A simple version of the popular Indian dish, made completely vegan! The tofu for Vegan Butter Chicken is prepared in a unique way that couldn’t be easier and somehow makes it taste a lot like chicken.
Butter chicken is one of the most popular Indian dishes around, with it’s mildly spiced creamy tomato sauce, and packed full of flavor. It’s usually made with dairy cream, and of course with chicken. I’ve created the most delicious vegan version, and I’m so excited to share it with you today!
The “chicken” is actually tofu, but it’s not any old tofu. No, the tofu is prepared in a unique way in the oven that makes it perfectly chewy. It actually tastes very similar to chicken, especially once drenched in the creamy sauce.
Garam Masala
The only ingredient you might not be familiar with is garam masala. It’s a great spice mix to have on hand. I use it in Vegetable Korma, and other dishes, too. It’s a blend of several Indian spices and adds an incredible amount of flavor to your recipes. A lot of regular grocery stores carry it, or find it at an Indian market. You can also order it online.
How do you make Vegan Butter Chicken?
This recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make. The one catch is that you probably need to press your tofu, if you have the water packed variety. You can skip pressing if you buy the super firm tofu, not packed in water but in a clear vacuum seal pack.
Press the tofu for 20-30 minutes, if needed. Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the tofu into about 6 slices, as shown below, then rip each slice into smaller pieces, but still fairly large chunks. Tear gently, and don’t make the pieces too small.
Next, place the torn tofu pieces in a large ziplock type bag along with the olive oil, cornstarch and salt. Seal the bag, and shake to gently coat the pieces. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
Leave room so they are not touching each other. If your pans are small, you might need two. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pieces are golden brown and crispy. There is no need to flip the pieces, so baking is very hands off. While the tofu is baking, make the creamy sauce.
For the sauce, melt the vegan butter in a large skillet or pot. Add the onion, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Now add the spices, salt, tomato paste and coconut milk. Stir well until smooth and creamy. Bring to a boil, then simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the tofu is done baking, add it to the sauce and stir to coat the pieces. Serve over rice, with Easy Vegan Naan, and sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, you might enjoy these as well:
Vegan Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 2 (16 oz) blocks extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 1 large onion, diced small
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 (13.5 oz) canned full fat coconut milk
For serving:
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice
- chopped cilantro
- Easy Vegan Naan
Instructions
- Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in paper towels. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books on top of that. Let the tofu press for 20 minutes. (You can skip this step if you get the super firm variety)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the tofu into about 6 slices (see photos in post above for reference). Now, rip each slice into medium-large pieces. You can also simply cut them into cubes, if you prefer, but ripping gives the tofu a great texture for this dish.
- Add the tofu pieces to a large ziplock bag, along with the olive oil, cornstarch and salt. Close the bag, and shake gently to coat. Arrange the tofu evenly on the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- While the tofu bakes, prepare the sauce: Melt the 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes in the butter, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the spices, salt, tomato paste and coconut milk. Stir until smooth and combined, then simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- When the tofu is done baking, add it to the sauce and stir to coat the pieces. Serve over rice with Easy Vegan Naan. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This would also be really good with roasted cauliflower in place of the tofu.
- You could certainly substitute light coconut milk if desired, but the sauce won't be as rich and creamy.
- For oil free, omit the olive oil and vegan butter. Use water for sauteing instead.
- Calories are for 1/6th of the tofu and sauce, not added rice or naan.
As for the block of tofu, do you mean 2 blocks of tofu that are each 16 oz ? Or 16 oz in total?
Thank you!
2 blocks of tofu that are each 16 oz. Some tofu blocks come in 14-15 oz, that is fine as well. Thanks!
Fast, easy, and really delicious. Saved this for a weekend meal but this will totally go into the weekday rotation.
Hi Kerry. I’m so glad you like the recipe! Thank you!
This turned out PERFECT!! I added potatoes and carrots, it will do butler soy curls next round. 🙂
Hi Caitlin. I’m so glad this turned out perfect for you! Thank you for sharing!
This was amazing! We made it a couple days ago and I’ve been craving it ever since. Making it again tonight. Do you have a paneer recipe? I bet you would do a killer one!
Hi Annie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I don’t have one, but it is on my list of ideas! I’ll have to get to it. Thanks!
I made this for my Christmas Dinner this year and it was a Hit!
That’s great to hear!
Can this recipe be frozen if I make a double batch?
Yes, it freezes quite well.
I love this recipe! Instead of tofu, I use diced potatoes and carrots (sometimes I’ll throw in cauliflower or broccoli too!) and roast them before adding to the sauce. I also blend the sauce before adding the veggies, I like it nice and smooth!
I’ve made this multiple times and it’s so delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
Amazing. I now use this tofu baking method for all my recipes. This is a weekly meal for us!!!
I think this was the first dish I made of yours. I trust EVERYTHING now! So yummy!!! And easy to make.
Yay! Thank you so much!
It’s delicious and easy to make… I replaced the Cauliflower with Broccoli
Hi !! Just saw your recipe online & it looks really delicious !! Can I use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch for recipe ? Because I try to avoid cornstarch.
Thanks & Looking forward to hearing from you !!!
Dessy
Queens, NY
Yes, you can. Thank you!
Incredibly delicious! A go-to for me and my (omni) boyfriend for meal preps! I’ve even stolen the ‘chicken’ technique and breading to mix with other sauces. I tossed in a general-tsos type sauce this week and it went really well. Nothing beats this sauce/meal though!
Thanks so much!
I made this dish tonight and it was AMAZING…only thing I substituted was the tofu for vegan/gluten free chicken…??
Absolutely delish! I slow cooker this after cooking onions & spices & it’s amazing ?
This was delicious!! I recently had to go vegan and wanted to know how to curb my butter chicken cravings. This did it! I was really surprised at how flavorful it was. Definitely a keeper!
Question – it was a touch too spicy, should I just omit the cayenne pepper next time?
Thanks so much! I’m glad to hear that. Yes, just leave it out next time if you found it was too spicy.
I just fixed it. Oh my goodness so good just the right amount of heat. It’s a keeper and it’s a meal you can fix in no time.
Thank you
You’re welcome!
It was really good,and we actually made it twice in one weekend for a family of five. This was an exceptional recipe??.
Does the nutrition info include rice ?
No, it does not.
My partner is an avid butter chicken fan, and he absolutely loves this veganized version (as do I!). The crispy tofu is our fave.
That’s so great!
I’ve made this over 10 times and I’m still obsessed. Tonight, I added in chopped carrots and cauliflower, added half more spice and a bit more coconut milk. It was absolutely delicious as per usual!! One of my favourite go to’s.
That’s so great!
My sauce turned out more brown in color than the pictures but still tasty. I ended up using an immersion blender to reduce the onion pieces a bit. The flavor was good and the texture of the tofu, pleasantly chewy/meaty, even reheated. I would consider doubling the sauce. My tofu pieces were well coated but there wasn’t a lot of extra sauce.
The color of the dish depends a lot on the garam masala blend you use. The one I use is very light in color. Thanks!
Hi, I’m excited to try your recipes. Just wondering if I can sub tempeh for the tofu?
Thanks
Sure, you could sub tempeh. I probably wouldn’t bake it though, at least not for as long, or it will dry out.
My family devours this. It’s the most requested dish at my home! It’s absolutely delicious! Thanks for this simple, fantastic recipe.
You’re welcome!
This is so yummy and easy! I’ve made this twice is the past few weeks. The first time I made as is, the second time I added in some baked cauliflower, arugula, and a touch of lemon juice. I also blended half of the sauce mixture to make it smoother. Of course I served it with your naan recipe. Such a hit! Even my Indian food loving, vegetable averse family members loved it! Thanks for yet another phenomenal recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, it’s certainly one of my favorite recipes ever! Love your additions, yum!