This meal-prep butter chicken recipe includes a super creamy curry sauce that will have you looking forward to lunch or dinner every day! Pair it with tender steamed vegetables and white rice for a well-rounded meal that will keep you full for longer. If you are a fan of Indian food, this is an easy meal prep you won't mind eating again and again!
Butter Chicken Meal Prep Recipe
Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, gets its name from the buttery and creamy curry sauce that coats the chicken. It is smooth and rich with plenty of flavors from garam masala, curry powder, and other herbs and spices!
Many people think of plain chicken breasts and broccoli when they think of meal prep, but it can be so much better than that. Just try this flavorful Indian-inspired meal prep recipe and see for yourself!
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🥘 Ingredients To Meal Prep Butter Chicken
I'll be honest, there are a lot of ingredients. They are all key to pulling off the wonderfully creamy flavor and consistency of the buttery curry sauce!
Butter Chicken
- Butter -¼ cup of butter sliced into pats, or ghee.
- Chicken Breasts - 3 ½ pounds of chicken breasts (boneless, skinless cubed into chunks).
- Greek Yogurt - 1 cup of Greek yogurt.
- Garam Masala - ¼ cup of garam masala (see our garam masala recipe, you will need two batches with half for the chicken and half for the sauce).
- Ginger - 2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger or ginger paste.
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, about 3 cloves.
- Onion - 1 cup of yellow onion or white onion, finely chopped.
- Diced Green Chiles - 4 ounces of canned diced green chiles (finely chopped or food processed).
- Tomato Paste - 6 ounces of tomato paste.
- Yellow Curry Powder - 1 tablespoon of yellow curry powder.
- Chili Powder - 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
- Paprika - 2 teaspoons of paprika.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper.
- Turmeric - 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric.
- Chicken Broth - 2 cups of chicken broth or stock.
- Coconut Milk - 25 ounces of coconut milk (one large 25.5-ounce can or a 25.36-ounce carton).
- Lemon Juice - ½ cup of lemon juice. Fresh is best but bottled is fine too.
Rice & Vegetables
- Cauliflower - 1 small head of cauliflower chopped into florets.
- Carrots - 3 medium carrots, sliced. I do not usually peel my carrots but that is up to your preference.
- Celery - 3 stalks of celery, sliced.
- Rice - 2 cups of uncooked white rice.
- Water - 4 cups of water for cooking the rice.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Meal Prep Butter Chicken
I steam the vegetables in the microwave to make prep even easier! You will need a sharp knife and cutting board, a skillet, a blender or immersion blender, a saucepan for the rice, and a microwave-safe bowl for steaming your veggies.
This will make 6-8 servings depending on how large you want to make the portions. I made 6 servings but found I had plenty of extra gravy and could have easily stretched it to 8!
Butter Chicken
- Cook the chicken. Add half of the pats (2 tablespoons) of butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear your chicken until cooked through. Add half of the garam masala (2 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of grated ginger or ginger paste, and 1 cup of Greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Saute the onion. Wipe out your skillet then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of finely chopped onion. Saute until lightly translucent, then add 4 ounces of green chiles, 6 ounces of tomato paste, and all of the remaining seasonings (2 teaspoons of chile powder, 2 teaspoons of turmeric, 1 tablespoon of yellow curry powder, the remaining 2 tablespoons of garam masala, and ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper).
- Puree. Pour in ½ cup of lemon juice, 25 ounces of coconut milk, and 2 cups of chicken broth and stir to combine then puree (in a blender or with a hand immersion blender) if desired. Return the chicken to the sauce.
Prepare The Rice and Vegetables
- Steam veggies. Chop your vegetables (1 small head of cauliflower, 3 medium carrots, and 3 stalks of celery) and add them to a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Place a lid or microwave-safe plate on top and microwave for 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Make rice. Prepare 2 cups of rice with 4 cups of water as directed on the package. Portion the rice into the bottom (or side compartment) of your meal prep containers.
- Portion. Toss the steamed veggies with the chicken and sauce and portion it evenly into the containers with the rice. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Add more salt & pepper to taste when serving, if desired.
You can also check out my crockpot version of butter chicken if you prefer to set it and forget it, you can even toss in the veggies. I like to serve it with some homemade naan bread for soaking up any extra sauce. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If time allows, add the chicken, paprika, chili powder, salt, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours so the chicken can marinate. The flavor is best when the chicken is marinated, but this dish can still be enjoyed without marinating it.
- If you like spice, you can stir in some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add a little heat!
- To make this recipe more authentic, you may use bone-in chicken thighs. Just be sure to trim off as much fat as possible before you slice it into cubes.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
In an airtight container, you can refrigerate butter chicken for up to 4 days.
It may also be frozen (without the rice) for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating Butter Chicken
To reheat, just pop your meal prep container (as long as it is microwave-safe) in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
If stored properly in an airtight container, butter chicken will last up to 4 days.
Butter chicken is a classic Indian recipe with an ultra-creamy sauce and plenty of spices. It is rich and savory with a subtle sweetness paired with traditional curry flavor.
They are similar in that they are both made with chicken and considered curries. In fact, they use many of the same ingredients just in different amounts. Tikka Masala tends to be earthier and spicier than butter chicken which is savory and a little sweet.
🍗 More Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken - An easy way to make a juicy chicken with crispy skin without much prep!
- Chicken Divan Casserole - A family favorite chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole that is so easy to make!
- Chicken Schnitzel - These crispy chicken cutlets are always a hit with kids and adults!
- Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie - All the flavor of a savory chicken pot pie in one easy-to-make casserole!
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs - Fire up the grill and serve some juicy chicken thighs for dinner!
- Marry Me Chicken - A saucy chicken recipe that will have everyone complimenting the chef!
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📖 Recipe Card
Meal Prep: Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Butter Chicken
- ¼ cup butter (or ghee, sliced into pats)
- 3 ½ lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless cubed into chunks)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup garam masala (see our garam masala recipe, you will need two batches with half for the chicken and half for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoon ginger (finely grated - or use ginger paste)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 cup yellow onion (or white onion, finely chopped)
- 4 oz diced green chiles (finely chopped or food processed)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 25 oz coconut milk
- ½ cup lemon juice
Rice & Vegetables
- 1 small cauliflower (chopped into small florets)
- 3 medium carrots (sliced)
- 3 stalks celery (sliced)
- 2 cups rice (uncooked)
- 4 cups water
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Add half of the pats of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear your chicken until cooked through. Add half of the garam masala, the garlic, ginger, and Greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Wipe out your skillet then add the remaining butter and finely chopped onion. Saute until lightly translucent, then add the green chiles, tomato paste, and all of the remaining seasonings (chile powder, turmeric, curry powder, the remaining garam masala, and salt & pepper).
- Pour in the lemon juice, coconut milk, and chicken broth and stir to combine then puree (in a blender or with a hand immersion blender) if desired. Return the chicken to the sauce.
Prepare The Rice and Vegetables
- Chop your vegetables and add them to a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Place a lid or microwave-safe plate on top and microwave for 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Prepare your rice as directed on the package. Portion the rice into the bottom (or side compartment) of your meal prep containers.
- Toss the steamed veggies with the chicken and sauce and portion it evenly into the containers with the rice. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Add more salt & pepper to taste when serving, if desired.
Notes
- If time allows, add the chicken, paprika, chili powder, salt, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours so the chicken can marinate. The flavor is best when the chicken is marinated, but this dish can still be enjoyed without marinating it.
- If you like spice, you can stir in some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add a little heat!
- To make this recipe more authentic, you may use bone-in chicken thighs. Just be sure to trim off as much fat as possible before you slice it into cubes.
- To store: In an airtight container, you can refrigerate butter chicken for up to 4 days. It may also be frozen (without the rice) for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: To reheat, just pop your meal prep container (as long as it is microwave-safe) in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
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