Easy BLW Butter Chicken – Tikka Masala (Indian Style)

BLW Butter Chicken was the first Indian food I made for my baby and toddler when they were doing baby-led weaning.

Tikka masala is easy to make and tastes delicious. If you have all the Indian spices, it’s a matter of combining them to make this chicken recipe. 

To make things easier for me, I like to use this premixed tikka masala Indian spice from Amazon. 

Of course, you can use individual spices if you have them at home.

Why I Love This Butter Chicken for Baby-led Weaning 

I love making butter chicken for baby-led weaning because it’s a great way to introduce these complex spices to your baby.

What other foods would require coriander, cardamom, and cumin together? 

It’s good for our babies to try different flavors as often as possible so they can get used to new tastes of foods. 

Important Recipe Notes About Butter Chicken For Baby

This BLW Butter Chicken uses cream

I added cream to this BLW butter chicken recipe to balance out the acidity of the tomato. 

If your baby is dairy-free, then you can try using coconut milk or other creamy milk alternatives.

I’ve never tried this butter chicken without milk before so I’m not sure how that would come out. 

I have tried it with coconut milk and it did taste great.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. For more info please see the disclaimer

This Butter Chicken for Babies uses Indian spices

It goes without saying that chicken tikka masala uses Indian spices.

If you’re not comfortable with using all the spices listed in the recipe card, then you can skip them. 

Just use whatever spices you’re comfortable with. 

Why Chicken Is Good for Babies and Toddlers

Chicken contains proteins and amino acids that help build muscles and bones for babies. 

In addition, the protein that chicken contains helps us feel full for longer periods of time. 

This helps your baby to maintain proper body weight. Chicken also contains vitamins like B-12, choline, irons, etc. (source)

What to serve with BLW Butter Chicken 

Serve with vegetables 

If you didn’t add vegetables to it while cooking it, you can serve the vegetables on the side.

My favorite veggies to serve with BLW butter chicken are diced carrots and peas. They go really well together.

Serve with Naan Bread

Nothing goes better with tikka masala than Naan Bread. 

It’s a classic for this dish and one your baby will love to chew on as they learn to eat.

BLW Butter Chicken Recipe Variations

Add some mixed vegetables

You can choose to add mixed vegetables to your butter chicken for babies. 

I’ve done that a few times in the past and it came out great.

It makes it easier to make this recipe because you don’t have to worry about making a separate vegetable side dish.

Use coconut Milk instead of heavy cream 

If you don’t want to use heavy cream for this BLW butter chicken, you can use coconut Milk. Instead of 1 cup of heavy cream, you’ll need to add 1 cup of coconut milk.

Use chicken drumsticks or thighs

You’re not limited to using chopped chicken breast for this butter chicken (tikka masala). 

You can use drumsticks or chicken thighs as well. Whatever cut you prefer will work just fine here.

FAQs About BLW Butter Chicken 

When can babies eat butter chicken?

Babies can start eating butter chicken around 6 months of age. The cream used to cook the butter chicken will balance out the spices so it doesn’t upset your baby’s stomach.

When can babies eat tikka masala?

Tikka Masala can be enjoyed by babies who are 6 months and over. You don’t have to worry about it being too spicy for your baby. 

Your baby’s palate will be more advanced the more you feed different foods. Over time they will get used to the spices and any other ingredients included.

Can babies have curry spices? 

Babies can have curry spices as well as other spices that are not too peppery. 

Curry is a common ingredient in Indian and African cuisine. Specifically Nigeria where I’m from.

Babies are taught from a young age to eat the same curry spices as their family members without the need for a separate meal. 

This way, as they grow, their palette will get used to it. 

That’s how my Nigerian family taught all of us to enjoy spicy food, and this is how I’m raising my kids today.

Can my baby have garam masala?

Garam masala is a common spice used in Indian cuisine. Babies can have garam masala when it’s used to cook meals for the whole family.

How to serve butter chicken for baby-led weaning

6 – 9 months old

For babies between 6-9 months, you can serve butter chicken by shredding it into tiny pieces. 

Make sure there are no large chunks that can get stuck in a baby’s throat. 

You can mix the shredded butter chicken over rice and allow your baby to scoop it with their hands from a bowl.

10-12 months old

Around 10-12 months old, your baby will be able to eat chunks of chicken. 

If you’re still nervous, then continue to shred butter chicken until you’re comfortable. You can pre-load a spoon for your baby to eat from as they practice self-feeding.

18 months plus

Babies 18 months and over will be able to eat butter chicken with a spoon. You can serve it over rice for them to scoop with a spoon.

Tips for Picky Eaters

Don’t pressure

Give your baby or toddler a chance to say no. It’s okay if they don’t like what we serve them. Keep trying. 

It takes at least 30 exposures for a baby to begin liking a food, so don’t give up.

Make it into a game

Sometimes I create games around the food I serve to get my kids interested in eating. 

A game we’ve played in the past is called “Here comes the airplane… open the garage”. This encourages them to open their mouth as I bring the food in like an airplane.

Sometimes my kids will try new foods this way.

Ingredient For BLW Butter Chicken (Tikka Masala)

• 1 TBSP oil
• 1 small onion 
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 small ginger 
• 2 tsp garam masala 
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp cardamom (optional)
• 2 tsp coriander (optional)
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth (more if the paste is too thick)
• 12oz tomato paste 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 2 large chicken breast (chopped)
• 1 ½ sticks of butter 

Don’t want to deal with getting these individual ingredients? Try this Indian spice blend for the perfect Tikka Masala (Butter Chicken)

Cooking Directions For BLW Tikka Masala (Butter Chicken)

• sautée the chicken in a skillet with the butter and oil for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and its juices from the pan and set aside.
• On medium heat, Add onion, garlic, ginger, and the rest of the spices and sauté until the oil is fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste and saute for 2 minutes 
• Add the chicken broth to thin the paste. Add more broth until the paste is thinned enough to your liking.
• Add in the heavy cream and chicken. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• Serve over rice for your baby to enjoy.

Melt the butter in a pot

Sautee the onion and garlic

Add the spices

Add the tomato

Add the cream and chicken

Storage Tips for Baby-led Weaning Butter Chicken 

Butter chicken for babies can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for as long as you want.

If you loved this recipe, then you’ll love my BLW Garlic Chicken Breast Bites

Did you make this baby-led weaning recipe? 

Let me know in the comments how it turned out!