Butter Chicken Meatballs (Creamy, Easy, 30-Minute Recipe)
2/22/2026
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These butter chicken meatballs are packed with bold Indian-inspired flavor and made weeknight-easy on the stovetop. Serve over rice or with my homemade garlic naan for a cozy, high-protein dinner. My twist on classic butter meatballs includes a simple yet flavorful sauce, and easy-to-make meatballs. Everything is made right on the stovetop, and I hope you love this high-protein recipe as much as I do.
what makes this recipe great ⤵️
- High-protein comfort food
- Big butter chicken flavor with no marinating required
- Easy to adjust the spice level
What You’ll Need
Ground chicken: Obviously! Ground turkey is a great substitute if you can’t find ground chicken or don’t have it on hand.
Spices: Oh baby, the mix of spices make these meatballs. The garam masala can be bought or homemade.
Butter: Can’t have butter chicken without butter! You’ll put salted butter in both the meatballs and the sauce.
For the full list of ingredients, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Butter Chicken Meatballs
Mix and Form the Meatballs
Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a mixing bowl, and gently mix everything until combined. Use a 1-1.5 tablespoon scoop to create the meatballs. Scoop and roll the meatballs together with your hands.
Brown the Meatballs
Heat avocado oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook them on each side until golden brown and almost cooked through (they will finish cooking later), and then remove the meatballs from the skillet.
Simmer the Butter Sauce
Add butter to the same skillet. When the butter is melted, add the white onion and season it with salt. Then, add the garam masala, tomato paste, and pepper. Cook until the spices become fragrant. Then, finally add the crusted tomatoes and remaining salt to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to simmer.
Finish Together and Serve
Add the meatballs back to the skillet, and let simmer until fully cooked. Then, add the remaining butter to the skillet, stir until the butter melts.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Greek yogurt to the skillet and stir the yogurt into the sauce pretty vigorously to fully incorporate the yogurt without curdling it.
Serve over rice and top with lime juice and cilantro. ENJOY!
Serving Suggestions
Butter chicken meatballs are delicious on their own, but I recommend serving with a fresh squeeze of lime and topped with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or with my homemade garlic naan for dipping. Enjoy!
Storing & Freezing
Store the butter chicken meatballs and leftover sauce separate from rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To Freeze
- Cook meatballs: Cook meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Cool meatballs: Let the meatballs cool completely.
- Freeze: Once cooled, transfer the meatballs and sauce into a gallon-size freezer-safe bag or other freezer-safe container. Remove as much air as possible and then seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More of My Favorite High-Protein Dinners
- Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Ground Turkey Pasta
- High-Protein Freezer Meals
- Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Cashew Crunch Edamame Salad
Butter Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cold and grated
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Sauce
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, separated
- ½ medium white onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, separated
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 red chili pepper, minced
- 15 oz. crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
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First, prepare the meatballs. Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a mixing bowl. Gently mix everything until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
-
Use a 1-1.5 tablespoon scoop to create the meatballs. Roll the meatballs together with your hands and set them aside.
-
Heat the avocado oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook them on each side until golden brown and almost cooked through (they will finish cooking later). Remove the meatballs from the skillet.
-
Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. When the butter is melted, add the white onion and season it with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garam masala, tomato paste, and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the spices become fragrant.
-
Add the crusted tomatoes and remaining salt to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to simmer. Add the meatballs back to the skillet. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until fully cooked. Add the remaining butter to the skillet, stir until the butter melts.
-
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Greek yogurt to the skillet and stir the yogurt into the sauce pretty vigorously. It is very important to continue to stir the mixture until the yogurt is combined with the tomato sauce. If you stop stirring too soon, the sauce will curdle.
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Serve over rice and top with lime juice and cilantro.
Tips & Notes
- Any ground meat will work for this recipe. The fat content of the meat will vary based on what ground meat is used.
- If you would like more sauce, double the sauce portion of the recipe.
- I suggest serving this recipe over basmati rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography by: The Wooden Skillet
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