Creamy Butter Chicken
A Creamy Butter Chicken dish might seem impossible if you're counting calories, but never fear – this slimming recipe is perfect no matter what plan you're following!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories210
- Carbs9g
- Protein28g
- Fat2g
- Saturates0.5g
- Sugars4g
Your dishes
You’re amazing, look at the Creamy Butter Chicken dishes you’ve made…
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Normally, butter chicken is packed full of… well, butter! Although you’d never believe it, there’s no real butter in our version but it’s still just as creamy.
We used to love a takeaway before we started our slimming journey and in our opinion there’s nothing better than a beautiful, warm creamy curry on a cold winters day. We’ve used almond flour and fat free natural yoghurt to give this Creamy Butter Chicken its creamy sauce and you can easily adjust the amount of chilli powder to give this dish more or less of a kick!
What diets is this Creamy Butter Chicken suitable for?
This Creamy Butter Chicken recipe can be made dairy free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for dairy free alternatives;
- Reduced fat spread
- Fat free natural yoghurt
- Creme fraiche
It can also be made gluten free by swapping the following ingredients for gluten free alternatives;
- Chicken stock cubes
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
What do I need to make this Creamy Butter Chicken?
You’ll need a food processor or a stick blender to make this Creamy Butter Chicken dish and you can pick either of these up over on Amazon.
We’ve used a stick blender for this recipe and it’s one of our favourite kitchen gadgets – we use it for loads of our other curry recipes as well!
The Secret Ingredient!
We usually use almonds for this and blend them until fine. The only issue with using almonds is how high they are in calories and Points! 100g is around 600 calories, which is CRAZY! So instead of using almonds we use Sukrin Almond Flour instead because at just 315 calories per 100g it is SO much lower. Other almond flours probably won’t be this low as the almonds are not de-fatted like Sukrin.
You can usually find this, and other brands of defatted almond flour, online on Amazon or in some health food shops. With only 10g per serving in this Creamy Butter Chicken, you will find that a little goes a long way!
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You’ll need a food processor to make this Creamy Butter Chicken! You can pick this up over on Amazon!
Or you could get this stick blender. You can pick this up over on Amazon!
Defatted almond flour is available by other brands and can be found in some health shops, or online!
These fancy restaurant style curry serving dishes are the ideal finishing touch at dinner time!
How many calories are in this Creamy Butter Chicken?
There are 210 calories per portion in this Creamy Butter Chicken, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.
A butter chicken from your local takeaway will set you back around 400 calories for a small portion, so our version is a fantastic saving!
This Creamy Butter Chicken is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Finely chop the garlic, ginger and onion using a food processor or stick blender, then gently sauté in the low calorie cooking spray until soft and coloured slightly.
Step 2
Puree the tomatoes, almond flour, tomato paste, stock cubes and water together, then add it to the pan.
Step 3
Add the chicken, yoghurt, lime juice, spices, and reduced fat spread then stir well.
Step 4
Bring up to the boil, stirring continuously, then cover and simmer on LOW for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
After 15-20 minutes check to see if the chicken is cooked through. If not let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
Step 6
Serve over boiled rice.
What could I serve with this Creamy Butter Chicken?
This Creamy Butter Chicken works really well when served alongside lots of fluffy, boiled rice as well as any of the following dishes:
How do you know when this Creamy Butter Chicken is cooked?
You’ll need to cook this Creamy Butter Chicken for around 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep this Creamy Butter Chicken in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of this Creamy Butter Chicken in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze this Creamy Butter Chicken recipe?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat this Creamy Butter Chicken recipe?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Creamy Butter Chicken
A Creamy Butter Chicken dish might seem impossible if you're counting calories, but never fear - this slimming recipe is perfect no matter what plan you're following!
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
25 MINS
- KCals 210
- Carbs 9G
Instructions
- Finely chop the garlic, ginger and onion using a food processor or stick blender, then gently sauté in the low calorie cooking spray until soft and coloured slightly.
- Puree the tomatoes, almond flour, tomato paste, stock cubes and water together, then add it to the pan.
- Add the chicken, yoghurt, lime juice, spices, and reduced fat spread then stir well.
- Bring up to the boil, stirring continuously, then cover and simmer on LOW for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 15-20 minutes check to see if the chicken is cooked through. If not let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Serve over boiled rice.
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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149 comments
See what others have to say
NicoleSunday 16th August 2020
could I do this in the slow cooker?
HollyWednesday 26th August 2020
Ni Nicole, It’s not something we have tried but I would suggest browning the chicken before adding to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Hope that helps!
JaneSunday 2nd August 2020
Hi,
Would it be possible to use flaked almonds and then crush them instead of using the flour? Cannot find the flour anywhere.
SharonMonday 3rd August 2020
Hi Jane, you could grind flaked almonds down until fine in a food processor or use ground almonds which are already finely ground.Using almonds instead of the almond flour will increase the calories in the recipe but as long as you are happy with that, the dish will be delicious. Do hope that helps and that you enjoy the recipe!
KarenSunday 28th June 2020
Hiya. Sukrin Almond flour seems to be out of stock everywhere. Tried amazon, Holland and barrett etc. What would be an alternative?
HollyMonday 29th June 2020
Hey Karen, you could swap the Sukrin Almond Flour for some ground almonds. We would suggest you use an equivalent amount of ground almonds to almond flour and adjust the nutritional values using this guide: https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-work-out-calories-and-points-in-a-recipe/
Joanne GoodchildFriday 26th June 2020
I have found I need 2 tins of tomatoes or extra water otherwise its very think. Anyone else found this? I am using Coconut flour rather that almond as its far easier to find in shops, but thats only difference.
HollyMonday 29th June 2020
Hey Joanne, Coconut flour behaves quite differently to other flour so that might be the issue. The best alternative would be to use a few ground almonds and adjust the nutritional values. Or like you said increase the water to make the sauce thinner. Hope that helps!
IssyWednesday 17th June 2020
Hi,
I can’t get sukrin almond flour anywhere but have found PB2 powdered Almond Butter, would this be ok to use as an alternative?
LisaThursday 18th June 2020
Hi Issy, we’ve never tried this with powdered almond butter, but it definitely sounds like something that would work. If you decide to try it, please let us know how you get on.
HelenTuesday 9th June 2020
I’m keen to make this but can’t find Sukrin almond flour. Any advice where I might buy it?
SharonTuesday 9th June 2020
Hi Helen, you can usually buy it from Amazon and health food shops such as Holland and Barrett.
JenTuesday 2nd June 2020
I don’t understand. I’ve seen several recipes on this fb page which, when clicked on, say “everyday light” at the top. There’s even a link at the very top advertising the book. I ordered the book and was so disappointed as the butter chicken wasn’t on there along with many other recipes I was looking forward like chinese. I bought the book assuming the recipes would be I’m there. I dont think these links should say everyday light when it isn’t in the everyday light book.
LisaWednesday 3rd June 2020
Hi Jen. Thank you for your comment. We split our recipes into 3 categories so you can see at a glance how they can fit into your weightloss plan. Everyday Light are all under 400 calories per serving, Weekly Indulgence are 400-500 calories and Special Occasion are over 500 calories. We called our book Everyday Light because all the recipes fell into that category.
Although we do sometime include website favourites in our recipe books, the majority are all brand new recipes. The website contains around 500 recipes which are all accessible for free. We have a handy feature on the website that allows you to save your favourite recipes to make it a bit easier to find them. You can find a guide to using this here.
https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-save-your-favourite-recipes/
Hope this explains things. Thank you for buying the book and we hope that you will find plenty of recipes in there that will become new favourites.
Sonya GSunday 10th May 2020
Could you use anything else other than the almonds (one of my children has a nut allergy) ?
LisaMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Sonja. Thanks for the question. Almonds are the base for our butter chicken, so it is quite difficult to replace them without changing the dish significantly. We have the following recipe on the website for creamy chicken curry which doesn’t use nuts and is just as delicious https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-curry/ Hope this helps
VictoriaThursday 11th June 2020
I’ve used coconut flour instead and it’s lovely, doesn’t take away from the taste at all.
LisaThursday 11th June 2020
Thanks for your comment, Victoria. That is great to know.
Samantha BarnettSunday 10th May 2020
I have ground almonds but not almond flour. How much ground almonds do I need to use instead?
Thanks
LisaWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi Samantha. I would use an equivalent amount of ground almonds to almond flour. Bear in mind our recipe uses defatted almond flour which is much lower in calories than ground almonds, so if you are keeping an eye on the nutritional values you will have to adjust them accordingly. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Samantha BarnettFriday 15th May 2020
Thank you for getting back to me. It’s nice to have a treat once in a while and to be honest we have struggled buying particular products at the moment anyway. Looking forward to have this curry tonight along with your samosa receipe.
LisaMonday 18th May 2020
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoyed your curry!
SarahSunday 12th April 2020
Hi. I have a nut allergy. What can I use instead of almond flour? Thanks.
LisaMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Sarah. Almonds are the base for our butter chicken, so it is quite difficult to replace them without changing the dish significantly. We have the following recipe on the website for creamy chicken curry which doesn’t use nuts and is just as delicious https://pinchofnom.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-curry Hope this helps
LisaSunday 1st March 2020
Could I use coconut flour instead of almond?
LisaMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Lisa. We haven’t tested this recipe with coconut flour. It behaves quite differently to other flours, so I’m not sure if it would be suitable. The best alternative would be to use a few ground almonds, but you would have to adjust the nutritional values accordingly. Hope this helps
BethTuesday 25th February 2020
Could I use coconut flour instead of almond flour? It’s all Tesco have!
LisaMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Beth. We haven’t tested this recipe with coconut flour. It behaves quite differently to other flours, so I’m not sure if it would be suitable. The best alternative would be to use a few ground almonds, but you would have to adjust the nutritional values accordingly. Hope this helps
ClareThursday 6th February 2020
I don’t like using margarine / spreads. Other than real butter is there a good alternative that keeps the calories down but gives the same creaminess please? Coconut oil maybe? Thanks!
LisaMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Clare. Thanks for your query. Coconut oil would work well in this recipe, but is actually higher in calories than the reduced fat spread. You could leave the spread out. It’ll still be tasty, just slightly less creamy. Hope this helps.
KatSaturday 7th September 2019
Hi, what can I use instead of almond flour as I can’t find in any supermarket. I have ground almonds and almond essence. Can I use either of those and if so what quantities.
Thank you.
Emma TThursday 19th September 2019
Hi Kat,
You can use ground almonds though just check the nutritional values of whatever you use. You can buy defatted almond flour on Amazon and some health food shops ????
Hope that helps!
TheresaMonday 10th June 2019
Hi, am making this tomorrow but don’t have almond flour, if I made this using normal white flour and almond essence, how much of each would I need ?
Many thanks
Emma TThursday 20th June 2019
Hi Theresa,
You could try using some ground almonds instead ???? Normal flour might make the sauce become too thick.
Hope that helps!
samanthaWednesday 5th June 2019
Chicken stock spice mix is this a stock cube??
Emma TThursday 20th June 2019
Hi Samantha,
It is two separate ingredients:
Chicken Stock Cubes
Spice Mix (the instructions and ingredients for the spice mix are also listed above this)
Hope that helps!
JennieSaturday 12th January 2019
It doesn’t look like the Sukrin Almond Flour is available anymore, what would you use instead please?
Ashleigh BellTuesday 9th October 2018
What does it mean by spice mix?
MichelleThursday 21st June 2018
20g of ground almonds are a Hex B what amount would I need to replace the almond flour please?
BeccaSaturday 24th February 2018
What if no flour was used at all?
Jessi KSunday 11th February 2018
Could I do this in the slow cooker? The Korma was in the slower cooker and it was beautiful, so I’d like to try the same cooking method.
Joan O BrienMonday 4th December 2017
Is it possible to use ordinary flour and would that take from taste please, Love your recipes and thanks for all the hard work ye do in helping us on our journey
JoanneTuesday 31st October 2017
Made this last night with thighs as opposed to breast, it was amazing! My fiancé and stepson loved it too which means I can make it again. So tasty, what an amazing recipe! Will be trying the korma one as a result. I took a portion of frozen microwavable veg with a portion of this for dinner at work and it was great. My 2st 7lb loss would,not have been possible without pinch of nom xxx
AngieThursday 26th October 2017
Hi maybe a silly question but what are the numbers after the flora light and the almond flour please? X
SarahWednesday 25th October 2017
Would it be possible to make this in the slow cooker? 🙂
EmmaSunday 1st October 2017
Hi, just wondering if anyone has tried this in a slow cooker? Thanks
Angelan LoughranSaturday 16th September 2017
Made this tonight and it went down a storm with the entire family. Thank you for creating the amazing recipes you do and for all the hard work you must put into creating them.
Joanne AdairTuesday 12th September 2017
Where can I buy almond flour from pls? Not necessarily the Surkrin one.
JulieWednesday 6th September 2017
Can I use FF quark instead of FF yoghurt?
Emma TMonday 11th September 2017
Hi Julie,
Quark would probably split – it would be best to use yoghurt.
StephWednesday 23rd August 2017
Can’t wait to try this. Can I use normal almond flour or does it have to sukrin almond flour?
Thanks 🙂
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