Buttered chicken, but for meatballs!

Oh, my God, this is so good! My family likes this dish very much.

These buttered chicken meatballs are covered in a rich and mild tomato gravy that, with a bit of butter and cream, makes it luxurious. It’s a beautiful thing. I looked forward to dinner all day when I knew we would have this. As you can imagine, leftovers are more delicious, so lunch the next day is also something to look forward to.

You can do this on the stove or in an instant pot and use a regular or immersion blender to make a delicious creamy sauce. I often have a batch of grilled chicken meatballs on hand, so I like to use those, but it would be tasty and simple for some store-bought meatballs to lock in the benefits of SOS here.

There are a lot of spices listed above, but you probably already have them all and only need two minutes or less to measure them and cook them into something delicious.

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1. Cook the rice according to the directions on the package.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices; fry until tender.
3. Add the tomatoes, water, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree, or mix directly in the pan using an immersion blender.
5. Pour the sauce back into the pan. Add the meatballs. Cover and simmer over low heat until heated.
6. Add butter and cream to make a delicious sauce and spread over the meatballs.
7. Sprinkle a sprig or a little coriander over the rice. Add chili or chili oil to taste! Oh, my God.

• How to mix: For the silkiest sauce, I like to use a regular blender (we have a Blendtec at home). But the immersion blender also works, which is the easier option. If you’re using an immersion blender, tilt the pan to one side to concentrate all the sauce before using it. If your sauce spills, you may need to add a little more water to ensure that the sauce has enough volume to pass smoothly through the immersion blender. I don’t recommend using an immersion blender in a shallow pan, as it will splash the sides of the pan, so it’s best to transfer to the blender!
• Instructions for Instant Pot: Add all sauces and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender directly in the instant pot to smooth it. Add the meatballs and heat or fry until heated through (this will take 5-10 minutes). Finally, add cream and butter.
• Make an instant pot with regular chicken: If you’re using regular chicken breasts or legs instead of meatballs, add the chicken to the instant pot with the sauce at the beginning of cooking. Cook under high pressure for 12 minutes, then remove and chop or rip the chicken. Meanwhile, combine the sauce, then add the chicken with the cream and butter. We do it all the time!

About Butter Chicken

According to Wikipedia, butter chicken is a curry in which the chicken is coated with a spicy tomato and butter sauce! It is an Indian dish traditionally known as Murgh Makhani and is usually cooked with marinated chicken in a clay oven.

I will take a slightly different approach – use meatballs instead of chicken! There is no marinating or terracotta oven, but the butter sauce in this recipe is a classic everyone loves: easy and quick.

I’ve made “Two-sleeved Butter Chicken” many times (remember our “Best Internet Instant Pot Recipes” post?). So this version is a game! I cut down on the total sauce so it wasn’t a double batch, used store-bought garam masala instead of the whole spice myself, and discovered that we enjoyed this meatball!

Dairy-free

Butter alternatives: dairy-free butter would be great and easy to replace.

Cream Substitute: A piece of dairy-free cream cheese would perfectly melt in! Another idea: When you stir the sauce, add a handful of cashews (assuming you have a high-powered blender), and you’ll end up with a creamy, completely dairy-free sauce. The method is similar to this recipe.

Other beneficial proteins

Chicken: Regular chicken breasts or drumsticks are both traditional proteins, and they work great—I use both a lot! If you use a regular chicken breast or leg, I suggest you choose a texture between chopped and minced. I like the rough chunks best! If you do this in an instant pot, I’ll throw the chicken in while the sauce is cooking! Trim the chicken breast for 10 minutes and the chicken leg for 12-14 minutes.

Meatless: Delicious with a cubed piece of cheese. I just saw one at Costco this morning, so I remember it vividly. Delicious. Why don’t you fry the cheese before you put it in the sauce? MHM. Likewise, crispy grilled tofu is excellent! Below is our tofu cooking guide and an illustration of my favorite tofu method (” grilled crisp “). You can also use buttered cauliflower and chickpeas for vegetables!

Meatless Meatballs: Let’s not forget ALDI’s frozen meatless meatballs, which are so great that they pop right into the sauce for a perfect meat-free meal.

How to eat more vegetables

Chili: This is more like tikka masala, but you can saut or roast bell peppers and toss them in with the sauce and chicken! Delicious. I don’t recommend putting them straight into the instant pot, as they may overcook and become mushy.

Cucumber salad: No cooking is required. Toss the sliced cucumber with a little vinegar, olive oil, salt, and sugar. You can add some herbs if you want. It’s over!

Simple Green Salad: I love adding greens to a meal (especially in SOS fashion), and this is a simple green salad. There’s homemade maple dressing, but I also use store-bought dressing – Trader Joe’s maple vinaigrette is fantastic. Add nuts and dried fruit, and the whole family can enjoy this happy time.

Roasted vegetables: Take a little more effort, but roasting some broccoli or cauliflower in the oven while everything cooks in an instant pot is also an easy and delicious idea!

Butter Chicken Meatballs: Frequently asked questions

Can I make this as a vegetarian dish?

Yes, we do! Indian cheese, tofu, or meatless meatballs are all good choices. These vegetarian meatballs are highly recommended!

Can this recipe be dairy-free?

Use vegan butter and coconut milk to make this product dairy-free. Add a handful of cashews to the sauce to make it creamy (if you have a high-powered blender).

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

The only problem with gluten in this recipe may be the meatballs you use. To make our grilled chicken meatballs gluten-free, add almond flour or GF breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can switch to chicken breasts.

Is the butter chicken spicy?

In fact, not at all! But if you want some spice, I recommend some chili peppers or crushed red pepper flakes to add heat.

Can you use chicken breast instead of meatballs in this recipe?

Yes, we do! If you do this in an instant pot, I’ll throw the chicken in while the sauce is cooking! Small chicken breasts take 10 minutes, and chicken legs take 12-14 minutes. Then, take them out and chop them up before you put the chicken in.