Indian Butter Chicken – a super popular dish made with tender chicken thighs too a deliciously seasoned, creamy, buttery love apple based sauce. Serve it with freshly cooked basmati rice as well as homemade naan as well as the compliments volition abound at the dinner table.
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, as well known every bit murg makhani, is an Indian curry dish made of chicken that’sec coated in a good seasoned tomato gravy that includes butter together with cream.
Chicken is marinated inward yogurt, spices, garlic too ginger, and then subsequently cooked inward a tandoor, just it tin can besides live pan fried, grilled or oven roasted. After that it is tossed alongside the simmered, richly seasoned Lycopersicon esculentum sauce.
This butter chicken recipe is slowly as well as straightforward. It just involves a chip of extra fourth dimension. It’s ane of those hard to mess upward dishes as long equally y'all follow a few simple directions in addition to tips.
If yous dearest Indian nutrient this is a must endeavour recipe, in addition to if y'all’ve never had Indian food this is such a nifty place to first!
Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients
I know this volition expect similar quite the listing only y'all tin run across from the ingredients image below it’sec actually not likewise bad and so don’t be intimidated.
- Chicken thighs: I recommend trimming excess visible fat so sauce isn’t overly fat inwards the cease.
- Whole patently yogurt: I role regular yogurt though Greek yogurt would be fine also.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed juice for better season. In a pinch lime juice volition operate groovy besides.
- Garam masala: I highly, highly recommend homemade Garam Masala (recipe HERE). Whether it’sec the version using whole spices or pre-earth spices it’second a game changer for this dish.
- Fenugreek leaves: This is an component well-nigh grocery stores don’t acquit in the U.south. simply it’sec a staple for this dish. If y'all’ve never cooked with it yous’ll apace realize this is what your Indian recipes may accept been missing all along. You tin can purchase it online HERE.
- Turmeric: A classic spice inward Indian cooking. It adds that yellow colour together with unique flavor.
- Smoked paprika: It’second all well-nigh edifice flavour inwards this dish as well as the hint of smokiness hither does only that.
- Garlic: Only use fresh garlic here.
- Ginger: Only function fresh ginger too.
- Salt together with pepper: Season to desired preference. If yous’d similar you lot tin can mix up the marinade, sense of taste it for seasoning, then afterwards add the chicken.
- Butter: An absolute staple ingredient. It brings that classic buttery goodness hither.
- Yellow onion: Onion is essential to actually construct upwards the overall season of the sauce.
- Cayenne pepper: A spice that brings that spicy chemical element.
- Canned burn roasted tomatoes: That hint of char from burn down roasting gives the sauce that extra something.
- Heavy cream: We are going for a rich sauce so the recipe includes both butter and cream!
- Chicken broth: This isn’t ever typical inwards butter chicken simply I intend the sauce is a piffling as well thick without it here and so solely a petty is needed for thinning.
- Cilantro: The perfect finishing touch on for both freshness in addition to color contrast.
How to Make Butter Chicken
CHICKEN MARINADE
- Toss chicken alongside marinade mixture: In a big mixing bowl toss together chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, one Tbsp garam masala, three tsp fenugreek leaves, the turmeric, one/two tsp smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp garlic, one Tbsp ginger too common salt to taste (I role one tsp).
- Rest inward fridge: Cover bowl in addition to transfer to fridge and allow marinate. How long to marinate: at to the lowest degree ii hours in addition to upwards to 24 hours.
- Spread chicken on one/4 baking canvass: After marinating transfer chicken to a greased xiii past ix-inch rimmed baking canvass as well as spread into an even layer.
- Broil chicken to ready through: Move oven rack three inches below broiler in oven. Preheat broiler to high oestrus, in one case heated place chicken in oven in addition to broil until cooked through too browned, well-nigh 10 – 15 minutes*.
BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE
- Melt butter in skillet: Meanwhile melt 4 Tbsp butter inwards a skillet over medium-high rut.
- Saute vegetables: Add onion too saute until lightly aureate chocolate-brown nigh seven minutes. Add remaining ane Tbsp garlic in addition to i Tbsp ginger in addition to saute one minute longer.
- Bloom spices: Stir inwards remaining i Tbsp garam masala in addition to 1 1/ii tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp fenugreek. Saute xxx seconds.
- Add tomatoes too simmer: Pour in tomatoes. Cover in addition to simmer over depression estrus x minutes.
- Puree sauce inward blender: Transfer Lycopersicon esculentum mixture to a blender. Cover alongside hat too withdraw centre insert from blender lid, embrace with a folded kitchen towel or several paper towels. Blend sauce on depression until smoothen.
- Return sauce to pan along amongst cream together with broth: Return sauce to skillet over medium-low rut, scrapping whatsoever excess from blender jolt into pan. Pour inwards heavy cream too chicken broth as well as stir. Season sauce amongst salt together with pepper to taste as well as cayenne pepper to gustation.
- Mix chicken in amongst sauce: Add inward cooked chicken pieces too rendered juices from baking canvass.
- Heat a few minutes longer: Cover as well as warm through for a few minutes and then serve warm over rice or amongst naan if desired.
How to Make it Lighter
If you desire to brand this lighter yous can endeavour:
- Chicken breasts inwards place of chicken thighs (just be certain to make correct to 165 degrees, non higher up or below. If cooked also high they’ll dry out out).
- Reduce butter to 2 Tbsp.
- Use half as well as one-half in home of cream (yous may or may non want the chicken broth with this selection, then wait to add together it afterwards mixing inwards).
How to Make It Mild or Spicy
- While originally the dish was created to be create a mild curry sauce just yous can make it spicy if y'all’d similar.
- Here y'all tin control the heat grade by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper added (as well as if using the homemade garam masala y'all can include red pepper flakes or go out them out).
- If you lot desire it mild simply don’t add together any cayenne pepper. If you desire it spicy, add to your hearts content.
Can It Be Made in an Instant Pot?
Yes butter chicken tin also be cooked in a force per unit area cooker (it’second only non quite as flavorful as the broiled choice). Here is the method I would role:
- Marinate the chicken as directed in mixture.
- Saute the onion inwards butter on the saute setting in Instant Pot almost six minutes. Then add together the garlic and ginger as well as spices too saute ane minute.
- Turn instant pot off then toss inwards tomatoes, chicken broth together with chicken mixture.
- Cover in addition to gear up valve to “sealing” place. Cook on high force per unit area for six minutes.
- Quick unloosen when time is up then take away chicken pieces. Puree sauce with immersion blender and permit cool slightly.
- Stir in cream. Then toss inwards chicken, finish with cilantro.
Storage
- Leftovers tin can be stored inwards fridge upwardly to iv days.
- Freeze upwards to iii months.
Tips for the Best Butter Chicken Recipe
- Don’t skip whatsoever of the spices/herbs listed (unless in that location’sec an allergy). Together they really make fantastic season.
- Use a homemade garam masala blend. Store-bought blends tin can live as well peppery in addition to lack around of the warm spices.
- Plan ahead too let plenty of time to marinate. two hours is the minimum in addition to yous tin become upward to 1 whole mean solar day to infuse more depth.
- Broil chicken for a nice char. Some recipes telephone call for baking or searing simply broiling is fastest and adds best season.
- Add more seasoning to sense of taste. Wether it live table salt, pepper, garam masala or cayenne pepper. Taste sauce during cooking as well as complete it how yous prefer.
More Tasty Indian Recipes to Try
Butter Chicken
This is a super pop dish made with tender chicken thighs together with a deliciously seasoned, creamy, buttery, tomato based gravy. Serve it alongside freshly cooked basmati rice and homemade naan and the compliments will abound at the dinner tabular array.
Servings: v
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fatty, cutting into ane 1/iv-inch pieces
- i/two cup whole plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ii Tbsp garam masala, recommend homemade blend HERE, divided
- four tsp fenugreek leaves, slightly crushed subsequently mensuration, divided (I purchase HERE)
- i tsp turmeric
- two tsp smoked paprika, divided
- two Tbsp minced garlic, divided
- two Tbsp peeled together with minced ginger, divided
- Salt in addition to freshly earth black pepper, to gustatory modality
- four Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
- i 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- Cayenne pepper, to sense of taste
- one (fourteen.v oz) tin diced fire roasted tomatoes
- iii/four cup heavy cream
- one/4 cup depression sodium chicken broth, or a petty more to sparse if needed
- iii Tbsp Cilantro (chopped or whole leaves)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl toss together chicken pieces, yogurt, lemon juice, i Tbsp garam masala, 3 tsp fenugreek leaves, the turmeric, ane/2 tsp smoked paprika, i Tbsp garlic, i Tbsp ginger too salt to gustatory modality (I function 1 tsp).
- Cover bowl together with transfer to refrigerator too permit marinate at to the lowest degree ii hours too up to 24 hours.
- After marinating transfer chicken to a greased thirteen by 9-inch rimmed baking canvass too spread into an even layer.
- Move oven rack three inches below broiler in oven. Preheat broiler to high estrus, one time heated home chicken inwards oven and broil until cooked through as well as browned, nigh x - fifteen minutes*.
- Meanwhile melt butter inwards a skillet over medium-high oestrus.
- Add onion as well as saute until slightly gilt brown nearly vii minutes. Add remaining ane Tbsp garlic too 1 Tbsp ginger and saute ane minute longer.
- Stir in remaining one Tbsp garam masala in addition to ane i/ii tsp smoked paprika as well as ane tsp fenugreek. Saute xxx seconds.
- Pour in tomatoes. Cover in addition to simmer over depression heat x minutes.
- Transfer love apple mixture to a blender. Cover with chapeau in addition to take center insert from blender lid, embrace amongst a folded kitchen towel or several newspaper towels. Blend sauce on depression until polish.
- Return sauce to skillet over medium-depression heat, scrapping whatsoever excess from blender jolt into pan. Pour inward heavy cream and chicken broth as well as stir. Season sauce with salt as well as pepper to gustatory modality and cayenne pepper to sense of taste.
- Add inward cooked chicken pieces in addition to rendered juices from baking sail.
- Cover in addition to warm through for a few minutes then serve warm over rice or with naan if desired.
Notes
*Every oven broils a trivial differently if you discover chicken is browning too quickly you tin can move downward a rack to go along to cook through.
Nutrition Facts
Butter Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 594
Calories from Fat 378
% Daily Value*
Fat 42g65%
Saturated Fat 20g125%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 236mg79%
Sodium 380mg17%
Potassium 634mg18%
Carbohydrates 18gsix%
Fiber 3gthirteen%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1712IU34%
Vitamin C 11mgxiii%
Calcium 126mg13%
Iron 2mgeleven%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates alone. See total disclaimer here.