This authentic Indian Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani) is filled with tender pieces of spiced chicken in a richly spiced tomato and cream based sauce.
This traditional Indian dish is served with basmati rice and naan bread.
Lately my husband and I have been hooked on this local Indian restaurant and every time I go I always order the butter chicken. As you can imagine, it can get pretty expensive going out to eat often, so making this dish at home was my goal.
I’m happy to report that I nailed this dish! The chicken is perfectly seasoned and the sauce is thick and creamy and out of this world. It’s the perfect blend of flavors and now I can make it at home to my heart’s content.
Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Butter Chicken, also referred to as Murgh Makhani, is a traditional Indian dish originating from Northern India in 1948. This recipe consists of seasoned chicken that is cooked in a smooth and silky curry sauce that’s enhanced with butter and heavy cream.
Ingredients For Butter Chicken
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to make Indian Butter Chicken at home. As always, you can find the full printable recipe card below.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – you could also use chicken thighs
- Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
- Spices and Aromatics – Ginger, Garlic, Garam Marsala, Turmeric, Cumin, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper
- Butter
- Onion
- Diced or Crushed Tomatoes
- Cashews – to thicken the sauce
- Heavy Cream
- Sugar
How To Make Butter Chicken:
In order to get ultra flavorful and tender chicken, it’s best to marinate your chicken for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours (if time allows) in a mixture of spices and plain yogurt. I use sour cream because that’s usually what I have on hand. It works perfectly!
Make Butter Chicken Marinade
Combine the sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), garlic, ginger, garam marsala, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Stir in the bite sized pieces of chicken and cover, allowing to marinate.
Sear Chicken
Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook chicken in batches, until browned on all sides.
Make Butter Chicken Sauce
Once you’ve cooked your chicken pieces in the pan, put them aside on a plate and keep warm. Now you’ll cook the sauce in the same pan, making sure to scrap any browned bits off the bottom for maximum flavor!
- Add butter to the pan and toss in sliced onion. Cook until tender about 7 minutes.
- Toss in the garlic, ginger, cumin and garam marsala and cook until fragrant, then add in the tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it), salt and cashews.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until it’s a deep red color and very fragrant.
Blend The Sauce
In order to get an ultra creamy and rich sauce you’ll add the sauce ingredients (including the cashews) to your blender and processing until smooth.
PRO TIP: The mixture will be pretty thick at this point, which is just fine. We’ll be adding in more butter and heavy cream to bring it to the perfect silky consistency.
Finish The Sauce
Once you’ve added your blended sauce back to the pan, stir in the heavy cream gradually until the mixture comes together and is silky smooth. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
What really takes this dish over the top is, well… more butter! Once you’ve simmered your chicken and sauce together, stir in a few tablespoons of butter to add a delicious richness to the sauce.
Tips and FAQ
Cashews are a traditional way to add a slight nutty flavor while also thickening the sauce to that perfect consistency. We’re not adding any cornstarch or flour to our recipe, making it a truly authentic dish that’s thick and creamy.
Yes, it’s a crucial ingredient that gives this dish that signature flavor. You can find this spice either in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, in the Asian foods aisle or on Amazon.
Adjust the spice level of this dish by adding more or less cayenne pepper. With ZERO cayenne pepper it’s very mild and kid friendly. Add up to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper for more heat.
Use pork, lamb, shrimp or even garbanzo beans in place of the chicken for a nice variation.
Make Ahead and Storage
Making Butter Chicken ahead of time is one of my favorite ways to be able to get this dinner on the table during a busy weeknight.
Make Ahead
The chicken can be prepped and marinated ahead of time, up to 24 hours.
Storage
Store the prepared dish in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
You can also freeze Butter Chicken for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat over a simmer on the stove top. Add extra cream or butter if needed to thin the sauce.
You’ll be blown away by the flavor, texture and taste of this authentic Butter Chicken Recipe. I’m thrilled to be able to make this over and over again at my house and skip going out to eat at the expensive Indian restaurant!
More Indian Recipes:
- Roasted Curry Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Shrimp Tikka Masala
- Naan Bread
- Curry Beef Stew
Authentic Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
For the Butter Chicken Sauce:
- 6 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, up to 1 tsp (optional according to spice preference)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Combine the chicken ingredients in a large bowl and stir until the chicken is coated completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight if time allows in refrigerator.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear chicken pieces in oil, until browned all each side, about 3 minutes. Chicken will not get cooked through here, but later on in the sauce. Don’t overcrowd the pan, you will have to work in batches, adding more oil if necessary. Set chicken aside on a plate to keep warm.
For the Butter Chicken Sauce:
- To the same pan that was used to cook the chicken, add 3 tbsp of butter and let it melt over medium heat. Toss in the onions and let cook about 5 to 7 minutes, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, cumin and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne (if using), salt and cashews. Bring mixture to a slight simmer for about 10 minutes, until mixture turns a deep red color.
- Scoop mixture into a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture back into the skillet over low to medium heat and gradually stir in the heavy cream and sugar.
- Add the chicken (and any juices) back into the sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Finally add in the remaining 3 tbsp of butter and let it melt into the sauce as you stir. Serve warm with basmati rice, warm naan bread and enjoy!
Nutrition
This was delicious! I made it for dinner last night.
This is one of those recipes that you should make exactly as written. At least the first time. I’ve made this recipe at least a half dozen times for family and friends and everyone has loved it. I’m never afraid to experiment, but frankly, this is one I just prefer to leave alone.
This recipe ABSOLUTELY takes the cake! I’m a decent home cook, but often struggle finding good recipes. No issues with this one, it seriously competes with the restaurant down the street! I substituted chicken thighs (I just prefer them over breasts). My only complaint is my own fault. My blender broke last week, so I used an immersion blender, as a result the texture was a tad bit gritty, so I wouldn’t recommend it, but it would work in a pinch. I’ve saved this recipe and cannot wait to share this with others. I’ll be adding it to my rotation of meals for sure. Thank you!!!
Absolutely delicious!! We usually head to our favorite restaurant for butter chicken, but won’t be doing that anymore. This was just lovely . Thank you for sharing!!!
I would like to try this recipe – can you tell me the weight of 3 large chicken breasts?
It was about 2.2 pounds for me
Absolutely loved this recipe! 10/10.
When I buy chicken thighs and breasts I chop them up and put them and the marinade into freezer bags. That way when I want to make this recipe they are marinading as they that too. Always works a treat and saves heaps of time on busy weeknights!
This was amazing added my own touches and used a clay pot it came out 10/10 ! This is one recipe online that came out beautifully.
Very tasty. I substitued pistachios for cashews, which also works.
I gave a 5, though I would add kasuri menthi at the end of this recipe as a counterpoint to the richness if the sauce. I recognize the author may be trying to stay away from exotic shopping, but garam masala and kasuri menthi are often found together.
This was absolutely delicious. I added 1/2 a teaspoon of fenugreek to the marinade and sauce because it’s in many of the other butter chicken recipes. It was absolutely delicious! I served it with cumin baked brown rice and garlic naan bread.
I love this recipe for butter chicken. It’s the best . Tried other ones and didn’t like them. I just found your site and have made many of them. Never disappointed.