Butter chicken is an easy-to-make traditional Indian dish (murgh makhani) loaded with a zesty buttery flavor. It’s made with bite-sized pieces of chicken that are cooked in a velvety smooth tomato cream sauce seasoned to perfection with warm, aromatic spices.
When it comes to curries, butter chicken is my favorite. Not only is it delightfully delicious, but it’s pretty easy to make at home. Made with simple ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store, it’s a dish you’ll love to make as much as you’ll love to eat.
And unlike some of the other recipes you’ll find on the internet, you don’t have to marinate the chicken with my recipe.
The original version of butter chicken is made with marinated and grilled tandoori chicken. But our version is every bit as delicious and takes just about 30 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
If you love spicy Indian dishes, make sure to try our Chicken Tikka Masala recipe.
Ingredients to Make Butter Chicken
Start by gathering the ingredients needed to make our easy butter chicken recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
How to Make Butter Chicken
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onions to the pan.
- Cook the onions until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the unsalted butter to the pan.
- Stir until it is completely melted.
- Add the grated ginger and minced garlic to the pan.
- Stir to combine and continue cooking for about one minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to turn the chicken so all of the sides get seared.
*At this point in the recipe, we’re not trying to cook the chicken completely; we’re just searing the outside. - Add the garam masala, chili powder, table salt, and black pepper to the pan.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, and heavy cream to the mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8- 10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
*if the sauce gets too thick, add a little water. The dish should be saucy.
Wouldn’t you like to make restaurant-style butter chicken in your own home kitchen? With our recipe, you may never have to order takeout again! Serve it with basmati rice, homemade naan bread, and riata sauce for an Indian-style feast you won’t soon forget!
Leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well-covered with plastic wrap for 2-3 days. They can also be stored in a freezer-save container for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQ’s
No, they are not. They share some of the same ingredients, and they are both creamy tomato-based curries, but they are not the same.
Tikka masala is spicier and has a tangier flavor, while butter chicken has a richer sauce with a buttery flavor.
Yes, it is. Butter chicken, aka Murgh Makhani, as it’s called in India, comes from the northern part of the country. Compared to other curries, it’s relatively mild and is one of the most popular curries worldwide.
It’s mildly spicy. The heat can easily be turned up by increasing the amount of red chili powder or adding a little cayenne pepper to the sauce. You can also reduce the amount of red chili powder to make it less spicy.
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Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion – small dice
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter ¼ cup = ½ stick
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger – grated
- 2 cloves garlic – finely minced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs – cut into small bite-sized chunks
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes -not spaghetti sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the diced onions to the pan and sauté until translucent (about 5 minutes). Make sure to keep stirring so the onions don't burn.
- Add the unsalted butter to the pan, stirring until it is completely melted.
- Add the grated ginger and minced garlic to the pan, stir to combine and continue cooking for about one minute, until fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook for 2 minutes , stirring to turn the chicken so all of the sides get seared.*We're not trying to completely cook the chicken at this point of the recipe, just sear the outside.
- Add the garam masala, chili powder, table salt and black pepper to the pan, stir to combine.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, Greek yogurt and heavy cream to the mixture. Stir until completely combined.
- Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer 8- 10 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.*if the sauce gets too thick add a little water. The dish should be saucy.
- Serve with Basmati rice and Naan bread.
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