Butter Chicken Recipe (Chicken Makhani)
Published August 19, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Butter Chicken recipe features thin-cut marinated and seared chicken finished in a delectable chili tomato and butter sauce. This is one of my wife’s and my all-time favorite dishes.
I am a huge fan of serving up this chicken makhani with Cooked Basmati Rice and a side of Naan Bread.
Butter Chicken
Butter chicken, better known as Murgh Makhani, is a classic Northern Indian recipe consisting of thin-cut pieces of marinated chicken that are served in a roasted onion, tomato, spice, and chili sauce that is finished with butter and heavy cream. The sauce the chicken is served in is a form of curry.
This is an extremely popular recipe in Indian cuisine, and you will commonly see it on Indian restaurant menus. You can prepare this dish in its entirety in under 90 minutes from start to finish making it a perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – You can use dark or white meat, but I prefer to break down a whole chicken for cost-effectiveness.
- Chiles – I used seeded jalapeño and Kashmiri chiles. However, you can use Thai or kanthari’s.
- Chili Powder – There is an Indian red chili powder you can use if you find it. However, regular chili powder will work.
- Garam Masala – I’ve got a great homemade garam masala recipe, but you can buy pre-made.
- Kasoori Methi – This is also known as dried fenugreek and has notes of celery and fennel.
- Turmeric – Ground turmeric is what you will use in the marinade.
- Cilantro – Use fresh cilantro in the sauce and for garnish.
- Cashews – I used unroasted, unsalted cashews.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are a great all-season option unless you have fresh from the garden.
- Garlic – Finely minced or processed fresh garlic cloves.
- Ginger – Peeled and finely minced or processed ginger is what I used.
- Onions – Red onions would be the most classic. However, you can use yellow onions.
Lemon – The juice of 1 lemon is used for the chicken marinade. - Yogurt – I like to use full-fat yogurt in the marinade that is strained.
- Butter – Use cold unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Cream – Cold heavy whipping cream should be used.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by preparing the chicken and cutting it into bit size pieces.
Next, add the spices, garlic, ginger, yogurt, and lemon to a bowl along with the prepared chicken and mix thoroughly. At this point, cover it with plastic and keep it in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.
While the chicken is marinating, caramelize some red onions in melted butter in a large pot or rondeau.
Next, mix in some ginger and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
Add in the spices and chiles and mix for 1 to two minutes. You may need to add water to scrape up some of the fond.
Place in the tomatoes and cashews, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes on low to medium heat. Come back every 5 to 7 minutes to give it a quick stir.
Next, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
Strain the mixture completely back into a pot and keep warm on low heat. See chef note on thinning out.
Whisk in cold butter and then whipped cream until mixed in.
Adjust the seasonings of the sauce with salt. Keep warm.
In a separate large rondeau or frying pan with ghee or oil over medium-high heat, add the marinated chicken once the butter or oil begins to smoke lightly.
Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes and then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked throughout.
Transfer the cooked chicken to the pot with sauce and finish with fresh chopped cilantro, kasoori methi, and more butter, and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten immediately; However, you can keep warm in the sauce on low heat for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep the butter chicken in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of butter chicken to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can marinate the chicken overnight. However, I do not think it needs to go that long as the marinade is jam-packed with flavor and can infuse into the chicken in a short amount of time.
- After the 5th procedure, it’s good to deglaze with 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water to release the fond. Fond is the browned bits of food remaining on the bottom of the pan after it has been sauteed or roasted.
- When blending anything hot, be sure to remove the centerpiece to the lid of the blender to release the heat, or else it will explode. I usually place a towel over the top while blending.
- To thin out the sauce after blending, add about a cup of cold water to the blender and swish it before straining. The sauce will remain thick and have a good consistency.
- If you want to get a good sear on the chicken, you’ll need to do it in batches to spread it out and ensure the pieces aren’t touching each other.
More Chicken Recipes
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this, then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.
Video
Butter Chicken Recipe (Chicken Makhani)
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 1/2 pounds of skinless, thinly sliced chicken (dark, white, or combination of both)
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon kasoori methi
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garlic paste, see video
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste, see video
- ½ cup whole milk yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons ghee or oil
For the Sauce:
- 1 stick + 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
- 2 peeled thinly sliced red onions
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste, see video
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste, see video
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kasoori meth
- 5 seeded dried chiles, I used kasmiri
- 1 seeded and roughly chopped jalapeño
- 10 cored and roughly cut Roma tomatoes
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing the chicken and cutting it into bit size pieces.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, kasoori methi, garlic, ginger, yogurt, and lemon to a large bowl along with the prepared chicken and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic and keep it in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.
- While the chicken is marinating, start on the sauce.
- Add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a large rondeau pot over low to medium heat and caramelize the red onions until they are well browned, which takes about 30 minutes. Stir every 5 to 6 minutes.
- Next, mix in the ginger and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add in the garam masala, chili powder, ½ teaspoon of kasoori methi, dried chiles, and jalapaño, and mix for 1 to 2 minutes. You may need to add some water to scrape up some of the fond. See chef notes.
- Place in the tomatoes and cashews, stir and cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes on low to medium heat. Come back every 5 to 7 minutes to give it a quick stir.
- Next, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
- Strain the mixture back into the pot and keep warm on low heat. See chef notes on thinning out.
- Whisk in 1 stick of cold butter until mixed in and then add in the whipped cream and stir to combine.
- Adjust the seasonings of the sauce with salt. Keep warm.
- In a separate large rondeau or frying pan with ghee or oil over medium-high heat, add the marinated chicken once the butter or oil begins to smoke lightly.
- Spread the chicken out across the pan and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, and then stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked throughout. See chef notes on searing.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to the pot with sauce and finish by mixing in fresh chopped cilantro, remaining ½ teaspoons of kasoori methi, and 2 tablespoons of butter and serve.
Made this tonight it was a delicious hit! Served with your naan! Thank you chef!
I have already made this twice! The reason I made it a second time was I couldn’t believe it was so good and had to make sure I really did it. And yes, indeed it is was as delicious. Make sure and get some naan sop up every drop!
Thank you ChefBilly fabulous recipe 😁😋
It was so delicious. Definitely a keeper. Didn’t have the kasoori methi or fresh tomatoes. Used 1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes and it was so good! Thank you!
Yes !! Excellent .. not creamy at all and full of taste .
No leftovers in my house .
Thank you
Looks fabulous have to go shop look for spices herbs looking so forward to this recipe thank you ChefBILLY 😁👋🤩
This is wonderful tasty recipe finding the bearable chilli 🌶️ are a challenge 😁thank you ChefBilly have a great day 😁🤩👋
Going to oh my day’s looking forward to another gorgeous tasty sensation thankyou Chef Billy
thanks for trying this!
Absolutely fantastic. Made a few minor changes but generally followed and it was authentic and delicious. Thank you!
glad you liked this!
Cooked this for the family. The smells as you add each ingredient was heaven. I am going to substitute tofu for the chicken next time and substitute other ingredients to make it vegetarian. Thanks Billy
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for your authentic old school recipes. You can definitely create a book and sell it . I definitely would buy a few 5 of them for my children and myself to have at home. If you do have a recipe book out already. Can you please let me know. Let me know how I can buy them. You’re the only person I follow know. I have tried so many other sites and none of them has been good. They’ll copy one anothers recipes. They change little thing to make it look like their own.
I can not make this enough. So Deliciously Yummers.
What’s For Dinner My New Favorite Recipe Indian Chicken Curry With Naan Bread Wine Pairing Santa Barbara Winery 2019 Reserve Chardonnay STA Rita Hills Can You Say Deliciously Yummers! Bon Appetite 😜
it’s a good one.
Yes, I made this with thigh meat. I went exactly like your recipe. I thought the sauce was delicious but maybe too spicy for my mom. I had a lot of juice left in the pan I sautéed the chicken in. I put most of the chicken in the butter sauce but I poured some chicken into a separate bowl. I served jasmine rice, butter chicken, and just the chicken in its own juices. For condiments I had small bowls of chopped cashews, chopped cilantro and a cream pitcher of heavy cream. I also served a baskets of hot garlic Naan bread. No one had ever tasted this dish but we all loved creating our own bowls of yummiest. Thank you Billy for broadening our culinary palates!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Fun to attempt, I left out pepper as to spicy. It was really good. The mixture did get too thick but I just used it that way as unable to strain.
One of my favourite ! Back in college use to order this delivery and living in France it’s not such a popular dish, I’ve made it a dozen of time now and adjusted it to my taste. Trying to change one thing every time to change. The basis you provide is flawless and makes it so easy. Thank you
my pleasure!
My daughters dad is from India and I have been trying to cook authentic Indian for years with no success, convinced that I am just too white. This is the first recipe that I was able to make that was delicious! I am making this for her HS Graduation party this weekend and sharing this link for others. I hope to introduce others to her rich, Indian heritage. Thanks!
My pleasure!
This has such a authentic curry vibe – the blend of recipe ingredients are perfect, restaurant standard …Family fave for us now
It’s a good one!
This is so good! Takes some time but worth it! No more pre-made jars of chicken makhani for me! Chef Billy-thank you for making these recipes and videos so clear and easy to follow!
This is a family favorite for sure!
This is so delicious. Time consuming but worth every minute. Kasoori methi no where to be found so I substituted Frontier Co-op curry powder for the turmeric and fenugreek.
good job using what you have!
This came out so good! We love Indian food but about 3 years ago we moved from Southern California to Montana, where there is a dearth of Indian food, and if you CAN find it…. It’s not great. I normally use recipes as inspiration but this time I tried very hard to follow it exactly. I was close. I wasn’t sure about the dried chili. In one instance I used cayenne, and in another I used chili powder. I couldn’t find the kasoori methi in my store but I did find dried fenugreek, which didn’t look anything like it. I doubled the cashews, because I love them, and I realized too late that I only bought 4 Roma tomatoes, so I added a can of diced tomatoes. In spite of that it had the best flavor and texture! My husband said it was restaurant quality! 😁. Thanks for the recipe Billy! So dang good!
That’s awesome. Great job!
I made this today, everyone loved it, especially my 12 year old boy who hates everything!
Made yeasterday. Delicius!