One-pan Baked Butter Chicken

This version of butter chicken makes life easy – no stove splatters, no complicated steps. Just toss everything into one dish and let the oven do its magic. The sauce comes out rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced, clinging to the tender chicken in every bite. It’s mild enough for the whole family and the kind of dish that pairs beautifully with rice or naan to soak up that gorgeous sauce.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced).

2. 2

   Mix yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Coat chicken with this marinade.

3. 3

   Optional: Cover and marinate overnight for deeper flavor.

4. 4

   In a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13 inch baking dish, mix melted ghee, tomato passata, cream, sugar, and salt to form the sauce base.

5. 5

   Place chicken in the sauce, smooth side up. Dab any leftover marinade on top of the chicken.

6. 6

   Bake for 45 minutes, basting the chicken with sauce at the 30 and 40 minute marks. The sauce will change from pink to a deep orange-red.

7. 7

   Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with coriander and serve with basmati rice and naan.

Recipe Notes

• Removing the skin keeps the sauce silky rather than greasy. Bone-in thighs stay juicy, while drumsticks also work if you add a few extra pieces.

• Garam masala is a spice blend common in Indian cooking, easy to find in most grocery stores these days. It’s no more expensive than standard spices.

• Ghee gives a more intense buttery flavor, but regular butter works well too. Ghee is shelf-stable and found in the international or spice aisle.

• Passata is pure strained tomato, often sold as tomato puree in the US. It’s ideal for smooth, thick sauces and is usually stocked near pasta sauces.

• Although marinating is optional, it does give the chicken a little extra depth of flavor. Even a few hours in the fridge can help.

• If your sauce looks a bit thinner than you like, take the chicken out and return the dish to the oven. The sauce thickens quickly on its own.

• You can prep the whole dish the night before, refrigerate, and bake the next day. Leftovers reheat well, keeping for 3–4 days in the fridge or a few months in the freezer.