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Home » Recipes » Special Diet » Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes » WW Friendly Dinner Recipes

Healthy Butter Chicken

Published: Jan 6, 2019 by Terri Gilson · Modified: May 13, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 24 Comments

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weight watchers butter chicken in a white bowl with, red, yellow and blue design
Collage of 2 healthy butter chicken in a bowl photos

I love that my kids are learning to cook at school because they bring home lots of easy and delicious recipes that they now make for ME,  including THIS easy Healthy Butter Chicken!

Healthy Butter Chicken | Weight Watchers

I had never been the biggest fan of butter chicken (when I had it at Indian restaurants), but this recipe was a game changer because it's amazing! I was able to make it Weight Watchers friendly (it's 4 WW points on my plan)! You can find out how many WW points it is on your plan HERE! But not every recipe they've brought home has been such a success.....

Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🥗 Side dishes
  • 💭 Top tip
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🔢 WW Points
  • 🌡️Storage
  • 👪 Serving Size
  • 🦺Food Safety
  • 🐓Weight Watchers Chicken recipes
  • ⭐ Reviews
  • 📋 Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe
  • ⭐ Reviews
  • 🍲More Weight Watchers Recipes!

🥘 Ingredients

However, when I plugged the original recipe into my WW calculator and saw that it had 40 grams of fat and was 20 WW points, I understood why it was sooo good; FAT MADE IT GOOD.

So.... I made it my mission to make it into a delicious Healthy Butter Chicken that was Weight Watchers friendly and brought it down to 4 WW points on my Weight Watchers plan (see how much it is on your plan, below). And this Easy & Healthy Butter Chicken recipe with Greek yogurt does not disappoint; it still has a super creamy sauce! However, I knew it was a true success when my kids said they liked my Weight Watchers butter chicken better than the original fattening version! Whipping cream (heavy cream) has a sweet taste, so I've compensated for that by using a little sweetened condensed milk. For this low fat butter chicken recipe, you'll need:

  • Chicken breast (or leftover rotisserie chicken)
  • olive oil
  • garlic, minced
  • tomato paste
  • crushed or diced canned tomatoes
  • Paprika
  • Ground cumin
  • tumeric
  • Salt
  • Garam masala
  • Ground corinader
  • cayenne
  • water
  • non-fat Greek yogurt
  • sweetened condensed milk

🥗 Side dishes

Here are some WW friendly side dishes to go with this low calorie butter chicken:

  • Quick Cucumber Kimchi
  • Skinny Coleslaw Recipe
  • Healthy Artichoke & Roasted Red Pepper Coleslaw
  • garden salad
  • mixed frozen veggies (sprinkled with Everything bagel seasoning)
quick Kimchi on grey marble counter surface with glass vinegar container in background as well as a grey cutting board with sliced cucumbers and a knife

When my son had been bringing home recipes from school for a few years and making them with my close supervision, one day I decided to give him a bit more freedom in the kitchen and backed off a bit. He seemed to like not being micromanaged. But when it came time to taste the cookies he made, he carefully watched my reaction as I took that first bite, yearning for my “expert baker” (as he calls me) approval. And as those cookie morsels met my taste buds in that very first split second, I really wasn't sure what to do...

Being a parent is hard. And every parent's very real struggle is balancing being supportive with honesty, helping them to learn, grow, and navigate disappointment, while keeping their confidence intact and not inadvertently crushing their little spirits. Because honestly, you can never really predict how they'll react. And just then you think you have them figured out, they go and change. And then they are teenagers....

So, as my son sat there waiting for my 'expert baker' cookie endorsement, I managed to muster a “Mmmm... can I see the recipe?”

Then I got him to taste it and asked if that was how it was supposed to taste (as they made it in school). He concurred that it was a bit too salty and we soon discovered that he had doubled the salt by not reading the instructions carefully enough. Although he was clearly disappointed, luckily he is pretty easy-going, even as a teenager, and took it as a lesson learned. And fortunately, many subsequent successful recipes, like this healthy butter chicken, served to boost his culinary confidence!

💭 Top tip

When you whisk in the Greek yogurt and condensed milk, you need to reduce heat to low, whisking constantly and only until it's until warm again. Then you immediately remove it from the heat. If you don't do this, it's more likely to separate. 

Healthy Butter chicken - weight watchers friendly

📖 Variations

I love to serve this Healthy Butter Chicken recipe with jasmine rice because jasmine rice has a subtle floral aroma and a soft, sticky texture when cooked. It makes your house smell amazing! Jasmine rice is originally from Thailand and is commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking and is a longer grain variety of rice. You can also serve this butter chicken with basmati rice. Even though jasmine and basmati rice are often used interchangeably, there are some differences. One of the differences is that jasmine rice grains are shorter and thicker than basmati rice. You can read more about jasmine rice HERE.

  • WW friendlier: When I'm trying to really keep my WW points down,  I'll use Cauliflower Rice (and skip the oil in this recipe).
  • Rice: You can use any type of rice with this recipe (white rice, brown rice or basmati rice), but jasmine rice is most flavorful.
  • Spice: This recipe is quite spicy, so if it's too spicy for you, simply reduce spice amounts.
  • Chicken: You could substitute boneless chicken thighs for chicken breast

🔢 WW Points

This easy recipe is only 4 WW points on my plan! You can find out how many WW points it is on your WW plan HERE!

*Note: The WW points calculated in this easy butter chicken recipe do not include rice and I did not include spices, as they are 0 points.

🌡️Storage

  • The chicken can be stored with the sauce in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you make rice to go with this recipe, keep the rice stored in a separate container in the fridge. I simply reheat it in the microwave.
  • This low fat butter chicken recipe freezes well for up to 3 months.

👪 Serving Size

This WW friendly Healthy Butter Chicken recipe serves 4. But trust me, you're going to want to double or triple it - it's really that good and so are leftovers! I always double it for the 4 of us. You can also cut this recipe in half (if you only need 1 or 2 servings) by adjusting the serving size (in blue) on the recipe card. Just click on the serving size (it's highlighted in blue) and select the number of servings you’d like.

🦺Food Safety

  • Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) . Temperature is the very best way to check for doneness. I use this instant read thermometer- (affiliate link) it's great for everything food related!
  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched the raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

I love that my kids are learning to cook with others, in addition to me. I think it takes a village to raise a cook. Whether it's the Foods Teacher at school, their Dad, their Grandma or Aunties, cooking with others gives them a different perspective, which expands their culinary horizons. But like I said, my favorite part is that they can cook and that means not only will they be able to survive without me one day, in the meantime, they cook for me!

So, if you're looking for a healthy butter chicken recipe, that's also WW friendly, or Weight Watchers Chicken recipes, you'll love this one!

🐓Weight Watchers Chicken recipes

If you are looking for additional Weight Watchers friendly recipes give my Baked Hoisin Chicken a try!

Easy Hoisin chicken quarters | legs and thighs - foodmeanderings.com

And these Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce are only 2 WW blue plan points per ½ a hen. And yes, Cornish game hens are chickens (just little ones!)

Cornish hens with wine sauce in glass baking dish

⭐ Reviews

Did you make this low calorie butter chicken recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

Here's what others are saying about this recipe:

"I just made this for tonight’s dinner:)) Easy Peasy recipe. It smells and looks delicious. No more buying store bought Butter chicken sauce in a jar!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

butter chicken in a patterned bowl with fork on the side and pot of healthy butter chicken in the background
Food Meandering Logo

📋 Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe

This Healthy Butter Chicken has no butter, a creamy tomato sauce, is gluten-free, easy to make and is Weight Watchers Friendly!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: butter chicken, healthy, weight watchers
Special Diet: Weight Watchers
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 lb skinless chicken breast * can substitute leftover chicken
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 oz - can tomato paste
  • ¾ cup -diced/crushed canned tomatoes ( or tomato puree)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 ½ cups non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 4 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk *I use Eagle brand as it's less WW points
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook chicken breast on stove top until no longer pink. Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside diced chicken.
  • Heat oil in medium pot on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato paste, then add spices and saute for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in water and heat sauce over medium to high heat until sauce is thoroughly warm. 
  • Reduce heat to low ( a gentle simmer ) and whisk in Greek yogurt and condensed milk and heat until warm, whisking constantly.
  • Once warm, set aside, then add cooked chicken. 
  • Serve over jasmine rice, basmati rice or cauliflower rice.

Notes

🔢WW Points
This recipe is 4 WW points on my plan)! You can find out how many WW points it is on your WW plan HERE!
*Note: The WW points calculated do not include rice and I did not include spices, as they are 0 points.

⭐ Reviews

Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!
Here's what others are saying: "I just made this for tonight’s dinner:)) Easy Peasy recipe. It smells and looks delicious. No more buying store bought Butter chicken sauce in a jar!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!
 
Nutrition Facts
📋 Healthy Butter Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 288 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 83mg28%
Sodium 1130mg49%
Potassium 773mg22%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 1165IU23%
Vitamin C 7.8mg9%
Calcium 182mg18%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 19g (6%) | Protein: 35g (70%) | Fat: 8g (12%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Cholesterol: 83mg (28%) | Sodium: 1130mg (49%) | Potassium: 773mg (22%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 15g (17%) | Vitamin A: 1165IU (23%) | Vitamin C: 7.8mg (9%) | Calcium: 182mg (18%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
Rate this Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Simra Baakzi

    January 07, 2019 at 7:00 am

    How on made so perfectely. Very Nicely Done. Mouth Watering ..!!1

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      January 07, 2019 at 10:13 am

      Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      January 11, 2019 at 8:25 am

      Thanks, Simra!

      Reply
  2. Sheila

    January 12, 2019 at 11:25 am

    Wonderful recipe!! Thanks for posting

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      January 14, 2019 at 8:33 am

      Thank you, Sheila! I'm glad you liked it!

      Reply
    • Kristen

      January 07, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      Made this last night and it was amazing! The only thing is, it looked a little separate? Is that due to the Greek yogurt? It looks gritty especially the next day but regardless I will be making it again and again. Loved it.

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        January 07, 2021 at 4:00 pm

        Glad you loved it, Kristen! It's on our regular dinner rotation. The kids were just telling me to make it again last night! As far as separating goes, it could be the brand of Greek yogurt you're using. Or it could be that it's still on heat when you whisk it? I find that it separates if it's on heat - I have to remove it from heat. Or if the yogurt is a bit older (but not expired)? Hopefully you'll figure out what's causing it!
        Terri

        Reply
        • Brenda Levesque

          January 09, 2021 at 12:06 pm

          I just made this for tonight’s dinner:)) Easy Peasy recipe. It smells and looks delicious. No more buying store bought Butter chicken sauce in a jar.

          Reply
          • Terri Gilson

            January 09, 2021 at 5:18 pm

            That's great, Brenda- I'm glad you loved it! It's on regular rotation here 🙂

  3. joyce

    January 14, 2019 at 10:51 am

    I love a good butter chicken recipe! Got to try this!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      January 15, 2019 at 7:03 am

      Thanks, Joyce - hope you enjoy!!

      Reply
  4. Melanie @ Bon Appet'Eat

    January 16, 2019 at 9:15 am

    This looks delicious and well done on the parenting bit! And on making your son a good cook with a great palate!

    Reply
  5. Denise@urbnspice

    January 16, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    I love kids in the kitchen. Your kids will probably always enjoy cooking because of your positive influence. I remember my daughter bringing home a homemade pizza dough recipe in Grade five many years ago. It is still one of our go-to recipes. I am looking forward to trying your Butter Chicken recipe, Terri. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

    Reply
  6. Leanne | Crumb Top Baking

    January 17, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    It's been a very long time since I had butter chicken! This looks delicious Terri! And I love that you made it a healthier version!

    Reply
  7. Chef Markus Mueller

    January 19, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Yum! I make butter chicken regularly as a meal prep item, Looking forward to trying you version!

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      January 20, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      Thanks, Marcus-hope you like it!!

      Reply
  8. Curtis Davis

    June 24, 2019 at 9:11 am

    Why is the sodium so high? I am not sure where all that sodium is coming from. Please could you let me know?

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      June 24, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Hi Curtis: There is 1.5 tsp of salt in the recipe and I figured out that is where it's coming from - that's about 3500 g of sodium, then there's some in the canned tomatoes and condensed milk. If you eliminate the salt and get a no-salt canned tomatoes, it will bring it down a lot! Thanks,
      Terri

      Reply
      • Claire

        November 28, 2020 at 9:17 am

        All your recipes look so good . I am following wW and would love to try them!

        Reply
        • Terri Gilson

          November 28, 2020 at 9:58 am

          Thanks, Claire! I hope you enjoy them - they keep me on track!

          Reply
  9. Haleigh

    February 23, 2021 at 7:11 am

    I don't have condensed milk... anything I can substitute for it?

    Reply
    • Terri Gilson

      February 23, 2021 at 7:18 am

      Hi Haleigh: Here are some suggestions: https://www.mashed.com/166593/heres-what-you-can-substitute-for-condensed-milk/
      You could also use a tiny bit (1/2 tsp of agave or 1 tsp of honey and a little whole milk or cream). It just needs to be sweetened up a bit.
      Let me know how it turns out!
      Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
      • Haleigh

        February 23, 2021 at 7:38 am

        Thank you! We are looking forward to having this tonight!

        Reply
        • Terri Gilson

          February 23, 2021 at 8:20 pm

          Enjoy!

          Reply

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I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

More about me →

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