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??
Hi Nagi. I love your recipes and I have the chicken marinating now for dinner tomorrow. One question, in the video it looks like you add the rest of the marinade to the tomato and cream sauce. But that it not mentioned in the written recipe. Can you please clarify if I should do that? Thank you so much.
It was delicious! There was very little marinate left but I added it to the sauce. I went light on the cayenne because I wasn’t sure of the spiciness. It was perfect. Husband and 13 year old enjoyed it. It look a little longer than 20 mins to get the sauce to the thickness and rich red color I wanted. But I will definitely make it again! Thanks for another winner Nagi!
It was delicious! There was very little marinate left but I added it to the sauce. I went light on the cayenne because I wasn’t sure of the spiciness. It was perfect. Husband and 13 year old enjoyed it. It look a little longer than 20 mins to get the sauce to the thickness and rich red color I wanted. But I will definitely make it again! Thanks for another winner Nagi!
The essential ingredient in butter chicken is missing! You must add methi (dried fenugreek leaf)!
Hi S, you can if you like but I don’t for my recipe 🙂 N X
I made this today and it was sooooooo amazingly good! Everyone loved it! What made it an absolute winner for me was how easy it was to make. I upped the garlic and ginger amounts slightly to my liking, that was it. Also maybe upped the marinade spices slightly. Instead of a tsp, i added a tsp and a half. But most certainly a brilliant recipe and i cant wait to try your other recipes. Thank you so much, Nagi!!
Delicious! We have moved to an area where there are not any Indian restaurants near by and we miss Indian food very much! I am so excited to try more of your recipes this was a hit! Thank you!
Navi, you’ve done it again ! This was amazing! My family loved it. All these years I’ve been buying the jar sauce, your sauce tops that 100%.
Thank you so much!
I’m making this today but have a question. Are there no spices in the sauce? It says just salt and pepper. All the lovely flavors are only in the marinade. Do I add the marinade to the sauce at any point?….or just throw it away? HELP!!
Nagi, you’ve done it again ! This was amazing! My family loved it. All these years I’ve been buying the jar sauce, your sauce tops that 100%.
Thank you so much!
Just writing out the butter chicken recipe. I guess you have to throw the marinade away. I am new to your page. Loving it
sorry this Butter chicken had zero flavor, was very disappointed to be honest and my partner was disappointed after I marinated the chicken for 24 hours.
Hi Misha, sorry you had issues, sounds like you went wrong somewhere! I pride myself on big bold flavours and would never post something with zero flavour! N x
No onions in the tomato gravy?? This feels wrong haha
Hi Nagi!
Totally love this recipe!!
What would be the calorie content if I swapped the full fat youghurt to fat free and the heave cream to light cream?
Oh wow! Absolutely delicious!! I also made your flatbread recipe and it was sooo good! Thank you Nagi!!
YUMMMMM
Amazing flavours and easy to cook! Nagi you have done it again. Your recipes never disappoint and this dish is being added to our family favourites! Made the flatbread too which was delicious with the sauce
Love you recipes . Have not had any new ones since before Christmas , hope all is well
We cooked this the other night and it was fantastic! I love Indian food, but there is nothing quick and easy [normally] when it comes to Indian food. This is fast and delicious and could even be a weekday meal. Thanks for posting. I shared this with a friend who was looking for fast Indian recipes. For the pepper powder, I used Urfa Biber pepper flakes and some cayenne. Full fat yoghurt is difficult to find here in the States unless you purchase it by the quart. I used non-fat Greek. I DID however, use homemade ghee 🙂
Nagi, this is hands-down, my husband and my FAVORITE dish – HOME RUN!! I also recently discovered riced cauliflower – game changer – and I don’t like cauliflower!? But it totally replaces rice forever for me! Anyhoo, I pre-cooked this and took it camping with us – when I was re-heating, I added too much water and it became the best mistake I’ve ever made – Butter Chix Soup with riced Cauli! My preference in a soup would be shredded chix. IF I don’t marinate but cook all of the ingredients together in a crock-pot, adding the yogurt at the very end, after I’ve shredded the chix, would I have ruined everything?? Anyone else’s thoughts?? Thanks!
Hi Karen, yes it would change the recipe, the yogurt tenderises the meat so it really needs to be a part of the marinade. Love the idea of butter chicken soup though!! N x
Nagi, thanks for the reply – sweet of you to take time to do so. When you ask about what I’d like to see …it would be some of the ‘whys’ of recipies. I have a cinnamon roll recipe that calls for nearly a boil of milk, oil, sugar before cooling to add yeast. Another cake that calls for boiling water added to the chocolate. Why this extra step of heating before? These are examples of the ‘whys’ of a recipe. Thanks for all you do!
Hi, I’m wanting to add potatoes to the curry. Do you suggest boiling them for 5 minutes first then adding them when I add the cream? Thanks
Hi Jamie, you can add potatoes if you like but yes, I would pre cook before adding to the curry for the last simmer before serving. N x
I’m not one for leaving comments but it would be a crime not to. Made this for dinner and boy o boy did we enjoy it. Such a simple yet flavoursome recipe – I’d defo recommend. Discovering your recipes has been a lockdown lifesaver for me – thank you for taking the time to share and keeping me sane Nagi x
Thank you SO much Sarah, that’s so great to hear!! N x
Another kick @ss recipe Nagi, omg it’s absolutely amazing. I will NEVER use packet butter chicken (or buy take away) AGAIN!!!
WOOT! You’re converted Nick!!! N x
Holy Moly! This is absolutely the best butter chicken I have made ever! All the flavors took the recipe to a completely different level. I did a little dance while taste testing, knowing that I kicked it out of the park! My family was extremely obsessed with this recipe!
Hello Nagi! I just wanted to stop by to say that I use your butter chicken recipe all the time—myself and my family love it! I made your slow roasted leg of lamb for New Years (which btw turned out perfect) and decided to use this recipe with the leftovers. Boy, we were not disappointed! It was so so good!! Thank you so much for your recipes and the time it takes you to perfect each one. Cheers xo
Absolute heaven. Divine!! Best curry we have EVER had at home, and not far off best ever in our lives. Nagi, you’re a goddess.
I’ve cooked 6 of your recipes in the last week alone after discovering this website last week. The Turkey pot pie, chilli and cheese Mac, pavlova, this and a few others. All AMAZING.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I’ve followed you on Instagram too @ajaclare