What to Serve With Butter Chicken: 15 Perfect Sides
MasalaBear TeamYou've made the butter chicken - now what goes with it? From the right naan and rice to a cooling raita and fresh salad, here's how to build the perfect butter chicken meal.
Tip
You've simmered the tomatoes, blended the sauce silky, swirled in the cream and kasuri methi. The butter chicken is perfect. Now comes the question every home cook faces: what do you actually put on the table next to it?
Butter chicken is rich, creamy, and mild, which makes it easy to pair - but also easy to overwhelm. The goal is balance: something to scoop with, something to soak up the sauce, and something fresh to cut the richness. Here's how to build the whole plate.
(New to the dish, or wondering how it differs from that other orange curry? Start with our butter chicken vs tikka masala guide.)
The Best Sides for Butter Chicken
Think of a great butter chicken meal in four parts: a bread, a rice, a cooling side, and a fresh side. Nail one from each and you've got a spread that would hold up in any restaurant.
1. Breads to Scoop With
Butter chicken's sauce was made for tearing bread and scooping. Your best options:
- Garlic naan - the number-one pairing; soft, chewy, and built for that sauce
- Butter naan - simpler, richer, equally perfect
- Roti / chapati - the lighter, everyday whole-wheat choice
- Tandoori roti - a sturdier, chewier bread with more bite
Not sure which bread to go with? Our naan vs roti breakdown covers exactly when to reach for each, and the types of Indian bread guide maps the whole family.
MediumFeatured Recipe
Garlic Butter Naan (Tawa Style, No Oven)
Who needs a tandoor when you have a Tawa? This recipe gives you restaurant-quality soft, chewy Garlic Butter Naan right on your stovetop. The trick is to use a slightly wet dough and steam it over the flame for that perfect char.
2. Rice to Soak It Up
Rice stretches the meal and soaks up every last bit of gravy. Basmati is the only real answer - its long, fluffy, separate grains hold up to the sauce instead of turning to mush. (Here's why basmati beats jasmine rice for exactly this job.)
- Plain steamed basmati - lets the curry shine
- Jeera rice - basmati tempered with cumin, subtly aromatic
- Vegetable pulao - a light, one-pot rice with a little more going on
EasyFeatured Recipe
Vegetable Pulao with Fried Onions
simple veg pulao. fried onion garnish is a must
The classic combination: basmati rice to soak up the sauce, naan to scoop it
3. Cooling Sides to Cut the Richness
Butter chicken is decadent, so a cool, tangy side keeps the meal from feeling heavy:
- Cucumber raita - yogurt with cucumber, cumin, and mint
- Boondi raita - yogurt with crispy chickpea pearls
- Plain yogurt - the simplest palate-cleanser of all
EasyFeatured Recipe
Kanda Poha Kairi Raita (Onion, Poha, Raw Mango Raita)
gujarati raita with poha and raw mango. refreshing
4. Fresh and Vegetable Sides
A little freshness and green balances the plate:
- Kachumber salad - diced onion, cucumber, tomato, lemon, and chaat masala
- A dry sabzi - aloo gobi, bhindi, or sauteed greens
- A simple dal - for a heartier, protein-rich spread
EasyFeatured Recipe
3AM Dal Tadka Cravings
The ultimate comfort food. Toor dal cooked until creamy and tempered with garlic and ghee. Ready in 20 minutes with a pressure cooker.
How to Build the Plate
You don't need all fifteen sides at once. Match the spread to the occasion.
Weeknight Dinner (Keep It Simple)
Butter chicken + basmati rice + a store-bought or quick naan. Ten extra minutes, one pot of rice, done.
Weekend Feast (Go Bigger)
Butter chicken + garlic naan + jeera rice + cucumber raita + kachumber salad + a dal. This is the full restaurant-thali experience.
The weekend spread: butter chicken anchored by naan, rice, raita, salad, and a dal
Dinner Party (Impress Everyone)
Add a second curry for variety (a dry chicken or a paneer dish), a sweet lassi to drink, and finish with a simple dessert. Butter chicken is the crowd-pleaser that anchors the whole menu.
Note
Serving Butter Chicken the Low-Carb Way
Watching carbs? You can absolutely keep butter chicken - it's one of the most keto-friendly Indian dishes, since the sauce itself is low in carbs. The trick is swapping the sides:
- Instead of naan - sauteed greens or a big salad
- Instead of rice - cauliflower rice
- Add - extra raita and a fresh kachumber salad
We cover the full approach in our low-calorie Indian food guide and the keto Indian food guide. You can also browse more mains to pair or alternate with on the main course category page.
Make the Star of the Show
Every great side needs a great centerpiece. Here's the butter chicken they're all built around:
MediumFeatured Recipe
My Ammi's 'Guest Special' Butter Chicken
Forget the sweet orange stuff you get in jars. This is the real deal with a smoky flavor. Kasuri methi at the end and lots of butter - don't be stingy.
Rich, creamy, and mildly spiced - the dish that converts people who think they don't like Indian food.
The Bottom Line
The perfect butter chicken meal is about balance, not abundance.
Give it a bread to scoop (naan or roti), a rice to soak (basmati, always), a cooling side to cut the richness (raita or yogurt), and something fresh (a kachumber salad). That four-part plate turns a single curry into a full, restaurant-worthy Indian dinner - without any one side stealing the spotlight from the butter chicken itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best side dish for butter chicken?
- Naan is the classic pairing - its soft, chewy texture is perfect for scooping the rich, creamy sauce. If you want just one side, make it garlic naan. For a complete meal, add basmati rice, a cooling cucumber raita, and a fresh kachumber salad.
- What rice goes with butter chicken?
- Basmati rice is the traditional choice - its long, fluffy, separate grains soak up butter chicken's sauce without turning mushy. Plain steamed basmati, jeera (cumin) rice, or a light vegetable pulao all work beautifully. Avoid sticky short-grain rice, which clumps and fights the sauce.
- What vegetables go well with butter chicken?
- Keep vegetable sides simple so they don't compete with the rich curry. A dry sabzi like aloo gobi or bhindi, a fresh kachumber salad (onion, cucumber, tomato), or sauteed greens all balance the plate. A cooling raita also counts as a fresh, vegetable-forward side.
- Do you serve butter chicken with naan or rice?
- Both, ideally. Naan is for scooping and tearing; rice is for soaking up the sauce and stretching the meal. Most Indian meals include both a bread and a rice. If you must choose, naan is the more indulgent, restaurant-style pairing and rice is the lighter everyday one.
- What can I serve with butter chicken that isn't bread or rice?
- Cooling and fresh sides work best: cucumber raita, kachumber salad, or plain yogurt cut the richness. For a low-carb meal, serve butter chicken over cauliflower rice or alongside sauteed greens and a salad instead of naan and rice.
- What drinks pair with butter chicken?
- A sweet or salted lassi is the traditional match - the yogurt cools the palate against the spice. Mango lassi is a crowd-pleaser. For something lighter, plain chaas (spiced buttermilk) or sparkling water with lime keeps the meal from feeling heavy.