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Indian Butter Chicken Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Indian Butter Chicken ~ also known as Chicken Makhani, is a classic, flavorful Indian dish

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Indian Butter Chicken Recipe served with hot Basmati rice and naan bread, garnished with cilantro

 

Indian Butter Chicken ~ also known as Chicken Makhani is a classic, flavorful Indian dish.

You control the heat in this easy, make-at-home version of the restaurant favorite. Make it as spicy or mild as you want, but I say bring the heat! You can use chicken breasts or thighs in this dish. For our butter chicken we prefer bite sized chunks of tender chicken breast. To lighten the dish a little we’ve had great success substituting half-and-half for the cream. But feel free to use cream if prefer or have it on hand.

This post first appeared on Recipe Girl where I am a contributor and occasionally share delicious recipes!

 

Indian Butter Chicken Recipe served with hot Basmati rice and naan bread, garnished with cilantro

Recipes for Indian Butter Chicken or Chicken Makhani can vary greatly from restaurant to restaurant, and region to region.

Some recipes are made with whole bone-in chicken thighs. Most experts agree the original recipe may have been created as a way to use up leftover restaurant tandoori chicken. Tandoori chicken is an Indian delicacy, made by marinating chicken in a yogurt and spice mixture, then roasting in a clay oven. Since we don’t have a cylindrical clay oven, we opted for an easy sautéed method featuring the same kind of yogurt and spice marinated chicken. We also added a little chili powder to give our recipe a smoky flavor like tandoori chicken may have. For added heat, we added a little cayenne. If you happen to have Indian chili powder, which is pure ground chilies with no additives, I would use it and skip the cayenne. Indian chili powder is like cayenne, in flavor and heat, then standard chili powder.

 

Indian Butter Chicken ~ also known as Chicken Makhani, is a classic, flavorful Indian dish. In this easy, make-at-home version of the restaurant favorite, you control the heat. Make it as spicy or mild as you want, but I say bring the heat! #savingroomfordessert #butterchicken #indianbutterchicken #chicken #indianrecipe #dinner

We love the flavor of this tomato infused curry sauce, which is very similar to the other super popular Indian dish – Chicken Tikka Masala.

As you may know, Chicken Tikka Masala is a British creation, while Butter Chicken is a dish from the Punjabi region of India. Butter Chicken tends to be less tomatoey and spicer than Chicken Tikka, and is often finished with a bit of butter melted into the sauce. Chicken Tikka Masala may be made with less cream too, but both recipes include garam masala, fresh ginger, garlic and plenty of rich spices.

 

Indian Butter Chicken Recipe served with hot Basmati rice and naan bread, garnished with cilantro

If you love tender chunks of marinated chicken, plenty of spice and a creamy hot sauce, then don’t miss this company worthy dish! Serve with hot Basmati rice and Naan bread, and garnish with fresh cilantro for an incredible trip without leaving your kitchen!

 

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Bowls of Indian Butter Chicken with rice and Naan bread

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Indian Butter Chicken

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
Course: Main Course
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
5 from 3 votes
Indian Butter Chicken ~ also known as Chicken Makhani, is a classic, flavorful Indian dish.

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

  • 7 ounces full-fat plain Greek yogurt, about 1 cup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon ground garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce, low sodium or puree
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

To make the chicken marinade:

  • Combine all the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl. Toss to combine, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

To make the sauce:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the garam masala, chili powder, cayenne and salt. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the marinated chicken pieces. Don’t worry about scraping out any remaining marinade mixture - just discard. Sauté until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the half-and-half and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and warm gently until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Serve over hot rice and garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 1339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 3mg

A good non-stick skillet works best for this recipe – click on the photo for more information:

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I often wish I had more curry recipes in my arsenal like this Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Beef Curry from Pressure Cooking Today. For a Meatless Monday meal, I can’t wait to taste this Everyday Chickpea Curry and a big bowl of  Slow Cooker Curried Lentil Soup both recipes from A Beautiful Plate. This beautiful and classic Indian Style Saffron Rice from The View from Great Island is a must make recipe!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful week my friends 🙂

Tricia

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30 Comments

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Albina. Sorry you’re having trouble. Half and Half should not be boiled or it will split and curdle. Try removing the pan from the heat before adding and make sure the sauce is not boiling. Good luck.

      Reply

  2. Diana

    5 stars
    Made this with thighs. Had to make my own garam masala because I didn’t plan enough ahead. Turned out delicious and tasted like what I eat at Indian restaurants, except less spicy. I used Naan bread for dipping. Yum.

    Reply

  7. Abbe@This is How I Cook

    I’m so glad you posted this. Alex brought home from India a butter chicken mixture from a spice vendor. Didn’t know what to do with it, but now I do! Think I can give it a try, thanks to you! Pinning to try in the very near future!

    Reply

  8. Pam

    It looks delicious, Tricia! I’ve never had butter chicken, and must give it a try. Lots of good ingredients in it for sure. I would like it spicy, but Bill would want it on the mild side, so good to making it at home. Thanks for the recipe and have a good week!

    Reply