Indian Butter Chicken
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Make restaurant-style Indian Butter Chicken in just 29 minutes with this easy recipe! This quick and simple version of the classic Indian curry dish, Murgh Makhani, is rich, creamy, flavorful and perfect for weeknight meals. Serve it with basmati rice and naan on the side for dipping up all the delicious sauce!
Table of contents
Put your hands up if butter chicken is your go-to order at Indian restaurants! You too? I seriously love it so much!
Every time we go to our favorite Indian restaurant, my husband and I order butter chicken and like 5 sides of naan. Because there’s garlic naan, onion naan, cilantro naan, and obviously we need one (or two) of each to sop up all of that scrumptious butter chicken sauce!
After a trip to our neighborhood Indian restaurant in 2016, I was determined to come home and make a delicious and easy butter chicken recipe, a feat I had yet to conquer.
After years of making this recipe I can say that I’ve made the perfect butter chicken recipe in just 29 minutes! It’s equal parts rich, creamy, flavorful and slightly spicy. This recipe uses authentic ingredients to make a makhani sauce that tastes just like you picked it up from your favorite Indian restaurant. But don’t worry, I’ll offer suggestions for alternative ingredients that you can find at American grocery stores.
Butter chicken and tikka masala are extremely similar and both consist of chicken in a tomato curry sauce. However, tikka masala is slightly spicier, whereas the butter in butter chicken creates a more mild and creamy taste. If you love chicken tikka masala, you’ll also love this butter chicken recipe!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s easy to make in 29 minutes!
- The authentic spices in this recipe means that it will taste just like you ordered it from your favorite Indian restaurant!
- The flavor is out of this world!
- The chicken is so tender and the sauce is so rich and creamy!
Ingredients
To make a truly authentic chicken makhani recipe at home, you will need some specialty ingredients that you might not have in your pantry. Some of which, you will probably only find at an Indian market or online. I’ve noted the hard to find ingredients below, and linked to the brands that I purchased on Amazon.
I promise, you’ll continue to use the ingredients to make this dish over and over again, so it’s worth the initial investment to stock your pantry!
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) – for this recipe, I use breast meat, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, or thinly slice the chicken.
- Olive oil – a combination of olive oil and butter adds flavor and aroma, and a rich creaminess to the dish. You can replace the olive oil with additional butter if you prefer, but I highly recommend trying the olive oil and butter combination in this recipe for the best flavor.
- Butter – an essential ingredient in butter chicken, I recommend using unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter, I recommend reducing the added salt in this recipe by half.
- Onion – I recommend a yellow onion for this recipe, but you can also use red or white onions.
- Ginger garlic paste – you might be able to find this paste at the grocery store, or you can order it online. You will probably find garlic paste and ginger paste sold separately at the grocery store, near the produce section. You can always buy one of each, then combine them to make your own ginger garlic paste at home, which is comprised of 2 parts garlic, to 1 part ginger.
- Garam masala – this blend of whole spices adds a delicious balance of warmth and spice to the sauce.
- Red chili powder – I recommend Kashmiri chili powder for the most authentic flavor. In a pinch, you can use red chili powder found on the spice aisle at American grocery stores, just know that it won’t have quite the same flavor.
- Ground turmeric – adding a small amount of turmeric is essential to all Indian curry recipes. It has a strong, bitter flavor when used in abundance, so be sure to only use the recommended amount in this recipe.
- Salt
- Cardamom powder – cardamom has a complex flavor and aroma that is most commonly found in Indian recipes. Used in small amounts, it adds a fruity, warm flavor that pairs well with savory dishes, like curries.
- Ground cumin – one of the most commonly used spices in Indian cooking, this spice is essential in an Indian curry to add a rich flavor and aroma.
- Lemon juice – adds acidity and zest to the sauce.
- Crushed tomatoes – these canned tomatoes are used as the base of this tomato, butter gravy. You can also use a can of tomato puree in place of the crushed tomatoes.
- Cashews – cashew paste is traditionally used in Indian curries to add a sweet, nutty, creaminess to the dish. In this recipe, cashew pieces are soaked in the sauce to soften them, then they’re blended into the sauce. You can use raw or roasted cashews in this recipe, but I do recommend unsalted cashews. If you have whole cashews, I recommend chopping them slightly so that they soften in the sauce in just 10 minutes.
- Dried Fenugreek leaves – this essential Indian herb has a distinct maple syrup flavor, with a slight bitterness. I have not been able to find it in traditional American grocery stores, so I order it on Amazon. You can also find it in Indian markets. It might be labeled kasuri methi. While you can find substitution ideas online, I haven’t found anything that’s quite like the real thing, so I do recommend ordering this herb online when making chicken makhani at home.
- Sugar – just a teaspoon of sugar adds a slight sweetness to the sauce and balances out the salt and spice.
- Chicken broth – this is used to thin out the thick curry sauce. It adds more flavor than water, but if you don’t have broth available, you can simply use water instead.
- Heavy cream – used to finish the recipe, along with butter, this adds a wonderfully creaminess to the dish. You can omit it, but the sauce will not be as creamy. You can also replace it with canned coconut cream, if you prefer.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate the chicken. Add sliced or cubed chicken to a large bowl. Add garlic ginger paste, chili powder, garam masala and salt. Toss until the chicken is fully coated in the spices. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes, or cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate longer.
- Cook onions for the sauce. Heat olive oil and butter together in a large pan, or skillet, on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Toss in the spices. Add garlic ginger paste to the onions and cook for an additional minute. Add garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, salt, cardamon powder and ground cumin to the pan. Let the spices cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes. Add lemon juice, crushed tomatoes and cashews to the pan. Toss them together so that the cashews are covered in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the chicken. While the sauce is simmering, heat butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the marinated chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.
- Blend the sauce. While the chicken is browning, transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. (If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the sauce right in the pan.) Transfer the sauce back to the pan on the stove over medium heat. Pour vegetable broth into the sauce and add sugar, then crush the fenugreek leaves in your hands and add them to the sauce.
- Add the chicken to the sauce. Once the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, transfer it to the pan with the blended curry sauce. Toss the chicken in the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finish with butter. Stir in heavy cream and add a cube of butter to finish the dish. Once the butter has melted into the curry, serve it over basmati rice with roti or naan bread for dipping. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if you’d like.
Try it!
Instant Pot Basmati Rice
This easy recipe will make perfect, fluffy basmati rice in an Instant Pot, while you prepare the Indian curry on the stove!
Storage and reheating
Leftover butter chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days, or frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe airtight container.
To reheat the leftovers, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat, covered, for 2 minutes. To reheat on the stove, place the chicken makhani in a small pot on the stove over medium-high heat, and heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Tips and tricks
- To spice up the sauce, add more kashmiri chili powder. With the 1 tablespoon recommended in this recipe, the curry sauce is mild, at around a 2-3 at most Indian restaurants. I like to add 2 tablespoons of the chili powder to make it a more medium spice level, at around a 5-6.
- Extra sauce can be made in advance and stored in the freezer. I always like to make a double batch of the sauce, then freeze half of it for later. Always freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe storage container and use within 6 months of freezing. To defrost, place the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours in advance. Reheat the sauce on the stove in a large pan. Follow the instructions in this recipe to marinate and cook the chicken before adding it to the sauce.
- To make this recipe nut-free, omit the cashews. Add an additional 1/4 cup heavy cream to replace the creaminess from the soaked cashews.
- The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Feel free to marinate the chicken overnight, or toss it in the marinade in the morning, then prepare the remainder of the recipe in the evening. You can also add yogurt to the chicken marinade. This is common in butter chicken recipes. I’ve tried it and can’t tell a huge difference, so I don’t add yogurt to the marinade. If you’d like to try it, I recommend adding a 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt to the other ingredients in the marinade.
What to serve with it
Spoon the butter chicken over basmati rice and serve with a side of naan. I mix a little lemon juice and fresh cilantro into my rice before serving. For a low carb option, try this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
For the naan, I purchase prepared naan in the bakery section of my local grocery store. To give it more flavor, I recommend brushing the prepared naan with melted butter, then sprinkling minced garlic and cilantro over each piece. Place it in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes to heat it up.
Pull it apart and dip it in the curry sauce, for a deliciously good time!
More Indian recipes
Try these other tested and perfected authentic Indian recipes at home!
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Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed or thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste, or 4 teaspoons crushed garlic cloves + 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder, recommended: kashmiri chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the curry sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste, or 4 teaspoons crushed garlic cloves + 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder, recommended: kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamon powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup unsalted cashews, chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons garam masala and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic ginger paste and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, salt, cardamon powder and ground cumin to the pan. Let the spices cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the lemon juice, crushed tomatoes and cashews to the pan. Toss them together so that the cashews are covered in the crushed tomatoes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is cooking, remove the curry sauce from the heat and transfer the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth, then transfer the mixture back to the pan on the stove.
- Turn the heat on the stove to medium, pour in the chicken broth and add the sugar.
- Crush the fenugreek leaves in the palm of your hands, then add them to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Transfer the chicken to the pot with the sauce and simmer the chicken in the sauce for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to finish the dish.
- Spoon the butter chicken over basmati rice for serving. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Feel free to marinate the chicken overnight, or toss it in the marinade in the morning, then prepare the remainder of the recipe in the evening. Yogurt can also be added to the chicken marinade. If you’d like to try it, I recommend adding a 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt to the other ingredients in the marinade.
- Leftover butter chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat the leftovers, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and reheat, covered, for 2 minutes. To reheat on the stove, place the chicken makhani in a small pot on the stove over medium-high heat, and heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free.
- To make this recipe nut-free, omit the cashews. Add an additional 1/4 cup heavy cream to replace the creaminess from the soaked cashews.
- To spice up the sauce, add more kashmiri chili powder. With the 1 tablespoon recommended in this recipe, the curry sauce is mild, at around a 2-3 at most Indian restaurants. I like to add 2 tablespoons of the chili powder to make it a more medium spice level, at around a 5-6.
- Extra sauce can be made in advance and stored in the freezer. I always like to make a double batch of the sauce, then freeze half of it for later. Always freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe storage container and use within 6 months of freezing. To defrost, place the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 24 hours in advance. Reheat the sauce on the stove in a large pan. Follow the instructions in this recipe to marinate and cook the chicken before adding it to the sauce.
Nutrition Facts
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5 Comments on “Indian Butter Chicken”
This recipe is delicious! I couldn’t find the fenugreek leaves and I still thought it was great – maybe I don’t know what I’m missing! It took me quite a bit longer than 30 minutes to make though.
I have been cooking since I was 8 with Aunts and my Mother. I have not tried any Punjabi cuisine before this dish. I was amazed at the ease of prep and the flavor this dish had. I brought some for a Punjabi friend and she asked for the recipe. This speaks loudly of the flavor this recipe has. Thanks for a great meal.
I made this the other night, delicious and easy!!!! I didn’t have naan but I may go get some to go with the leftovers, thank you!!!!
I made this tonight for dinner and we loved it! I served over cauliflower rice for me and my husband and over white rice for my kids. Plus we had naan for dipping. Thanks for the recipe! It was so delicious!
Fantastic! So great to hear Jennifer, thanks for sharing!