One of the world's most beloved curries — made easy at home in just 30 minutes! This restaurant-style Butter Chicken is creamy, buttery, tangy, and mildly spiced — a guaranteed family crowd-pleaser every single time! Serve over fluffy basmati rice or with warm naan bread to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce. Your family will be coming back for seconds and thirds!
Jump to:
- The Origin of Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)
- Why Should You Make Indian Butter Chicken?
- What Ingredients Do You Need To Create Indian Butter Chicken?
- 🔪 Instructions
- Suggestions For Serving
- FAQ
- Some Other Indian Dishes That You Will Enjoy!
- Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
- Easy Indian Butter Chicken Recipe (Chicken Makhani)
I'm SUPER EXCITED to share one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE recipes with you!
If you love Indian food, then you'll absolutely love this recipe for Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken)! Along with tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala, Butter Chicken is one of the most popular chicken dishes of Indian cuisine!
The Origin of Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)
Indian Butter Chicken, otherwise known as Chicken Makhani, is basically chicken simmered in a mildly spiced tomato sauce. From Wikipedia I read that the original recipe was created in 1947 by 3 chefs from the Punjab who were the founders of Moti Mahal Restaurant in Delhi. Apparently they created it by chance by mixing some leftover chicken with a curry sauce that was rich with tomato, butter, and cream.
I can just imagine they shouted "EUREKA!" once they tasted their creation! Most certainly they knew they created a dish that would eventually become loved by so many around the world, and one of the world's most popular curries!
Why Should You Make Indian Butter Chicken?
Why should you make Indian Butter Chicken? Because it is creamy, tangy, and features a buttery tomato gravy, with loads of highly aromatic and delicious spices...you cannot go wrong with this dish!
This Indian recipe is also super simple to make! There is some prep required to get the shallot, onion, garlic, and ginger ready to go, but other than that it cooks up really quickly. In a matter of a few minutes you can have an Indian Butter Chicken which tastes as good as what you can order at your local Indian restaurant!
What Ingredients Do You Need To Create Indian Butter Chicken?
Just a few simple ingredients are required for this most delicious of dishes. You will need fresh ginger, garlic, shallot, onion, lemon juice, tomato sauce (or tomato puree), heavy cream, yogurt, and of course chicken and butter.
I prefer using chicken thighs for this restaurant-style butter chicken recipe. However, you can substitute chicken breasts or chicken tenders if you like.
The spices you will need include garam masala powder, cayenne pepper, red chili powder and salt. I normally buy Whole Garam Masala and grind it just prior to using. However, you can certainly use the powder form.
Garam masala is an incredible mix of spices. It typically includes cumin, coriander, cardamom, bay leaves, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg. There are certainly variations and seemingly endless varieties of types of garam masala. They have one thing in common: they are supremely aromatic! Please take the time to inhale the scent of this spice mix when you make this dish.
For your convenience, I have provided some links here to garam masala, cayenne pepper, and chili powder if you would like to order from Amazon.
🔪 Instructions
Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot. Easiest if done using a food processor if you have one.
Heat the olive oil to medium in a large skillet (skillet should have a lid so you can cover it). Add the minced garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot and stir fry for around 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
Add the cayenne (if using), salt, garam masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and 3 tbsps of the butter. Stir constantly for 1 minute incorporating all the spices and melting the butter.
Still on medium heat, add the chicken pieces and the tomato sauce. Stir well, and then leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes on a medium or medium-low heat. The chicken should be pretty much cooked through at this point. If you see that it is not, leave to cook a little while longer. Stir occasionally.
On medium-low heat, now add the cream and yogurt and stir. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and then stir in the last remaining tablespoon of butter. Add additional salt to taste if you like.
Recommended garnishes are lemon wedges, cilantro (coriander leaves), and red onion. Add to your hearts content, and enjoy this dish cooked with love for your family!
Suggestions For Serving
Serve with butter naan or basmati rice to soak up the mouthwatering butter chicken sauce.
Are you ready to try this? Please enjoy this easy recipe and let me know how it turns out!
By the way, I also read that this star dish in Indian cooking is used as a pie filling in New Zealand and Australia! Sounds pretty yummy to me!
FAQ
Butter Chicken is perfect served with some naan bread or basmati rice to soak up the mouthwatering curry sauce! Some wonderful garnishes include cilantro leaves, red onion slices, and lemon wedges. Be sure to squeeze some lemon juice over your butter chicken to take it to the next level!
Butter Chicken is absolutely heavenly! This dish tastes of a savory mildly spiced curry that is creamy, buttery, tangy, and just ever so slightly sweet.
Some Other Indian Dishes That You Will Enjoy!
Here are some other Indian recipes that you will enjoy:
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Easy Indian Butter Chicken Recipe (Chicken Makhani)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces (can sub chicken breasts or chicken tenders)
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- ½ onion minced
- 1 shallot minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz tomato sauce could sub tomato puree
- 4 tablespoon butter split (3 tablespoon + 1 tbsp)
- ½ cup yogurt either Greek or natural yogurt (plain)
- 2 ts lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper can reduce or leave out if you prefer a less spicy version
- 1 ts salt plus additional to taste
Optional Garnishes
- lemon wedges be sure to squeeze some lemon juice over your butter chicken to take it to the next level!
- red onion slices sliced thinly
- cilantro throw on a few leaves!
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot. Easiest if done using a food processor if you have one.
- Heat the olive oil to medium in a large skillet (skillet should have a lid so you can cover it). Add the minced garlic, ginger, onion, and shallot and stir fry for around 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add the cayenne (if using), salt, garam masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and 3 tbsps of the butter. Stir constantly for 1 minute incorporating all the spices and melting the butter.
- Still on medium heat, add the chicken and the tomato sauce. Stir well, and then leave to simmer for 5-7 minutes on a medium or medium-low heat. The chicken should be pretty much cooked through at this point. If you see that it is not, leave to cook a little while longer. Stir occasionally.
- On medium-low heat, now add the cream and yogurt and stir. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and then stir in the last remaining tablespoon of butter. Add additional salt to taste if you like.
- Recommended garnishes are lemon wedges, cilantro and red onion. Add to your hearts content, and enjoy this dish cooked with love for your family!
Takeki.N
I didn’t have the idea to use heavy cream for this!
This is interesting!
Grace
Thank you for your comments! The heavy cream really makes it just that much creamier. 🙂 I hope you will enjoy this dish and thank you so much!
Tomas
Looks like the tomato sauce is missing from the ingredients list? Sounds really good otherwise.
April
This is definitely a dish I will make over and over! The aroma in my house was so satisfying! My boys cane out of their rooms and was like mom what are you making? I don’t have to go to an Indian restaurant again since I can make my own! I did add a little salt because we like salt 😋🤣
Grace
April! Thank you so much for your comments! Most of all I'm so very happy that your family enjoyed this dish! And I have added "salt to taste" to the instructions. 🙂 Thank you again!!!
Eden Macinnes
I made this tonight for dinner and it was really good. My brother ate it with regular rice and I ate it with nann bread. I don’t know how many times my brother said “this is really good” . I think he had 3 or 4 servings. Now he wants the recipe. Prepping and cooking was so easy. My husband and my daughter don’t eat spicy food so more for me and my brother. Will definitely made my list. Thanks Grace for these yummy and easy to cook recipes. Also thank you to your sister April for sharing your recipes.
Grace
Hi Eden! You made my day! I am so overjoyed that you and your brother liked the Butter Chicken! Thanks so much for taking the time to make it and come here and comment. I'm truly grateful! Take good care and thank you again!!!
Eden Macinnes
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely yummy. I don’t know how many time my brother said “this is really god” and now wants the recipe. He ate it with regular rice and I ate it with nann bread. This is so simple and easy to make. Definitely will make this again. Thanks you Grace for all this easy to cook recipes and also thank you April for sharing the link.
June Barrera
So I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for the longest time and I finally made it last night. I have to say , this was the best chicken recipe ever! I’m not a big chicken fan so I have to find different recipes. I also do keto so this recipe was perfect for me. I can’t eat rice so we served them with low carb tortillas and they were delicious! My daughter told me she does not really like Indian dishes but she loved this one! I will be making more tonight ! Thanks Grace for sharing your delicious recipe!