Butter Chicken

This low-FODMAP butter chicken swaps onion and garlic for garlic-infused oil, ginger, and garam masala, with capped canned tomato and lactose-free cream standing in for the usual dairy.

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 1.5 lb (700g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup (120g) lactose-free plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala (check the blend lists no onion or garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
• 1 tsp salt

For the sauce

• 3 tbsp (45g) butter, divided
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• Green tops of 2 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or sweet paprika
• 1 cup (240g) canned crushed tomatoes (about 60g per serving, under the ~92g low-FODMAP cap for canned tomato)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water or low-FODMAP chicken broth
• 3/4 cup (180ml) lactose-free heavy cream (about 45ml per serving, under the 100ml cap)
• 1 tsp cane sugar or maple syrup
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Cooked basmati rice
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Extra scallion green tops

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

1. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, chili powder, and salt.
2. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Sear and build the sauce

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter with the garlic-infused oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape excess marinade off the chicken, add it in a single layer, and sear 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to a plate. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, the scallion green tops, and the ginger. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Stir in the garam masala, cumin, coriander, and chili powder and toast for 30 seconds.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and the water or broth. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and deepens in color.

Finish

1. For a smoother, restaurant-style sauce, blend the tomato base until smooth, then return it to the pan. This step is optional.
2. Stir in the cream and sugar, then return the chicken and any collected juices to the pan.
3. Simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165F (74C) at the thickest piece. Taste and adjust salt.
4. Serve over basmati rice, topped with cilantro and scallion greens.

Tips & Substitutions

• Check the garam masala. Traditional blends are just spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, pepper), but some brands add onion or garlic powder. Read the label and choose one without them.
• Swap the cream for coconut. Canned coconut cream works in place of the lactose-free cream. Monash lists a low-FODMAP serving of about 1/4 cup, so keep it near that per portion.
• Keep the tomato in check. Canned tomatoes rise in FODMAPs with volume, so hold the sauce to about 1 cup total across four servings and avoid piling extra sauce onto a single plate.
• Use thighs for forgiveness. Boneless thighs stay tender through the simmer. If you use breast, shorten the simmer and pull it at 165F so it does not dry out.
• Deepen the flavor without garlic. A pinch of smoked paprika or a few more drops of garlic-infused oil add depth. Garlic fructans do not dissolve into oil, so the infused oil stays safe.
• Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) are traditional but not tested by Monash. Skip them, or crumble a small pinch at the end only if you already know you tolerate them.

Why This Works

• Garlic flavor without fructans. Garlic's FODMAPs are fructans, which are water-soluble and not oil-soluble, so garlic-infused oil carries the aroma while leaving the fructans behind.
• Onion swapped for scallion greens. The green tops of scallions are low in fructans, unlike the white bulb, so they add allium notes without the load.
• Tomato and cream kept to tested portions. Canned tomato and cream are low-FODMAP in small servings. Capping tomato near 60g and cream near 45ml per serving keeps the dish within Monash thresholds.
• From-scratch sauce avoids hidden onion and garlic. Jarred butter chicken and curry sauces almost always list onion and garlic near the top, so building the sauce yourself removes that risk.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened. The sauce freezes for up to 2 months, though the cream may separate slightly on thawing, so stir well as it reheats. Portion out one serving at a time so the tomato and cream stay within their caps. Check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.