Easy Butter Chicken Recipe Restaurant Style
Butter Chicken is an incredibly popular dish that most people love to order while eating out at an Indian restaurant. The dish consists of flavorful chunky chicken pieces submerged in a velvety smooth and delicious curry base. This dish was invented by an Indian Chef in New Dehli, India who took the juices from chicken tikka (another popular South Asian dish) and cooked it in butter and tomatoes.
Butter chicken is also known as murgh makhani which literally translates to butter chicken. I have done many trials to achieve the restaurant quality butter chicken and I finally got it. Making butter chicken is so much easier than you think. This is an easy and authentic butter chicken recipe that you must try.
Butter Chicken is usually made of flavorful boneless chunks of chicken. I recommend using either boneless breast pieces of boneless chicken thigh pieces. Chicken breasts are easily available in grocery stores as compared to boneless chicken thighs. While chicken thigh meat is juicier than breast meat, it has a slight smell to it and may require treating with vinegar prior to cooking. Although it is not commonly used, you may also use bone-in meat if you prefer. The goal is to cook the meat prior to adding it to the sauce.
There are two steps in making this. First, marinate the chicken pieces. The process involves adding spices to clean pieces of chicken and allowing the meat to marinate for some time. The longer you marinate the better tasting your chicken will be. Cook the chicken after it’s done marination and set aside. Then the second step is to prepare the rich curry base which also does not require a lot of ingredients. Once the curry is done, add the previously cooked chicken to the curry base and allow it to simmer for a few mins.
Before serving, add cilantro and drizzle some heavy cream for presentation. Butter chicken is typically served over plain basmati rice or served with freshly baked naan. Another popular and new idea is to serve it with garlic bread or tortilla chips. There are also many fusion recipes with butter chicken such as butter chicken pizza and quesadillas. Let me know if you are interested in seeing any of these recipes. That’s it! This is an easy butter chicken recipe. Check out the recipe below!
As you know, I love making recipes in my Instant Pot. Let me know if you would like to see an Instant Pot Butter Chicken recipe in the comments below.
What does butter chicken taste like?
The base of this dish is smooth and creamy with a velvety consistency. The smooth texture comes from a blend of tomatoes and heavy cream simmered in spices. The taste profile is very similar to creamy tomato soup with Indian spices. A little sweetness is added to make the overall dish less acidic and tangy. If you love this dish, you will also love my tomato basil soup recipe.
Is butter chicken and curry the same?
In my opinion, both are curries with different taste profiles. Butter chicken is mostly made up of tomatoes has a thick and creamy consistency. While the chicken curry is made up of onion, spices, and yogurt with a much spicier and thinner base. Check out this chicken curry recipe.
How is this different from chicken tikka masala?
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are very similar dishes. They are both curries made of a tomato and cream base. The main difference is where these dishes originated. I believe chicken tikka masala was a curry dish made by an Indian chef in the United Kingdom while butter chicken originated in India. Chicken Tikka masala also does not require making the dish in butter and ghee and also contains more spices in the marination of the meat as well as the base of the curry. If you are looking for a similar spicy and creamy chicken curry, try out this chicken tikka masala recipe.
Butter Chicken VS Chicken Tikka Masala
Why do they call it butter chicken?
They call it butter chicken or murgh makhani because the sauce is prepared in butter. The consistency as well is buttery smooth. The onion and tomatoes are sauteed in butter. Once the curry is prepared and blended, additional butter is added to make the base smooth.
Why is butter chicken so good?
I will let this below speak for itself 🙂
Spices In Butter Chicken Marination
Historically, butter chicken was made from chicken tikka or leftover juices from chicken tikka. Technically, you may use the normal spices used to marinate chicken tikka; however, from my numerous trials, I found using minimum spice is best. I use enough spice to add flavor to the chicken and allow it to be soft and juicy from the inside. You may, however, add any chicken tikka spice blend you wish. The goal here is to add flavor to the chicken and tenderize the meat. Check out my chicken tikka recipe (masala made from scratch).
Canned Tomatoes vs Tomatoes?
That depends on what you have on hand and your preference. I have used both and the outcome is very similar. I will say this, using canned tomatoes is a lot easier than keeping fresh ones, and it is definitely a lot less work. Canned tomatoes also add depth, nice deep color, and a touch of sweetness to your overall dish. Cooking fresh tomatoes can take some time. You have to stir the pot in between and cover the lid to get the tomatoes to release its own water. Again, either works well so use canned or fresh tomatoes to make the base. TIP: since tomatoes are very acidic in nature, add sugar or honey to cut through the acidity.
Other Recipes To Try From Our Blog:
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Instant Pot Mutton Biryani
- Chicken Corn Soup
- Chicken Tikka
- Beef Seekh Kabab
- Chicken Handi
- Instant Pot Palak Paneer
- Instant Pot Mutton Pulao
- Zucchini & Squash Dish | Turai ki bhujia |
- Chapli Kabab Recipe
- Chicken Leg Quarters Mediterranean
Easy Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken Marination
- 1 lb chicken cubed
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp salt or per taste
- 2 tbsp yogurt
Butter Chicken Sauce
- 3 tbsp ghee or 2 tbsp or butter + 1 tbsp oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne pepper adjust accordingly
- 5-6 tomatoes or 1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves optional
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
Chicken Marination /Preparation
- Clean and cut chicken into cubes. Pat dry.
- Add the ingredients listed under chicken marination above and mix.
- Allow the chicken to marinate for 2 hours or preferably overnight.
- In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add the marinated chicken cubes and cook until brown and cooked through on both sides. Set aside.
Butter Chicken Sauce
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pan. In the same pan, add ghee and onion. Saute the onion until its soft and translucent.
- Add cumin, cinnamon stick and bay leave. Saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add kashmiri red chili powder, salt and garam masala. Give it a quick mix. Please make sure that masala does not burn. Add a few drops of water to prevent from burning.
- Add diced tomatoes. Give it a quick mix and cover the lid. You may need to stir the pan to allow the tomatoes to release water. The tomatoes will cook in its own water. If no water, add 3 tbsp of water.
- Allow the spices and tomatoes to cook for 5-8. The tomatoes should be mushy at this point with a thick sauce.
- Add 1/2 cup of water and blend the ingredients. You may blend this with a hand blender or a counter top blender.
- At this point you should have a smooth velvety base. Transfer it back to the pan.
- To the sauce, add butter and sugar and give it a mix.
- Add heavy cream and mix. Now add the previously cooked chicken and crush fenugreek and mix. Allow it to simmer for 5 mins on low heat.
- Serve hot with naan or with basmati rice.
More Recipes From Our Blog
Did you try my butter chicken dish and now want to try something similar but spicier. Check out my step-by-step chicken tikka masala recipe below.