this recipe to anyone!
Thank you so much Maddie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Ok, I recently got onto half baked harvest during quarantine and I’ve been trying so many recipes. This is one of my top 2 out of 6 or 7. I never knew it was so easy to make butter anything! and I actually love the meatballs on here, more than I would like cubed chicken.. I would caution however, that this GIRL LIKES HER SPICE…HEAT. I used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, thankfully lol cause it would have been to much to handle. If you’re not into heat, I’d say try a little and you can always add more spiciness if you’d like 🙂
GREAT GREAT GREAT RECIPE. I’ve been thinking about it everyday since I’ve made it, hahah!
Hi Naraly! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! My family is definitely more into the spicy foods haha. xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! i’m really excited to try this recipe. I sent my husband to the store with an ingredients list and he brought back ground beef instead of chicken or turkey. It’s hard for us to go to the store during quarantine so I have to work with it! Do you think I can sub beef for the meatballs? If not, I will look for another recipe and try this one another time. Thanks so much! 🙂
Hi Samantha,
I think you will be okay with the ground beef! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe is a MUST if you are a fan of butter chicken! It comes together so quickly. Try it!
Thank you Desi! xTieghan
These were divine. Served with rice and your herbed garlic butter naan (which I now have to keep a stash of in my freezer now- best thing ever). I had remnants of sauce leftover that my husband begged me not to throw out. Thank you. I feel like a real cook every time I use one of your recipes.
Aw that is so great to hear! Thank you so much for trying this one, Pleen! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Hi there! Excited to try butter chicken with this recipe as I am so not very adventurous with new foods! A few quick questions…
For the curry powder am I looking for red or green? Or does it matter?
Also, is the garam masala available in regular grocery stores?
Thanks!
Jess
Hi Jessica,
The curry powder will be yellow and yes you can find garam masalaa most grocery stores or order online. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I would add extra seasoning to the meatballs and cool them for a little less time. they were overcooked and bland .. but other than that the curry was delish
Hi Alisha! I am really sorry to hear that! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
I made these tonight. Delicious! I left the meatballs in the oven too long though as they dried out a bit. Could you do this in the slow cooker?
Hi Lisa,
Yes you could do that, I would do 6-7 hours on low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am obsessed with this recipe! It is so good!
But I have a question because I am thinking of making it for a large crowd in the slow cooker. Do you think if I made the sauce then add the raw chicken and let it cook for 6-8 hours on low that it would turn out well? Thanks!
Hi Jenna,
Yes that would work well! I hope it’s delish! xTieghan
I have made this recipe with and without the meatballs. My favorite was by adding in Paneer cheese at the end and serving over riced cauliflower for a lower calorie alternative to rice. I feel like the sauce is the real star here. Myself I used a hot curry for a bit more heat and its crazy good! Next time I’m going to try the sauce over grilled halibut or shrimp.
Thank you so much Julie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’ve made this simple, but sooo delicious dish over and over, and it’s one of our firm favourites. Thank you so much!
Thank you Jo! I love to hear that! xTieghan
Hey! Would no fat yogurt work?
Thank you!!
Hey,
Yes that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
this is one of the best things i’ve ever made!
Wow I am really happy to hear that, Kimmy! Thank you! xTieghan
Hello! I know you answered this in a previous question but I just want to make sure. Is the tomato paste the strong tasting/very thick type or the pourable liquid tomato purée type? Thanks so much!
Hey Julie,
Tomato paste is the thick paste. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m not a fan of coconut, what can be used for a replacement for this recipe?
Hey Emi,
Another milk that you enjoy will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Any chance you can provide the nutritional information of this recipe! Thank you 😊
Hi Nancy! I am really sorry, but I do not have the nutirtional information. I like to focus on using healthy, whole foods instead of counting the fats, carbs, etc. I hope you understand! xTieghan
I misread the turmeric and added 1 teaspoon instead of 1/2 of a Teaspoon, is there anything you recommend to fix it? I was so excited to make but think I ruined it!
Hey Meghan,
I wouldn’t be too worried, it should be okay! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious! The sauce is so so SO good! Cannot wait to keep making this recipe!
Thank you so much Amy! xTieghan
Hey this recipe looks amazing and I really want to try it, but my mom is alergic to tomatoes. Is there any possible substitution for the tomato? If not I’ll sill be giving this recipe a go! 😊
Thanks!
Hey El,
Unfortunately you want to keep the tomatoes in this recipe:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made this recipe, the meatballs are SO GOOD! Made some adjustments to the sauce with ingredients I had in hand, but kept the meatballs the same. Thank you Tieghan!
Thank you so much Mathilde! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Another hit. I made the recipe exactly as written. Deep flavors. Super speedy meal to make on a Tuesday night. Yum and thank you!
Thank you so much Josie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hey I’m alergic to tomatoes is thereally any way to replace the tomatoes in this recipe with something else?
Hey Ell,
I am so sorry the tomatoes are really key in this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This dish was amazing! Better than takeout and way healthier.
Yes! Thank you so much Emily! xTieghan
Made this for my family who was in town and the sauce was so sour. None of my ingredients were expired so I’m not sure what the deal was. I was not a fan of this recipe what so ever.
Hi Stephanie! That is super odd! Is there anything that could have been changed while making this? I would love to help! xTieghan
Wow is all I can say! I have eaten my fair share of butter chicken, but have never made it myself until last night. The sauce is unbelievable! My grocery store was out of ground chicken so I bought a pound of chicken breast instead. I cubed it and marinated it in 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, some spices listed in the recipe and some garlic and ginger for 1 hour. Loosely followed the Chicken Tikka recipe for inspiration on the marinade. Then I fried it in batches, put it aside and started on the AMAZING sauce. Currently eating some as leftovers and it’s almost even better than lastnight!! Thanks Tieghan! 🙂
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Viki! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Sauce is delicious! Meatball combo (I used ground chicken) was just ok for me though. Everything had a super soft texture – meatballs, rice, bread. Next time I’m thinking of trying a braised chicken or chicken skewers with the sauce to mix things up. Also, I omitted the yogurt and butter since were dairy sensitive and thought the sauce was still delicious with just the coconut milk. Final FYI is it’s a little spicy, so easy on the cyanne if you’re feeling babes/kids.
Thank you so much Kristy!! I am really glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
So delicious and SO easy. Make this for dinner this week, you won’t regret it!
Thank you so much Stacy!! xTieghan
Delicious. The recipe calls for tomato paste but one of the comments says it’s purée. Which one? Used ground dark meat chicken and the meatballs were perfect.
Hey Cherie,
You want to use tomato paste for this recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was fun. Admittedly, I didn’t have onions on hand so I used shallots. It was that or going to the store which was not going to happen! Onions definitely would be better with a bit more bite than shallots, but it worked. The only change I would make (other than onions per the actual recipe obviously) is that I would do two pounds of ground chicken/turkey. There was so much sauce that I could easily double the protein content. I ended up freezing the extra sauce though so that is a win! I did love the meatball technique.
Hi Kristen! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Embrace the meatball! I’m
Always looking for a good meatball recipe! My kids
Like them, after the rolling it’s hands-free and mess free when lining the baking pan. Sometimes I even make them and use them in pitas or make burger-sized and put them on rolls!
This one did not disappoint! Pretty dark close to our favorite local Indian restaurant! Will definitely add these to my meatball rotation!
Thank you so much Jenn! I am so glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you!! xTieghan
Made these last night and all I can say is that I’m sad I haven’t made them sooner! Great recipe!
Haha love that these turned out so well for you! Thank you Cassie! xTieghan
These were easy and so delicious! Thank you!
Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
Pickiest eater in the house – 17-year-old little bro who lives on poptarts and mac and cheese – grabbed a big bowl of rice and put a meatball on it. Then got brave and added another meatball. Then loaded up on naan because bread is almost always a safe bet.
I asked him if he’d tried the sauce yet. He grabbed a spoon and sampled it.
Then grabbed a ladle and COVERED his naan in this sauce!
If that’s not a positive review, I don’t know what is!
Wow YES!! I am so glad you all enjoyed this one, Kate! Love when you can get picky eaters to enjoy other types of foods! Thank you! xTieghan
The sauce is delicious! Next time, I’m just going to season the meatballs themselves as well. They’re just kind of bland compared to the sauce that surrounds them. Simple fix though!
I am sorry to hear that, Emma! I am glad the rest turned out well for you. If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! xTieghan
I made these last night with Turkey (but had accidentally forgotten the garmala masala). Nonetheless, they were quite good; the sauce had a great texture. Pretty easy too. The one con is that when things begin boiling near the end, it begins to make a mess…
Love that!! Thank you for trying this one, Bret!! xTieghan
Delicious! So easy and a real crowd pleaser
Thank you Megan! xTieghan
These meatballs were delicious. My 4 year old loves meatballs, so I love to find different variations to introduce different flavors to him. I did cut the spice level down to a level I knew he would be able to handle, but the flavor was still amazing.
Thank you so much Brandi!! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan! I’ve made this recipe before and it is SO good. I’m cooking for a friend who is vegetarian. What veggies would you suggest to swap for the meatballs? I was thinking maybe potatoes and peas but wondering your thoughts. Thank you so much!!
Hey Hannah,
I would give this recipe a try: https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/indian-coconut-butter-cauliflower/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
garam masala – I have whole spices that I bought at an Indian grocery store. Should I use it whole or grund it first? Should I warm them up in a frying pan fist?
Hey Julia,
I would use ground garam masala. No need to warm it first. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is a winner. Everything came together very quickly. The flavors were perfect.
Love to hear that! Thank you Judith! xTieghan
Just made this last night and it is supremely delicious! I added golden raisins at the end of cooking, which added a nice pop of unexpected flavor. I will be making this again and again.
I am so happy you loved this recipe, Heather! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was exceptionally good- I can’t count how often my nine year old declared “this is out of this world” and I completely agree! My husband really liked it, and So did all the kids. I was worried because of the simplicity of the meatballs, but they were great (I did have to substitute regular plain breadcrumbs since I was out of Panko, and I added more than a pinch of salt:-). I used half light coconut cream and half full fat, and added spinach and it paired phenomenally with the creamy sauce. It tastes as good as it looks in the picture and that is rare! I am definitely saving this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Laura! I am really happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you and your family! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it turned out great! I did add a few more spices to the meatballs some of the same spices in the sauce plus ras el hanout and kabseh moracan spices and grated onion. In the sauce I used chicken stock instead of water and a cinnamon stick.Will make again!Great recipe.
Thank you so much Brenda! I am really glad this recipe still turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was meh. Kind of bland, even though I increased spices a bit. The yogurt flavor overpowered the spices. Not sure where I went wrong since everyone seems to love this recipe. Didn’t have the the tomatoey buttery taste I was craving at all. Still edible, but lackluster flavor in the sauce. Only thing I could think of is that perhaps 1/2 a cup of yogurt is too much? I used whole milk Greek yogurt. I’m not convinced I’d try this again, but if I did, I might add more coconut cream than yogurt. And I’m not sure about the spices. I was generous with them, but they still didn’t come through that much. Guess I shouldn’t expect much depth of flavor from a 30 minute dish? That being said, it was still eaten by hubs & child!
Hi Shara! I am sorry this recipe did not turn out as expected for you.. If there is anything I can help with, I would love to! Otherwise, I hope some other recipes turn out well for you! xTieghan
This recipe was delicious! My fiancé said it’s the best sauce he has ever had, haha! We always make the butter chicken in the slow cooker but this recipe knocked it out the park. So good, creamy and absolutely perfect. Will 100% make again (most likely multiple times a month, haha!)
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Meghan! Thank you so much for trying this one!! xTieghan
Overall a delicious weeknight meal! Took only slightly longer than 30 and thankfully I had several staples on hand. Needed just a touch more salt. Perfect with nann bread! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Caitlin,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Oh my goodness!!
So incredibly good! We made it dairy free with oat yogurt (it’s what we had). The best part is, other than it being oh so delicious, is that we most always have the ingredients on hand.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I just made this along with homemade naan. The sauce is so silky and smooth and the flavor was amazing!! One of my favorite things I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
You’re welcome! Happy New Year to you as well!
This was my first curry that actually came out absolutely amazing! We opted for ground Turkey vs chicken, other than that we followed the recipe to a T. Thank you for such an amazing meal that will absolutely be repeat at our dinner table!
Hey Diane,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Quite tasty but I feel like I haven’t perfected it. Maybe my questions will help clarify what I need to do different. I for some reason thought it should have been a little sweeter. Should I be using regular coconut milk or unsweetened. I also used the whole can of tomato paste which seemed like a lot. Other than that I would cut back on the cayenne just a little! Thanks for your response in advance!
Emily
Hey Emily,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Super quick and easy. I went light on the cayenne and added roasted broccoli and baby cauliflower. I roasted it on another sheet pan at the same time I did the meatballs and they cooked at the same time and temp.
Hey Tricia,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was very yummy! The meatballs were very moist. I would just recommend adding some salt to the sauce to help make the other spices pop. Also the calories are way off. For 1/6 of the sauce alone it exceeds the 212 calories that are listed. For 1/6 of the entire dish (meatballs + sauce), it ends up being closer to 360 calories.
Hey Lauren,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Whole family Including toddler loved this dish. My husband didn’t love the yogurt flavor but my mistake may have been using 2% instead of full fat. I might try cream next time to see what happens! But overall a huge hit
Hey Lisa,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
Is there anything you can substitute for tomato
Paste if you happen to be out? Purée? Ketchup?
Hey Amanda,
I would try using a tomato puree. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe has become a household favorite. My husband loves it and requests it often. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Brittney,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This looks amazing. Do you have a dairy free suggestion to substitute the greek yogurt? TIA
Hey Libby,
You can use a dairy free yogurt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I have made this recipe tonight. Instead of chicken meatballs I used pork and beef meatballs.instead of cilantro I used parsley ( my husband hates cilantro lol) .this is by far my absolute favourite butter chicken recipe!my family loved it too! Thank you so much!
Asia
Hey Asia,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I only found this recipe recently and have made it four times! About to make it again as I type this. Seriously sooo good!
Hey Sarah,
Awesome! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan