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Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani is a very popular curry that has all the classic Indian flavor in just 30 minutes. The secret about the authentic indian recipe that transforms your homemade dinner in a restaurant-level cuisine in just a few simple steps.
The Butter Chicken is a classic dish from India. It is made with a creamy tomato-butter sauce, and its popularity is not just because of its amazing flavor, but also because it is the EASIEST curry to make.
What is Butter Chicken Made of
There are a few Butter Chicken recipes around the world, but why is it so popular? The Murgh Makhani is one of my favorite Indian dishes. I tried different versions until I found one that has all the indian flavor. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, which helps make the meat more tender and less tough, and makes it easier to cook without drying out.
The butter is the KEY ingredient here, it’s not only because it is the one that carries the spices of the Murgh Makhan. The butter fat helps release and distribute the flavors of garam masala, cumin, and chili.
This is the BEST option for you when you’re looking for a complete dinner that keeps you satisfied without feeling heavy.
Even if chicken curry isn’t your thing, this dish might still become a new obsession. And if you’re in the mood to switch things up, there are also a few alternatives that bring similar bold flavours.
Something like skinny satay turkey skewers can give you that same satisfying mix of marinated meat and rich sauce, just in a lighter way.
Butter Chicken: Key Ingredients
What is in butter chicken? The list is simple, but each ingredient plays an important role. Preserving the original flavour was the main goal, so this recipe keeps the classic elements that make Murgh Makhani so well-loved.
- Ghee: Use a good quality ghee if you can. It really makes a difference in flavour. Ghee has a deeper, slightly nutty taste that helps the spices open up and gives the sauce that rich, silky feel butter chicken is known for.
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh is always best here. I like to mince both right before cooking because the aroma is much stronger and the flavour comes through better in the sauce. The jarred versions work in a pinch, but fresh garlic and ginger give the dish a much fuller taste.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A good can of crushed tomatoes is the base of the sauce. Look for one with a naturally sweet tomato flavour and a smooth texture so the sauce cooks down nicely. It’s what gives butter chicken that deep colour and balanced tomato base. That same tomato-rich sauce is also the base of this spiced tomato chicken curry.
- Red Chili Powder: This is what gives butter chicken the color. Regular chili powder works fine, but if you can find Kashmiri red chili powder, it’s worth using. It has a beautiful red pigment and a gentle heat, so you get colour and flavour without overpowering the creaminess of the sauce.
Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When making Butter Chicken, there are several additions and substitutions you can consider to tailor the dish to your preferences or what you have on hand:
- Ghee Substitute: For a dairy-free option, you can use a vegan butter substitute. It provides a rich texture and enhances the flavors just like ghee.
- Alternative Spices: While garam masala, cumin, and chili powder are traditional, you can experiment with spices like paprika for a smokier flavor or add a hint of sweetness with cinnamon.
- Vegetarian Option: Swap the chicken with paneer or tofu for a delicious vegetarian version. Both absorb the rich sauce wonderfully, maintaining the dish’s signature creaminess.
- Cream Alternatives: For a lighter version, substitute thickened cream with Greek yogurt. It will still provide creaminess while slightly altering the flavor profile.
- Chilli Powder alternative: If you can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, a mix of 3 parts mild Paprika to 1 part Cayenne pepper is a fantastic substitute to achieve that beautiful color with a controllable kick.
Experimenting with these options can make the Butter Chicken experience even more delightful.
Creating Perfect Butter Chicken: Step-By-Step
When it comes to Butter Chicken, versatility is key. Whether you prefer it mild and creamy or with a touch of heat, this recipe adapts to your taste. The beauty of this dish lies in how effortlessly you can make it your own!
- Mix plain yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, and salt and chicken pieces (thighs or breasts) and mix so it’s coated evenly. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor).
- The Chicken: Heat a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat and add a small amount of oil. Cook the marinated chicken in batches, searing until browned on all sides, Then set aside.
- Sauce In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté onions until softened. Add garlic, ginger, and remaining spices (garam masala, cumin, chili powder) and cook until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
- Blend and Thicken the Sauce: Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth (or transfer to a blender). Return the sauce to the skillet, add cream, and stir well. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to balance flavors.
*Pro Tip – To create a stellar sauce, let the tomatoes cook for 10-15 minutes until they are nearly dry in your pan. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply add a couple of tablespoons of water to achieve the perfect consistency.
- Simmer: Add the seared chicken back into the sauce and simmer until cooked through and thickened, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Garnish: Sprinkle fresh cilantro and serve with rice or garlic naan for a complete meal.
To round out your Butter Chicken feast, why not explore some of our favorite side dishes? Pair it with soft, pillowy Garlic Naan to soak up every drop of that creamy sauce, or add a fragrant twist with Black Beans & Rice. For a family-friendly option, try our Chicken, Green Bean and Butternut Squash Curry—a dish that’s as wholesome as it is delicious. Happy cooking!
FAQs
You can prepare the Butter Chicken sauce ahead of time. Let it cool completely, store it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Making it ahead allows the flavors to develop beautifully before adding the chicken.
Butter Chicken is mildly spiced, perfect for those who prefer less heat. You can easily adjust the spice level by modifying the amount of chili powder, adding more cream, or leaving out the chili altogether to mellow the flavors.
The vibrant orange color comes from a combination of tomatoes, turmeric, and chili powder in the sauce.
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Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 28 oz boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced, or finely grated
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder recommend Kashmiri
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil
- 1 large onion sliced or chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced or finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to your taste preference (use Kashmiri)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 1 cup thickened cream heavy or evaporated milk to save calories
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
- Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
- Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
- Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
- Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh homemade Naan Bread!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for myself and my husband last night and I couldn’t believe how amazing it turned out. Like I was shook.
I couldn’t find Fenugreek leaves so added a splash of maple syrup like another reader had recommended and it was delicious. I also couldn’t find the red chilli powder so used cayenne instead. Definitely saving this under “favourites” and making again.
Thanks!!
I have been so disappointed the the majority of recipes i have found online BUT NOT THIS ONE I love this dish it is perfect i wrote it down in my recipe book to pass down to my kids they both love it as well thank you so much for sharing this !!!!
This is SO GOOD! I never have fenugreek, but it’s just fine without. I usually use pureed tomatoes so I can skip the blender. Also, I substitute yogurt for half of the cream. My husband requests this one often and loves to take leftovers to work. You can really control the heat by adjusting the red chili powder. If you don’t have garam masala, look up a recipe – great to mix at home! Highly recommend.
Delicious! Better than many dishes I’ve had at restaurants. Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for this easy and delicious recipe!!! The butter chicken curry is my husband’s favorite dish. I made it this weekend and we both enjoyed it, so no need to get takeout anymore!!😋🙌🏻
Awesome stuff. Tried a few variations, each getting a little more complex. The best was when I made three changes:
Dry roast ~1 cup of unsalted raw whole cashews. Grind 1/3 the cup in a mortar and pestle, then add to the gravy along with the crushed tomatoes. The remaining whole cashews go in along with the chicken . Makes a nice cashew butter chicken as the end result.
Strain the gravy before adding chicken and whole cashews. It’s an aggressive strain. Put the sauce through a mesh strainer and use a ladle to really push down and mix it so you get every drop of goodness, and the pulp is leftover in the strainer. Sure, it’s less fiber and all that when you remove the pulp, but the gravy is buttery smooth and silky. When you look at the pulp in the strainer, you’ll retrospectively agree that you really didn’t want to eat that stuff in the first place, and nothing of value was lost.
Add maybe 1 tbsp corn starch and 1/2 cup of water and make a slurry to mix in with the gravy before simmering. The cream makes it creamy, but the corn starch makes it velvety.
This recipe is great! Butter chicken is one of my favorite dishes and this recipe allows me to cook a meal at home that ranks closely to the butter chicken at my favorite restaurants. I even made a few substitutes to use what I had (coconut milk for yogurt, garlic powder instead of fresh, and the maple syrup trick) and am really pleased with the outcome.
Amazing! I have made this multiple times with ir without blending the sauce.
I’m using tomato puree in stead of crushed tomatoes. Anyone object?
Superb recipe! Made a double batch (had a little over 3 pounds of thighs) and cooking time was about 1.5 hours. Marinated for 3 hours and chicken came out super tender. A few optional adjustments: using 1/4 c white wine to deglaze the pan (when onions have turned translucent).
Keeping thighs whole.
Adding thick sliced mushrooms when adding chicken back into the sauce.
Using 1tsp maple syrup (at very end) instead of fenugreek.
And for veggie lovers: serving with broccolini or with a bed of arugula.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, it’s going in our family cookbook and will be made this way generationally. 😘👌🏽
I never write reviews, but I felt this recipe deserved one. This is really good. My whole family absolutely loved this. It was very flavorful and easy to make. I marinated my chicken thighs all day and it turned out super moist a and yummy. Only change I made was I added some vindaloo seasoning to the sauce to give it a bit of a kick.
I’ve done it both ways
Blending the sauce is definitely a key step
The sauce is much nicer smooth
Yes, always done it with out the puree. This time I did puree the whole batch, took 3 small blender batches. Did you find once you’ve got Butter Chicken down you can substitute? I use yogurt instead of cream and I can get way with a teaspoon of butter. I have never used crushed or diced tomatoes, only tomato paste and sauce. My kids like peach yogurt in the butter chicken and no extra sugar is needed if using fruit yogurt.
Made this multiple times. My 13 year old daughter keeps asking for it again. So it’s a winner in our house. Takes a bit of time but it’s so worth it. Thanks for the recipe.
I have tried butter chicken for the first time and it was mind blowing. I made it my self and your recipe make it easier for me.
Absolutely delicious, can’t stop making it! It’s enhanced by the homemade naan garlic bread. My sister thought I’d got it all from a Michelin starred restaurant.
Love love this recipe, I’ve made it many times. If I’m too lazy to blend I chop the onions small
This is my goto recipe for Butter Chicken! We absolutely love it. I even skip the step of blending it. But if you want a smooth, no chuck sauce, then don’t skip this step. I make basmati rice and garlic Naan on the side. I’m in thr kitchen all day. But oh so worth it!
Amazing. I mostly followed it, used feeling for measurement and tasting, used chicken breast, marinated overnight, broiled in oven on highest setting for 12 mins or so, locked in the juices and made some crispy tips.
Combined sauce and chicken near the end in big heavy cast iron pot, added Kasoori methi then closed it off and left it sitting at the end for 30 mins over burner that I turned off. came out absolutely fantastic. Cheers!
My husband and 15 year-old-son love this dish and regularly request it. It’s easy to make.
Love this recipe ! I forgot to buy the evaporated milk so used a cup of yoghurt instead and it was still delicious. Teenager kids said it was one of the best dinners I’ve made !
i’m black
This is by far the most awesome ButterChicken recipe ever. Totally addicted.