Classic Indian flavors come to life in these easy and Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs! Using accessible ingredients that are gluten free and dairy free friendly, this recipe is simple to make and sure to satisfy your takeout cravings. Enjoy these meatballs over rice and topped with cilantro for an impressive restaurant-quality meal!
Ahhh, butter chicken! We all know it and we all love it. If I could go for a swim in butter chicken sauce, I certainly would. But, I‘m newly dairy free, so I have to instead come up with alternatives like these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs, which just so happen to be the third and final recipe of my March Meatball Madness series. Luckily, it doesn’t feel like us dairy free (or gluten free) girlies are missing out, because this recipe is just as good as the original!
When I tested this the first time, I looked over to my husband and asked him “do you think there’s too much sauce compared to meatballs?” I should’ve known the answer I would get from him….”NO! That’s the best part.” He’s a sauce guy, and frankly I don’t blame him. These Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs come with ample sauce, which you should definitely soak up with some rice or naan.
And if the sauce-to-meatball-ratio isn’t enough to sell you…let me just say that this meal feels fancy and elevated yet is really simple to make. So, it’s the perfect recipe for an at-home date night. Who needs takeout!?
Why You’ll Love these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs
- Enjoy the flavors of your favorite Indian takeout dish at home!
- This recipe uses common, accessible ingredients that you likely already have.
- They’re totally gluten free and dairy free!
- The sauce is easy to make and balanced perfectly with richness, sweetness and spice.
- Each serving packs in 28g of protein!
- You have the option to air fry, oven bake or pan-sear the chicken meatballs.
What You Need to Make these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs
For the Chicken Meatballs:
- Ground Chicken: Butter chicken, but make it meatballs…so we’re using ground chicken of course! A good substitute would be 93% lean ground turkey.
- Egg: 1 large egg acts as the binder to hold these meatballs together. I do not have any substitute recommendations.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is my preferred way to make gluten free meatballs! However, if you’re not gluten free, you can try substituting an equal amount of bread crumbs and it should work.
- Fresh Ginger: This might seem like an annoying ingredient but it truly adds so much flavor! I always have some on hand in the fridge…it lasts quite a while!
- Fresh Garlic: Fresh minced garlic for more flavor.
- Garam Masala, Turmeric, Cayenne & Kosher Salt: We’re taking the spices that are usually in a butter chicken marinade and plopping them into these chicken meatballs. Although I don’t recommend skipping any of them, they’ll still turn out great if you have to omit the turmeric.
For the Dairy Free Butter Chicken Sauce:
- Olive Oil or Avocado Oil: There’s actually no butter in this recipe because we’re keeping it dairy free! So instead, use some olive oil or avocado oil.
- Yellow Onion: 1 small yellow onion (or 1/2 jumbo one), finely diced.
- Fresh Garlic: Never enough garlic!
- Fresh Ginger: Ginger really brings this to the next level and I wouldn’t recommend substituting dried ginger unless you’re really in a pinch.
- Garam Masala, Cumin, Cayenne & Kosher Salt: If you don’t have Garam Masala in your pantry already, grab some at the bulk section of your grocery store. Use your judgement on the cayenne based on how spicy you want the sauce!
- Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes (or tomato puree) make up the bulk of this butter chicken sauce and provide sweet and tangy flavor.
- Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Butter chicken typically uses heavy cream but to keep this dairy free we’re using full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Sugar: Just a touch of cane sugar to sweeten up the sauce. Feel free to use coconut sugar instead if you want to keep this recipe refined sugar free.
How To Make these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs
Prepare Ground Chicken Mixture & Let it Rest:
First, add all of the chicken meatball ingredients to a large bowl and use your hands to mix until incorporated (but don’t over-mix!) Since these do have turmeric in them, you may want to wear gloves so that they don’t stain your hands, or just be sure to wash them right after. Transfer ground chicken mixture to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
Roll into Meatballs & Air Fry (or Oven Bake or Pan Sear):
Then, scoop out 2 heaping tbsp of the ground chicken mixture and roll into balls. Place on a greased or parchment-lined air fryer tray/basket. It should make about 15-16 meatballs. Air fry at 400F for about 12 minutes, or until the internal temperatures reaches 165F.
If you don’t own an air fryer, you can instead bake these in the oven at 400F. They will likely need a few extra minutes to cook.
Another option which dirties one less dish is to pan sear the meatballs in the same large pan that you will later use for the butter chicken sauce. To do so, bring the pan to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp of oil. Then, add chicken meatballs and cook for about 10 minutes, turning them every few minutes. Remove from the pan and continue on with the recipe.
Sauté the Aromatics & Toast the Spices:
While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add oil. Then, add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Season with garam masala and cumin, stir, and let cook for 30 more seconds until fragrant.
Add in Tomatoes & Coconut Milk, Simmer:
Next, pour in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and sugar. Season with salt and cayenne to taste. Stir until combined. Once the butter chicken sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Blend the Sauce until Smooth:
At this point, you can either keep the sauce as is OR if you prefer a more traditional smooth and creamy sauce, transfer it to the cup of an immersion blender or to a food processor or standard blender. Blend until smooth.
Toss the Chicken Meatballs in the Sauce:
Pour the sauce back into the pan and bring it to medium-low heat. Add in the cooked chicken meatballs and toss them in the sauce. Allow that to simmer for a few more minutes until everything is warm.
Finally, top it off with chopped cilantro and serve over a mix of white rice and cauliflower rice, as well as a side of naan. Enjoy!
What is Butter Chicken?
If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you’ve already heard of it! Butter Chicken, also known as Chicken Makhani, is a classic Indian curry dish that dates back to the mid 1900s. It came somewhat accidentally when leftover tandoori chicken was mixed with tomato gravy that had a hefty amount of butter in it. And the rest is history!
This dish is incredibly popular, especially in the West. The chicken is first marinated in a mix of yogurt, lemon, ginger, garlic and a variety of spices like Garam Masala and red chili powder. Then, it’s cooked and served in a mild, creamy, buttery, tomato-based curry. It’s a delicious balance of sweet, rich and just a hint of spice.
How Do these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs differ from Classic Butter Chicken?
I will always caveat that my recipes are by no means authentic! However, I do love drawing inspiration from cultural dishes and transforming them into a recipe that uses ingredients I have on hand.
The first obvious difference between my recipe and the classic is that we’re using chicken meatballs instead of chicken! And because of that, there’s no marinade involved in this recipe. Rather, we’re taking some of the ingredients and spices typically used in the marinade and putting them in the meatball mixture instead.
Secondly, this recipe actually doesn’t have any butter in it, which is kinda ironic. But, I’ve recently gone dairy free for my acne so that meant swapping the butter for oil and the heavy cream for full-fat canned coconut milk. These both provide a similar richness to the point where I don’t even miss the dairy in here.
Lastly, I wanted to keep this recipe as accessible as possible and use *mostly* common spices that you’d already have on hand. So, you won’t see any red chili powder or dried fenugreek leaves in here.
Equipment Recommendations:
- Air Fryer: I have the Ninja Combi and love it! It goes above and beyond what a traditional air fryer can do. And you can fit a bunch on the tray so you only need to cook these meatballs in one batch!
- Cookie Scoop: A game changer for making evenly sized meatballs. The medium size holds about 2 tbsp, and I usually do a heaping scoop for these meatballs.
- Immersion Blender: This will give you a smooth, creamy sauce! Alternatively, you can use a food processor or normal blender.
Other Methods for Cooking the Meatballs:
I’m bias towards the air fryer method because it’s quick and low-maintenance. However, if you don’t own an air fryer, the oven is a great alternative option. You will still want to cook them at 400F, but you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time.
If you want to dirty one less dish, you can pan sear the meatballs in the same pan that you’ll later use for the sauce. This method requires you to stand over the stove and monitor them and it ends up adding more time to the overall recipe.
If you go this route, bring the pan to medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp of oil. Then, add the meatballs and cook for about 10 minutes, turning them every few minutes. Remove them from the pan and continue with the recipe.
What Should I Serve with these Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs?
The sauce to meatball ratio is stronggg here, so you definitely have to serve these Diary Free Buttery Chicken Meatballs with some rice to soak it all up! I actually like to do a mix of cooked white rice and cauliflower rice (I just buy the frozen kind & heat it up in the microwave). An easy way to get your veggies in without really tasting them! Some chopped cilantro is a delicious topping as well. And if you’re not gluten free, I recommend serving this with some fresh naan 🙂
How Do I Store & Re-Heat Leftovers?
After the meatballs and sauce have cooled down, transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for several days. Enjoy them cold or transfer to a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm. These Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs make for a great meal prep option because leftovers taste just as good!
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by leaving a rating and review below and tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Meatball Recipes?
- Healthy Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Meatballs
- Gluten Free Sage Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato Carrot Mash
- Meatball Shakshuka
- Pumpkin Curry with Turkey Meatballs
Dairy Free Butter Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- medium cookie scoop optional
- Air Fryer or baking sheet
- large pan
- spatula
- immersion blender or food processor, blender
Ingredients
For the Chicken Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 large egg whisked
- ½ cup packed almond flour
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground turmeric (can omit if you don't have any)
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- kosher salt to taste
For the Dairy Free Butter Chicken Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- cayenne to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (15oz)
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
For Serving:
- cooked white rice (mix it with cauliflower rice for some veggies!)
- chopped cilantro
- naan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all of the chicken meatball ingredients and use your hands to mix until incorporated (but don't over-mix!) Transfer ground chicken mixture to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up.1 lb ground chicken, 1 large egg, ½ cup packed almond flour, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp fresh minced ginger, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp cayenne, kosher salt
- Scoop out 2 heaping tbsp of the ground chicken mixture and roll into balls. Place on a greased or parchment-lined air fryer tray/basket – SEE NOTE*. It should make about 15-16 meatballs.
- Air fry at 400F for about 12 minutes, or until the internal temperatures reaches 165F.
- While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add oil. Then, add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add garam masala and cumin, stir, and let cook for 30 more seconds until fragrant.1 tbsp olive or avocado oil, 1 small yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp fresh minced ginger, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and sugar. Season with salt and cayenne to taste. Stir until combined.cayenne, kosher salt, 1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree, 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream, 1 tbsp sugar
- Once the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- At this point, you can either keep the sauce as is OR if you prefer a more traditional smooth and creamy sauce, transfer it to the cup of an immersion blender or to a food processor or standard blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan and bring it to medium-low heat. Add in the cooked chicken meatballs and toss them in the sauce. Allow that to simmer for a few more minutes until everything is warm.
- I like to top mine with chopped cilantro and serve over a mix of white rice and cauliflower rice, as well as a side of naan. Enjoy!cooked white rice, chopped cilantro, naan
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
Obsessed!! I love a good meatball recipe and this one did not disappoint. So much flavor and easy to throw together. Highly recommend!
YAY, thank you Marissa!
This sauce is amazing!! I made with cauliflower rice and a side of air fried zucchini. So good!
Yum!! Thank you 🙂