Crispy butter chicken tacos. A bold, flavorful way to enjoy butter chicken. Tender chicken simmered in velvety tomato-cream sauce meets the irresistible crispness of tacos. The idea is unexpectedly brilliant, creating a contrast that makes every mouthful loaded with flavor and deliciousness. The fresh green chutney complements the richness of butter chicken creating a comforting meal apt for any day of the week.
Why I Love This Delicious Mash-Up
In fact, butter chicken, one of the most popular Indian dishes, is born from tradition. It totally reminds me of family meals, where a fragrant pot adorns the center of the table, warm rotis and rice within reach, and everyone going back for “just one more” spoonful. But, what would happen if those familiar, spice-laced flavors meet the irresistible taste of tacos. A unconventional idea transforming into an extraordinary dish.
The secret to making perfect butter chicken filled tacos is the contrast. Saucy chicken in crisp tortillas. To make the butter chicken, toss chicken with spices, and stir fry for that beautiful golden brown edges. Make the glossy sauce with onions, garlic, ginger, spices, tomato paste, cream, and dried fenugreek leaves. Make sure the sauce is velvety enough to cling to the chicken pieces. A spoonful of butter chicken goes on the tacos first with a generous amount of cheese, and then fold and fry to create crispy tacos. The final assembly takes barely five minutes, but it changes the entire dish. My favorite pairing with these tacos is, obviously, fresh green chutney.
Key Ingredients In Butter Chicken Tacos
- Tortillas - Small flour or corn tortillas.
- Chicken - Boneless chicken thighs are perfect.
- Cream - The base of velvety sauce.
- Tomato paste - For the vibrant color and taste.
- Spices - Garam masala, cumin, black pepper, ground fenugreek.
- Herbs - Dried fenugreek leaves, coriander (cilantro) leaves for garnish.
How To Make Butter Chicken Tacos
Make butter chicken - I like the chicken to have plenty of flavor, so stir fry it with garam masala and ground fenugreek. Cook until the edges are deeply browned. Then, make the sauce, and add the chicken back in to make tender chicken with very thick sauce.
Assemble tacos - Assemble and cook the tacos just before serving. Fill the tortillas with butter chicken and mozzarella cheese. Fry them in the pan you made butter chicken, and wait until the tacos turn crisp. A light sprinkle of coriander leaves (cilantro) is the perfect garnish. Sometimes I’ll add finely chopped red onion or a scattering of chopped chilies. If you are planning ahead, make the butter chicken a day early.
And of course, these tacos are messy. Butter chicken spills over the crisp tortillas, there’s sauce on fingers and, almost certainly, a request for another one before the first has even disappeared. The best part is they are not designed for perfect presentation, instead, they are made for gathering around the table, getting a little messy and going back for seconds.
Crispy Butter Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Butter chicken:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 500 g chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 2cm cubes
- ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup heavy (thickened) cream
- ¼ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Salt to taste
Tacos:
- 10 small flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
- Coriander leaves (cilantro)
To serve:
- Green chutney
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Make butter chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken. Add ground fenugreek, garam masala, and ground black pepper. Toss to coat chicken in the spices.
- Season with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the pan.
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil.
- When hot, add onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and ginger. Saute, stirring, for about one minute or until fragrant.
- Add cumin, garam masala, red chili powder, butter, and lemon juice. Saute, stirring, for about 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Add tomato paste. Saute, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
- Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the chicken.
- Add cooked chicken and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir to combine. Heat through.
- Remove butter chicken from the pan. Divide into 10 equal portions.
Make tacos:
- Depending on the size of the frying pan, place 2 or 3 tortillas in the pan.
- Top with butter chicken. Add mozzarella.
- Fold the tortillas in halves. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is melted and the tacos are crispy on both sides.
- Transfer tacos to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining tacos, butter chicken, and shredded cheese.
- Garnish with coriander (cilantro) leaves. Serve with green chutney and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
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