Healthy Butter Chicken (Low Calorie)

Healthy Butter Chicken

This Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe is just 259 calories and is packed with 45g of protein!

I made this low calorie butter chicken with real butter, but just a little and right at the end. This boosts the flavor without adding too many calories (my little trick).

Healthy Butter Chicken

Butter chicken has always been my favorite Indian food dish. So I had to make a low calorie recipe that I can enjoy guilt free anytime.

This is just as good as my favorite Indian restaurant (that I still order Butter Chicken from- but only on special occasions) but for a fraction of the calories.

Healthy Butter Chicken

Ingredients in Low Calorie Butter Chicken

There are a lot of ingredients that go into butter chicken, but if you have a well stocked spice rack, you likely have most of the ingredients already!

You can top the dish with cilantro if you like at the end, but I didn’t want to add more ingredients and further freak readers out (wink).

Healthy Butter Chicken

Shopping List for Low Calorie Butter Chicken:

  • Boneless skinless chicken breast 
  • Olive Oil Spray
  • 0% Greek yogurt
  • Garlic
  • Garam masala
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • Cumin
  • Chilli powder
  • Salt
  • Yellow onion
  • Roma tomatoes
  • Coriander
  • Sugar
  • Butter

How to Make Low Calorie Butter Chicken

This homemade healthy butter chicken is easy and fun to make. Serve it with Naan, or rice. Or just enjoy it alone.

Healthy Butter Chicken

How to Make Low Calorie Butter Chicken:

  1. To a large glass bowl combine the ingredients for the Butter Chicken Marinade, mix well and add in the chicken. Mix to coat the chicken and marinate for 25 minutes to 12 hours.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with olive oil and add the chicken.
  3. Cook the chicken 7-8 minutes until browned, then move to a bowl (it won’t be fully cooked yet).
  4. Add the onions to the skillet and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, until browned.
  5. Add in the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  6. Mix in the Butter Chicken Sauce seasonings (garam masala, cumin, coriander, salt, chili powder, and sugar), tomatoes and 1/3 cup greek yogurt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the water to the skillet and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth (alternatively you can let it cool, add to a blender, vent and blend until smooth, then add back to the skillet and continue).
  8. Add the chicken to the sauce, with the butter and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  9. Serve hot with rice or naan.

Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe

I love this low calorie butter chicken recipe, it’s so easy and fun to make. And I feel good serving it to my kiddo and myself because it’s so healthy! Here are some more healthy chicken recipes for dinner I think you’ll love.

Healthy Butter Chicken

Low Calorie Butter Chicken

Lose Weight By Eating
This Low Calorie Butter Chicken is just 259 calories and it has 45g of protein per serving!
To save 100's of calories I reduced the butter down to just 1 teaspoon (just enough too get the flavor right) and I add it in at the very end for maximum flavor.
Special Tip: The longer you marinate the chicken the better. So if you can marinate it for 12 hours.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 servings
Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients
  

Butter Chicken Marinade:

  • cup 0% Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Butter Chicken Sauce:

  • ½ yellow onion minced
  • 2 roma tomatoes chopped
  • cup 0% Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • cup water
  • 1 teaspoon butter

Instructions
 

  • To a large glass bowl combine the ingredients for the Butter Chicken Marinade, mix well and add in the chicken. Mix to coat the chicken and marinate for 25 minutes to 12 hours.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with olive oil and add the chicken.
  • Cook the chicken 7-8 minutes until browned, then move to a bowl (it won’t be fully cooked yet).
  • Add the onions to the skillet and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, until browned.
  • Add in the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  • Mix in the Butter Chicken Sauce seasonings (garam masala, cumin, coriander, salt, chili powder, and sugar), tomatoes and 1/3 cup greek yogurt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the water to the skillet and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth (alternatively you can let it cool, add to a blender, vent and blend until smooth, then add back to the skillet and continue).
  • Add the chicken to the sauce, with the butter and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Serve hot with rice or naan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 10.2gProtein: 45gFat: 4.5gSaturated Fat: 1.2gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 731mgPotassium: 390mgFiber: 1.9gSugar: 6.8gCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Healthy Butter Chicken, Homemade Butter Chicken, Low Calorie Butter Chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition and Calories in Butter Chicken

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Healthy Butter Chicken