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??
This was so good thank you! I’m yet to find a bad recipe on your website! I had hardly any time to marinade (45 mins) and didn’t add the sugar or as much salt but it was still incredibly yum. Great curry for the whole family – my 1 1/2 year old and 4 year old loved it.
I’m so glad it was a hit Erin! N x
Hey, i want to make this but I don’t have masala so what can I replace it with?
Hi Nora, you can make your own garam masala mix as follows:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Just wondering if I Can I use coconut milk instead of cream?
Sure can Jen! N x
My favourite curry…and now I can make it at home. Only adjustment I made was adding 1.5tsp of fenugreek at the end and stirred through. It just added that richness I was after. Wonderful. Thanks.
Sounds perfect Liz! N x
So yummy! enough said:)
Thanks Marlene! ❤️
so good i can taste it
Best butter chicken recipe by far! I make it with store bought pasta sauce (garlic and onion flavour) instead of passata.. I find it’s more flavorsome! And I only marinate it for an hour when I don’t have time and still tastes as amazing (obviously longer is better)
Sounds perfect Leen!!
I don’t have masala here what can I do do make this work
Did you blend up the marinade? Makes a huge difference!
Hi. Made this and tasted super yummy. Just had a question on the sauce – mine wasn’t as smooth as how it looked in the photo/video above. Any thoughts on what could have caused it? Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Hi L, when you say not as smooth, what consistency was it? N x
Hi 🙂 It was quite thick and doest have that texture that just flows smoothly when you scoop it.
Is it ok to use chicken breast in this recipe instead of thighs, I have some in the freezer I’m trying to use up.
Hi Roslyn, I prefer thigh as it’s juicier but you can definitely use breast if you prefer. N x
Hi Nagi!
Im trying this recipe out tonight:)
am i able to use tomato paste instead of puree?
I don’t have tumeric powder on hand, can i leave this out as well?
Thanks!:)
Hi Nicole, I talk about subs in the recipe notes – do not use tomato paste as it’s a concentrate! You can also just leave the tumeric out! N x
This was delicious! I thought this was even better than the Chicken Tikka Masala. We did it with a side of jasmine rice and sautéed snap peas.
Wahoo! N x
The best butter chicken I’ve had. I love all your recipes. I haven’t had one that I haven’t enjoyed.
WOOT!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Vickie!! N x
I just made this for dinner for my bf and I-That was mind blowing delish! I’ll definitely be checking out your other dishes. Thanks Nagi 🙂
WOOT! That’s awesome to hear Jessica! N x
Hi Nagi,
How can I measure the amount of yoghurt in tablespoons or mls? I don’t have any access to much measuring devices.
Hi Li-an – 1/2 cup is 125ml – N x
Hi, 1/2 cup is approx 118.3 mls or 8 US tbs.
Thanks Daneille!
Better than any butter chicken I have had anywhere! My search for a butter chicken recipe had ended. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it Craig! N x
Amazing recipe. We loved it. Thank you!
You’re so welcome Nadine!! N x
Hi,
I was wondering
1. What brand of plain yoghurt you use and;
2. Can greek yoghurt be used as a substitute?
Hi Jessica, I use Farmers Union Greek yogurt 🙂 N x
Thanks 🙂 if I used chicken breast, will it still work well?
I have and it was absolutely fine.
Hi Nagi!!! Thank you for the delicious recipe! Even my 6 year old daughter loved it. Adding it to our rotation. 💗
Wahoo, that’s great Sara!! N x
Can I make this before and freeze it/ reheat it in portions over a few days?
OH MY WORD! This is BY FAR the best butter chicken I have ever had! Having only had it in restaurants before and making it at home with store bought sauce, I was a big fan. But I was too scared to try to make it from scratch because I always thought it was a lot of work. I will NEVER buy butter chicken sauce at the store again. The recipe was so easy to make and delicious!
That’s GREAT Ezanda!! N x