Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
The globally adored classic—smoky, tandoor-roasted chicken pieces simmered in a velvety, sweet, and tangy tomato-butter gravy.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- boneless chicken thighs
- tomatoes (lots, ripe and red)
- butter
- heavy cream
- cashews
- ginger-garlic
- kashmiri chili powder
- garam masala
- kasuri methi (dry fenugreek)
- yogurt
- lemon juice
Equipment
- Oven or Grill
- Blender
- Pan for gravy
Instructions
- 1
First Marinade
Marinate chicken pieces with lemon juice, salt, and ginger-garlic paste. Leave for 20 minutes.
- 2
Second Marinade
Mix thick yogurt, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and a little oil. Coat the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours.
- 3
Roast the Chicken
Grill, bake, or pan-fry the chicken on high heat until it develops deep char marks (simulating a tandoor oven). Set aside.
- 4
Start the Makhani Base
In a pot, add roughly chopped tomatoes, cashews, garlic, ginger, a slit green chili, and whole cardamom. Add half a cup of water.
- 5
Boil the Base
Boil this mixture on medium heat for 20 minutes until the tomatoes completely break down and become mushy.
- 6
Blend and Strain
Cool the mixture, blend into a fine puree. Crucially, pass this puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove tomato skins and seeds, creating a silky base.
- 7
Cook the Gravy
Melt a generous knob of butter in a pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.
- 8
Add the Puree
Pour the strained tomato puree into the butter. Add Kashmiri chili powder (for color, not heat) and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- 9
Balance the Flavor
Butter chicken must have a slight sweetness. Add a tablespoon of sugar or honey to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
- 10
Add the Chicken
Toss the charred chicken pieces into the simmering gravy. Let them absorb the flavors for 5-7 minutes.
- 11
The Final Touches
Crush kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) by rubbing them between your palms and sprinkle it over the curry. Add garam masala.
- 12
Cream and Serve
Turn off the heat. Swirl in a heavy pour of cream. Stir gently. Garnish with a cube of butter and serve with Garlic Naan.
Cooking Tips
- Straining the tomato puree is absolutely non-negotiable for restaurant-quality Butter Chicken. It must be velvet-smooth.
- Using bone-in chicken is traditional in India, but boneless chicken thighs yield the juiciest results for home cooks.
Variations
- Paneer Butter Masala: A vegetarian version replacing the chicken with cubes of soft cottage cheese.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Invented in Delhi by the founders of Moti Mahal restaurant as a way to utilize leftover dry tandoori chicken by simmering it in a rich tomato gravy.
Nutrition Estimate
560 calories · 34g protein · 14g carbs · 42g fat · 3g fiber per serving
