Butter Chicken Recipe

Butter chicken, known as murgh makhani in Hindi, is a North Indian curry made with marinated, tandoor-cooked chicken simmered in a creamy tomato sauce enriched with butter and cream. It was developed in Delhi in the 1950s and has become one of the most recognisable Indian dishes internationally — mild enough to be approachable, rich enough to be deeply satisfying, and balanced in a way that makes it hard to stop eating. The chicken is marinated twice before cooking. The first marinade — lemon juice and salt — draws out moisture and begins tenderising the meat. The second marinade — yogurt, ginger, garlic, and spices including garam masala, cumin, and Kashmiri chili — adds flavor and color. After marinating for at least 4 hours, the chicken is cooked at very high heat: traditionally in a clay tandoor oven, but a very hot conventional oven or grill pan achieves a similar effect. You want char at the edges. The sauce is the defining element. Sauté onion, ginger, garlic, and whole spices in butter, then add tomatoes and cook down until collapsed and deep red. Blend until smooth, strain if you want a very silky texture, then return to the pan. Add cream, a little sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and more butter. The sauce should be glossy, velvety, and a deep orange-red. Add the cooked chicken and simmer briefly to bring everything together. Finish with a swirl of cream and a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), which adds a distinctive slightly bitter, herbal note that is characteristic of the dish. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

Recipe Details

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 25 minutes. Cook time: 35 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes.

Servings: 6

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 medium tomato puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup kasuri methi
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup garam masala
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili
  • 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Marinate chicken. Combine the marinade ingredients thoroughly and ensure every surface of the protein is well coated. The acid and salt in the marinade begin to break down the outer proteins, allowing flavor to penetrate deeper into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for the recommended time — longer marinating generally means more flavor, but be careful not to over-marinate delicate proteins as the acid can make them mushy.
  2. Step 2: Grill chicken. Preheat your grill to the proper temperature and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Place the food on the hot grill and resist the urge to move it too early — it will release naturally when properly seared. Use tongs rather than a fork to flip, as piercing allows flavorful juices to escape.
  3. Step 3: Make sauce with butter, tomatoes, cream. Pay careful attention to the visual and aromatic cues at this stage — the color, texture, and smell of the food will tell you when it is time to move to the next step. Adjust heat and timing as needed based on your specific equipment and ingredients.
  4. Step 4: Add grilled chicken. Preheat your grill to the proper temperature and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Place the food on the hot grill and resist the urge to move it too early — it will release naturally when properly seared. Use tongs rather than a fork to flip, as piercing allows flavorful juices to escape.
  5. Step 5: Add kasuri methi. Introduce the new ingredients to the mixture, taking care to distribute them evenly. Adding ingredients at the right moment is critical — too early and they may overcook, too late and they may not integrate properly with the other flavors.
  6. Step 6: Simmer until rich. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle bubble — you want small, lazy bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. This low, slow cooking allows flavors to meld and develop complexity while keeping proteins tender. Cover partially to allow some evaporation and concentration of flavors.