This Easy Indian Butter Chicken Pie recipe is absolutely scrumptious! You'll love this Indian classic chicken curry turned into a delicious pie topped with gorgeous flaky layers of puff pastry!
You may be familiar with Indian Butter Chicken, which is a very popular dish in Indian cooking.
Also known as Chicken Makhani, or Murg Makhani, this dish is given a delicious twist in Australia and New Zealand.
Our friends in this part of the world created a genius twist on this classic Indian recipe, by using Butter Chicken as a pie filling!
I'm telling you, the creamy and delicious butter chicken makes the perfect pie filling, encased in puff pastry. The gorgeous pie, with its flaky layers of golden brown pastry is absolutely delicious, and your whole family will love it!
Ready to dive into a delicious twist on tradition? Let’s do this!
First, allow me to show you what you'll need!
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for the Butter Chicken pie filling:
- Olive oil
- Chicken thighs - you could use skinless chicken breast if you like
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Onion
- Shallot
- Heavy cream
- Tomato sauce (or tomato puree)
- Butter (of course! I recommend grass fed!)
- Yogurt (plain natural yogurt is preferred, or you could use plain Greek yogurt)
- Lemon juice
- Garam masala
- Chili powder
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt
And here is what you will need for the pastry:
- Puff pastry sheets - I recommend Pepperidge Farm
- Milk (or water)
- Egg
Ok, it's time to get cooking and baking!
💭 Time Saving Tip
If you'd like to save some time, it's perfectly acceptable to use a ready made butter chicken sauce like Patak's Butter Chicken Sauce. Just be aware that this recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs, so you may need more than 1 bottle of sauce. Please refer to the instructions of the product you use and amend accordingly.
🔪 Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 350F.
Make The Pie Filling
Now we will make the Indian Butter Chicken Pie filling.
Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot. Easiest if done using a food processor if you have one.
Heat the olive oil to medium in a large skillet (skillet should have a lid so you can cover it). Add the minced garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot and stir fry for around 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
Add the cayenne (if using), salt, garam masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and 3 tbsps of the butter. Stir constantly for 1 minute incorporating all the spices and melting the butter.
Still on medium heat, add the chicken pieces (either thighs or chicken breasts) and the tomato sauce. Stir well, and then leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes on a medium or medium-low heat. The chicken should be pretty much cooked through at this point. If you see that it is not, leave to cook a little while longer. Stir occasionally.
On medium-low heat, now add the cream and yogurt and stir. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and then stir in the last remaining tablespoon of butter. Add additional salt to taste if you like.
Create And Bake Your Pie!
Now let's create your pie!
Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions. (I use the microwave defrost instructions which work really well!)
Lay one puff pastry sheet down on a flat surface and roll it out so that it will fit on the bottom of your pie pan. Lay the sheet on the bottom of your pie pan and snip off overhanging edges with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Fill the pie pan with the butter chicken filling (best to add this filling only when you are ready to bake). If the filling is very saucy, you may want to leave some of the sauce out if you think there is too much sauce.
Lay the second puff pastry sheet down on a flat surface and roll it out so that it will fit over the top of your pie pan. Lay the second sheet on the top of your pie pan and seal the edges with your fingers. You can snip off overhanging edges with a pair of kitchen scissors if you like. Use a fork to prick holes in the puff pastry.
Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of milk or water. Brush this egg wash over the puff pastry.
Bake the butter chicken pie at 350F for 40 minutes, or until the puff pastry is an incredible flaky golden brown!
Suggestions For Serving
It's time to tuck in to your incredibly beautiful Indian Butter Chicken Pie!
I prefer serving BIG slices of my pie, because believe me a small slice just won't do!
Serve your pie with some buttered mixed vegetables or a green salad for a delicious and complete meal.
FAQ
It's not necessary to blind bake the puff pastry that lines your pie pan. Just note that it's best to add the filling when you are ready to bake (don't let the filling sit for a long time on the bottom puff pastry crust).
I love adding egg wash to the bits of puff pastry that I snipped off and bake those on a separate baking sheet for a few minutes until golden brown (about 15-20 minutes). These make great dog treats for my Toby!
Some Other Recipes That You Will Enjoy!
Here are some other great Indian recipes that you will enjoy:
- Simple and Delicious Keema Do Pyaza Recipe (Lamb)
- Indian Spiced Green Lentils
- Easy No Cook Indian Saffron Ice Cream Recipe
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Easy Indian Butter Chicken Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pie pan 9.5-10" nonstick pie pan
- 1 Large skillet or Dutch oven (with cover) to cook your Indian butter chicken
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For The Butter Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- ½ onion minced
- 1 shallot minced
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 4 tablespoon butter split (3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ cup yogurt plain natural yogurt (preferred) or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 ts lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper can reduce or leave out if you prefer a less spicy version
- 1 ts salt
For the pie
- 1 package puff pastry sheets I used Pepperidge Farm (2 sheets = 1.1 lb)
- 1 each egg
- 1 ts milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
Make The Butter Chicken Filling
- Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot. Easiest if done using a food processor if you have one.
- Heat the olive oil to medium in a large skillet (skillet should have a lid so you can cover it). Add the minced garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot and stir fry for around 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add the cayenne (if using), salt, garam masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and 3 tbsps of the butter. Stir constantly for 1 minute incorporating all the spices and melting the butter.
- Still on medium heat, add the chicken pieces and the tomato sauce. Stir well, and then leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes on a medium or medium-low heat. The chicken should be pretty much cooked through at this point. If you see that it is not, leave to cook a little while longer. Stir occasionally.
- On medium-low heat, now add the cream and yogurt and stir. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and then stir in the last remaining tablespoon of butter. Add additional salt to taste if you like.
Create your pie!
- Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions. (I use the microwave defrost instructions which work really well!)
- Lay one puff pastry sheet down on a flat surface and roll it out so that it will fit on the bottom of your 9.5-10" nonstick pie pan. Lay the sheet on the bottom of your pie pan and snip off overhanging edges with a pair of kitchen scissors.
- Fill the pie pan with the butter chicken filling (best to add this filling only when you are ready to bake). If the filling is very saucy, you may want to leave some of the sauce out if you think there is too much sauce.
- Lay the second puff pastry sheet down on a flat surface and roll it out so that it will fit over the top of your pie pan. Lay the second sheet on the top of your pie pan and seal the edges with your fingers. You can snip off overhanging edges with a pair of kitchen scissors if you like. Use a fork to prick holes in the puff pastry.
- Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of milk or water. Brush this egg wash over the puff pastry.
- Bake the butter chicken pie at 350F for 40 minutes, or until the puff pastry is an incredible flaky golden brown!
Grace
This pie reminds me of the Indian Butter Chicken Pie I had when traveling in New Zealand! It's hard to know whether I love the flaky pastry or the scrumptious butter chicken filling more!