Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is without a doubt one of the most well known Indian dishes around the world. Maybe it's the name (can you think of a more decadent sounding name?), or perhaps it has a flavor profile that appeals across cultures. Whatever the reason, Murgh Makhani has managed to find its way around the globe, showing up on menus from Toronto to Tokyo to Turin.
While I love butter chicken, I have a few problems with many restaurant versions. The first is that it's often sugary sweet. The second issue is that it's often made with leftover tandoori chicken, which by the time it makes it into the butter sauce, could make the cut for an NHL approved hockey puck.
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Why this Recipe Works
- Caramelizing the tomatoes (yes, tomatoes!) gives this butter chicken recipe a natural sweetness that really doesn't need any added sugar.
- The sweetness along with the pleasant tang from the yogurt marinated chicken balances out the rich creaminess from the butter and cream.
- Undercooking the chicken on the grill ensures the chicken doesn't get overcooked and tough once you add it to the sauce.
Butter Chicken vs Tikka Masala
Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala, two cherished dishes, carry their own rich histories that contribute to their unique flavors. Butter Chicken, born in Delhi, India, in the 1950s, was "accidentally" created by chefs who simmered leftover tandoori chicken in a rich tomato and butter gravy. The result was an instant classic, melding smoky tandoori flavors with a buttery, velvety sauce. Tikka Masala's origin is more contentious, with claims of its birth in both India and the UK. Some say it was created in the British curry houses of the 1960s by adding a tomato-based sauce to traditional chicken tikka, while others believe it has deeper roots in Indian cuisine. Regardless of its origin, Tikka Masala is known for its vibrant spice blend and more pronounced flavors, while Butter Chicken is a celebration of simplicity and richness.
Ingredients for Butter Chicken
- Chicken - I prefer using boneless skinless chicken thighs butter chicken because the extra fat on them ensures they stay tender and juicy, but skinless chicken breasts can be used as a leaner option if you don't mind the chicken being dryer and less flavorful.
- Aromatics - A combination of garlic and ginger adds a robust, aromatic flavor to the marinade for the chicken that's foundational to many Indian dishes. The ginger also acts as a meat tenderizer thanks to a proteolytic enzyme it contains called zingibain.
- Plain Yogurt - Adds a pleasant tang and helps further tenderize the chicken.
- Garam Masala - Garam Masala is an Indian spice blend including spices such as cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander seeds, chili powder, cloves, and mace. It adds warmth and complexity to the Murgh Makhani. Pre-made blends vary widely, so you may need to try a few before you find one that you like.
- Saffron - Gives a luxurious, fragrant depth and vibrant yellow color. You won't get the same flavor, but you could substitute turmeric for the color.
- Whole Stewed Tomatoes - The base for the curry is caramelized tomatoes, and I like to start with a good can of stewed tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes can be used, but stewed ones are consistent and convenient because they've already been cooked and will require less time to caramelize.
- Tomato Paste - Tomato paste is a concentrated tomato puree, so it's a great way to intensify the tomato flavor of any dish quickly.
- Butter - You can't forget the namesake ingredient, and I like using cultured unsalted butter because it contains a higher concentration of diacetyl, which is the compound responsible for giving butter its flavor.
- Spices - I use a combination of green and black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and fenugreek seeds for the spices in my Murgh Makhani. These whole spices infuse the sauce with a complex array of warm spicy flavors that give Butter Chicken its signature flavor.
- Fresh Chili Peppers - I like using fresh chili peppers to amp up the heat in the curry, but you can use cayenne pepper powder or red chili powder and adjust the amount to suit your tastes.
- Raw Cashew Nuts - Adding a cashew nut puree gives the curry body while creating a rich, creamy texture.
- Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi) - Adds a unique aromatic note that's hard to substitute.
- Heavy Cream - Provides a luxurious finish; coconut cream or extra raw cashew puree could be used as a dairy-free option.
How to Make Butter Chicken
Start by creating a potent garlic and ginger puree in a small food processor, or grate by hand if needed. This combination lays the aromatic groundwork for your butter chicken recipe. Whisk two teaspoons of the ginger garlic paste together with the yogurt, vegetable oil, salt, garam masala, and saffron to make the marinade. Marinate the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this mixture overnight if possible, as this allows the flavors to fully penetrate the meat.
For the butter chicken sauce, begin by pureeing the stewed tomatoes and paste. This combination gives a concentrated tomato flavor and adds sweetness and body to the sauce. Melt the butter in a pot, and fry the green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. These whole spices infuse the butter with their volatile oils, maximizing their flavor impact.
Add the fenugreek seeds, chili peppers, and remaining garlic-ginger mixture to the butter and spices, and sauté until browned. Then, add the pureed tomato mixture and cook down to a thick paste. This slow reduction caramelizes the natural sugars in the tomatoes, developing a complex sweetness without added sugar. You're also getting Maillard browning, which gives this Indian butter chicken a deep umami-rich taste. This is similar to what happens when you caramelize onion.
While the tomato sauce is reducing, grill the chicken in a broiler or oven until it's lightly charred on the outside without cooking it through. This charring adds a smoky dimension to your murgh makhani, while undercooking ensures the chicken stays tender and moist after cooking it in the sauce.
Blend raw cashew nuts with water to create a smooth, creamy liquid. This adds a rich, creamy texture and provides a nutty undertone that complements the spices. Combine this with the reduced tomato mixture, strain, and simmer with the grilled chicken, salt, fenugreek leaves, and additional garam masala to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.
Finish your murgh makhani with heavy cream, stirring gently to combine. This final addition of cream adds a luxurious, velvety texture that makes this dish an unforgettable indulgence.
Once the tomatoes have reduced down to a glossy paste, I whisk in some cashew milk. This not only provides a creamy base which allows me to cut down on the amount of cream I add, it also gives the sauce body. Lastly, I like to strain the spices out of the sauce, making the finished butter chicken easier to eat (there's nothing worse than biting into a fibrous cardamom pod or a mouth numbing clove)
Serve it With
Pairing Butter Chicken with the right accompaniments can elevate this already sumptuous dish to new heights of indulgence. A classic partner is freshly baked naan bread, a soft and fluffy Indian flatbread that's perfect for scooping up the rich, buttery sauce. If you prefer rice, fluffy Basmati rice is the ideal companion. For a refreshing counterbalance, consider a crisp, tangy side salad with cucumber and yogurt, known as raita, or a zesty lemon pickle. These can add a touch of brightness that cuts through the richness of the Murgh Makhani. If you're looking to create a full Indian food feast, complementing with a lentil dish like Dal Masoor and some spiced vegetables will round out the meal, offering a delightful variety of textures and flavors that harmonize with the star of the show, the Butter Chicken.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
For chicken
- 30 grams garlic (~ 5 large cloves, peeled)
- 30 grams fresh ginger (~ 1-inch piece, peeled and sliced)
- 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon saffron (threads crushed)
For curry
- 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes (1 ½ small cans)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter
- 6 pods green cardamom
- 1 pod black cardamom
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 fresh chili peppers
- 40 grams raw cashew nuts (about ¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 1 teaspoons garam masala
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Put 30 grams fresh ginger and 30 grams garlic into a small food processor and puree, you may need to add a bit of water to make it go. If you don't have a small food processor, you can grate by hand.
- In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon saffron, and 2 teaspoons of the garlic ginger mixture together. Save the remaining garlic ginger mixture for the sauce.
- Put 450 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs in a freezer bag and pour the marinade all over it, rubbing it into the chicken. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal it. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- For the sauce, puree 600 grams whole stewed tomatoes with their juices along with 2 tablespoons tomato paste in a blender or food processor.
- Add 3 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter to a pot along with the 6 pods green cardamom, 1 pod black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves. Fry the mixture until the cloves are puffy.
- Add 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 2 fresh chili peppers, and remaining garlic ginger mixture and saute until browned, and very fragrant.
- Add the pureed stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook this mixture over medium heat until the tomatoes have become very thick and paste-like (about 45 minutes). Once the mixture starts sputtering you'll want to stir it pretty regularly to keep the sputtering under control while maintaining enough heat to reduce the liquid.
- While the tomatoes are reducing, grill the chicken. You can use either an outdoor grill or broiler, but in either case it needs to be very hot. You want to get the outside lightly charred, but you don't want to cook the chicken all the way through as it will finish cooking in the sauce. If you cook it completely now, it will get overcooked in the sauce.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
- In a blender or food processor, add 40 grams raw cashew nuts along with 2 cups of water. Puree until smooth and milk-like in color.
- When the tomato mixture is done caramelizing turn off the heat and add the cashew nut milk, whisking it together.
- Pass the sauce through a wire strainer into a saucepan, pressing on the solids with a silicone spatula to get as much sauce through as you can.
- Cut the chicken into large chunks and add it to the pot with the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves and 1 teaspoons garam masala. Simmer this for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add ⅓ cup heavy cream and stir together and then turn the heat off. Plate the butter chicken and drizzle a little extra cream on top. Garnish with some cilantro leaves.
Farah Issa says
how long do i broil the chicken for? i dont have a grill
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Clair, "stewed tomatoes" is another way of saying canned tomatoes. The ones that are whole, cooked in their own juices.
Clair says
How do I find the recipe for stewed tomatoes ? Need it to make the butter chicken. Tia
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Havah, it can be any type of chili depending on how hot you like it. Personally I like things pretty spicy so I used Thai bird chilies.
Paul Blain says
I used 2 red and 2 green thumb sized chilis. Plus I added dehydrated Habanero and cayenne. I like it spicy.
Havah Abdallah El Hadj says
on the ingredient list you said "2 fresh chili peppers." Did you mean green chilis or red chilis? Should i just add depending on my preference for heat? Here we have big chilis and little chilis which pack much more punch... I'm assuming you meant the little ones, correct?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Phil, glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you own a cast iron skillet and an oven with a a broil setting you can make naan. Just get the skillet hot on the stove before adding the dough and then stick the whole thing under the broiler until the bubbles in the dough just start to char.
Phil Johnson says
Hi Marc, I cooked this tonight and can say, without doubt, that this is the best recipe for Butter Chicken that I've used so far. A couple of small "tweaks" that I used were to blend the chilies with the tomatoes/tomato puree and wrap the cardamoms and cinnamon stick in foil before giving them a few short taps with a meat hammer, to ensure they were broken open, meaning more flavour when cooked. I then served it with an egg pilau (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvgGqHVtW2s) and a garlic naan (bought in frozen - I don't own a tandoor) and the whole meal worked very well together.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Shamus, as Paul mentioned, if you fully caramelize the tomatoes it should form a very thick paste which will make a sauce that's like a thick gravy. If you want it even thicker, you can reduce the amount of water you puree the cashews in.
Paul Blain says
The secret is to reduce the tomatoes down to a thick paste. This also improves the taste. Then add plenty of cashews to the cashew nut milk you make. This once strained is thick and shiny. Adding the cream enhances the silkiness.
Shamus Guy says
What would you suggest to thicken the butter sauce? Reduce water in cashew nut mix?, or not add juice from stewed tomatoes? I found this sauce to be very runny tomatoes didn't really reduce to a paste... Over all pretty nice
Shamus Guy says
What would you suggest to ensure a thicker sauce? Tried flour this fixed it pretty quick. Would you suggest reducing the amount of water with cashew nut blend or not including juice from stewed tomatoes ??
Paul Blain says
Love this recipe. I up the anti on the spices
Jaime Cornell says
I was so excited to find a recipe without onion in it. I've developed an allergy to onion in the past few years. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Jaime Cornell says
It was truly amazing. I was so excited to find a recipe without onion.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jaime, I'm glad to hear you liked it so much!
Jaime Cornell says
This is the best recipe that I have ever tasted! ! !
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Saman, it's one of my favorites, so I've spent a fair amount of time perfecting it:-)
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Vhinzkim!
Saman Effendi says
Thank you so much for the very authentic recipe. It turned out perfect! Tried it from other chefs but was disappointed. Loved yours!! Saman
Vhinzkim Payang says
verry delicious this butter chicken i love it coz its spicy
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you've been enjoying it Raj!
Raj Debnath says
Thanks Chef Marc for this wonderful recipe, I tried this recipe many times with a few changes every time i make......and every time I get a different aroma and taste. I have already made this recipe atleast 5-7 times. It's one of my best signature dish. I make it in special occasions such as new year feast, birthdays and small gatherings. My friends appreciated by saying I have improved this dish to a restaurant style. .....It takes a lot of time and patience but it's worth it!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rose, assuming you serve this with other stuff like rice and veggies, each batch should make enough for 3-4 so tripling should be perfect. I can't think of any changes that you'll need to make other than using a bigger pot. Step 7 may take a bit longer to do.
Rose says
Hi Mark, I want to serve 8 - 10 people. Will tripling in this recipe be enough? Are there any changes I need to make?
Leila says
Used breast meat, didn't have fenugreek leaves or black cardomom, followed everything else as stated; came out delicious! Will definitely be making it again, thanks for sharing!
Marc Matsumoto says
It depends on how hungry your diners are and whether you are making other dishes to go with this, but it should comfortably feed 2 people.
Dave says
How many servings is this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Aeliya, 1) you could, but I would not recommend it as breast meat tends to dry out easily due to its lower fat content. 2) Yes you could, but it will take much longer to make the sauce since fresh tomatoes have more water that needs to be evaporated. I've never done this with fresh tomatoes so you'll need to experiment to figure out how much fresh tomato you'll need (it will be more than the amount of stewed tomatoes) 3) Yes you could just fry it, but it won't have the same flavor.
Aeliya Khan says
Hi marc 3 questions
1) could I use chicken breast vs thighs?
2) instead of stewed tomato can I use fresh ones and If so how many?
3) instead of grilling the chicken could I just fry it in a pan on the side and add
Katie says
Hi Marc,
I am planning on making this tomorrow night, however I need this recipe to serve 4. My plan is just to literally double/almost double the ingredients to do this but I wonder whether for example, 8 cloves, 12 green cardamon pods, 10 cloves of garlic etc would be a bit excessive?
Could you please advise. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Additional cashew nut puree will work at the end instead of cream.
Marc Matsumoto says
It depends on how hungry the people are and if you're serving sides, but this should comfortably feed 2 people plus leftovers.
Person_X says
How many people does it serve?
Melanie West says
Thank you for the prompt response! I ended up leaving out the saffron, black cardamom and fenugreek leaves and this recipe was still UHMAYZING! I am not one to leave a review after making a recipe but you deserve it. This recipe is 5 star! Do you think that next time I could add more cashew milk and then not have to add cream?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Melanie, this recipe uses both fenugreek seeds and leaves (though the leaves are optional). You can get the leaves at any Indian grocery store, or you can order it online through sites like Amazon.
Melanie West says
I want to make this tomorrow, it looks fabulous!!! Can you be specific on whether you use Fenugreek Leaves or Fenugreek seeds? I am having a difficult time tracking down Leaves.
Melinda Selmys says
Just made this. I didn't have cashews so I substituted a combination of almonds and dried papaya. It's still the best butter chicken recipe I've ever found.
Marc Matsumoto says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it IzF! It will end up a little lighter without the final addition of cream (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in summer:-).
Isabel says
Soooo good. I forgot to add the cream at the end but it still came out AMAZING!! Thanks again, Marc!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi John, I recommend the recipe as is. If I thought it would be better another way I would have published it that way. The yogurt has plenty of acidity, if you add lemon juice, it think it would make it too sour. That being said, everyone's palette is different and if you like your chicken very sour, you should make it how you think you'll like it.
john says
hi. some recipes call for marination with lemon. What do you recommend?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sara, there's no need to scrape the marinade off the chicken, but you can toss whatever's left in the bag.
Sara says
Hi, im not sure if you put the yogurt marinade in as well or not?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, I figured:-) Glad to hear you enjoyed this so much and that's an impressive variety of protein!
Kelly Hills says
oh must mention as separate dishes and not all together!! oops!! see so excited i have found a recipe i love that i didnt explain myself too well!!
Kelly Hills says
Hi there 🙂 Made this recipe a few weeks ago and tried it with fish and lamb rabbit and kangaroo as well and crocodile!! so good!!! 😀
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sandra, I don't have a brand as I usually pick my garam masala up at a small Indian bodega that repackages their spices under their own label. I know what you mean though about garam masalas all being different. I tend to gravitate towards garam masalas that taste like a more pungent western curry powder. They tend to be lighter in color (less cloves more turmeric), and I think the blend is cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, fenugreek, cloves, cardamom...
Sandra says
Hi Marc,
Could you recommend a brand of garam masala (or recipe) that you like to use for this dish. I've found that garam masala varies greatly in the world of indian cooking and I haven't found a brand that I like yet.
carol steinberg says
what can I use instead of the cream? My husband had dietary restrictions.