This Butter Chicken recipe is such a treat, and I honestly think it tastes just as good as what you'd get at your favorite Indian restaurant. Butter chicken has a unique creamy sauce that makes it a global favorite. The chicken is juicy and full of flavor, all smothered in a rich, creamy sauce that’s irresistible.
Butter Chicken is a favorite curry for many around the world. This recipe will guide you step by step to create a wonderfully rich and tasty sauce.
After a long day, there's something special about sitting down to a warm and comforting curry. The deep smells, the vibrant flavors, and just the right hint of spice come together to create a truly memorable dish.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, or murgh makhani, has a wonderfully smooth and creamy sauce. The secret to its richness is adding a bit of cream at the end, which makes it taste indulgent without being too heavy.
Making Indian dishes at home can be challenging. Thankfully, Butter Chicken is an exception! I found a simple recipe from a chef that uses ingredients you can easily find at any regular supermarket.
Usually, butter chicken is made with marinated chicken that gets cooked in a Tandoori oven. As we don't have a tandoori oven, we will make it by roasting the marinated chicken in a pan, popping it in the oven, or even grilling it.
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⭐Why You'll Love This Butter Chicken
- Easy to make: It is simple to make. It’s perfect for family dinners or gatherings without needing fancy techniques.
- A Classic Favorite: It is a great choice for any occasion.
- Comfort Food: With its creamy, buttery sauce and tender chicken, Butter Chicken is the ultimate comfort food, a warm, indulgent meal that feels like a hug in a bowl.
- Customizable: You can adjust the spice level by tweaking the red chili powder and green chilies.
🧾Butter Chicken Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Butter Chicken recipe:
Boneless Chicken Thighs: I love using chicken thighs for their juiciness and tenderness, which makes the dish rich and flavorful.
For the Marinade:
- Spices (Garam Masala, Coriander, Cumin, Red Chili Powder, Turmeric, Dried Mango Powder, Dried Fenugreek Leaves): These spices give the chicken a vibrant color and deep flavor.
- Salt and Black Salt: Regular salt and a bit of black salt add seasoning and a unique tangy touch.
- Ginger and Garlic Paste: This adds a strong, aromatic base flavor that makes the chicken taste amazing.
- Greek Yogurt: It tenderizes the chicken and adds creaminess.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps coat the spices evenly on the chicken.
- Mint and Coriander: Mint adds a refreshing touch, and coriander provides a fresh, citrusy note.
- Lemon: Adds a bright, tangy flavor to balance the richness.
For the Sauce:
- Oil: Used for cooking the aromatics and forming the base of the sauce.
- Cumin Seeds: Add a nutty, earthy flavor.
- Onions: I use white onions. They provide sweetness and richness as they caramelize.
- Ginger and Garlic Cloves: Enhance the sauce with aromatic flavors.
- Green Chilies: Add heat and a fresh kick.
- Salt: Balances and enhances all the flavors.
- Spices (Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, Coriander, Dried Fenugreek Leaves, Dried Red Chilies, Cardamoms): These add extra flavor and color to the sauce.
- Tomatoes: Provide acidity and sweetness, essential for a rich tomato base.
- Cashew Nuts: Add creaminess and a hint of sweetness.
- Coriander: Fresh coriander adds a bright, fresh note.
- Butter: Gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture.
- Water: Used to blend the sauce.
Butter Chicken Final Assembly:
- Butter and Vegetable Oil: Used to cook the final aromatics and keep them from burning.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and richness to the final dish.
- Garlic Cloves and Ginger: For extra flavor in the final step.
- Green Chili: Adds a touch of heat and freshness.
- Red Chili Powder: Adds more heat and color.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity of tomatoes and the heat from the spices.
- Coriander: Fresh leaves for garnish add a burst of color and freshness.
- Garam Masala and Dried Fenugreek Leaves: Enhance the final flavor with warmth and complexity.
- Butter and Cream: Add a rich, smooth finish to the sauce, making it creamy and luxurious.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Butter Chicken
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. On a large plate, mix the spices with oil, next, add the chicken, mint, coriander, and lemon juice and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Cook the chicken and set aside.
3. Sauté chopped onions with cummin seeds for 3-4 minutes, add in ginger, garlic, and green chilies, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
4. Cook tomatoes with spices, cashews, coriander, and butter, and blend everything in a blender.
5. Cook the onions, add garlic, ginger, and green chilies, and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add red chili powder or paprika, sauce, sugar, and chopped coriander. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Place the partially cooked chicken into the sauce, and cook for 10 minutes.
8. After adding the remaining spices cook for 1 minute more, add 2 tablespoon butter and 2 teaspoon fresh cream.
🍽 What to Serve with Butter Chicken
I like to serve my Butter Chicken with fluffy basmati rice, sometime I pair it with Garlic Naan for a classic touch. For something different, garlic bread or ciabatta is perfect for dipping into that creamy curry sauce.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Marinate: Leave the chicken mixed up with the spices in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Use High-Quality Spices: Fresh or good-quality spices make a big difference. Avoid using old, stale spices as they can make the dish less flavorful.
Grilling/Pan-Searing: Cooking the chicken in a grill pan or skillet gives it a nice char and smoky flavor, making it even better.
Blend: It is important for that silky creamy goodness.
Adjust Spices: Taste the sauce and tweak the spices as needed.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The flavors often get even better after a day or two.
Reheating: Gently reheat on low to keep the chicken tender.
❓Commonly Asked Questions
Butter Chicken can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
🐓More Chicken Recipes to Try!
Do you like this Butter Chicken? You’re sure to enjoy these chicken recipes as well:
- Chicken Pot Pie
- One Pan Chicken Mushroom
- Chicken One-Pot Rice(Spanish Rice Recipe)
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Fettuccine
- Chicken Katsu Curry
- Marry Me Chicken
🍛More Comfort Food Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite comfort food recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 g Boneless Chicken Thighs
For the marinade:
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ tablespoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Mango Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Salt
- ½ teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Ginger and garlic Paste
- 2 tablespoon Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Mint
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Coriander
- Juice of ½ Lemon
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 Onions
- 1 inch Ginger
- 8 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Green Chilies
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- ½ tablespoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 3 Dried Red Chilies
- 2 Cardamoms
- 500 g Tomatoes
- 50 g Cashew Nuts
- Small Bunch of Coriander
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 100 ml Water
Butter Chicken Final Assembly:
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
- ½ Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Minced
- 1 Green Chili
- ½ tablespoon Red Chili Powder or Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Cream
Instructions
- On a large plate, combine the garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dried mango powder, salt, black salt, dried fenugreek leaves, ginger, and garlic paste, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil and mix well until combined.
- Cut the boneless chicken things in pieces.
- Add the chicken pieces, mint, coriander, and lemon juice to the marinade, mix well, and ensure all pieces are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for deeper flavor.
- In a grill pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until they are almost done, around 80% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the chopped onions, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, dried fenugreek leaves, dried red chilies, and cardamoms. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the tomato pieces, cashew nut, coriander, and butter, mix well, cover the pan, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the tomato sauce in a blender, add water, and blend until smooth.
- In a large pan, add butter and oil and heat over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until golden brown.
- Add minced garlic, minced ginger, and green chili. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add red chili powder or paprika, mix well, and add the sauce mixture and sugar, stirring until well combined.
- Add the chopped coriander, mix well, and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the partially cooked chicken to the sauce. Cook together for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Add garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves, and mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in 2 tablespoon butter and 2 teaspoon fresh cream. Mix well until combined.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or naan bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
Absolutely incredible butter chicken! So creamy and flavorful.