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??
Hi Nagy, I cooked your butter chicken last night with the flat bread, both were absolutely fantastic, my son who thinks he’s a butter chicken expert ( only eating it ) loved it. Tonight I cooked chicken jahita, oh my, superb with your flat bread. Thank you so much.
I’m pleased to hear your Butter Chicken Expert Son enjoyed it! N xx
Hi Nagi,
Just cooked the butter chicken after overnight marinated. This the best homemade butter chicken we have tried. Another big success. Thank you!!!
That’s fantastic to hear Helen! Thanks for letting me know – N xx
This is the BEST butter chicken recipe ever. I make this recipe every fortnight, without fail, it’s absolutely flawless.
Thank you!
That’s so terrific to hear Justin! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
I made this for the first time today and let me preface by saying that no one in my family but my sister actually likes Asian cuisine very much. But even my mum ate heaps of this and urged me to make it again soon and my sister commented that it tastes “exactly like butter chicken!” (meaning, like the one she eats at restaurants) which I take as a compliment of the highest order. Thanks for introducing this awesomely looking, incredibly tasty, very pleasing-to-all-palates, and easily made food to us!
(I’ve been making dozens of your dishes over the last several years but only just now figured that I could actually leave a comment and tell you how it went, what I liked about it, etc.)
HIGH PRAISE!!! So pleased it was a hit! N xx
The best Butter Chicken recipe I have EVER had outside of an Indian restaurant! Made a double batch of sauce for 4 people. Not a single drop left! Made your flatbread too. Love your recipes!
That’s fantastic to hear Michele! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N xx
Hello Nagi,
I cooked this tonight as a trial before Sunday. My husband loved it soooo much despite me facing some situation whilst cooking. He said your Butter Chicken is THE BUTTER CHICKEN!
1. During simmer for 20 minutes, do you cover the pot?
2. I burnt the bottom of the dish. Heat is on the lowest, which I think is quite high for simmer. So, for Sunday, do I add more ghee? Do I keep stirring the dish to prevent burning?
3. Can I use frozen chicken? For 40 people, I’ll need 7.5kg of meat!
In case you’re wondering what’s up with Sunday, I’m cooking for 40 to raise money for charity event for underprivileged Children’s hospital. Wish me luck!
And oh, I’ll definitely be doing your flatbread. Looking forward to it 🙂
Hi Sutton – wow what a compliment! 1. Don’t cover 2. Low heat for simmer should definitely not be high!!! Do you have a smaller burner? Maybe your stove is very hot. Yes stir stir stir. 3. Defrost the chicken first then yes of course! My #4: What a wonderful cause. I am going to make a video of this today that will hopefully help you with your questions. N xx
PS I will put at under the recipe, will be there later today 🙂
Thank you very much Nagi.
I’m not good in the kitchen but any help is a good help.
As I’ll be cooking for 40 people, is 5 kg of chicken sufficient? I’m afraid 7.5 kg is a bit too much. There will be many other stalls selling mains for the event.
I’m also thinking, as I will be using a bigger pot, do you think it will not burn? Especially as I’ll be stirring.
Sorry if this question is silly but do I stir occasionally or all the time?
And no, I do not have a small burner :/
One more thing, I’m running out of time to try and get 5kg of fresh chicken. How long is the least marinating time will be sufficient for flavors to build.
Or do you say better to marinate longer and serve immediately? Or marinade minimum time, cook, keep overnight and serve next day – reheated?
Hi Nagi, cooked this for dinner and deliciously addictive, my son loves it, in fact he will be packing the left-over for his school lunch! And he asked me to cook this again the soonest and double the quantity!! Definitely a keeper recipe. Thank you so much Nagi!
That’s so great to hear Maria! Thank you for letting me know – N xx ❤️
This was wonderful! I used half & half, non fat yogurt because that was all we had & a small can of tomato paste. I didn’t have garam masala so I made my own & it still turned out good! Thank-you! Plus I look forward to seeing that movie too, haven’t seen either one.
So pleased you enjoyed it Van! Thanks for letting me know! N xx❤️
Hi Nagi, I have a couple questions about the recipe:
1, Basically, you didn’t use any butter (according to your note number 3, you prefer using oil). So is it still make the dish “butter chicken”? Some other recipes use up to 6 tbsp butter.
2, After frying the chicken, what do I do with the leftover marinate sauce in the bowl? Do I add it in the pan together with the tomato sauce?
Thank you xx
Hi Hao! I was really interested to see that recipes that chefs / restaurants use do NOT use butter. In fact, in India, they don’t use butter, they use Ghee. The buttery flavour in butter chicken actually comes from the cream. 🙂
I’ve tried a few different curry recipes but this one is THE ONE. At first, I was skeptical about the simplicity of this recipe, but after making it I don’t think I will have to look any further for a go-to butter chicken!
I doubled the recipe and used four large chicken breasts instead of thighs (I knew I’d want extra sauce to dip some naan in). I also added an extra tsp of cayenne pepper with the salt and sugar to give it some extra heat. Next time I will try the lighter version, as this one is pretty heavy after adding the cream. Thanks for the great recipe and I look forward to trying more!
That’s so wonderful to hear Megan! ❤️ Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N xx
Literally about to cook this for dinner tonight. Just wondering if you could add the rest of the marinade after the chicken is cooked? Like when you add the passata sauce?
Hi Karla! Absolutely 🙂 There problem won’t be much left, so it will be scraping the bowl, if you know what I mean? 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi, would I be able to adapt this recipe to tthe slow cooker? looks great!
Sorry. I didn’t realise my question had posted the first time! thanks for the reply!
I can’t remember if I replied! So replying again 🙂 Unfortunately not, the sauce in this needs to reduce to thicken and that can’t happen in a slow cooker 🙂
Hahah thank you! Still can’t wait to try this on the hob!
I made this lastnight for the family. I chose to use the ghee instead of oil and tomato passata instead of pure. I followed everthing on the recipe and it was absolutely delicious. The whole family loved it . Every single bit was gone. Thanks for a great recipe
That’s terrific to hear Ash! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi, do you reckon this could be changed to go in a slow cooker? Looks amazing!
Hi Beth! Actually, I don’t think it will go so well in a slow cooker as you need the liquid to reduce to thicken slightly 🙂 Sorry to disappoint!
This recipe looks really great! I can’t wait to cook it tonight for my family. I have never tried butter chicken but my friends are always talking about it so I am so excited to try it. I will make sure to try some of your other recipes because I am sure they will be just as good!
I hope you do try it! This is truly terrific, one of my favourite curries!
Chicken is in the fridge marinating. Because I didnt have a anything to crush cloves I used already crushed cloves and crushed ginger from jar. Had no idea of consistency in regards to measurement wise once crushed so I used a tspn and cut back abit. Am hoping I did the right thing but I guess it is trial and error. Better to be a bit on the light side first time round just in case I over did it. Anyway it smell delicious so cant wait to see how it turns out. Have been wanting to find a receipe for ages to try. I love Butter Chicken but there was no way I was going to make it using a pre-mix. That is just wrong. Lol
This is absolutely the real thing. We love our Buttered Chicken and my husband loved it. A must try.
You’ll be fine! This recipe is pretty forgiving actually 🙂 The spices are the key!
PS Such a co incidence, I actually filmed this recipe yesterday, will be adding a recipe video shortly!
Hi Nagi
My favourite Indian dish is Butter Chicken (along with Chicken Tikka Marsala) – though I have super-mild tastes. I can’t stand more than a bite or two of anything hotter (on the opposite end of the scale to my Pakistani friend who likes everything super hot- we really can’t share meals when dining out!). I can’t believe you stole (I mean, appropriated…) this recipe from Luke Mangan. I’ll follow yours, all the same.
The biggest surprise is to discover that you can MICROWAVE papadums!!! I’ve seen these ‘deep fry’ packets in the supermarkets but, since I don’t have a deep fryer (nor that amount of oil) in my home, I presumed I couldn’t use them. I am definitely going to grab some of these now to go with this meal. Heck, I’ll buy them anyway, meal or not.
Can you believe my favourite local Indian restaurant gives you papadums and mint-cucumber raita for free when you dine in? My Paki friend took me to an Indian-Pakistani restaurant in Newtown the other week and they actually charged us for getting these! (On the other hand, their butter chicken was amazing, though the fish tika was too hot for me.)
Enough from me. More than enough from me. Cheerio x
I KNOW!!!! (Re Luke Mangan) I was shocked too! I am pretty sure this is the ONLY recipe of his I have ever used. And YES TO MICROWAVING PAPADUMS! It’s even my guilt free way of getting a chip fix 🙂 Rather than digging into a giant bag of greasy chips! PS On the free papadums, I’m so pathetic, I expect it now. So if I use a new place, I always ask them first if I get free pappadum – ba ha ha!!!!!
It was delicious! Eating some leftover butter chicken now! Nagi, I have to say I have tried so many of your recipes and none of them have failed me, so thank you for your recipes, they have revitalised dinner time! This recipe was pretty good, but I am struggling to find a butter chicken similar to Tandoori Sizzler in Dural (one of the best Indian Restaurants I have been to, and most delicious butter chicken). If you ever are in the area I would implore you to visit!
That’s so fantastic to hear! Thanks for letting me know Alex 🙂 N xx
Great recipe!
Could you substitute the yoghurt with similar things like creme fraiche? Or would it not taste the same?
Hi Esther! So pleased you enjoyed it! I don’t think it will taste the same, yoghurt has the right level of sourness to tenderise the chicken and adds flavour to the sauce 🙂
Looking forward to making this tonight. However, kind of deceptive to say total time is 35 mins when marinating requires much longer time than that.
Hi Monica, I’m sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately I am not a technical person and I don’t know how to add a marinating time box into the recipe card 🙁