Butter Chicken Meatballs
Chicken meatballs simmered in a mild, creamy butter sauce, served over rice with yoghurt.
Original recipe
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Sourced
- 10 Aug 2026
- Items
- 33
33
Things to buy
Cooking for
Adding it again later updates the quantities instead of doubling up.
Cooking for
Ingredients
What you need
Names and measures for Australia
- 500 gminced chickenground
- 5 mlfreshly grated garlic1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 5 mlfinely grated ginger1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 5 mlsweet paprika1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 1.25 ggaram masala0.5 tsp = 2.5 ml = 1.13 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 1.25 gground cumin0.5 tsp = 2.5 ml = 1.13 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 1.5 gsea salt flakes0.5 tsp = 2.5 ml = 1.5 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 2.5 mlfreshly cracked black pepper0.5 tsp = 2.5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 60 gpanko breadcrumbs
- 41 gfull-cream milk2 tbsp = 40 ml = 41.2 g (read as AU: 1 tablespoon = 20 ml)
- 50 gegg1 eggs = 50 g (typical size here)
- 40 mlfinely chopped fresh coriander2 tbsp = 40 ml (read as AU: 1 tablespoon = 20 ml)
- 36 golive oil2 tbsp = 40 ml = 36.4 g (read as AU: 1 tablespoon = 20 ml)
- 44 gtomato paste2 tbsp = 40 ml = 44 g (read as AU: 1 tablespoon = 20 ml)
- 18 gunsalted butter1 tbsp = 20 ml = 18.2 g (read as AU: 1 tablespoon = 20 ml)
- 150 gonion1 brown onion = 150 g (typical size here)
- 5 mlfreshly minced garlic1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 5 mlfreshly minced ginger1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 4.5 ggaram masala2 tsp = 10 ml = 4.5 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 2.25 gground cumin1 tsp = 5 ml = 2.25 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 5 mlyellow mustard seeds1 tsp = 5 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 2.5 gground turmeric1 tsp = 5 ml = 2.5 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 3 gsea salt flakes1 tsp = 5 ml = 3 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 1.25 mlfreshly cracked black pepper0.25 tsp = 1.25 ml (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- 400 gpassata
- 125 mlwater
- 250 gthickened cream250 ml = 250 ml = 250 g
- 4.25 gsugar1 tsp = 5 ml = 4.25 g (read as AU: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml)
- —Steamed rice
- —Greek yoghurt
- —Chilli oil
- —Fresh coriandercilantro
- —Naan bread
Recipe by Nicole, Simple Home Edit. Method rewritten for this cookbook — read the original on Simple Home Edit.
This recipe's shopping list
Scaled for 4 serves
Other
Method
How it goes together
- 01
Step 1
Add all the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and combine well with your hands.
The panko and milk hold moisture in the mince, which is what keeps lean chicken meatballs tender rather than dry and bouncy.
- 02
Step 2
Roll 1½ tablespoon portions of the mixture into 18–20 meatballs. Wet your hands with water as you go, or wear gloves, to stop sticking.
Even portions mean every meatball cooks through in the same time, so none are raw while others overcook.
- 03
Step 3
Pan-fry option: heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium–high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning regularly, for 6–8 minutes until browned all over. Set aside on a plate.
Browning builds the roasted flavour the sauce sits on, and the fond left in the pan carries into the curry.
- 04
Step 4
Air fryer option: preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F) for 3 minutes. Spray the basket well with olive oil, arrange the meatballs in a single layer, spray again, and cook for 10–12 minutes until browned.
Preheating and oiling the basket give the same browning the pan does without extra fat, and a single layer lets the hot air reach every side.
- 05
Step 5
In the same pan over medium–low heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion straight away and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until just softened.
Moderate heat and onion going in as soon as the butter melts keeps the milk solids in the butter from catching and turning bitter.
- 06
Step 6
Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
A short hit of heat takes the raw bite out of garlic and ginger while keeping their perfume.
- 07
Step 7
Stir in the tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric, salt and pepper. Combine, then immediately add the passata, water, cream and sugar.
The ground spices, mustard seeds and tomato paste cook briefly in the fat, which unlocks their aroma and cooks the tinny edge out of the paste; the liquid goes in straight after so nothing scorches.
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