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??
Hello, I’d love to know if I can successfully freeze this recipe with rice.
Thank you.
Yes you can Romanca – the sauce gets a bit more watery but it’s still tasty! N x
I just want you to say, I am not an intuitive cook, but I can read and follow the step by step instructions/ videos of how it is supposed to look. The way Nagi has set out and explained the recipes (all of them) is essentially idiot-proof.
I can’t thank you enough you have quadrupled my repertoire and my family thanks you.
I am happy that you liked it Marthi! N x
Another recipe I love! A regular meal for the family now 😊
This is a truly beautiful recipe which I will make again and again
I am happy that you liked it Teresa!! N x
Used FF 1/2 &1/2 Great taste buta little thin.
Very best butter chicken recipe ever! We keep making it! And works perfectly with coconut cream instead of ordinary…for those who keep off dairy!
That’s great to know Ness! Thanks!! N x
This recipe is fantastic, I LOVE that it incorporates the marinade — nothing wasted. I made it two weekends in a row, and it’s definitely my go-to now for this. Especially since it’s so easy to have the components at home and you can make it on a whim (-ish, it’s better with an overnight marinade).
That said, I do feel it’s better without the added salt, it’s just too much and doesn’t need it at all, there’s so many strong flavors already competing. Even my kid was commenting how salty it was the first time. We all loved it without the extra salt this time.
I’m happy you liked it Wesley! N x
I have made many versions of butter chicken. This recipe is the best by far. It is now my recipe of choice – relatively simple compared to some very complicated recipes. Everything of Nagi’s has turned out tops for me. Thankyou Nagi
I am happy that you enjoyed it Vivien! N x
Can I cook this and put over rice and freeze for a quick dinner or will the chicken/sauce not thaw well?
It freezes ok…just a bit more watery than when it’s made fresh…but still tastes delicious!
Thanks Ness!
I just love all Nagis recipes. Have tried so many and never found one that everyone hasnt loved. So many favorites..and when I try something new the whole family says ‘is this recipetineats?’. Your website is always the first place I look when looking for a recipe. Thanks Nagi!!
Normally love all of Nagi’s recipes especially the Chinese ones. But as an Indian, I found it lacking a bit of punch. But its perfect for kids and I’ll definitely make it again for my in-laws who don’t like spice.
This is now my ‘go to’ recipe for butter chicken. My old recipe was too time consuming and frankly didn’t taste as good. This is now my husband’s favourite. I ad frozen peas at the end-just my quirk I guess, and serve with basmati. Will have to try that easy naan bread if I get ambitious enough!!
I am happy you enjoyed it Shawna! N x
Can this be frozen? Would love to be able to layer on top of cooked rice as a freezer meal.
This recipe sounds delicious. Instead of stove stop cooking could I put it in the slow cooker for a few hours to cook?
Hi, I’ve made this many times before to great success. However, I’ve recently become a vegetarian. I’m cooking it tonight for my family & want to make a vegetarian version for me. What should I use? I have tofu, jackfruit… normal vegetables… Anyone recommend anything?
I often use this gravy with paneer – which I also make from scratch as it’s so easy. Hope this helps?
I personally enjoy tofu, and I think tofu would be a great option!
Yes, I used tofu, cauliflower, red pepper & cashews 😋 Worked a treat!! Some internet users suggest “paneer”, but didn’t want it clasing with the tofu.
Hi I previously asked how I could stop the sauce for from being looking like it’s not smooth even though I’ve blitzed it and can’t find the reply? I believe it was something to do with when/how the cream was as added. Can you advice please
Hi Nagi, what changes would I make to convert this to a slow cooker dish? I’ve done it before but it ends up very saucy!
You do a spectacular job of putting words together to explain and i think you will be my steady go to girl.
Making butter chicken and flatbread today! Id liketo perform a little dance for you to express my gratitude but I got schtuff to do…food to make… perhaps one day…thank you!!
💥💥💥
Thanks Niina – you go girl!!! N x
This recipe was easy to make and so delicious, my daughter said it is the best butter chicken she has eaten!
Hi Nagi, love your recipes. Could I use coconut milk/cream instead of normal cream?
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for this recipe! Really easy to follow and I get the same satisfaction from eating at an Indian Restaurant. You’re fab! ❤️