Bring the taste of India to your table with our butter chicken recipe, balancing aromatic spices, creamy tomato sauce, and tender chicken. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a restaurant-style dinner in your own kitchen.
Butter Chicken Recipe
While butter chicken is not a dish I grew up with, I truly fell in love with it the first time tasting it. Its rich, creamy flavors and the perfect blend of aromatic spices instantly won me over, making it a must-have in my culinary adventures.
Butter chicken is a staple of Indian cuisine, but you’re likely to find some variation of the dish from one part of India to another.
It is a delicious dish that combines tender, succulent, moist chicken breasts swimming in a rich, buttery, and flavourful gravy accompanied by basmati rice (I also like to add more butter to the rice) or naan- which enhances the already exquisite taste of this dish.
All the ingredients are available at any grocery store. Even if you cannot locate Garam Marsala in-store, it can be quickly and easily procured online.
This easy butter chicken recipe is simple enough to make at home with minimal prep time and ingredients, plus your friends will think you are a master chef. So if you’re ready to spice up dinner tonight, try this recipe!
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, originated from northern India but has become popular all over the world because of its unique flavors and aromas.
It’s got this beautiful blend of spices, like garam masala, ginger, and garlic, which give it a kick of warmth and depth. But then there’s the rich, velvety sauce made with butter and cream that just brings everything together. It is frequently served with a fluffy naan or a bowl of steaming rice.
What Do You Need To Make Butter Chicken?
For the Chicken Marinade:
Chicken: I used boneless chicken breasts and cut them into ¾ inch cubes. You can use other types of chicken such as boneless chicken thighs, but I suggest the former.
Yogurt: You can use your favorite brand of yogurt as long as it’s unflavored.
Indian Spices: I used ginger, garlic, ground cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. These spices add the perfect aromatic and rich flavors needed for the best butter chicken recipe.
Vegetable Oil: I used olive oil since it blended well with the spices.
For the Sauce
Butter: I like to use ghee for a more authentic Indian flavor, but unsalted butter also works great.
Aromatics: I sautéed diced onion and minced garlic, this adds depth to the dish.
Tomatoes: Any can of crushed tomatoes will work fine, if you want to add a smokey flavor, try experimenting with a roasted version.
Cream: For the cream, I used heavy cream, this gives it an incredibly creamy texture and enhances the flavor. Indian Spices: To give this dish its signature taste, I added ginger, garam masala, ground cumin, chili powder, coriander leaves, and sugar.
How to Make Homemade Butter Chicken?
Prepare the Marinate: In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, ginger, minced garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder—season with a pinch of salt. Stir to combine everything.
Marinate The Chicken: Add the chicken into the yogurt mixture and mix to coat the cubes evenly. Seal the bowl with foil or plastic wrap. Set aside and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours. Better if overnight.
Sauté The Chicken: In a large pan or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Divide the chicken into 2 to 3 batches. Once the oil is hot, add a batch of chicken and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Set the first batch aside and continue to repeat the process until all batches of chicken are sautéed.
Start The Sauce: In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the ginger and onions and sauté for 4 to 6 minutes. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits in the pan.
Add The Spices: Add the garlic, garam masala, and cumin—Sauté for another minute or until fragrant. Stir constantly.
Add Tomatoes: Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pan and season with the chili powder and some salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and becomes a deep brown-red color.
Add It All Together: Adjust the sauce’s consistency with a few tablespoons of water if needed. Add the chicken, sugar, and heavy cream to the pan.
Simmer On Low Heat: Stir constantly and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has reached the desired thickness. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and turn the heat off.
Tips
When frying the chicken, remember not to overcrowd the pan – it’s best to fry them in batches, so they cook evenly and become crispier.
When preparing the sauce, sauté aromatics such as onions and peppers before adding spices like cumin powder, garam masala or turmeric powder.
You can swap regular yogurt in the marinate and use coconut milk for the sauce.
Begin cooking your rice, or any other vegetables, simultaneously as you prepare the sauce to ensure everything is ready at the same time.
How to store leftover butter chicken?
To store Butter Chicken properly: cool it completely before transferring it into an airtight container. This will stay fresh for up to four days in the fridge or up to three months if stored in the freezer.
What is the difference between tikka masala and butter chicken?
Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken are two of the most popular Indian cuisine dishes around the world. Although both dishes contain some of the same spices, they are different in terms of preparation methods, ingredients, and flavor profiles.
What is Butter Chicken Sauce made of.
Butter Chicken sauce is made with diced tomatoes, heavy cream, diced onion, minced garlic, a variety of spices, and butter, of course!
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FAQs
What does butter chicken taste like?
The distinct flavor of butter chicken comes from the mix of spices combined with the richness of the butter and cream. These ingredients give it its characteristic sweet yet spicy taste.
What to serve with butter chicken?
This easy butter chicken recipe is perfect served with fresh rice and garlic naan.
What veggies go with butter chicken?
Both broccoli and cauliflower pair well with the butter chicken sauce. Just pop them in the microwave or on the stove.
In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, ginger, minced garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and chili powder. Season with a pinch of salt. Stir to combine everything.
Add the chicken into the yogurt mixture and mix to coat the cubes evenly. Seal the bowl with foil or plastic wrap. Set aside and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours. Better if overnight.
In a large pan or pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Divide the chicken into 2 to 3 batches. Once the oil is hot add a batch of chicken and saute for 4 to 6 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
Set the first batch aside and continue to repeat the process until all batches of chicken are sauteed.
In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the ginger and onions and saute for 4 to 6 minutes. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits in the pan.
Add the garlic, garam masala, and cumin. Saute for another minute or until fragrant. Stir constantly.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the pan and season with the chili powder and some salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and becomes a deep brown-red color.
Adjust the sauce’s consistency with a few tablespoons of water if needed. Add the chicken, sugar, and heavy cream to the pan. Stir constantly and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has reached the desired thickness.
Sprinkle the coriander leaves and turn the heat off.
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lynn Fennelly
Thursday 18th of May 2023
Happy sounds great but the amount of spice a teaspoon a tablespoon you don't describe how much you should use
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Tuesday 13th of June 2023
Sorry about that, Fennelly. You need one table spoon of chill powder.