Butter Chicken Meatballs – as good as the restaurant!
Ever made butter chicken at home that tasted almost like the restaurant’s, but not quite? That was me with these Butter Chicken Meatballs, right up until the third round of testing.
Clay Pit here in Austin makes the butter chicken I was chasing, and my first two batches only tasted sort of like it.
The missing piece? Ground fenugreek, a warm, slightly maple-y spice that took the sauce from close to TOTALLY what we order at Clay Pit.
The real test was our little guy, who’s a picky eater and couldn’t stop dunking naan in that butter sauce. So grab extra naan (and a big scoop of Basmati Rice) for the table.
What else 3 rounds of testing revealed:
- Tomato sauce over crushed tomatoes. It cooks down into a silky, smooth sauce, no blender needed.
- Heavy cream is a must. Half-and-half works, but it’s more likely to separate (and milk is a no).
- A teaspoon of sugar at the very end. It balances out the tang from the tomato sauce. (A little sweet is SO often what a dish is missing!)
- A cream panade keeps them tender. Soaking the panko in a little heavy cream before it goes into the ground chicken keeps the meatballs soft.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs for fluffier, less dense meatballs.
- Heavy cream: This goes in both the meatballs and the sauce. Half-and-half works, but it’s more likely to separate, and I’d skip milk altogether.
- Ground chicken: 90/10 or 93/7 both work great. If all you can find is the super lean stuff, add a drizzle of olive oil to the mix so the meatballs don’t dry out (the exact amount is in the recipe card notes).
- Fresh ginger: Grate it fresh, or grab the jarred ginger paste (such a great shortcut!).
- Warm spices: Garam masala, coriander, cumin, ground fenugreek, and a little cayenne if you want some heat (skip it for a mild crew). Look for fenugreek in the spice aisle or at an Indian grocery, and if you can only find the dried leaves (kasuri methi), the swap is in the recipe card notes.
- Tomato sauce: Stick with tomato sauce over crushed tomatoes for the silkiest sauce. Grab plain canned tomato sauce, not marinara or pizza sauce, since those come pre-seasoned.
- Chicken broth: Carton broth works great. Or stir a little Better Than Bouillon into hot water for an even richer sauce.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Make the panade.
Mix the panko and heavy cream with a fork and let it sit for 5 minutes while you get everything else ready. It’ll look crumbly at first, then soften as it soaks.
Mix it up.
Mash the rested panade into a smooth paste and add it to the bowl with the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix gently, just until everything comes together.
Pro Tip: Go easy here! Overmixed ground chicken turns tough and dense, so stop as soon as you can’t see streaks of panade.
Roll and bake.
Scoop about 1½ tablespoons per meatball, which gets you right around 20-24, and line them up on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake until cooked through, then give them a quick minute under the broiler to brown the tops.
The Sheet Pan I L❤️VE!
Your veggies will end up steaming instead of roasting if you overcrowd the pan. So my tip… use the largest sheet pan you have and spread everything out!
Start the sauce while they bake.
Melt most of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion until it’s soft, then stir in the garlic and ginger. Add all the spices, fenugreek included, and let them toast for about 30 seconds until the whole kitchen smells SO good.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip that 30-second toast. Warming the spices in the butter wakes them up, so the sauce tastes deep and rich instead of dusty.
Let it simmer.
Pour in the tomato sauce and chicken broth with the salt, bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it gently bubble until slightly thickened. It’s ready when you can drag a spoon through and see the bottom of the pan for a second.
Finish with the cream and meatballs.
Turn the heat down to LOW and stir in the heavy cream, the last tablespoon of butter, and the sugar until the sauce is silky and glossy. Nestle in the baked meatballs, spoon the sauce over the top, and simmer just until they’re heated through.
Pro Tip: Keep it on LOW once the cream goes in. High heat is what makes cream sauces separate, and low and slow keeps it smooth.
Oops! What did I do wrong?
My meatball mixture is too sticky to roll.
Wet your hands with a little water between meatballs and the mixture will roll right off. If it’s still too soft, pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes.
My sauce tastes too tangy.
Stir in a small pinch more sugar and taste again. That little bit of sweet is usually all it needs.
My sauce looks like it’s separating.
Pull the skillet off the heat right away and stir gently until it comes back together. Then keep it on LOW from here on out.
My sauce is too thick (or too thin).
If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of chicken broth. If it’s too thin, let it gently simmer on LOW for a few more minutes before adding the meatballs.
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Butter Chicken Meatballs Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Butter Chicken Meatballs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Butter Chicken Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
For Serving
- cooked basmati rice for serving
- naan for serving
- fresh cilantro finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs and ¼ cup heavy cream with a fork to form a panade. Let it sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meatball mixture.¼ cup heavy cream
- In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, cilantro, 3 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mash the panade with a fork into a smooth paste and add it to the bowl. Mix gently until combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.1 pound ground chicken, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, 3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture and roll into meatballs, approximately 20-24 total. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then broil for 1 minute to brown the tops.
- While the meatballs bake, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until tender.4 tablespoons butter, 1 medium yellow onion
- Add 4 minced garlic cloves and the ginger and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.4 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala, the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and cayenne pepper (if using) and cook for 30 seconds to toast the spices.1 ½ teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pour in the tomato sauce and chicken broth, then stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly thickened.1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, ½ cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt
- Reduce the heat to LOW. Stir in ½ cup heavy cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and the sugar until the sauce is smooth and glossy.½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Add the baked meatballs to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
- Serve over basmati rice with naan and top with fresh cilantro, if desired.cooked basmati rice, naan, fresh cilantro
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with butter chicken meatballs
A big scoop of Basmati Rice is the classic, and it soaks up every drop of that butter sauce. For a little extra richness, Coconut Rice is SO good here too.
Since the sauce is rich and creamy, I like something cool and crunchy on the side. A Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad or a bright Lemon Arugula Salad cuts right through it.
Want a veggie? Sautéed Green Beans cook on the stovetop while the meatballs bake, or toss some Air Fryer Broccoli in so you’re not fighting over the oven.
More Indian-Inspired Recipes
Can’t get enough of those warm spices? These Indian-inspired dinners are packed with that same cozy, crave-worthy flavor.
Chicken Korma Curry
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Creamy Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala
4 hrs 15 mins
Chana Masala
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