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??
Made this twice now, rave reviews from the Mr, having a few over to watch the footy tonight and due to horrible weather, bbq cancelled, I have the chicken marinating ready to feed the fans, love this recipe
I’ve tried a few butter chicken recipes over the years and never been very satisfied. This is the one, it surpassed my expectations and incredibly easy to make.
The BOMB!
Best ever Butter Chicken.
Thanks Nagi xxx
Wahoo, thanks so much Fi! N x
Can you freeze this Butter Chicken and Rogan Josh? I am hosting a fairly large dinner and can’t make enough on the day. 🙂
Absolutely Carolyn! Curries, like all braises and stew-like foods, freeze very well 🙂 – Nxx
Am I able to make this recipe in a slow cooker as is? If so, how long would it take?
Great recipe! I adjusted the sauce by adding a heaped teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of garam masala (wanted a tad more spiciness) and a tablespoon of fenugreek leaves (methi kasuri)
This is an easy and delicious recipe. My husband asked me to make butter chicken and I told him that I had never made it but I would try, and he said “Yeah, maybe you can look at this recipe site you like, Nagi might know how to make it”. I have made so many recipes from your page over the last few months that you, dear Nagi, are becoming a household name in my home.
Wow, this was so full of flavour. I marinated the chicken overnight. Whole family loved it, was hoping for leftovers but it tasted too good so it was polished off. Thanks Nagi for another amazing recipe.
We really loved this recipe and the naan was also fabulous. Great meal!
Delighted! Followed the recipe as written and it was wonderful.
Good
What a great simple recipe!!, I’ve been making butter chicken from an Indian recipe – cashews, cinnamon, cloves, tomatoes etc, very labour intensive like 2 to 2.5hrs just for the gravy!. Your recipe was quick and better tasting just like Miss India restaurant, thanks Nagi love your recipes.
I am not an Indian food lover and thought I give this a go and I am so glad I did its now on the menu regularly and I am increasing the heat each time
This is delicious! Comes together easily and has wonderful flavor. Yum!
Currently residing in an area with a dearth of Indian restaurants but missing them terribly, I made this recipe exactly as written, as well as your recipe for the cucumber salad with yogurt/lemon dressing. Rounded out with some naan and basmati rice – I’m in a wonderful, wonderful “food coma” right now. Fantastic recipes, and so easy to follow! These are keepers! Many, many thanks!!
YUM! Sounds like you absolutely nailed it Neva! N x
My first attempt at butter chicken and my family LOVE ❤️ it. Thank you for another easy to follow recipe Nagi
Hi Nagi! I just wanted to say thank you for all your recipes, your page on Facebook has reignited my passion for cooking again and I can’t thank you enough.
I do need help with one of your recipes please, iv been making your butter chicken recipe which is a big winner in my house. But I have noticed that it looks as if the yoghurt curdles throughout the mixture and I can’t get it a smooth texture like it looks on your video. So it tastes a little grainy somewhat. Is this normal? Or am I doing something wrong for it to do this?
Hi Nagi. Just wondering if you could use coconut cream or milk instead of cream? Cheers Heidi
Hi Heidi, you sure can (It’s going to change the overall flavour though) N x
I can’t believe my 6 year old daughter ate it. She said “it was super delicious and thumbs up”. Feeding her can be challenging sometimes but this time it was super easy. Adding this recipe in my favourite dish.
Wowee! Finally a dinner everyone will eat. Ran out of cumin and subbed taco seasoning, couldnt even tell. Thank you Nagi! Another hit recipe that will go in my binder.