Chicken Bhuna Masala
By Swasthi on April 7, 2023, Comments, Jump to Recipe
Chicken Bhuna is a Classic North Indian dish of chicken stir fried & slow cooked in a spicy & fragrant Bhuna Masala. These succulent pieces of chicken are coated with a super aromatic & finger-licking good sauce. Chicken Bhuna goes well with steamed rice, Jeera rice, roti, Chapati, Naan, Pav or any artisan bread. It also goes well with flavored rice dishes.
About Chicken Bhuna
The word “Bhuna” refers to a specific cooking method which means “To Fry” or “Sauté”. Usually a basic onion tomato masala known as Bhuna Masala is first prepared by gently frying the spices, onions and tomatoes until aromatic.
Later chicken is also fried along with this masala and then slow-cooked until tender and succulent. Here the word fry does not mean deep frying.
Usually no liquid is added while cooking, meaning the chicken is cooked in its own juices. However I find adding a little amount of liquid helps bring out the flavors of the bhuna masala & also keeps the chicken succulent without drying out. So my recipe uses a little amount of water.
Also known as Bhuna Chicken, this is basically a dry dish meaning a thick sauce (Bhuna Masala) clings on to the cooked chicken rather than chicken swimming in a gravy.
Though the ingredients used to make chicken bhuna & a basic Chicken Curry are same, the method of cooking is what makes the dish taste & smell different.
This Bhuna Chicken has a perfect balance of spice, tang and heat. To make it less hot, reduce the quantity of chili powder. I use a small amount of yogurt which contributes to the tang and flavor of the bhuna masala. If you want you can make it dairy free by leaving out the yogurt or replace with plant based yogurt.
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How to Make Chicken Bhuna (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
1. To a mixing bowl add the spices mentioned below:
- 1 ½ to 3 teaspoon Kashmiri Red chilli powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
2. Mix them very well.
3. Take 1 kg Chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste ,½ to ¾ teaspoon salt & 1 tablespoon Lemon juice. You can use chicken of choice. I use curry cut bone-in chicken. You can also use a mix of drumsticks & cut thighs. Make gashes over larger pieces of chicken so the flavors are well absorbed.
4. Add half of the ground spices we mixed earlier (from step 1& 2). Mix well to marinate. Cover and rest aside until needed later in the recipe. You can also leave it overnight up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Make Bhuna Masala
5. Pour ¼ cup oil to a hot wok. Add 2 cups fine chopped onions & 1 to 2 slit or chopped green chilies.
6. Fry the onions on a medium high heat until golden, for about 7 to 8 mins. Add ¾ teaspoon salt and reduce the heat to medium low.
7. Stir fry until completely golden but not burnt. Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
8. Reduce the heat completely. Add the rest of the ground spices we mixed in steps 1 & 2. Fry for a minute.
9. Add the 1 cup deseeded & chopped tomatoes (or pureed). I also prefer to peel the tomatoes before chopping.
10. Fry until the tomatoes turn mushy and completely soft. At this stage you should be able to see a little oil release from the masala.
11. Whisk half cup yogurt in a bowl until smooth. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the onion tomato masala to the yogurt. Stir well.
12. Reduce the heat to the lowest and pour the yogurt to the wok.
13. Mix well and saute.
14. After a while the yogurt cooks down and the bhuna masala turns thick. It also releases fats which means it is well cooked.
Stir Fry Chicken
15. While the bhuna masala is getting done, you can start this on another burner. Pour 1 tablespoon ghee or oil to a wide hot pan or wok & add 2 dried red chilies. Fry them for 30 to 40 seconds. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon and 4 green cardamoms. If you want you can add half teaspoon cumin seeds. I do not use.
Be careful the whole spices can splutter in the oil/ghee and splash all over. So be fast and add the chicken.
16. Add the marinated chicken and fry on a high heat until the chicken turns pale, for 2 to 3 mins.
17. You will see the chicken releases juices, it is just okay. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to fry for 2 to 3 mins.
Make Bhuna Chicken
18. Transfer the chicken to the bhuna masala along with the ghee and the chicken juices.
19. Mix well and fry for 2 to 3 mins. At this stage you may add 2 tablespoons coriander leaves. I forgot to add.
20. Cover and cook on a low heat, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. If you feel the masala is sticking to the wok or about to burn you may splash little hot water. I do about ¼ cup, pour on the sides and not over the chicken.
21. When the chicken is fully soft and tender, taste test and add more salt or more garam masala if you want. Also add 1 ½ tablespoon crushed kasuri methi.
Delicious Chicken Bhuna is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Bhuna Masala Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) chicken (curry cut chicken or drumsticks & cut thighs)
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee (for chicken)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 to 2 black cardamoms
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 2 dried red chilies (optional)
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
- 1 to 2 green chilies (slit)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (or pureed, 1 medium tomato)
- 1½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or grated) (divided ½ + 1)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt (more to adjust)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1 ½ to 3 teaspoon Kashmiri Red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- 2 to 3 teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- ½ cup yogurt (not sour, fresh curd)
- 1 ½ tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves (fine chopped to garnish)
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together all the ground spices – red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper & fennel powder. Keep aside.
- Add chicken to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt and half of the ground spices we just combined. Pour lemon juice.
- Mix together to marinate the chicken. Cover and set aside until used later in the recipe or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile slit the green chilli. Chop onions & begin to cook from the next step. While you sauté the onions deseed & chop tomatoes. Grate ginger & garlic if you do not have the paste. This saves some time.
Make Bhuna Masala
- Heat oil in a wok or a skillet/ pan on a medium flame.
- Add onions and green chilies. Saute on a medium high heat for 6 to 7 minutes and then on a medium low until golden brown but not burnt.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute until the raw smell has gone.
- Stir in the rest of the ground spices and saute for a minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and salt. Cook until they dry out, blend well with onions & begin to release oil.
- Take 2 tbsps of the hot onion tomato masala and add it to the whisked yogurt. Mix well until well combined.
- Reduce the heat and slowly add this to the pan and saute until the yogurt cooks down and the bhuna masala turns thick.
- Meanwhile (while bhuna masala cook) in another pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee.
- Add the red chilies and let them fry for 30 to 40 seconds.
- Add all the whole spices – bay leaf, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, dried red chilies & cumin seeds. (Be careful as the spices splutter)
How to Make Chicken Bhuna
- Transfer the chicken. Fry on a medium high heat for 2 to 3 mins and then on a medium to low heat for another 2 to 3 mins. Turn off.
- Add the bhuna chicken & 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves (optional) to this masala and continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cover and cook on a low heat, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. If you feel the masala is sticking to the pan or about to burn you may splash little hot water. I do about ¼ cup, pour on the sides and not over the chicken.
- Taste test and adjust salt. Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Notes
- For a dairy free dish, you may skip the yogurt or add 4 tablespoons of nut yogurt.
- You can also fry the chicken directly in the masala without doing it in another pan. But the flavors & texture is different.
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.
Video
Watch Chicken Bhuna Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Tasted excellent and it was easy to make!
I doubled the quantities for the masala and served with rice.
No one likes chicken curry, but this was the bomb!! The only thing we changed was the amount of chilli.
Served it with your Indian yellow rice.
Surely will be making this again! Thank you.
Hi, can you please explain the quantity in grams of onions and tomatoes?
It’s very confusing to understand medium/large as that greatly differs from region to region. Thank you!!
Absolutely delicious recipe!!!
Tastes authentic and full of flavour 😊 thank you xx
Love this recipe so much! Other online recipes seem so bland in comparison.
I have two questions:
– Can I use a butter and oil mix to caramelise the onion? Even to fry the chicken. Imagining the flavours would be even more sumptuous!
– Please prepare yourself for the following sacrilegious comment, but I never hear of adding fish sauce to Indian recipes. I tried adding a dash to this when I made it for the second time and it gave me that ‘umami’ flavour I was after. Is there a reason it is not used in Indian cooking?
Many thanks!
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you so much!
1. Yes you can use a mix of butter and oil to caramelize. Traditionally mustard oil is used.
2. Hehe! The reason being traditional Indian cuisine does not use processed foods. Unless it is a fusion dish from Indian-Chinese cuisine, bottled sauce/processed foods are not used.
Thanks for sharing about that! So glad you like the dish!
Absolutely delicious recipe! Easy to follow the instructions. My husband now wants it all the time. Thank you for posting it.
Glad your husband likes it Mieke. Thank you
Hi,
what type of oil are you using in this recipe?
Hi John,
I use steam refined coconut oil. You can use canola, peanut oil, ghee, avocado oil or grape seed oil
Let me make it then I can post
Made this yesterday, it’s absolutely delicious. Family said it’s the best curry I’ve ever made. Followed your instructions exactly. Fail safe and now in my cooking rota. Than you
So glad you all like it Sharon. Thank you for sharing back. That makes me happy!
The best ever recipie! And the best chicken I’ve ever had. Followed it word to word for most part. Only improvised slightly, by using slightly less oil and more bhuna masala quantity. Came out so delicious! It’s so simple and yet so amazing. Thank you for the recipie. You are my star!! Please post more recipies of chicken and fish.
Thank you so much Shivam. So happy to read this! Sure I will be sharing more.
I made this last night and it was amazing. I have to make a bigger batch next time!
So glad to know! Thank you Jeremy.
Another winner! Your recipes are fantastic. I love that you add the quantities in the step-by-step portion so I don’t have to scroll up and down. My son loved it so much he asked if I could put this recipe on regular rotation. Thank you!
Thank you Reshma
So glad it turned out good.
I never made a curry this good. Tasted fantastic with your chapatis.
Thank you Pamela.