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This Butter Chicken has tender chicken pieces and a rich buttery tomato sauce. Indian food is known for its flavor and this dish delivers!
So often I would order this dish at Indian restaurants, I finally decided to make it myself. So tender and full of rich spices and flavor, Butter Chicken is a favorite of mine! I love eating it with fresh rice and buttery naan. The spices in Butter Chicken are perfectly balanced with the richness of the heavy cream. You’ll love the realness of the spices in this dish, making a strong, warm flavor.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, traditionally known as murgh makhani, is an Indian recipe that originally came from the Old Delhi neighborhood of India in the 1950s. It was made by accident by mixing tandoori chicken in a tomato gravy which was rich in butter.
The Butter Chicken recipe itself is chicken that is marinated in lemon juice, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, and Kashmiri red chili to achieve a very flavorful and tender piece of chicken. The gravy or sauce it is served in is always tomato based, though there are many variations on what can be put in it including cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves. However, the sauce needs to velvety smooth and creamy.
What is Garam Masala?
Garam masala is a blend of spices which originated from India. It is commonly used in Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Caribbean cooking. It typically includes cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and peppercorns, but is not limited to these spices. The flavor profile is a complex chorus of sweet, spicy, and a little but of heat. Many Indian dishes include garam masala.
What to Serve with Butter Chicken
The classic items to serve with Butter Chicken are basmati rice and naan. The nuttiness of the basmati rice compliments the creaminess and tomato base of the Butter Chicken so well. The naan is perfect to dip into the curry as well as load up with chicken.
How to Make Butter Chicken
- To begin, cut the chicken into bite sized cubes. In a small bowl combine the marinade ingredients.
- Add the chicken and marinade to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour up to overnight.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken in batches and brown all sides. You don’t have to cook the chicken all the way through at this stage. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onion. When the onion starts to sweat, add the tomato paste, spices, jalapeno, and cinnamon stick. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cashews. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is bubbling.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and add heavy cream. Spoon the sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the sauce back to the pan. For a smoother sauce, pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken back in and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with cilantro and serve with naan and basmati rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Butter chicken has an underlying sweetness and richness, although not overwhelmingly. You can make it spicy by adding red chili powder.
Butter chicken does not contain sugar. Any sweetness is occurring naturally from things like cinnamon and the browning of onions, or the cashews.
People say it is closest to British tikka masala because of the buttery and creamy curry and of course, the chicken.
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Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Indian red chili powder optional
For the Butter Chicken Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 14 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- naan bread for serving
- basmati rice for serving
- cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes. In a small bowl combine the rest of the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and marinade to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour up to overnight.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken in batches and brown all sides. You don't have to cook the chicken all the way through at this stage. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onion. When the onion starts to sweat add the tomato paste, spices, jalapeno, and cinnamon stick. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cashews. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is bubbling.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and add heavy cream. Spoon the sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sauce back to the pan. For a smoother sauce, pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chicken back in and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with cilantro and serve with naan bread and basmati rice.
Notes
- Nutrition Facts do not include naan bread or rice.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.
- Add more spice with more Indian red chili powder or cayenne pepper.Â
Wow i made this and everyone loved it even my grandbabies had some will definitely make it again and again and maybe and again