THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

High-Protein Weeknight Butter Chicken

Blended low-fat cottage cheese does the job heavy cream usually does — same silky butter-chicken sauce, far more protein. Air-fry the tandoori chicken, build the sauce in one pan, and serve one base to the whole table. Only the adult plates get the Kashmiri chilli.

YIELD6 servings
TOTAL TIME35 min
COOK METHODAir fryer
EST. / SERVING~550 cal | ~40g protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp tandoori masala
  • 1/2 tsp salt (adjust if the masala already contains salt)
  • 1/8 cup avocado oil (or 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt as the binder)
  • 250g Mulu 2% low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 cup Kirkland chicken bone broth
  • 2 tbsp ghee

Ingredients — continued

  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 450g Kirkland marinara
  • 1/2 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp kasoori methi
  • Kashmiri chilli, to taste — adult servings only

Allergens: dairy, wheat, gluten.

You want the creamy, restaurant flavor of butter chicken on a weeknight — with the protein of a real dinner and zero separate kid meal. The kids eat the same sauce, mild; the adults stir in the heat at the end.

Method

  1. 1.COAT THE CHICKEN. Toss the chicken thighs with the tandoori masala, salt, and avocado oil (or Greek yogurt) until evenly coated.
  2. 2.AIR FRY. Air fry at 400°F/205°C for about 15 minutes, turning halfway, until the thickest pieces reach 165°F/74°C. Rest briefly, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
  3. 3.BLEND THE CREAMY BASE. Blend the cottage cheese and chicken bone broth until completely smooth — this is what replaces the cream.
  4. 4.BUILD THE SAUCE. Melt the ghee in a wide pan. Cook the ginger-garlic paste briefly, then stir in the marinara, garam masala, cumin, and paprika.
  5. 5.COMBINE + SIMMER. Stir in the chopped chicken and the blended cottage-cheese mixture. Add the kasoori methi and simmer until cohesive and glossy.
  6. 6.SPLIT ON HEAT. Plate the kids' portions of the same base first. Then stir Kashmiri chilli into the remaining sauce for the adults. Serve with phulkas or rice.

Estimated nutrition

~550 cal | ~40g protein.

About 550 calories and 40g protein per serving, including three phulkas that account for roughly 250 of those calories. That is a rounded creator estimate across six servings from the filmed quantities — 1.5 lb chicken thighs, 250g Mulu 2% cottage cheese, 450g Kirkland marinara, 2 tbsp ghee. Flagged estimated because branded ingredients (cottage cheese, marinara, tandoori masala) and homemade phulka size vary — recheck the labels and your roti size. Kid servings use the exact same base with no extra heat; only the adult portions get Kashmiri chilli.

thesplitplate.com/recipes/high-protein-butter-chicken

High-Protein Weeknight Butter Chicken
Family Dinner

High-Protein Weeknight Butter Chicken

By Tushar Sharma

Blended low-fat cottage cheese does the job heavy cream usually does — same silky butter-chicken sauce, far more protein. Air-fry the tandoori chicken, build the sauce in one pan, and serve one base to the whole table. Only the adult plates get the Kashmiri chilli.

Make this when

You want the creamy, restaurant flavor of butter chicken on a weeknight — with the protein of a real dinner and zero separate kid meal. The kids eat the same sauce, mild; the adults stir in the heat at the end.

Total time
35 min
Yield
6 servings
Protein
~40g
Calories
~550
Cost / serving
$2.75
Cook method
Air fryer
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy, wheat, gluten

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

Verify tandoori masala saltPhulka size varies
Adjust servings

Ingredients

Batch cookOriginal yield: 6. Adjusted ingredients will appear in print; check pan size and cooking time.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    COAT THE CHICKEN

    Toss the chicken thighs with the tandoori masala, salt, and avocado oil (or Greek yogurt) until evenly coated.

  2. 2
    AIR FRY

    Air fry at 400°F/205°C for about 15 minutes, turning halfway, until the thickest pieces reach 165°F/74°C. Rest briefly, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

  3. 3
    BLEND THE CREAMY BASE

    Blend the cottage cheese and chicken bone broth until completely smooth — this is what replaces the cream.

  4. 4
    BUILD THE SAUCE

    Melt the ghee in a wide pan. Cook the ginger-garlic paste briefly, then stir in the marinara, garam masala, cumin, and paprika.

  5. 5
    COMBINE + SIMMER

    Stir in the chopped chicken and the blended cottage-cheese mixture. Add the kasoori methi and simmer until cohesive and glossy.

  6. 6
    SPLIT ON HEAT

    Plate the kids' portions of the same base first. Then stir Kashmiri chilli into the remaining sauce for the adults. Serve with phulkas or rice.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Watch the full cook

Brands I use

Mulu
2% low-fat cottage cheese (250g, blended smooth)
Blended smooth, it's the creamy high-protein base that stands in for heavy cream. Any smooth-blended low-fat cottage cheese works — the macros move slightly with the brand.
Kirkland
Marinara (450g) + chicken bone broth (1 cup)
The marinara carries the tomato base and the bone broth loosens the blended cottage cheese. Any plain marinara and chicken broth work; check the marinara label — sugar and sodium vary by jar.
Tandoori masala
2 tbsp, on the chicken
The single spice blend that flavors the chicken. If unavailable, use the paprika/garam-masala/cumin/garlic/turmeric mix in the notes. Check whether your blend already contains salt.

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