Whole30 Butter Chicken
[This Whole30 butter chicken is perfectly spiced and full of nourishing fats to help balance hormones and keep you satisfied!]
Back in March I did my second round of Whole30. To be honest, eating Whole30 isn’t too far off from how I eat most of the year (because I’ve found it makes me feel good) but I do like how the program forces me to get creative with ingredients.
Traditional butter chicken (an Indian dish) uses cream and yogurt in the sauce. Since dairy is out on Whole30, I used ghee (for that extra buttery flavor) and coconut milk.
I love the way this butter chicken turned out and I’ve made it 5 times since developing the recipe!
The ingredients are pretty simple and include a lot of Whole30 pantry staples: ghee, coconut milk, and Coconut Aminos.
Once you’ve stocked your pantry with Whole30 approved ingredients and you realize how delicious the food can be, a Whole30 program really is a breeze.
Making your Whole30 butter chicken
For this recipe, I love to get everything chopped and prepped before I start to cook. It makes it super quick and easy.
Step 1: Chop your onions, garlic, and chicken.
Step 2: Measure out your spices and dump them all into a little dish
Step 3: Gather up all your remaining ingredients and have them open and ready to add
Now it’s time to get cookin!
First you cook your onions, garlic, and all the spices in buttery ghee. (The smells are incredible!)
Next, you quickly brown you chicken up in a little more ghee.
After that, all the remaining ingredients go in and you let everything cook together into a delicious, creamy pot of heaven.
At the last minute, you’ll squeeze a little lemon juice in. This brightens the dish up a bit and replaces the tang you’d normally get from yogurt in a more traditional butter chicken recipe.
This dish is rich, in the best way possible.
The healthy fats in this Whole30 butter chicken keep your blood sugar levels stable, and keep you feeling full and satisfied – so you don’t end up raiding the kitchen cabinets after dinner.
I LOVE cilantro and like to finish the dish off with a few sprigs to brighten everything up.
This Whole30 butter chicken is perfect served over cauliflower rice to cut the carbs and get in some extra veggies.
When I’m not doing a Whole30, I’ve had it over regular white rice with a side of broccoli and that was also delish. π
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs - cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic. minced
- 2 tablespoons ghee (I used 4th and Heart)
- 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this one )
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup broth or water
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt, pepper
- Squeeze of lemon
- dash of fish sauce (optional)
To serve
- cauliflower rice
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Bring a large saute pan to medium high heat and add 1.5 tablespoons of the ghee. Add onions and a pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and spices (garam masala, ginger, chili powder, and turmeric) and continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes.
- Clear a spot in the center of the pan and add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of ghee. Add the chicken and brown for about 3 minutes.
- Next, add another pinch of salt, coconut milk, water or broth, tomato paste, cashew butter, coconut aminos and optional dash of fish sauce and mix everything until well combined.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and continue to cook another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir. Allow the butter chicken to cook uncovered for a few minutes until it's thick and delicious. Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the last minute.
- Serve over cauliflower rice with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
The fish sauce adds an extra punch of umami flavor and does NOT taste fishy. It's my secret ingredient in a lot of dishes. Look for one without sugar to keep the recipe Whole30!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs - cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic. minced
- 2 tablespoons ghee (I used 4th and Heart)
- 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this one )
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter (unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup broth or water
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt, pepper
- Squeeze of lemon
- dash of fish sauce (optional)
To serve
- cauliflower rice
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Bring a large saute pan to medium high heat and add 1.5 tablespoons of the ghee. Add onions and a pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and spices (garam masala, ginger, chili powder, and turmeric) and continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes.
- Clear a spot in the center of the pan and add an additional 1/2 tablespoon of ghee. Add the chicken and brown for about 3 minutes.
- Next, add another pinch of salt, coconut milk, water or broth, tomato paste, cashew butter, coconut aminos and optional dash of fish sauce and mix everything until well combined.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and continue to cook another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir. Allow the butter chicken to cook uncovered for a few minutes until it's thick and delicious. Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the last minute.
- Serve over cauliflower rice with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
The fish sauce adds an extra punch of umami flavor and does NOT taste fishy. It's my secret ingredient in a lot of dishes. Look for one without sugar to keep the recipe Whole30!
3 responses to “Whole30 Butter Chicken”
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What is the water listed in the ingredients used for?
Whoops, it should go in with the other ingredients in step 3!