Butter Chicken

4.67 from 21 votes

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: Indian Recipes

Keyword: Butter Chicken

Servings: people

Author: Bee Yinn Low

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.

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