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??
Making the Butter chicken do you throw the eksyta marinade away or goes that also in the pan? If not you could probable freeze it??
Absolutely delicious.
My french husband who loves indian food more than french food itself said that the butter chicken was so amazing. It was even much better than butter chicken we usually order in Indian restaurant here.
PS. I live in Indonesia.
Thanks, Nagi. You’re very inspiring.
That’s awesome to hear Putri!!! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Can I substitute the chicken for fish?
You sure could Tracey, it will just need to be a hardy white fish that can hold up to the cooking – N x
First time I have ever even had butter chicken so I can’t speak for the authenticity but I can speak for the flavor…DELICIOUS! My whole family (husband and two teens) loved it, too. I even used nonfat Greek yogurt in the marinade and half&half as opposed to heavy cream in the sauce. It was still creamy and wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
Glad to hear your family enjoyed it Susan! Thanks for leaving a comment! – Nx
I have made butter chicken, but this one looks better and easier I will certainly be trying this one.
Love to know what you think of it once you try it!
Can you use chicken breast and is cooking time the same as thighs
Hi Julia, I prefer thighs as they’re juicier but if you want to use breast – cook with the same method – N x
Hi. Would this recipe work with paneer? I’m just thinking for vegetarians?
I’m sure it would Star!
We are truly Indian food lovers but that’s the best butter chicken I have eaten. Thank you
Quite by far the best curry I have ever made. I used butter to fry the chicken.
Absolutely superb Nagi.
Wahoo, I’m so glad you loved it Sue!
The butter chicken was a hit! We had some extra sauce left over and had the sauce over rice for leftovers tue next night. The kids loved it, and so did the big kids!
Perfect!!
Loved this! Just wondering if it would be okay to freeze once it’s all cooked?
Sure can Miriam – N x
Another cracking recipe! SO GOOD! And SO EASY! I overate it was so tasty 😋
Nagi, you are a welcome addition to our family mealtimes.
WE LOVE YOUR RECIPES!
Our deepest and heartfelt full tummies gratitude 🙏
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Rowena!
Absolutely delicious! Hubby loved it too which was another win. Thanks Nagi. You’re the only food genious that I follow and trust!
Aww thanks Nycolle!
An absolute hit. So authentic.
Wahoo, I’m so happy you loved it Rose!
Thank you sooo much for this recipe! Note to others, don’t freeze the marinaded chicken for later as the yoghurt curdles. Found that the hard way haha. But this is amazing!
I love your recipes, so hard to find good tried and tested recipes on the net, this site is my new go too for dinner ideas
Thank you so much xx
Hi Ami! You’re right the yogurt does curdle but it doesn’t really matter once cooked 🙂 Glad you are enjoying my recipes, thanks Ami! N xx
Do you think this would freeze ok with the yoghurt and cream? I love this curry and am planning to make enough to cater for a big group of people.
This looks delicious, I love curry I’ll try this for sure.
You’ll love it Remi!
Amazing we all loved this
Great Tonya!
Your recipes are wonderful. Grew up on Indian foods currys of all linds lentils pickled condiments ect. You’ve provided easy good recipe’s
Thanks so much Jennifer!
Thank you Nagi for this great Recipe. I have made this a few times now and everytime it received raving feedback. This is always in my favourite list. As we are lactose intolerant, I replaced the cream with coconut cream instead and it taste wonderful.
hat’s so great to know Jody!!