This Easy Vegan Butter Chicken Recipe is our plant-based take on the popular Indian dish, Murgh Makhani. It’s equally as rich and flavorful as traditional butter chicken and is made with a delicious sauce the whole family will love. Serve over rice with our vegan flatbread for the ultimate meal.

When developing this recipe, we wanted to keep it as simple and authentic as possible! We swapped the traditionally used chicken with tofu and mimicked the flavors in the sauce with plant-based ingredients such as cashews, coconut milk, and vegan yogurt. We’re so excited to share this vegan and gluten-free version with you, and hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients You’ll Need 

• Tofu: For this recipe, we highly recommend super firm tofu. It doesn’t require a tofu press and has minimal excess water inside, making it the perfect vegan substitute for chicken. If needed, you can use an extra firm block of tofu, but be sure to press it before patting it dry.
• Vegan yogurt: Authentic butter chicken is typically made with dahi or Indian yogurt. This is of course vegetarian, and dairy based, so we opted for plain vegan yogurt instead. It’s equally thick, tangy, and neutral in flavor. Feel free to use your favorite vegan brand.
• Spices: You’ll need: ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, cardamom, dried fenugreek leaves (optional, but recommended!), and garam masala.
• Cashews + coconut milk: Heavy cream is often combined with tomato sauce to make it rich and creamy. Instead, we’ve used raw cashews and coconut milk. Together they make a rich, non-dairy cream sauce.
• Vegan butter: An essential in butter chicken! Opt for your favorite vegan brand. We love Country Crock and Earth Balance, but Miyoko’s would also work well!
• Aromatics: A simple blend of onion, garlic, fresh ginger, and an optional spicy serrano pepper create an aromatic, flavor base. Don’t rush the sauté – this is where all the deep layered flavors come from!
• Crushed tomatoes: Butter chicken is typically a tomato-based sauce. We found using tomato paste to be too tart and tangy, but crushed tomatoes were both the perfect consistency and tomato flavor.
• Sugar: A small pinch of cane sugar helps balance the savoriness by cutting the acidity in the dish. To ensure your sugar is vegan, opt for an organic brand!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Baking sheet
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Large skillet or pot
• Spatula
• High-speed blender
• Measuring cups

How to Make Vegan Butter Chicken

1. Make the tofu marinade. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegan yogurt, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, salt, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add the tofu. Using a clean tea towel or paper towel, pat the tofu dry, then tear it into bite-sized chunks. Add the tofu chunks to the yogurt mixture and mix gently until the tofu is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
3. Soak the cashews in boiling water. 30 minutes before you are ready to make the butter tofu, place your raw cashews in a small bowl and cover it with boiling water. Set aside to soften.
4. Bake the marinated tofu. Once the tofu has marinated for at least 30 minutes, transfer the marinated tofu pieces to a baking tray, spreading the pieces apart. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until crispy. Set aside while you prepare the butter sauce.
5. Sauté the aromatics. In a large skillet or pot. add 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. Once melted, add the diced onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Next, add in the minced garlic, optional serrano pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and cardamom. Cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
6. Bring to a simmer. Add the drained cashews to the pot or skillet along with the crushed tomatoes, water, and remaining salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Blend until smooth. After 12 minutes, transfer the contents to a high-speed blender. Add the coconut milk and blend until you have a creamy tomato sauce.
8. Finish the sauce. Transfer the tomato-based sauce back to the pot and heat over low. Season with the remaining sugar, fenugreek leaves, garam masala, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. Stir constantly until the butter is melted.
9. Add the tofu and serve. Lastly, gently toss the tofu in the warm sauce and season to taste. Serve immediately while hot as desired.

Serving Suggestions 

This delicious tofu butter chicken makes a hearty meal that can be enjoyed for dinner or lunch. Serve over basmati rice or brown rice, garnished with fresh cilantro and a side of our 5-ingredient gluten-free flatbread (naan)!

Storage Instructions

Leftover vegan butter chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before storing in an airtight container, allow the dish to cool completely to room temperature.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a large skillet or pot until heated through again. If frozen, allow the butter chicken to defrost completely in the refrigerator overnight before reheating or microwaving from frozen until thawed. Note that tofu does change its texture and consistency once frozen and thawed and may release a bit of excess moisture (especially if you opted for extra firm tofu instead of super firm).

Recipe FAQs

More Vegan Tofu Recipes You May Enjoy:

• Tofu Katsu
• General Tso’s Tofu
• Orange Tofu
• Crispy Air Fryer Herbed Tofu
• Easy Lemongrass Tofu
• Creamy Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry