Butter Chicken Meatballs
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These Butter Chicken Meatballs are going to blow your mind! Boasting big flavor in a creamy sauce spiced to perfection, and simple meatballs made lean with ground chicken. Served as an appetizer, party snack, or a main dish, this recipe will always be a crowdpleaser.
The Best Butter Chicken Meatballs Recipe
I’ve been craving a big helping of butter chicken these days! The creamy sauce, tender pieces of chicken, all served over a bed of warm rice and a side of buttery naan. Isn’t it just so dreamy? It’s exactly what I crave when I want to treat myself to something special.
Since I haven’t posted a meatball recipe in a while, I figured I’d combine the urgency for a new meatball recipe on the blog with my cravings. Let me tell you; it turned out incredible. I mean, it’s not all that different from a regular butter chicken! After trying this version with those juicy and flavorful meatballs, I think I actually prefer it over the original recipe.
- Onion – I used half a white onion. You can use a full small onion if that’s what you have. Instead of chopping the onion try grating it, this is so much better for meatballs, no more huge chunks of onion in your meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs – I used panko. Regular breadcrumbs will also work.
- Ground chicken – Or ground turkey.
- Egg – One large egg.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped both for the meatballs and as a garnish. You can use parsley instead if you don’t like cilantro.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Olive oil – Avocado, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oils will work instead.
- Butter – Unsalted.
- Garlic & ginger – I used fresh, however you can use jarred if you have it handy.
- Tomato passata – Or tomato sauce.
- Tomato paste – Make sure you’ve grabbed tomato paste, it will be very thick, this will give the sauce a richer taste.
- Spices – garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, and coriander.
- Chicken broth – Low sodium.
- Heavy cream – Anything 35%+. If you want lower fat, you can go as low as 10%.
- Mix the meatballs: Mix the onion and breadcrumbs together in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients, excluding the oil, to the bowl. Mix everything together well.
- Form the meatballs: Using 2 tbsp at a time, depending how large you’d like them, form the mixture into meatballs. Dip your hands in water if you find the mixture it getting sticky. I got about 20 meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, working in batches if needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until well browned. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- Start the sauce: Add the butter to the same skillet. Once melted, stir in the garlic and ginger, then cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, tomato paste, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chicken broth.
- Finish the sauce: Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickens. Stir in the cream.
- Add the meatballs: Add the meatballs back to the skillet and let them simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
I Can’t Find Garam Masala
This aromatic mixture of spices is a must-have for many different cuisines around the world, and especially recreating Indian cuisine. You can make a quick replacement using my recipe for Garam Masala!
Garam masala blends can contain over 30 ingredients so if you have to opportunity, grabbing a good quality garam masala from a spice specialty shop will go a long way! Other blends like masala curry powder, sambhar masala, chaat masala, or ras el hanout can be used instead of garam masala.
How to serve
These would be a great addition to an appetizer table or contribution to a potluck! We always see the same rendition of meatballs in a sweet and savory sauce served at parties. Time to bring something different to the table, literally!
When I made these meatballs we enjoyed them as a main course. I steamed a pot of white rice and cooked up a batch of fresh naan. It was absolutely perfect!
Leftovers
Transfer all your leftover butter chicken meatballs to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but make sure to cover the leftovers to avoid splatters. You’ll need to reheat until the meatballs are warmed through, so the sauce will end up getting quite hot.
You can also reheat leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop. Transfer them to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce and meatballs are heated through. You can add a splash or chicken broth or water if you find the sauce is reducing too much.
How to freeze leftovers
If you’re planning on turning these butter chicken meatballs into a freezer meal, I would suggest freezing the sauce and meatballs separately. They will last 3-4 months frozen.
Place the cooked meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover them with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1-2 hours, or until solid. Then, you can transfer all the meatballs to a large airtight container or freezer bag. Make sure the sauce is fully cooled down before transferring it to an airtight container and freezing.
To reheat, you can microwave the sauce or heat it up in a skillet. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F. Place the frozen chicken meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Add the meatballs to the sauce and serve.
Other Great Recipes To Try
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Baked Tandoori Chicken
- Chicken Korma
- French Onion Chicken Meatballs
- Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- Turkey Meatballs
- Butter Chicken
- Korean Meatballs
- Creamy Butter Lemon Chicken
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Butter Chicken Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ½ onion (grated)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ pounds ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (freshly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying the meatballs)
Butter chicken sauce
- ¼ cup butter (unsalted)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
- 1 cup tomato passata (or tomato sauce)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
- 1 teaspoon coriander (ground)
- 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (freshly chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Mix the onion and breadcrumbs together in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients, excluding the oil, to the bowl. Mix everything together well.
- Using 2 tbsp at a time, depending how large you'd like them, form the mixture into meatballs. Dip your hands in water if you find the mixture it getting sticky.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, working in batches if needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until well browned. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in the garlic and ginger, then cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, tomato paste, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chicken broth.
- Stir everything together and bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickens. Stir in the cream.
- Add the meatballs back to the skillet and let them simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes to heat through. Turn off the heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Notes
- Transfer all your leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat in the microwave, but make sure to cover the leftovers to avoid splatters. You’ll need to reheat until the meatballs are warmed through, so the sauce will end up getting quite hot.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Is there any way to make this and reheat it in a crockpot or will it not work?
Yes, you can absolutely do that.
This was amazing!!! We kept going back for more and almost devoured it all in one sitting! Thank you so much for a delicious recipe!
My pleasure, Rubia! So glad you liked it!
Awesome recipe. I opted to make the meatballs ahead of time. I baked them in the oven instead of on the stove. 390 degrees for about 15 minutes or so, up to about 175 degree internal temperature. They are absolutely delicious, and versatile enough to use with other dishes. Thanks for the great recipe! It’s a keeper.
I lived in England for a few years, where Indian restaurants are ubiquitous. Since moving back to the States with my husband, we have been been on the hunt for Indian recipes that are as good as we had there. This recipe is the first where the flavors were just as delicious as we remember – thank you so much! Can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Ruth,
So glad you both enjoyed it so much! Let us know if you try out any of the other Indian recipes on the blog.
This was the first recipe I made from your blog. It was very tasty. My husband, who made a face when I told him initially I was making baked chicken meatballs, was most happy when I decided to opt for your Butter Chicken Meatballs instead ;-).
Ha! Glad you guys enjoyed it!
This is simply great!! I’m not a cilantro fan, so I use parsley in the meatballs and sprinkler chopped cilantro on my hubby’s plate when served. Well worth the effort!
So delicious brilliant idea. I just simmered meatballs in sauce. Flavor transfer is better and very moist
Glad you enjoyed them!
Oh my word, hubby who usually doesn’t like Indian food even ate this up. I loved every bite! Thanks for helping me to broaden his palate!
Awesome! That’s what we like to hear, so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
We made this for dinner tonight – it was delicous!
Sounds wonderful. Any lactose free recommendations to replace the heavy cream?
See if you can find a lactose-free cream! I’ve seen them at my local grocery store. Otherwise, some canned coconut cream would be great.
Thanks. The coconut might work. The lactose free cream has to be special ordered around here. When they even can. I appreciate the help!
I just made this today, and it turned out so delicious! Since I’m South Asian (Pakistani), I took some liberty and added more stuff to the meatballs. I also made a cashew cream to use for the sauce instead of heavy cream, which was also really tasty. My meatballs fell apart, but I think it’s because I added them to a cold pot and then heated them (rookie mistake lol).
Is this recipe spicy as in heat or you can’t taste anything because your tongue is on fire. My husband can’t have spicy anything I love spice & Indian food. Never had garam masala in my recipes how spicy is it. I like foods from Morocco also
Not spicy at all! Garam masala is completely mild.
Can I bake the meat balls instead of frying them?
For sure!
Is there any possible substitute for cilantro…. I just really can’t stand cilantro! Lol
But this sounds like something I need to make otherwise
You can just skip it or use parsley.