How to Make Lazy Genius Butter Chicken

I made Lazy Genius Butter Chicken in real-time on Instagram last week. You can watch the video here if you want to cook along with me. This fed our family of five with a solid lunch helping for tomorrow, and three of us got seconds.⠀

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick of butter (half for the beginning, half for the end)

• 1-2 tbsp. ginger and garlic (I used the frozen cubes from Trader Joe's - nine of garlic, six of ginger)

• About 1 1/2 tbsp. spices (my mix is 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 tsp. coriander, and about 1/8 tsp. each of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom)

• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 15oz can pureed/crushed tomatoes

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces and that's already been salted

• 1/4 cup of either coconut cream (the thick stuff at the top of the coconut milk jar) or heavy cream

• cilantro for serving if you want and rice for sure

STOVETOP HOW TO

This is the most basic of basic How-To’s. Watch the video if you want a little more instruction than this.

1. Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir for maybe a minute.

3. Add the spices and stir for maybe another minute.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, and break them up a little with your wooden spoon, a fork, or puree them roughly before adding them.

5. Add the pureed tomatoes and a few pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer.

6. Add the chicken, stir, and let simmer until the chicken is done, maybe ten minutes?

7. Add the coconut cream and stir until it's melted.

8. Cube the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter and add it slowly to the sauce to thicken it.

9. Taste to make sure it's good and doesn't need more salt or cream or whatever.

10. Serve it over rice with cilantro on top.

INSTANT POT HOW TO

This recipe is easily adaptable for the Instant Pot if that’s more your speed.

1. Add half the butter, ginger, garlic, spices, diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes and chicken to the Instant Pot

2. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes

3. Use a 10 minute natural release

4. Pull out chicken and set aside

5. Blend the sauce if you want, then add the cream and remaining butter

6. Serve over rice with cilantro on top.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

Trust yourself more than you trust the recipe, and for real go watch the video before you make it. Or when you decide to make it, turn on my video and make it alongside me. You can cook stuff. I promise you can cook stuff.