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Butter Chicken - easy and authentic Indian butter chicken recipe that tastes just like your favorite restaurant. The creamy sauce is great with basmati rice and naan bread.
Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
Butter chicken is a creamy, tomato-based and spice-laden chicken curry and it’s probably one of the most popular Indian curry recipes, other than Indian chicken curry and chicken tikka masala.
The best and most authentic butter chicken is made with tandoori chicken, butter, with tomatoes, whipping cream and various Indian spices.
You can make homemade butter chicken on a stove top, or you can also make Instant Pot Butter Chicken, or using a pressure cooker.
Butter Chicken Curry Sauce
The creamy sauce calls for ingredients such as tomatoes, whipping cream and various spices like red chili powder, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, etc.
The rich and creamy flavors come from the tomatoes and the cream, making the taste absolutely delightful to the palate. The butter chicken sauce is amazing with steamed basmati rice or naan.
Adding Vegetables To Butter Chicken
Authentic butter chicken has no vegetables and if you want authentic flavors, do not add vegetables. The creamy sauce is made with fresh tomatoes so it’s loaded with nutrition.
How Do You Cook Indian Butter Chicken
First, you prepare the chicken by marinating the chicken with ginger, garlic, chili powder and lime juice. Cook or grill the marinated chicken until the chicken turns brown on the surface.
To make the butter chicken sauce, use fresh tomatoes and cook until they break down, about 5-7 minutes. Add the spices (cardamom, cloves cinnamon), ketchup, sugar, chili powder, butter and heavy cream. Remove the butter chicken from the heat, top with chopped cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 506 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Butter Chicken
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs (1kg) chicken, preferably thigh meat, boneless and skinless, cut into 2-3 inch (5cm-7cm)pieces
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 1-2 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, or lemon juice
- 2 pinches food color, deep orange, optional
Creamy Tomato Sauce
- 4 large tomatoes, quartered
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 inch (5cm) cinnamon piece
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 2 green cardamom
- 6 whole black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup water
Garnishing
- Chopped cilantro
- Heavy cream
Instructions
Chicken
- Wash and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer it to a large bowl. Add all the chicken ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or pan. Transfer the chicken and marinade to the wok or pan. Cook on medium-high heat until the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is browned on the surface, about 10–15 minutes. You can also grill the chicken if preferred.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean platter. The chicken can be cooked a day in advance.
Sauce
- In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the green cardamom pods, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Sauté the spices for 30–40 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic paste, and stir-fry for a minute. Then, add the tomatoes and jalapeño along with ½ cup of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5–7 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and start to break down. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
- Remove all the whole spices (cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black pepper) and discard them. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and puree it to create a smooth sauce.
- Transfer the sauce to a clean pan and add the ketchup, sugar, red chili powder, salt, dried fenugreek leaves, and the remaining water. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Then, add the butter, stir, and simmer on the lowest heat for 5–7 minutes, or until the sauce starts to bubble. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water.
- Add the cooked chicken and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the butter chicken from the heat and top with chopped cilantro and heavy cream. Serve immediately with naan bread or rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I omit the ginger and I am not a fan of ginger
Yes, you can omit the ginger. However, in this recipe, you won’t be able to taste the ginger straight up due to the heavy spices. But it does play a big part in the overall flavour.
Delicious, thanks for the recipe.
My 11yr old son and I made naan and butter chicken. It was such a simple yet delicious recipe!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
this looks scrumptious ? I’ll make this when i have the ingredients!
this looks scrumptious ? I’ll make this when i have the ingredients!
Can’t wait to try this butter chicken recipe. We’re missing our local Indian restaurant during lockdown. I’ve just made the naan bread dough. It came together beautifully. Giving it a nice long proof to make sure it’s super light. Mmm!
Hi Kim, yes please try this or Chicken Tikka Masala on my site. Awesome!
thank u for the recipe. will definitely try it.
Thanks Raisa, please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
This is an amazing recipe. My whole family thought it was better than any Butter Chicken we have had at an Indian restaurant – and we love Indian food. So good! Thank you!
This is an amazing recipe. My whole family thought it was better than any Butter Chicken we have had at an Indian restaurant – and we love Indian food. So good! Thank you!
Can I just use garam marsala instead of all the individual spices? If so how much would you recommend using?
You can try but I can’t assure you with the same results with this butter chicken.