Make authentic Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) at home with this easy, restaurant-style Indian recipe. Creamy, mildly spiced, and full of flavour, it’s perfect served with naan or basmati rice.
Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is one of the most popular Indian curries enjoyed around the world. This restaurant-style butter chicken recipe is rich, creamy, mildly spiced, and incredibly flavorful. If you’ve been looking for an easy homemade butter chicken recipe that tastes like takeout, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re cooking for a family dinner, special occasion, or just craving something indulgent, this authentic North Indian style butter chicken will become a go-to in your kitchen.
Follow this step-by-step butter chicken guide to make a delicious curry that’s better than any jarred sauce or takeaway.
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, is a classic North Indian curry made with marinated chicken cooked in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. Enriched with butter, cream, and aromatic spices, it has a smooth, velvety texture and a signature orange-red color. Originating from Delhi, this dish is now loved around the world.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve tried and tested several Butter Chicken recipes, and this one is the ultimate version. It uses minimal ingredients and less cooking time while delivering maximum flavor. Unlike many recipes, it’s not overloaded with cream or butter, striking the perfect balance of spices and sauce consistency.
Whether you’re cooking for a family dinner, a special occasion, or just craving something indulgent, this authentic North Indian style Butter Chicken will quickly become a go-to recipe in your kitchen.
Best of all, once you try it, you’ll never rely on jarred sauces or takeout again, which can often be too sweet or heavy.
Ingredients For Authentic Butter Chicken
Chicken – use boneless breast or thigh fillets. you can also mix it up.
Marinade For Butter Chicken:
- Plain Yoghurt: Plain yoghurt or Greek Yoghurt. Acts as a tenderizer and base for the marinade, giving the chicken a creamy texture.
- Garlic Ginger Paste:Use fresh ginger garlic for best taste.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds flavour and tenderises the chicken.
- Spices : Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Cumin Powder & Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Kashmiri Red Chilli / Paprika (1 tsp)
Sauce For Butter Chicken
- Onion : Forms the savory base of the sauce.
- Tomato – you can use fresh tomatoes or canned ones. Passata can also be used it works perfectly well to create smooth sauce.
- Cooking Oil: use any vegetable oil or olive oil
- Salt & Sugar: for balancing the sauce
- Spices : Red Chilli powder, Kashimri red Chilli powder, Turmeric, Cumin Powder and Coriander powder, Garam Masala and Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- Cream – you can use thickened cream or cooking cream. lite cream also works well.
- Butter : you can use either salted or unsalted.
- Coriander / Cilantro for garnish: Fresh herbal note to brighten the dish.
Step by Step – How to make Butter Chicken
Making authentic Butter Chicken is a simple 3-step process: marinate the chicken, cook the chicken, and prepare the sauce. Most of the ingredients used in the marinade and sauce overlap, which keeps the recipe flavorful yet straightforward.
1. Marinate the Chicken
Combine chicken with yogurt and aromatic spices to create a flavorful marinade. Ideally, marinate for 24 hours to allow the flavors to fully penetrate, but if you’re short on time, at least 1 hour will work.
2. Cook the Chicken
Grill or sear the marinated chicken pieces in a grill pan or skillet. Cook until the marinade dries slightly and the chicken is cooked through, developing a lightly charred, smoky flavor.
3. Prepare the Sauce
The sauce is the heart of Butter Chicken. Sauté onions, ginger, and garlic, then add tomatoes and spices. Allow the mixture to simmer for at least 30 minutes to build rich flavor. Blend and sieve the sauce to remove any fibers from onions or tomato skins, creating a smooth, velvety texture. You don’t need excessive cream or butter—the right balance of ingredients gives rich, indulgent flavor naturally.
4. Combine and Finish
Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Finish with a touch of cream and a pat of butter if desired. Garnish with fresh coriander for a final touch.
Tips for the Best Butter Chicken
- Blend and Sieve the Sauce: For an ultra-smooth, velvety sauce, always blend and strain the tomato-onion mixture.
- Choose Boneless Chicken Thighs: They stay juicier and more tender than chicken breast.
- Add Smoky Flavor: Cook the chicken on a grill or over charcoal for a subtle smoky taste.
- Use Kashmiri Chili Powder: It gives the sauce a vibrant red color without making it too spicy. If unavailable, sweet paprika is a great substitute.
- Don’t Skip Kasuri Methi: Dried fenugreek leaves add a signature buttery aroma and earthy depth to the sauce. If you can’t find it, the recipe still works, but the flavor is less authentic.
Serving Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken pairs perfectly with steamed basmati rice or soft naan. For a complete meal, serve it alongside a simple salad of cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, dressed with lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
You can also try Easy Naan (Flatbread) for dipping into the rich, creamy sauce—making each bite indulgent and flavorful.
Can you freeze Butter Chicken?
Yes! Butter Chicken freezes very well, making it perfect for meal prep or making ahead. You can also store it in the fridge for 2–3 days, and it often tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop.
To freeze, let the curry cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. When ready to eat, thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of water to restore the creamy consistency.
OTHER CURRIES TO TRY:
Authentic Chicken Korma
Boneless Chicken Karahi
Lamb Rogan Josh
Chicken Curry
Authentic Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 700 g Boneless Chicken
Marinade
- ¼ cup Plain Yoghurt
- 1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli (Alternative Paprika)
Sauce
- 1 Large onion finely chopped
- 2 Large Tomato finely chopped See Notes
- 1/4 cup Cooking Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder See Notes
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- ¼ tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- ¼ cup Cream See Notes
- 1 tbsp Butter
- Coriander/Cilantro for Garnish
- Sugar See Notes
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1½ inch thin pieces.
- In a mixing bowl combine chicken with all the marinade ingredients.
- Marinate chicken for at least half an hour or up to 24 hours for the best results.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry onion until sautéed. Add garlic and ginger, fry for 2 minutes on low heat.
- Add all the spices except Kasuri Methi and Garam masala and fry for another minute and then add tomatoes.
- Add 1¼ cup of water, once the water starts to boil, cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, you can cook the chicken. Heat oil in a pan or skillet.
- Put chicken in the pan but make sure the pan is not too overcrowded. Turn the sides to get nice colour on each side.
- Take the cooked chicken out and set aside.
- Pour the sauce in a blender or using a stick blender puree it. Pour it back into the same pot using a sieve. Using a spatula make sure all the liquid is strained leaving behind only fiber from tomato and onion. Discard that.
- On medium low heat allow the sauce to heat up again and then add the grilled chicken.
- Add cream gradually while stirring the sauce. Make sure the cream is at room temperature, not cold straight from the fridge.
- Lastly add butter and some kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and garam masala.
- Taste test at this stage and add a little bit of sugar if the sauce is bit tart. Adjust salt if required. Once the sauce starts bubbling its ready.
- Drizzle a little bit cream and garnish with finely chopped coriander/cilantro
- Serve with steamed rice or naan.
Notes
- If Kashmiri red chilli is not available use Paprika.
- You can choose between full fat cream, cooking cream or lite cream. Even sour cream works perfectly fine.
- Use very finely chopped tomatoes. Canned crushed tomatoes can also be used. you can also use passata.
- You will need little bit of sugar to adjust the tartness of tomatoes. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and sugar as needed, but avoid making it too sweet.”
The best butter chicken ever. I loved the flavour so much better than what you get in restaurants. It’s so easy to make, little bit time consuming but totally worth it !!
Im so glad that you liked this. I agree a little bit of extra steps but definitely worth it.
What an amazing recipe. I love your method of making butter chicken. It’s so easy and no unnecessary ingredients. I recommend this to anyone who want to make butter chicken at home from scratch
Thanks for your comments. Im glad that you liked this recipe.
What a recipe. I only had butter chicken at restaurant but never tried at home. This recipe was so easy and the flavour was full on. I would say it was better than restaurants. The only mistake i made first time was to add cream which was straight from the fridge . It was my fault next time i made it i fixed it by putting cream outside for room temperature.
Thankyou Sara, its good to know that you liked this recipe. Cream or Yoghurt always at room temperature, im glad that you were able to figure it out 😊