Make rich, creamy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) at home with this easy, authentic Indian recipe. A step-by-step guide for restaurant-style curry that’s perfect with naan or 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 (Murgh Makhani) is a classic dish from North Indian cuisine. It features marinated chicken cooked in a velvety tomato-based sauce, enriched with butter, cream, and aromatic spices. The result is a mild chicken curry with bold yet balanced flavors.
This dish originated in Delhi and is now a global favorite, known for its smooth, creamy texture and signature orange-red color.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I have tried and tested few recipes for Butter chicken. And this is The Recipe! Minimum ingredients, less cooking time and maximum flavour. It’s not loaded with cream and butter. The key is the perfect sauce with right balance of spices and consistency. All this makes it a winner recipe.
Once you try to make this recipe you won’t buy readymade sauce or even takeaways which are most of the time hit and miss too. I find it either too sweet or very heavy from too much cream and lots of red food colour.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CHICKEN
The recipe for butter chicken is a 3-step process, marinating the chicken, grilling the chicken and preparing the sauce. Most of the ingredients used in the sauce and marinade are the same.
- Marinate Chicken in yoghurt and spices. Ideally it should be left to marinate for 24 hours but if you are pressed for time marinate it for at least an hour.
- Cook Chicken – Grill the chicken pieces in a grill pan or skillet. Cook until the marinade dries up and chicken is cooked thoroughly.
- Make sauce – The sauce is the main element of Butter Chicken. Smooth tomato-based sauce with rich flavour. And the best part you don’t need loads of cream or butter to get that flavour. For the best tasting sauce allow onions, ginger garlic and tomatoes to simmer for at least 30 mins. Then blend it and sieve the mixture, getting rid of fiber from onions and tomato skin. This gives a smooth velvety texture to the sauce.
- Combine and Finish – Add the cooked chicken to the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Finish with a touch of cream and more butter, if desired.
Tips for the Best Butter Chicken
- Blend and sieve the sauce if you want it ultra-smooth.
- Use boneless chicken thighs for juicier results.
- For extra flavor, cook the chicken on a grill or over charcoal.
- Always use Kashmiri chili powder to get that vibrant color without too much heat. It gives deep colour to the sauce. If you don’t have Kashmiri red chilli powder, use sweet paprika instead.
- Don’t skip kasuri methi – it adds the signature butter chicken aroma. It has beautiful earthy aroma and adds depth to the sauce. If you can’t find it, you can skip it as it doesn’t break the recipe.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
Butter chicken goes well with steamed rice and naan. Try Easy Naan (Flat Bread) to go with this gravy. Just cut up some cucumbers, onions and tomatoes dressed with lemon juice and salt to serve as a salad.
CAN YOU FREEZE BUTTER CHICKEN?
Butter chicken is one of the curries that freezes well and is perfect for making ahead. You can even keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Infact, it tastes better the next day!
Once it cools down, freeze it in a freezer safe container. Thaw before consuming and heat it up in either microwave or over the stove top in a pot. Add a little bit of water if sauce seems to be very thick.
OTHER CURRIES TO TRY:
Authentic Chicken Korma
Boneless Chicken Karahi
Lamb Rogan Josh
Chicken Curry
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
- 1 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
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 more salt if required. Once the sauce starts bubbling its ready.
- Drizzle a little bit cream and garnish with finely chopped corriander/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.
