Garlic chicken is a spicy dry chicken recipe made with tender chicken, butter, and fresh garlic, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few basic spices. Enjoy this delicious and aromatic garlic butter chicken with Naan, Pilaf, or Jeera rice. Let's see how to make it.
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This Indian garlic chicken recipe is easy to make and bursting with flavor. The combination of juicy chicken and aromatic garlic is simply irresistible. It reminds me of my favorite Garlic Chicken Curry and Garlic Butter Chicken Bites.
This Garlic chicken is one of the best chicken recipes that we have on our website. This delicious dish combines tender chicken pieces with a hearty blend of Indian spices and garlic-infused butter that will tantalize your taste buds.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon juice. Then proceed to make garlic butter. In a skillet melt butter on low heat and add garlic. Cook garlic until lightly golden, remove, and keep it aside in a bowl.
In the same skillet, brown the onions, add marinated chicken, and cook it in a skillet until it's cooked through. Finally, add some fresh herbs and garlic-infused butter.
Garlic butter is the star of the dish. When you add garlic butter to the chicken, the aroma that fills the kitchen is simply irresistible! Serve it with Naan, Jeera rice, Noodles, or Pilaf.
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Scroll down the recipe card for step by step instructions with photos.
Recipe Card
Garlic Chicken Recipe
Garlic chicken recipe with step by step photos and a video recipe. Garlic chicken is a spicy dry chicken recipe made with tender chicken, butter, and fresh garlic, seasoned with salt, pepper and a few basic spices. Enjoy this delicious and aromatic garlic butter chicken with Naan, Pilaf or Jeera rice.
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 276kcal
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
For chicken marinade
- 3 chicken breasts, (measures 600 g chicken), cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Paprika or Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Other ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 4 green cardamoms
- 1- inch cinnamon
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- a few curry leaves optional
- 4 tablespoon coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and lemon juice. Keep it covered aside for 30 minutes.
- Slice the onions, keep it aside.
Making garlic chicken
- Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan over low heat.
- Add garlic and let it cook on low heat, stirring continuously until garlic begins to start light golden. Immediately, remove from heat. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Do not overcook the garlic. It should be light golden (not golden). Keep this garlic flavored butter aside. We will use it later.
- Heat the same pan with 1-2 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.
- Add whole spices and sauté until aromatic.
- Add onions and sauté until onions are golden.
- To this, add the marinated chicken. Stir and cook until the color of chicken turns from pink to white.
- Add coriander powder and cumin powder. Sauté it for a minute.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the chicken is cooked. If needed, you can add little water and cook. I didn't add water.
- Finally, add curry leaves, coriander leaves and the garlic flavored butter. Combine it well. Cook on low heat for a minute. Taste and adjust salt or pepper as per taste. Keep it covered aside for 10 minutes then serve.
- Serve with Naan or steamed rice and dal as a side dish.
Video
Notes
- Marinate the chicken at least for 30 minutes. This marinade helps to infuse the chicken with incredible flavors and also tenderizes the meat.
- Cook garlic in butter at low heat - Garlic burns quickly and may taste bitter spoiling the entire dish. Stir the garlic continuously while cooking in butter to make sure it gets cooked evenly.
- If you do not prefer spicy dish, reduce the quantity of paprika and black pepper powder.
- As soon as you see the garlic begins to change its color to light golden, immediately remove it to a bowl. The garlic will continue to cook in butter with the leftover heat. So, don’t wait to cook garlic to be golden in the pan.
- Once the dish is cooked, close the lid and remove it from the heat. Keep it covered aside for 10 minutes and serve. It gives enough time for this chicken dish to get infused with garlic butter.
- You can add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and it tastes even more delicious.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 843mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 579IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Preparations
- In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon juice. Keep it covered aside for 30 minutes.
- Slice the onions, and keep them aside.
Making garlic chicken
- Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan over low heat.
- Add garlic and let it cook on low heat, stirring continuously until garlic begins to start light golden. Immediately, remove from heat. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Do not overcook the garlic. It should be light golden (not golden). Keep this garlic-flavored butter aside. We will use it later.
- Heat the same pan with 1-2 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.
- Add whole spices and sauté until aromatic.
- Add onions and sauté until onions are golden.
- To this, add the marinated chicken. Stir and cook until the color of the chicken turns from pink to white.
- Add coriander powder and cumin powder. Sauté it for a minute.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the chicken is cooked. If needed, you can add little water and cook. I didn't add water.
- Finally, add curry leaves, coriander leaves, and garlic-flavored butter. Combine it well. Cook on low heat for a minute. Taste and adjust salt or pepper as per taste. Keep it covered aside for 10 minutes then serve.
- Serve with Naan or steamed rice and dal as a side dish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken - You can use either boneless chicken (breast or thighs) or chicken with bones. I have used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Fresh garlic - Garlic is the star of the dish. Use fresh garlic to maximize the flavor.
- Butter - I have used unsalted butter. You can substitute it with olive oil. Flavors will be slightly different but it tastes equally delicious.
- Flavoring - Salt, pepper, and Paprika. You can substitute Paprika with Kashmiri red chili powder. It gives bright red color to the dish and is less spicy. However, you can also use any red chili powder but add it as per taste.
- Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice brightens up the dish. It also helps to tenderize the chicken. Substitute it with 2 tablespoon thick yogurt or add 1 tablespoon vinegar.
- Oil - You can use any cooking oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. I have used sunflower oil for this garlic butter chicken recipe.
- Whole spices - I have used cardamom and cinnamon. They add a beautiful aroma to this dish.
- Onion - I have used red onions for this dish. You can substitute it with shallots or white onions.
- Coriander powder - If you do not have coriander powder you can skip adding it.
- Cumin powder - You can substitute it with whole cumin seeds. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the tempering while adding the whole spices.
- Herbs - I have used fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) and curry leaves. The addition of curry leaves is optional. Curry leaves gives a very nice South Indian flavor to the chicken. If you do not have it, skip adding it.
Storage Suggestions
- If you are planning to store the leftovers or making them in advance then store them within 2 hours of cooking.
- To refrigerate - Let the chicken dish come to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2 days. Do not forget to label the containers or bags with the storage date.
- Freezing - Let the chicken dish come to room temperature. Transfer it to airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Stays good for a month. Do not forget to label the containers or bags with the storage date.
- Thawing - When it's time to use your frozen garlic chicken, it's best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Avoid thawing chicken at room temperature, as it can promote bacterial growth.
- Do not refreeze the chicken once thawed and reheated. It is better to store the chicken dish in small batches and take out the batch you are ready to consume.
- Reheating - You can reheat it in the microwave or stovetop. When reheating, sprinkle some water over it, stir, and cook the chicken unless it has been cooked thoroughly. Make sure it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) to eliminate any potential bacteria.
- Use your judgment and consider the specific conditions and freshness of the chicken when deciding to consume it. If the chicken has an off smell, unusual texture, or shows signs of spoilage, it's best to discard it to ensure food safety.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with any one of the following
- Roti, Naan, Pilaf, or Jeera Rice as a side dish.
- Steamed vegetables
- Roasted Potatoes
- Pasta or Noodles
Variations that you can try
- Try making this recipe with shrimp or prawns instead of chicken.
Samaira
I tried this garlic chicken recipe and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors were so rich, and the spices were perfectly balanced just the right amount of kick without overpowering the chicken curry.
Preeti
So glad you enjoyed it. That perfect balance of spices with just a hint of heat is exactly what makes this garlic chicken special. Thanks for trying it and sharing your feedback.