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!
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.