Is Butter Chicken Keto?
Traditional butter chicken (murgh makhani) is made with a rich tomato and cream sauce — and the good news is that it’s naturally close to keto already. The main carb sources in a standard restaurant version are added sugar and flour-based thickeners. In this recipe, we skip both completely. The result is a deeply flavourful keto butter chicken with just 5g net carbs per serving, using full-fat Greek yogurt for the marinade, ghee for the sauce, and heavy cream to finish.
As a nutritionist with years of experience helping people stay satisfied on a low-carb diet, I can tell you that getting your Indian food fix is one of the best ways to stay on track — the warm spices, the creamy sauce, and the hearty protein make it genuinely filling. This is one of our most-made recipes at My Keto Kitchen, and it’s earned its place as a family staple for a reason.
This keto butter chicken recipe makes 6 servings and takes about 30 minutes of active cook time. For the best flavour, marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours (or overnight). It keeps well in the fridge for 4 days and freezes beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep.
This recipe is part of our keto chicken thighs collection, where you’ll find other delicious dishes, such as my one-pan creamy garlic chicken thighs and the super easy grilled chicken thighs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Restaurant quality: Enjoy the authentic flavors of butter chicken without the added carbs and guilt.
- Quick and easy: This recipe is surprisingly simple to make, even on a busy weeknight.
- Meal-prep friendly: Make a big batch and enjoy it for lunches or dinners throughout the week.
- Family favorite: Even picky eaters will love this flavorful and satisfying dish.
This recipe makes six servings. One serving is 250g/9oz and has 5g net carbs.
Tips for the Best Keto Butter Chicken
- Marinate overnight for the best flavour. A minimum of 3 hours works, but leaving the chicken in the yogurt marinade overnight makes it noticeably more tender and flavourful. Plan ahead — it’s worth it.
- Use chicken thighs, not breasts. Thighs stay moist in the sauce and won’t dry out if the curry simmers a little longer. Breasts can work, but watch the cook time carefully.
- Don’t skip the immersion blender step. Pureeing the sauce before adding the cream and chicken gives you that silky, restaurant-quality texture. It takes 30 seconds and makes a real difference.
- Control the heat. Kashmiri chili powder is mild and gives a beautiful red colour without too much spice. For more heat, add a pinch of regular chili powder or cayenne at the end.
- Make it dairy-free. Swap the Greek yogurt marinade for coconut cream and replace the heavy cream in the sauce with full-fat canned coconut milk. The flavour profile changes slightly but it’s still excellent — and Whole30/paleo compatible.
- Reheat low and slow. To reheat leftovers without the sauce splitting, use low heat on the stovetop and stir in a tablespoon of water. Microwaving at 50% power also works well.
- Freeze in portions. This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze in individual portions so you can defrost exactly what you need. Reheat from frozen in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 inch of ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala, ground
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric, ground
- 1 teaspoon of cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 pounds of chicken thighs, cut into quarters
Curry Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of ghee
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 inch of ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons of cumin, ground
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala, ground
- 1 teaspoon of coriander, ground
- 10 ounces of tomato passata
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of heavy cream
How to Make Keto Butter Chicken
Prepare The Marinade
- Place the marinade ingredients, except the chicken, into a small bowl and mix well.
- Mix into the chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight for best results.
Cook The Chicken
- Place a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add one tablespoon of the ghee and brown the chicken. Set aside.
Make The Curry Sauce
- Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the remaining ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, and coriander. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion has softened.
- Add the tomato passata and salt and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.
- Return over medium heat and add the cream and browned chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve
Serve with a side of keto cauliflower rice, cilantro, and a drizzle of heavy cream.
Keto Butter Chicken
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Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- ½ cup Full Fat Greek Yogurt
- 3 cloves Garlic crushed
- ½ inch Ginger finely grated
- 2 teaspoons Garam Masala ground
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 pound Chicken Thighs cut into quarters
Curry Ingredients
- ¼ cup Ghee
- 1 small Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic crushed
- ½ inch Ginger finely grated
- 2 teaspoons Cumin ground
- 2 teaspoons Garam Masala ground
- 1 teaspoon Coriander ground
- 10 ounces Tomato Passata
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Place the marinade ingredients, except the chicken, into a small bowl and mix well.
- Mix into the chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Place a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee and brown the chicken. Set aside.
- Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the remaining ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, and coriander. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion has softened.
- Add the tomato passata and salt and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.
- Return over medium heat and add the cream and browned chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with a side of Keto Cauliflower Rice, cilantro and a drizzle of heavy cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will stay moist in the sauce.
Store butter chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Serve with cauliflower rice, cilantro, and a drizzle of heavy cream.
Yes — when made without added sugar or flour-based thickeners, butter chicken is naturally keto-friendly. This recipe has just 5g net carbs per serving, coming mainly from the tomato passata and onion. Traditional restaurant versions may contain hidden sugars and are not reliably keto.
This recipe has 5g net carbs per serving (250g / approximately 9oz). Full macros per serving: 581 calories, 27g protein, 48g fat, 5g carbs, 2g fibre.
Yes, chicken breasts work, but thighs are strongly recommended. Thighs are higher in fat, stay moist in the sauce, and are more forgiving if the curry simmers a little longer. If you use breasts, cook only until they reach 165°F (74°C) internally to avoid dryness.
Can I make keto butter chicken dairy-free?
Yes. Replace the Greek yogurt in the marinade with full-fat coconut cream, and swap the heavy cream in the sauce for canned coconut milk (full-fat, well-stirred). The coconut adds a subtle sweetness that works well with the spices. This version is also Whole30 and paleo-friendly.
This recipe is designed for the stovetop, which gives the best flavour and sauce texture. For an Instant Pot version, brown the chicken using the Sauté function first, then pressure cook with the sauce on High for 8 minutes with a 5-minute natural release. For a slow cooker, cook on Low for 4–5 hours, then stir in the heavy cream in the last 30 minutes. Note that the sauce will be thinner than the stovetop version.
Both dishes are creamy, tomato-based Indian curries — and they look very similar. The key differences are: butter chicken uses a marinade (yogurt-marinated chicken) and has a milder, slightly sweeter flavour; tikka masala is typically spicier and uses chunks of grilled chicken. For keto purposes, both can be made low-carb using the same swaps.
The classic keto pairing is cauliflower rice, which absorbs the sauce perfectly. Other great options include: keto naan bread, steamed or sautéed spinach, roasted broccoli, or zucchini noodles. A drizzle of extra heavy cream and fresh cilantro on top makes for a beautiful presentation.
Simmer the sauce uncovered for an extra 5–10 minutes after adding the cream and chicken — it will reduce and thicken naturally. Avoid adding cornstarch or flour, as these add carbs. Alternatively, add an extra tablespoon of ghee, which enriches and slightly thickens the sauce.
Yes — it actually tastes better the next day as the spices develop. Make the full recipe, cool completely, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The chicken absorbs more flavour overnight. Reheat gently before serving. This makes it an excellent meal-prep dish.
Want more delicious Keto Indian Curries? Try our;
To make a larger batch of this keto butter chicken recipe, adjust the servings above.
Delicious, tastes amazing, a crowd pleaser.
Hello Mileidy, Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback.
Delicious
Thank you Josephine. Glad you liked it.
So good! A bit of a process but, man, the outcome was worth it! It was creamy, flavorful and warm. My wife doesn’t eat chicken so I made hers with shrimp, it still came out delicious! Highly recommend!
Thank you for the feedback Francisco. I might try the your shrimp version some day soon.
At the beginning of the article for the recipe it states that the serving is 250g but lower on the page into nutrition it states 200g per serving? Which is it? Anyway great recipe, absolutely loved making it. Not had a curry in a long time so this was so good.
Hey Joey, Thank you for pointing that out, I’ll go and correct it now. Glad you love the recipe.
This is hands down one of the most delicious dinners I’ve ever made!
I’ve made it three times now and the longer the chicken marinades, the better it is. So easy to scale up for cooking for family gathering.
You are too kind Elaine! Your lovely comment has made my day 🙂
I’m so glad that you enjoy it!
I seldom remember to comment on recipes but I just had to say what a delicious curry this is! My whole family agreed this was so tasty, flavourful and utterly yummy!
I’ll definitely be cooking this again and again! What a treat!
Great dish!
Just made this and it is yum! Definitely will be making this a regular staple meal on our Keto journey!