Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is one of the most popular curries in the world and yet happens to be one of the easiest! No hunting down hard to find ingredients, this chef recipe that makes the most incredible curry sauce.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Butter Chicken – a chef recipe!
As someone who loves food with big, BIG flavours, it’s no surprise that Indian is one of my favourite foods. A good curry and binge watching Netflix is pretty much my idea of a perfect Friday night. #NanaAlert! 😂
As much as I love making Indian food at home, sometimes I find the list of ingredients daunting. It’s easy enough to make once I gather all the ingredients, but that’s where I usually fall short because it requires a trip to an Indian grocery store – and my closest one is a fair drive away.
Butter Chicken is one of the few exceptions. I was elated when I discovered a Chef recipe for Butter Chicken and realised how easy it is. But more importantly, you can get all the ingredients from any supermarket. Yes!
Is Butter Chicken really Indian??
YES it is! It’s called Murgh Makhani and it hails from Northern India. It’s quite a mild curry compared to many Indian curries, and outside of India, it’s become just about everybody’s favourite curry!
How to make Butter Chicken – in 3 Simple Steps
Make Butter Chicken Marinade and marinate chicken for 3+ hours (overnight is best)
Cook chicken
Make sauce in the same skillet
The secret to the tender, flavour infused chicken is a spice infused yogurt marinade made with fresh ginger, garlic, lemon juice and spices. The spices in Butter Chicken are turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder and cumin.
Did you know….You don’t need copious amounts of butter for a great Butter Chicken!
The beautiful Butter Chicken Sauce mostly gets its richness from cream. While some restaurants take it over the top by stirring in a (very!) generous amount of butter into the sauce at the end, I find that it’s rich enough as it is. The Butter Chicken flavour and experience – but less oily than restaurant versions!
The sauce will initially be a pale orange colour but as it simmers and thickens, the colour will deepen to a rich orange colour.
What to serve with Butter Chicken
To make a proper Indian feast, sides and starters are essentials! Because every curry needs papadums for dunking and naan to scoop up the sauce with, right?
No-fry quick papadums – just microwave them! Place the papadums around the edge of the microwave turntable and cook on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until they are puffed up. They’ll be soft while warm but as soon as they cool down, they crisp up. They don’t expand as much as when deep fried, but neither will your thighs. 😂
Samosas! The ultimate Indian appetiser. Leftovers make great snacks or even lunch!
Proper naan – A recipe in the works for 5 years, I’m thrilled to finally share my proper naan recipe that can be easily made at home (no tandoor needed!)
Shortcut “naan” – For a simpler, no-yeast flatbread that’s just as good, my Easy No Yeast Flatbread looks and tastes very similar to real naan (except it’s much faster and easier!). Try telling me this doesn’t look like it belongs in this feast!
And it’s MADE for dunking in that creamy Butter Chicken Sauce!!
Sides for Butter Chicken
Readers have also asked for Vegetable Side options – to add some greens to a meal. Indian food doesn’t really have fresh side salads like in Western cuisine. Partly because so much Indian food is vegetarian, so you get plenty of veggies in your diet!
But here are some Vegetable Side Options you can add on the side of Butter Chicken:
Indian Tomato Salad – with a refreshing minted yogurt dressing;
Cucumber salad with lemon yogurt dressing – another great refreshing salad that goes perfectly with curries;
Just some sliced cucumber and wedges of tomato – not dressed. Nice cool, refreshing side
South Indian Thoran-style Cabbage and Carrot Salad with Coconut is fresh, crunchy and shot through with gentle spices and coconut!
For a simpler cabbage salad, try my Everyday Cabbage Salad
I hope this has inspired you to try your hand at making an Indian feast at home! You will honestly be amazed how much depth of flavour there is in the Butter Chicken despite how few ingredients are in it. – Nagi x
PS Don’t miss the new streamlined oven version: One-Pan Baked Butter Chicken. Readers are loving it!
Watch How To Make It
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 cup plain yoghurt , full fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp tumeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper powder (Note 2)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
Curry
- 2 tbsp (30 g) ghee or butter, OR 1 tbsp vegetable oil (Note 3)
- 1 cup tomato passata (aka tomato puree) (Note 4)
- 1 cup heavy / thickened cream (Note 5)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
To serve – choose
- Basmati rice
- White rice
- Coriander/cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Optional blitz: for an extra smooth sauce, combine the Marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a food processor and blend until smooth. (I do not do this)
- Marinade: Combine the Marinade ingredients with the chicken in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours (minimum 3 hrs).
- Cook chicken: Heat the ghee (butter or oil) over high heat in a large fry pan. Take the chicken out of the Marinade but do not wipe or shake off the marinade from the chicken (but don’t pour the Marinade left in the bowl into the fry pan).
- Place chicken in the fry pan and cook for around 3 minutes, or until the chicken is white all over (it doesn’t really brown because of the Marinade).
- Sauce: Add the tomato passata, cream, sugar and salt. Also add any remaining marinade left in the bowl. Turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Do a taste test to see if it needs more salt.
- Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves if using. Serve with basmati rice.
- The Butter Chicken is pictured with my very easy No Yeast Flatbread and no-fry papadums (Note 5).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published July 2015. Updated for housekeeping matters and a new video added January 2019. But most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
For Indian Curry Lovers
- Chicken Tikka Masala – kind of like Butter Chicken on steroids!
- Palak Paneer – Indian cottage cheese and spinach curry
- Rogan Josh – fall apart lamb in a rich creamy sauce!
- Dal – the highest and best use of lentils, ever. Period.
- Biryani – the world’s best Chicken & Rice. Full stop!
- Qeema: Curried Ground Beef (Mince) – the fastest way ever to get a real Indian curry fix
- Curry lovers, head here -> Curry Collection
Life of Dozer
Flashback: Dozer’s first time in water. Look at those wild eyes!!! 😂 Fear? Excitement??
TMB says
I love this recipe. Made it 3 times to rave reviews. I haven’t tried a recipe of yours that I didn’t like. I have shared you site with tons of friends and family. Thank you Nagi
Jacqui says
This looks delicious and I wanted to see if anyone had made a lactose free version? Can the milk products be substituted for coconut?
Judy M says
I make this using lactose free milk by Fairlife. It tastes like regular milk instead of having the very sweet taste that other lactose free milk brands can have.
Kai says
I have tried many, many different butter chicken recipes, this one is by far the best!
Shelly says
Delicious. I’m warming up leftovers for my 17 yr old son, to go over jasmine white rice. He’s VERY interested in anything from Nagi. Am making flatbread to accompany it.
Tanya says
This is now forever a family favorite. My kids thought we had ordered take out the first few times I made it. My husband said just last night he could never get tired of Butter Chicken. I double the chicken and freeze half to make the next round a quiker meal.
Natalie Bray says
Fabulous!! Just love the flavours and simplicity of the recipe!!
Will make again!!
PS. Love that you can adjust how many serves you need and recipe adjusts quantities for you… super handy!!
Tracey says
My picky 5 year old and even pickier 3 year old both declared dinner to be delicious! I’m one of the frustrating people in the comment section because I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. My inner artist got the best of me! I cut way back on the cayenne pepper while cooking for our family, but added a generous couple of shakes to my own bowl. It was so good! To get it to thicken, reserve some of your cream and add it at the very end. Perfect consistency! We made it with the suggested Flatbread recipe. I’m adding this butter chicken recipe to our dinner rotation! Thank you so much!
Holly says
Excellent butter chicken recipe. A full five stars +
Thanks Nagi!
Veronica says
Thank you Nagi – another delicious recipe that was so much easier than I thought it would be! I used light cream and it was perfect.
Lily says
I’ve never ate butter chicken before, but my family requested it.. I have an extremely fussy autistic child, and he ate the whole bowl, not a grain of rice left!
Such a simple recipe, I only had about 7 hours of marinating so next time it will be overnight!
Highly recommend for anyone considering it
Thank you. You are my fave recipe site!
Trying to be good says
I made this with low fat yoghurt, and low fat milk in place of the cream (😢). And it was still amazing. I love making this with full fat everything, but for those on a new year’s health kick, just know it still tastes good with low fat ingredients.
Nagi says
Thanks for that feedback! N x
Laird says
You are a legend Nagi. Made two big batches of this butter chicken and 3 batches of your naan bread this week and my partner and I have unashamedly eaten it for 6 nights straight 😳
Nagi says
Oh wow!!! That’s a record I think!! Count me impressed! N x
athina tanti says
I am hoping to make a double batch and freeze this curry. Is there any problem freezing it as it contains a little cream?
Thanks
Freya says
I’ve cooked this heaps of times and frozen leftovers every time. It freezes beautifully and is so good for a quick meal when you feel like take away!
Colleen Arnott says
Thank you for the delicious recipe. However, I can’t get it to thicken. I feel like I’ve followed the recipe to a T. Any suggestions??
Spella says
This recipe doesn’t get super thick – if you check the video you can see the consistency it should be. You can keep simmering to try and reduce further, or you can just add some corn flour and water (not too much).
Lauren says
We make this on repeat. It’s just so easy and so delicious! (Seriously, so, so delicious) I highly recommend making this!
Danielle says
I have made this about 12 times now. It is seriously amazing, so addictive, and always makes you wanting more after every bite! Makes awesome leftovers too! Truly one of the best meals
lucy says
solid 10/10 it’s amazing, very very strongly recommend. can’t get over how good it is ❤️
Annette says
Why use a jar sauce when this is so easy! Mine always separates a little, is this the lemon and yogurt combo in the marinade? I make sure not to marinade in a metal bowl. Delicious dish regardless.
Lisa says
I am about to make this for the first time but want to take it to my sisters for NYE.
Can I make it in a slow cooker or pre cook it and transfer it in the slow cooker fob you think?
Vivien Wessels says
hi Nagi
Having made butter chicken many times- from scratch and with ready made sauce , I must say that your simple recipe is the best ever. Thank you ‘!