Butter Chicken is the ultimate comfort food that the whole family will enjoy! With this simple recipe, you can make the best flavor-packed, creamy, and delicious authentic Indian Butter Chicken at home. For a simple Indian meal, serve it with butter naan, roti, chapati, plain paratha, steamed basmati rice, or jeera rice. In this post, further will show you how to make authentic North Indian Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani. We will be discussing some tips and tricks, substitutions, and notes to create one of the most flavorful and succulent Butter Chickens.
About Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken, sometimes referred to as Chicken Makhani, is a traditional Indian meal created by cooking marinated and grilled chicken (Tandoori chicken) in a spicy, fragrant, buttery, and creamy tomato gravy. Indian food lovers all across the world are incredibly devoted to this mouthwatering and delectable dish.
The creation of Butter Chicken Recipe is credited to Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, owners, and partners of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India, between 1930 and 1935. In spite of frequently having huge orders of tandoori chicken, the restaurant occasionally had dry leftovers.
To use up the dry Tandoori Chicken that was left behind, butter chicken was created. Large pieces of grilled chicken were cut into dice and cooked in a thick tomato sauce that was creamy and buttery. That is how the dish known as Murgh Makhani – Chicken Makhani was created.
Authentic Indian Food
Butter chicken is a well-known Indian dish. Kundan Lal Gujral of the renowned Moti Mahal restaurant chain is reported to have created it by mixing leftover cooked tandoori chicken with tomato gravy.
Later, this leftover dish recipe became so popular that it is now enjoyed by people all over the world. However, there is no doubt that it is an Indian dish, as opposed to its counterpart Chicken Tikka Masala, which was invented in the UK and is spicier than butter chicken.
How to make Butter Chicken Recipe
Tandoori-grilled chicken is used to make the original and authentic Butter Chicken. First, thick Hung curd, spices, and herbs are marinated overnight with bone-in chicken. This marinade gives the meat a tonne of flavor, naturally tenderizes it, and aids in keeping it succulent after grilling.
The marinated chicken is then roasted in a tandoor, a clay oven that gives it a distinctive smoky scent. This is then sliced and cooked in a spicy, buttery, creamy tomato sauce.
Because we do not have a tandoor at home, the marinated chicken must be roasted in a pan or oven, or grilled over an open fire (barbeque). We will be using a pan for roasting the chicken in this post. You can grill/bake the chicken in the oven or over an open fire.
Ingredients for Marination
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon salt (as per taste)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (as per taste)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon of oil
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd
Ingredients for Making Gravy
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 cinnamon (2-inch piece)
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 to 2 green chilies (deseed, slit or chop, avoid for kids)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika (adjust to suit your taste and color)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons garam masala (adjust to taste, divided)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed
Butter Chicken Recipe | Indian Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients for First Marination
- ½ kg Boneless Chicken
- ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt (as per paste)
- ¾ tsp Lemon Juice
Ingredients for Second Marination
- ⅓ cup Geek Yogurt
- ¾ tsp Vegetable Oli
- ¾ tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- ¾ tsp Garam Masala
- ⅛ tbsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
Ingredients for Butter Chicken Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ¾ tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder (as per taste)
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Salt (as per taste)
- 1 tsp Sugar (to balance the flavor)
- ½ tsp Fenugreek Leaves (kasuri methi)
- 2 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 2 Cloves
- 3 cup Fresh Tomato Puree
- 1 Green Chilli
- 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
- 20 Cashews
- ½ cup Water
- 1½ cup Hot Water
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
Marination Direction
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Place the chicken in a large mixing basin and press dry if necessary to remove extra moisture. Add the lemon juice, chili powder, and salt to taste. To marinate, combine all ingredients thoroughly. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
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Next, combine the yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly.
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Refrigerate it for at least 12 hours. A longer resting time makes the chicken tender and juicy.
Direction for Making Tomato and Cashew Puree
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Soak the cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes before using then combine the cashews and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Set these aside.
Directions for Butter Chicken Gravy/ Sauce
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When you're ready to start cooking the butter chicken, remove the chicken from the refrigerator since we don't want to cook cold chicken.
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Heat the butter in a skillet and add the whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamoms.
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Heat the butter in the pan and add the whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamoms.
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Allow them to sizzle for a minute. Mix in the ginger garlic paste and green chilies. Fry for two minutes on low heat, until aromatic but not burned.
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Remove from the heat and mix in the red chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder, and coriander powder.
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Place the strainer over the pot and sieve the pureed tomatoes. Pass the puree using a sturdy spoon.
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Mix thoroughly and cover partially, bring it to a boil at high flame. Reduce the heat to low or medium and continue to cook, slightly covered, until the tomato puree thickens. Continue to stir in between. This stage takes roughly 15 minutes without the cashews. It takes less time with cashews.
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When the tomato puree has thickened, stir in the Cashew puree. Pour in boiling water and combine.
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Simmer for 10 minutes, slightly covered, until the sauce thickens and traces of fat/butter are visible on top of the sauce.
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Cook the chicken in the oven or on the stove while the sauce simmers.
Grill the Chicken in the Oven
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Preheat the oven to 240C (460F) for at least 15 minutes. Place the chicken on moistened wooden skewers or on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. You will have to turn to the other side in between. The chicken should be moist and not overdone.
Roast the Chicken on the Stovetop
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Heat one tablespoon of butter or ghee in a griddle/pan on the stove. Place the marinated chicken pieces on top, slightly apart.
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Fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Turn the chicken pieces over, being careful not to burn or overcook them.
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Cook until the chicken is done and the marinade has completely evaporated. Depending on the size of your pan, roast the chicken pieces in 2 to 3 batches. At this point, the chicken does not need to be entirely cooked.
Note:
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If you want browned chicken, turn up the heat to high and roast until golden or light brown on both sides. Take caution not to burn the masala or overcook the chicken.
Steps to Make Butter Chicken
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Add the chicken to the butter chicken gravy. If the sauce is too thick, add extra hot water (approximately ½ cup). Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is tender. This additional water is not specified in the recipe and is optional depending on the amount of time you cook.
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Combine the salt, sugar, and kasuri methi in the gravy.
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Mix in the heavy cream in the butter chicken sauce.
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Garnish the Butter Chicken with coriander leaves and cream.
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Serve the hot Butter Chicken either with butter naan or with jeer rice.
FAQ
The key difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka is the amount of creaminess; butter chicken is significantly creamier, whereas chicken tikka masala relies on tomatoes and other spices.
The northern Indian city of Delhi is where Butter Chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, initially appeared. This delicious dish, which was prepared with a lot of butter, has since gained popularity as a food staple all over the world.
There are several options that can enhance the flavor of your butter chicken, from traditional Indian sides like naan bread, tandoori roti, butter naan, and jeera rice to more global fare like roasted veggies or mashed potatoes.
Compared to most Indian curries, which begin with an onion and ginger garlic paste mixture cooked in oil, the base for butter chicken is a tomato mixture cooked in butter, giving it a slightly sweet flavor. The recipe becomes richer and sweeter with the addition of cashews.
Traditional butter chicken recipes often contain high amounts of saturated fat and calories, making it a less healthy option. However, there are ways to make a healthier version of butter chicken by using leaner cuts of chicken and reducing the amount of butter and cream used in the recipe.
