This vegan butter chicken recipe is made with tofu and cashews for a deliciously creamy version that tastes a lot like the classic Indian dish. It’s easy, and it’s better than take-out!
Who would’ve thought that you could take something like butter chicken and make it vegan? Well you sure can.
We were actually amazed at how much tofu can taste like chicken in the right setting. And this sauce is just everything.
Basically you could put anything in this sauce and it would taste good. But the tofu is prepared deliciously too, so the two together creates the most delicious vegan butter chicken recipe ever.
If you love this recipe then you’ll also love our divine vegan katsu curry. And if you love yourself some easy and delicious Indian inspired recipes then also check out our vegan korma, vegan chana masala and vegan tikka masala.
Recipe Ingredients and Tips
Firm Tofu. Firm or extra firm tofu for the win in this recipe! And then we still press it for 30 minutes to make it super firm. If you get tofu that is already extra firm and you’re in a rush, you could skip this step, but for best results it’s always good to press it first.
Raw cashews. Cashews blended with water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and garam masala create the vegan yogurt sauce for the tofu. This is to replace the yogurt marinade often used in the classic version of this dish.
Garam masala. This is an Indian spice blend that is simply delicious in this recipe. If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily order some garam masala online.
Crushed tomatoes and coconut cream. These two things go along with the vegan butter, onion, garlic, ginger and spices and create the creaminess of the sauce. You must use canned, unsweetened coconut cream. Alternatively you can also use canned, unsweetened, full fat coconut milk.
How To Make Vegan Butter Chicken
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Press the tofu. First up you want to press the tofu. The best way to do that is to use a tofu press. But if you don’t have one, you can stand the tofu on a plate, put another plate on top of it, and then stack something heavy on top of that, like a heavy pot or stack of books. Then leave it to press for 30 minutes. This makes the tofu as firm as possible.
- When the tofu is pressed roughly chop it and place it into a mixing bowl.
- Make the vegan yogurt sauce. Add raw cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and some garam masala into a blender jug and blend until smooth.
- Pour this out over the tofu in the mixing bowl.
- Gently toss the tofu pieces in the sauce so that the tofu is evenly spread with the sauce.
- Transfer the tofu carefully to a parchment lined baking tray and spread it out evenly.
- Bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Prepare your sauce. While the tofu is baking you can start on your sauce. Add vegan butter to a pot on medium heat and melt the butter. Add chopped onions and sauté until softened.
- Now add crushed garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper and sauté with the onions.
- Add crushed tomatoes and coconut cream and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Reduce the heat and stir in some coconut sugar (for flavor balance) and add salt to taste.
- Finally, add the baked tofu pieces and fold them into the sauce.
How To Serve Vegan Butter Chicken
Serve it over basmati rice, with fresh chopped cilantro and lemon slices or lemon wedges on the side. It’s also divine with vegan naan!
Storing and Freezing
Keep any leftovers stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
You can also freeze it if you like for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
More Delicious Tofu Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 14 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (400g)
For the Vegan Yogurt Sauce:
- ⅔ cup Raw Cashews (100g)
- ⅓ cup Water (80ml)
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Freshly Grated
- 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 cup Crushed Tomatoes (240ml)
- 1 cup Canned Coconut Cream (240ml) Unsweetened
- ½ Tablespoon Coconut Sugar or Light Brown Sugar
- Sea Salt To Taste
For Serving:
- Basmati Rice
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro
- Lemon Slices
Instructions
- Press the tofu either using a tofu press or by placing the tofu onto a plate, put another plate on top of it, and then stack something heavy on top of that, like a heavy pot or stack of books. Then leave it to press for 30 minutes. This makes the tofu as firm as possible.
- When the tofu is pressed roughly chop it and place it into a mixing bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the vegan yogurt sauce. Add the raw cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and garam masala into a blender jug and blend until smooth.
- Pour this out over the tofu in the mixing bowl and gently toss the tofu pieces in the sauce so that the tofu is evenly spread with the sauce.
- Transfer the tofu carefully to a parchment lined baking tray and spread it out evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Prepare your sauce. While the tofu is baking you can begin your sauce. Add vegan butter to a pot on medium heat and melt the butter. Add chopped onions and sauté until softened.
- Now add crushed garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper and sauté with the onions.
- Add crushed tomatoes and coconut cream and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for a few minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in the coconut sugar (for flavor balance). Add salt to taste.
- Finally, add the baked tofu pieces and fold them into the sauce.
- Serve with basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro and lemon slices.
Video
Notes
- Tofu. Firm or ideally extra firm tofu is needed for this recipe. And then we still press it for 30 minutes to make it super firm.
- Coconut cream. You can also use canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk instead of canned coconut cream.
- Storing. Keep any leftovers stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freezing. You can also freeze it if you like for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
- Prep time includes the time spent pressing the tofu.
- Nutritional information excludes rice.
I make this so much!
What a delight… Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious.
So happy you enjoyed it Leen!
I’ve made this and it is so great! I am now trying to make it for a friend who is allergic to cashews. Any no-nut substitutes you would recommend?? Thanks so much!
Hi Cate, slivered or blanched almonds can work for the ‘yogurt’ instead of cashews. All the best!
This was DELICIOUS! Super easy to make and the butter sauce is packed with complex flavors. I’ve been missing butter chicken and this really hit the spot!
So awesome to hear that Michael, thanks so much!
Hi, I make this recipe often now, just love it. Just made it and had a few tablespoons of the yogurt left over so ate it! The yogurt sauce is so good by itself. I’m wondering what else the yogurt sauce could be used for? Thanks, Nancy
So glad you love the recipe Nancy! I think you could definitely use the yogurt sauce in other ways, like to top stews, chilis or soups! 🙂
I was scared that the dish would become extra salty from the tears rolling down my cheeks as I savored the most tasty butter curry. Finally, a vegan version, even better than the original ones out there. And I can make it myself, in my own kitchen. Boo hoo. The joy is real.
Thank you for creating this awesome dish (how do you even do it?!) and sharing it with the world. You have made a great difference in people’s lives and I kid not.
Please keep doing what you are doing! Looking forward to trying out your other dishes!! =^.^=
Thanks so much for your lovely comment and amazing review Angelina! Really appreciated and we’re so happy you loved it!
This is delicious!! I’ve made it three times and everyone has raved about it. I also added 2- drained cans of chickpeas and 1 cup raw cashews for more protein and texture.
Fantastic! Those additions sound awesome, thanks for sharing Judy!
Outstanding as always! Thanks so much for sharing! Definitely one of my favourite ever curries.
Yay! Thanks so much Anna!
This recipe was outstanding!! So much flavor and easy to put together! Can’t wait to make it again!
That’s so awesome Chantal, thanks so much!
This was so good! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
I made this for dinner last night and WOW!
Loved everything about it and although it’s complex it really didn’t take long to put together. Before making the batter I prepped everything and while the tofu was in the air fryer (works great with the air fryer as well btw, just lower temp) I put the sauce together, boiled the rice and that was that. Only issue I had is the quantity of the batter mix was too little for my blender so I had to scrape it off the sides a lot of times. Next time I’ll double it or one and a half it.
Thank you, this was DELICIOUS!
So happy you enjoyed it Liana!
I made this tonight and it was really delicious. The only thing I subbed was tomato paste since I had no tomato. I’ve tried a few other vegan butter ‘chicken’ recipes and this is the best flavor I’ve found.
Thanks so much Nancy!
This recipe is even a hit with my non-vegan friends. For kicks, I’m going to add green peppers and mushrooms. I’d even like to try it with the “chicken” from your Vegan Chicken recipe. Will keep you posted.
That’s awesome Olivia! I think all of those options will be great to try! 🙂
Ok, I use lots of blogs and recipes on Pinterest but I’ve never left a comment. Usually I tweak recipes to make them how we want them. This recipe needed no tweaking!!! I’m obsessed! Everything about this recipe was amazing! Thank you. We will be making this over and over and over again!!
Thank you so much Jen! This is awesome!
Fabulous recipe as usual. Spicy and creamy and really just perfect. Thank you!
Thanks so much Karen!