Butter chicken recipe – This post will guide you how to make butter chicken at home that tastes absolutely delicious, flavor packed, creamy and rich. Butter chicken also known as chicken makhani is one of the most popular, lip smacking and delicious dishes that’s been loved by many across the world. Paired with naan or kulcha is a delight which most Indians love during their restaurant visits.
There are so many versions of butter chicken that can be found on the internet which are different from the authentic Indian dish.
What is Butter chicken?
Chunks of grilled chicken (tandoori chicken) cooked in a smooth buttery & creamy tomato based gravy is known as Butter chicken or murgh makhani. It was invented by Kundan lal Gujral, who was the owner of a popular restaurant named Moti Mahal in Delhi.
The restaurant which had large orders of tandoori chicken throughout the day would typically end up with lot of leftovers which were turned into this amazing rich gravy the next day.
Preparation for Butter chicken
You can make these on the previous day if you feel the butter chicken recipe is elaborate. I made it on the same day:
1. Marinate the chicken and refrigerate.
2. Make the Punjabi garam masala powder or decide on a good garam masala.
3. Puree the tomatoes & cashews in a blender until smooth. Filter through a colander to remove the skin and seeds.
4. If you do not own a powerful blender then soak the almonds or cashews for 1 to 2 hours and use.
5. The color of your gravy may differ based on your red chili powder. You may want to arrange for a good chili powder that is less hot like kashmiri chilli powder.
Marinating
1. Marinating chicken helps to make it soft and tasty. Wash chicken and pat it dry. Make sure there is no excess water in the chicken. Marinate with lemon juice, chili powder and salt.
2. Set this aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Go ahead with the second marination. Marinate with fresh yogurt, ginger garlic paste, crushed kasuri methi, oil, turmeric and garam masala.
4. Marinate and refrigerate for atleast 12 hours. The longer it is marinated, the meat turns softer and just melts in the mouth. Do not use sour yogurt/ curd.
5. Grill the chicken in the oven or stove top. For grilling in oven, preheat the oven to 240 C for at least 15 minutes. Skew the chicken on to soaked wooden skewers or place on a greased tray and grill for 20 to 30 minutes. In between you will have to flip to the undone side.
6. If grilling chicken on tawa. Add one tsp. butter and fry on high. Moisture begins to ooze out. This is very common. Keep stirring don’t burn and do not over cook.
7. Cook till the chicken is just done and all the moisture evaporates. Set this aside. You can even saute till the chunks turn lightly golden.
How to make Indian butter chicken
8. Heat butter in a pan, add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Saute for a min or two. Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry for 2 to 3 minutes till the raw smell goes off. (I did not use green chilies since my kids still cannot tolerate the heat.)
9. Pour the tomato puree. Add red chili powder, sugar and salt.
10. Mix and cook till the tomato puree becomes thick and begins to leave the pan.
11. Pour 1 cup water. I made my cashew paste separately so added it now. Let it come to a boil and then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
12. Add chicken and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes till it becomes tender. The cook time may vary depending on how tender your meat is. I check with a fork, the piece just breaks upon piercing. Check the salt and spice. Adjust as needed.
13. Add garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water, if the gravy is very thick. Mix well and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then add chilled cream. Switch off the stove.
or Take a small portion of hot gravy and add it to the cream first. Mix and then pour the cream to the curry. This prevents cream from curdling. Take care not to cook longer after adding cream.
Garnish butter chicken with cream and coriander leaves.
How is butter chicken made?
To make an authentic butter chicken recipe, First we need to marinate the chicken & then grill it. This can be done either in a pan, tandoor or oven.
Next cook it up in the rich buttery tomato cashew gravy. Lastly add some cream to make it creamy & delicious.
The recipe shared in this post is an authentic one, except grilling in tandoor.
Not every one of us would be able to grill chicken in a tandoor or in a oven. So for this post I have done it in a pan. If possible you can follow the dungar method to smoke the chicken once it is roasted in a pan.
Tips to make butter chicken
- Marination is the key to get flavorful, tender & succulent pieces of chicken.
- Yogurt in the marinade tenderizes the chicken so do not skip it.
- Makhani recipe never uses onion so is this butter chicken recipe. Using onion changes the taste of the dish.
- The rich taste in the gravy comes from the cashews (or almonds) & cream.
- You can make the gravy ahead and refrigerate. Just grill the marinated chicken when needed and heat up the gravy. Then add the grilled chicken.
Serving suggestions for butter chicken
It is best served with Jeera rice , plain basmati rice, roti, naan or paratha .
More chicken recipes
Chilli chicken
chicken curry
Chicken masala
tandoori chicken
Butter chicken recipe (chicken makhani)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
First marination
- ½ kg chicken (or 1 lb.) (preferably boneless)
- ¾ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder or paprika
Second marination
- ¾ teaspoon kasuri methi Optional (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup greek yogurt or hung curd (thick curd, refer notes)
for gravy
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 cinnamon (2 inch piece, dalchini)
- 2 green cardamoms (elaichi)
- 2 cloves (laung)
- 1 to 2 green chilies (slit or sliced, optional)
- 4 large tomatoes pureed (400 to 500 grams)
- 16 to 18 cashew nuts or blanched soaked almonds (refer notes)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or paprika (adjust to suit your taste and color)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed or powdered dried fenugreek leaves
- ¼ tablespoon sugar
- salt as needed
- 80 to 100 ml chilled cream (refer the notes)
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
Preparation for chicken makhani
- First marinate chicken with lemon juice, chili powder and salt for 20 minutes.
- Next marinate again with yogurt, kasuri methi, oil, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, and garam masala powder.
- Cover & rest in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours. You can keep it as long as 48 hours. The longer the chicken rests in the marinade, the more tender it will be after cooking.
- Add the cashews to a blender jar along with tomatoes. Make a smooth puree.
- If the puree is not smooth, then pass it through a filter. Set this aside.
- Also make the ginger garlic paste.
Grilling or roasting chicken
- Grill the chicken in an oven or stove top.
- For stove top method, Add one tsp butter to a pan and add the marinade.
- Fry on high flame till all the moisture evaporates.
- To grill it in oven, preheat the oven to 240 C for at least 20 mins.
- Grill it until the meat is cooked through & is tender. It may take about 20 to 30 mins depending on the size of your chicken chunks. Ensure chicken is tender at this stage.
How to make butter chicken
- Heat a pan with butter & saute cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms for a min.
- Add ginger garlic paste, green chilies and fry till it turns fragrant.
- Next pour the tomato cashew puree.
- Add red chili powder, sugar and salt.
- Mix and cook until the tomato puree becomes thick.
- It also begins to leave the sides of the pan.
- Pour 1 cup water. Add more or less water to suit your desired consistency.
- Bring the mix to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Butter chicken should become soft and tender. Add garam masala and kasuri methi.
- Stir and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour chilled cream and switch off the stove.
- Garnish butter chicken with coriander leaves and extra cream if desired. Serve with long grain rice or naan or paratha.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Love your recipes
Hi – I have made this recipe as is before and it is wonderful. I am trying to eat less meat so I was thinking about doing it with shrimp instead, which I would think might change the marination. Do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this to make with the shrimp? Would I potentially do the second marination step but for much less time? I had thought about not marinating them at all, but I worry I would miss out on the flavors of the yogurt, etc. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Maya,
Glad to know! I haven’t tried this anytime with shrimp but it should turn out good. You need to cut down the marination time and ingredients too. I think 5 mins for the first marination another 15 mins for the second is just good enough. Also note that marinating them too long will make them mushy and overcooking can make them hard. Hope this helps
Is it just me or did this recipe change?
Hi Billie,
This is the same recipe ever since I first posted.
Thank you so much for this recipe! We used to use a spice mix for butter chicken, but since moving to another country, we haven’t been able to find the right one, so I finally gave up and decided to try and make it myself.
The first recipe I found was absolutely terrible, and tasted like nothing, but this is great, and my husband gave me permission to make it again, which I absolutely will, so thank you! ❤️
Glad to know Rebecca
Thanks for leaving a comment.
🙂
What kind of green chiles do you use?
Hi Nikki,
I use Thai chilies. You can skip them if you don’t have.
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe closely, but did substitute a can of whole tomatoes for fresh given the season.
Glad to know Clayton
Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe! Amazing!
Welcome Liyi Ten
Hi Swasthi!
I really want to try this recipe! You have a nice website!
1) The quantities of ingredientes mentioned in the recipe card, are that standardized tablespoons and teaspoons? For example I have a set of measuring spoons where a Tablespoon is 15 ml and a Teaspoon is 5 ml. When I compare the quantities in the recipe card with the photos above it seems not the same. For example, for the sauce it says to use 1 TEAspoon of ginger garlic paste, but in the picture it seems more like a tablespoon.
2) Are the quantities in the recipe card “heaped” or “leveled” table/teaspoons?
3) Of all the side dishes you mention, what is the most common side dish in India to eat Butter Chicken with? Rice, Naan, Roti, Paratha, …?
Many thanks!
Hi Mabesi,
Yes 1 tbsp is 15 ml and 1 tsp is 5 ml (leveled). I have used one tsp for the sauce. Sometimes due to the kind of lens or the angle of the photography the quantities may look more or less. I would suggest not to focus on the quantities shown in the pictures. They are for process and not for exact quantities. In restaurants we eat it with naan but at home with roti or parathas. It’s a personal choice.
This was such a wonderful recipe. I made this for my parents dinner(neither of them eat much international cuisine) & they went back for seconds and thirds! I did add 1/2 of a finely diced shallot to butter & spices. Wow! I served this with jasmine rice and homemade garlic naan. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing
Hi Ncaughneeto,
Glad to know your parents loved it. Thanks for leaving a comment.
For the marinade, do you have a suggestion for a non-dairy alternative for the yogurt?
Thick coconut milk (from can) with little meat tenderizer should work.
Hi Swasthi!
I’m eager to make this recipe but I have a few questions first:
1. I will be cooking the chicken in the oven. What is 240 C in farenheit? I’m in the US and we don’t use celsius.
2. I will be using tomato puree instead of whole tomatoes. How many cups would I need for this recipe and would I still need to blend the puree with the cashews?
3. When soaking cashews, what water temperature would you recommend?
Thank you so much!
Hi Amy,
Grill the chicken at the highest temperature in your oven like above 460 F
Yes puree the tomato puree with cashews until smooth. Use 2 cups of puree. Bottled tomato puree (with tomato paste included) turns out too sour for this recipe. You will have to use more cashews or cream to balance it.
You can soak them in hot water (160 to 200F)
I want to make this recipe tomorrow, seems delicious. I just wonder if the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom should be taken out and if so when.
Thanks in advance for your response!
Hi Leen
We remove the whole spices while serving. Hope you enjoy it.
It was fantastic! I will make it again tomorrow 🙂
Thank you
Made this recipe exactly as instructed, and it was fantastic. I have been making Indian food for years and this is the best I have ever made! My family loved it even my daughter who is the pickiest of eaters. Thank you Swasthi !!!!
Hello Danny
You are welcome! Glad to know your family loved it. Thank you so much!
i’ve been making this recipe for years. i’ve made only a few modifications, subtracting nothing. i toast the whole spices and grind them instead of frying them in the ghee, and put them in with the tomato puree. i puree the almonds with the tomatoes. doing it like this saves me a step of having to grind the sauce for a smooth texture.
Hi Jason,
Happy to know! Thank you so much!
Hi! I haven’t made the recipe yet, I’m planning to make it this weekend. But as we don’t use cups sizes in the Netherlands, I am wondering if I should use UK of USA cup sizes? That way I can calculate what amount to use of everything.
Thanks!
Hi Sanne
I think I am too late. All the recipes are developed using a 240 ml (US) cup. It’s mentioned in the recipe card. Hope this helps
Loved this recipe!! My little brother has been practically begging me to make it since he had it last week. 5/5.
Thanks Noor
That’s great to hear!
🙂
Made the butter chicken. Great taste. Loved by all.
Thanks
Welcome Ujwala
Glad to know
Hi Swasthi,
I’m going to try making this butter chicken recipe for a neighbor who just had a baby down the road. I’m wondering if coconut cream can be used instead of cream (due to lactose intolerance). I’m also wondering if you recommend a certain method of freezing this dish. My plan is to freeze the gravy on its own. Then freeze the marinated raw chicken on it’s own. Then the family can cook when they are ready. Thank you for your detailed recipe, it was a dream come true to come across. I’ll make a batch for my family too, we are excited to try it!
Hi Sarah,
Actually you can skip the cream completely and double the cashews. I am not sure if coconut cream tastes good in this. Glass containers are best for freezing since they retain the best taste and flavors. Yes your plan to freeze both separately is very good. Hope you all enjoy this.
🙂
It worked! In my first try, I forgot the cup of water. It came out very thick, but still super flavourful. Thank you for your guidance, and very detailed steps. Once you have everything in stock, it’s a lot easier to make than it seems at first glance!
Glad to know Sarah!
No problem. Water can be added later while reheating.
Yes it is easy.
🙂
Hi Swasthi,
What is the right way to re-heat any leftover butter chicken? When I reheat it the last time , the cream began to curdle.
Please guide me with how to re-heat a curry with cream in it..
Hi Resh,
These days most kinds of cream are stabilized with additives. So they won’t curdle. Try using cream from a good brand. Also check if it is within the shelf period. It is just fine to reheat on a very low heat on the stovetop. If using instant pot, It can be reheated for 0 minutes, high pressure. Hope this helps
Not sure why you care enough about us to answer all these questions abt substitutions/modifications that are sometimes completely unavoidable in this weird time, when soooooooooo many other recipe authors do not…
Are you really such a wonderful & caring human being?
I’m kinda shocked at finding an awesome recipe AND all my macro/minute step-by-step, indecisive queries ALREADY answered at 2am on a random Monday morning!
May all the time & care you’ve lavished on us via this website come back to you within this New Year…a thousand times over!
Hello Julia,
Yes I care a lot for time and effort. I really feel sad when someone fails to make good food after following my recipes. I feel a recipe is incomplete without these details. Thank you so much for the wishes. They mean a lot. Wish you too a very happy new year!!
🙂
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, your site is my ‘go-to’ when Indian food is to go on the family table. My family and I have lived in many different countries including 10 years in India, I’ve taken many classes to learn the ‘ins and outs’ of Indian cooking, but you give the most simple and direct instructions to achieve the ultimate in authentic flavour. I am a big fan and greatly appreciate all your efforts.
Hello Vanessa,
You are most welcome! So glad to know!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
Happy New Year!!
🙂