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Butter Chicken Tacos

Butter chicken tacos with tender chicken simmered in a creamy tomato-butter sauce, tucked into warm flour tortillas. Finished with fresh cilantro and lime for bright, Indian-Mexican fusion flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and aromatics
  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
Sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp paprika
  • 0.1 Salt and pepper to taste
Taco assembly
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 1 fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving for garnish and serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the butter chicken filling
  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion until softened, about 4-6 minutes, until glossy and translucent. Add the minced garlic and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until fragrant.
  2. Add the cubed chicken and cook until golden on all sides, about 8-10 minutes total, turning pieces as they brown. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, garam masala, cumin, and paprika and mix until the spices coat the chicken.
  3. Simmer the mixture for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid reduces slightly. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce looks creamy and thick, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Warm tortillas and assemble
  1. Warm the flour tortillas until pliable, about 30-60 seconds per side in a dry skillet or microwave, until they feel soft and flexible. Fill each tortilla with the butter chicken and spoon sauce over the top, then garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

For extra tender chicken, use a hot skillet so the thighs brown before the tomatoes go in. Store leftover butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently to keep the cream sauce from breaking. Freezing works for the filling only—freeze up to 2 months, then thaw and reheat on low. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly less thick).