Easy Vegan Butter Chicken (Butter Chickpeas)
This easy vegan butter ‘chicken’ alternative is made with chickpeas and peanut butter for an incredibly creamy, satisfying result that’s ideal for a weeknight dinner. Savoury and rich, this plant based meal is also ready in 15 minutes. Gluten-free and oil-free.
It’s cool that nowadays we know how to veganise anything. AND keep it healthy. That does not exclude recipes that have both ‘butter’ and ‘chicken’ in the title. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today I’m proud to present my alternative to butter chicken. Given the popularity of butter chicken, butter chickpeas is exactly what you need to impress fans of the former.
So, keep reading to find out everything about these butter chickpeas and how to make them! This is definitely one you want to have on your dinner rota.
Table of Contents
Vegan butter chicken made easy
I’m always happy when I manage to recreate a popular non-vegan dish without fancy ingredients. Sure, it may not be exactly the same, but the flavours are very similar and the use of plant based ingredients gives dishes their own uniqueness.
That’s certainly true about this vegan butter chicken. The main ingredient is chickpeas. In the world of beans and pulses, these are probably my favourite. They’re super versatile and have a great flavour that works in sweet and savoury dishes alike.
As for the sauce? It is well-flavoured with a mixture of spices that you most likely have in your cupboard already, and tomatoes. The secret ingredient, however, is peanut butter. It adds that distinctive creaminess and richness that makes butter chicken famous and will keep everyone coming back for seconds.
I made this dish while visiting my family in Russia. They’re all life-long omnivores, but my butter chickpeas disappeared in minutes nonetheless!
You will love this vegan butter chicken!
It’s …
- Super easy, even with no prior cooking experience.
- Full of flavour and richness.
- Savoury, with just the right amount of spice.
- Ready in 15 minutes.
- Perfect as a weeknight dinner.
- Made with simple ingredients.
- Crowd-pleasing.
- Freezer-friendly.
- Gluten-free.
- Oil-free.
- A great alternative to takeaway.
Ingredients and substitutions
To make vegan butter chicken, you will need …
- Fresh onions, either white or red.
- Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half. These help add an incredible flavour naturally.
- Chickpeas. A key ingredient! However, if you want to switch things up, replace them with another bean variety, such as butter beans, tofu, or even a vegan meat alternative.
- Canned tomatoes. Will help enhance the flavour.
- Turmeric.
- Onion granules.
- Paprika.
- Curry powder (select spice level based on your personal preference). Or, use vegan curry paste.
- Coconut milk. Use the canned variety, either full fat or reduced fat, based on your preference.
- Tomato paste.
- Peanut butter. Once again, this is a key ingredient, but other nut butter varieties will work too. Go for a smooth variety, where the only ingredients are nuts and salt at most.
- Tamari, or coconut aminos to make this dish soy-free.
How to make vegan butter chickpeas
Add the onion to a non-stick frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and stir for a further 2 minutes, until the tomatoes cook down.
Add the chickpeas, canned tomatoes, turmeric, onion granules, paprika and curry powder. Stir for 2 minutes to coat the chickpeas and allow the spices to become fragrant.
Pour in the coconut milk together with the tomato paste and peanut butter. Simmer on a medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more coconut milk if it starts to get too thick or dry.
At the last minute, stir in the tamari and serve immediately.
Other vegan chickpea recipes
- Harvest bowl with chickpeas
- Sweet and sour chickpeas and green beans
- Noodle soup with roasted chickpeas
- Peanut chickpea curry
- One pot chickpea pasta
Let me know in the comments: what’s your current comfort food favourite? If you give this easy vegan butter chicken a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@earthofmariaa) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below!
Get the Recipe: Easy Vegan Butter Chicken (Butter Chickpeas)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 can tomatoes
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp curry powder, or vegan curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp tamari
Equipment
- Frying pan or saucepan
Instructions
- Add the onion to a non-stick frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and stir for a further 2 minutes, until the tomatoes cook down.
- Add the chickpeas, canned tomatoes, turmeric, onion granules, paprika and curry powder. Stir for 2 minutes to coat the chickpeas and allow the spices to become fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk together with the tomato paste and peanut butter. Simmer on a medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more coconut milk if it starts to get too thick or dry.
- At the last minute, stir in the tamari and serve immediately.
Video
30 Comments on “Easy Vegan Butter Chicken (Butter Chickpeas)”
Absolutely delicious!!
You know it’s good when you’re licking the bowl clean!!! Delicious!
Hi there. This looks so easy and delicious. What is the fresh herb and nut you added in the photos? I am looking to add an herb if possible. Thanks!
Hiya! I added dill and chopped pecans – they made a great finishing touch!
This is amazing!!!
By far my favourite PBWF recipe.
I made a couple adjustments to bring out even more flavour and richness.
Use coconut cream instead of milk and put in the tomato paste and spices after the onions and cherry tomatoes are done to more release the fragrance of the spices. Thanks for this recipe!
I also used a half can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes instead of regular.
I made this dish with red lentils instead of chick peas and added 3 chopped chilly peppers for extra heat. It was delicious! I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Hi there, what size can of tomatoes did you use?
Thanks!
A 14 oz can (400ml)! 🙂
Hi there. Question. What is tamari? Do you mean tamarind?
Hey! Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce 🙂
This is so good! My husband loves it too, and he is a picky eater! Thanks so much for making a healthy recipe that’s easy and delicious!
This is my go-to curry recipe. And, it’s by far my favorite healthy curry recipe.
Well done and thank you!
This was so good and easy to make, thank you!!
Why should the tamari be added at the last minute? Just made it (YUM) but I added it in with the coconut cream.
That’s just my personal preference, but it doesn’t matter too much at all in terms of flavour! Glad you liked it!
Hi there, very nice recipe. Can you please tell me with want to change the peanut butter and the curry powder. Thank you
Hello! You can replace the peanut butter with any other nut/seed butter of your choice, and as for the curry power, vegan curry paste works too :).
Do you drain and chop the tomatoes? Is this recipe easily doubled? Thanks! I’m new to vegan cooking.
No, you do not need to drain the tomatoes, and yes you can simply double it by adjusting the slider in the recipe card for the necessary number of portions!
Entire family loved it and only 2 of us are vegan 🙂
J might cut back on the amount of coconut milk next time, I’d like a thicker sauce, but it was super quick and delicious, with ingredients that we always have around. Thanks for sharing!!
I retract my idea of cutting down on the coconut milk next time, it really thickens on day 2.
Great recipe!
I just made this for me and my husband for dinner and it was soooo delicious!!! I was hesitant about cooking with peanut butter (it’s my first time using that in a recipe) but it really brought the flavors together! (:
hello, this looks amazing! i work as a preschool cook and am going to make it for my kiddos but we are a “nut free” campus. is there anything i can substitute the peanut butter with?
thanks!
Hi Mel! You can leave the peanut butter out altogether, or replace it with tahini if that is allowed :). You can also use vegan butter to sauté the vegetables at the start in order to achieve a more ‘buttery’ flavour.
Absolutely delicious! Just made this for dinner tonight for two meat-lovers, and they can’t get enough! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Hello!
This looks amazing so I’d love to try it out. Can you please specify how many oz cans you’re using for the tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk?
Hiya! For the coconut milk and tomatoes it is 14oz cans, and for the chickpeas it’s 8oz drained 🙂
Can you freeze this recipe???
Even though I do share my dinners with my mom and sister, they dont exactly like these kinda recipes so usually I gotta freeze,
So can I freeze??
Thanks
Yes you can for sure! This will last in the freezer for around 2 months.