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Butter chicken meatballs in creamy tomato sauce served over basmati rice with cilantro

Butter Chicken Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce and Rice

Butter chicken meatballs are a creamy, comforting dish featuring tender meatballs coated in a smooth tomato-based sauce with warm spices and served with rice. It is an easy, flavorful meal that brings cozy weeknight appeal to the table.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Calories: 431
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butter Chicken Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • half of an onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic paste)
  • a small piece of fresh ginger, grated (or ginger paste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes or plain tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water (more as needed later)
  • 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (more to taste)
Meatballs
  • 20 oz / 565 g cooked chicken or turkey meatballs
Serving
  • 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, or precooked rice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
Cooking
  1. Warm oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices, then cook until the aromatics soften.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes, water, salt, and sugar. Let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Blend the sauce until smooth using either a blender or an immersion blender directly in the pot.
Finishing
  1. Return the blended sauce to the pan. Add the meatballs and simmer covered or over low heat until they are warmed through.
  2. Stir in the butter and cream to create the finished sauce coating for the meatballs.
Serving
  1. Serve the meatballs over rice and finish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce texture, a regular blender can be used, though an immersion blender is also a convenient option. An immersion blender works best in a deeper pot such as a Dutch oven or Instant Pot; tilt the pot to gather the sauce before blending if needed. If splattering occurs, add a little extra water so the sauce blends smoothly. Avoid using an immersion blender in a shallow skillet; transfer the sauce to a blender instead. For Instant Pot preparation, add all sauce ingredients and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then blend the sauce directly in the pot. Add the meatballs and use the warm or sauté setting until heated through, which takes 5-10 minutes, then finish with butter and cream. If using regular chicken breasts or thighs instead of meatballs, add the chicken with the sauce ingredients at the beginning, cook on high pressure for 12 minutes, remove and shred or pull apart the chicken, blend the sauce, then return the chicken and finish with cream and butter.