Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani)

Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani)

If you've ever dined at an Indian restaurant, you've most likely tried Indian Butter Chicken. It's massively popular, one of the most well known Indian recipes in the U.S.

It is rich and filling, comfort food at its finest, and you can easily make it from the comfort of your own kitchen. One of the best things about it is you can cook it up with ingredients easily found at your local grocery store.

Just don't let the aromas drive you mad with desire as they fill the house.

And, even though it is a curry, it isn't spicy hot, even though it does include a lot of piquant spices. If you love curry but you don't love the heat, butter chicken is the dish for you.

Don't worry, though, my spicy food loving friends. You'll love it, too. Butter chicken is filled with big, bold flavors. And, you can adjust with heat to your tongue's desires.

What is Butter Chicken?

Butter Chicken is a curry made with tender, juicy chicken that marinates in yogurt and lots of aromatic spices. It is then cooked along with aromatics and extra spices along with a tomato-based curry sauce.

The curry sauce is often strained (though you can skip this step), making it smooth and velvety, then finished off with a bit of heavy cream to bring you a wonderful creamy chicken curry dish.

I don't think you can get any better than a good butter chicken. It is Indian food at its most wonderful.

Butter chicken is the common name, but it is called "Murgh Makhani" in India. It is rather similar to another well known Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala.

Let's talk about how to make butter chicken, shall we?

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) Ingredients

The full list of ingredients with measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• FOR THE BUTTER CHICKEN MARINADE
• Boneless Chicken Thighs. You can also use chicken breast, or a combination.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Spices. Garam masala, red chili powder (Kashmiri chili powder preferred, or paprika), turmeric, cumin, salt and black pepper.
• Yogurt. Use plain yogurt, not flavored.
• Lemon Juice.
• FOR THE BUTTER CHICKEN
• Vegetable Oil. Or use butter or ghee.
• Onion.
• Red Pepper. Spicy or mild, to your preference.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Spices. Garam masala, cumin, red chili powder, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes. Also, use honey for a touch of sweet, if desired.
• Tomatoes. Use tomato sauce for a smoother butter sauce, or use diced. You can always process if desired.
• Heavy Cream. Or use ½ cup milk and ½ cup cream for a lighter version
• FOR SERVING. Fresh chopped herbs, extra red pepper flakes, cooked rice, warmed naan.

How to Make Butter Chicken - (aka Murgh Makhani) - the Recipe Method

The Chicken. First, chop your chicken into bite sized pieces. You can use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast for this recipe.

The Marinade. Next, prepare your marinade. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.

Marinate. Add the chopped chicken to the bowl. Mix it all together to completely coat the chicken.

Develop the Flavor. Cover the chicken and set it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can marinate overnight for greater flavor penetration.

Ready to Cook. When you're ready to cook, heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil.

Chicken. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the chicken is browned.

Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Vegetables. Add some butter to the same pan and let it melt. Add in 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped red pepper. Cook them 5 minutes to soften.

Garlic. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger and cook 1 minute, until they become fragrant.

Seasonings. Add garam masala, cumin, red chili powder, salt and pepper, and red chili flakes (if using). Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Tomatoes. Stir in 14 ounces tomato sauce and honey. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes, and later make a tomato puree. Using tomato sauce will give you a much smoother butter chicken sauce.

Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to break everything down.

OPTIONAL - Blend the Sauce. When the murgh makhani sauce is ready, transfer it to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. You can thin it out with a bit of water if you’d like.

Strain. Strain the sauce back into the pan. The point is to make the sauce very smooth and heat through.

Cream. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream (or use milk for a lighter version).

Chicken. Add the chicken back to the pan.

Simmer. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens up a bit.

Serve. Serve with cooked white rice. Basmati rice is great here. I love it with rice and naan.

Garnish with fresh chopped herbs (parsley or cilantro), and spicy red chili flakes, if desired. Swirl on a bit of extra cream.

Butter Chicken Sauce Tips

Butter chicken sauce is made from tomato, onion, peppers and lots of seasonings, including fresh ginger and garlic. The sauce is cooked down in the pan, then processed with a food processor or blender until very smooth. From there, heavy cream is added to bring it to its butter-like consistency.

Key here is processing the sauce, then straining out the solids. You can skip this step if you'd like but you won't achieve that silky smooth quality that butter chicken is known for.

Canned tomatoes are completely acceptable with butter chicken. Heavy cream is a common component, but if you're looking to make a lighter version, use either milk, yogurt, or sour cream instead of heavy cream.

Why is Butter Chicken Called "Butter Chicken"?

The name derives from the fact that butter is used in the curry sauce. Butter is not normally used in curry, which changes the flavor. Also note that the chicken pieces are prepared in a butter (makhani) gravy that includes butter and cream. This gives the recipe its smooth, silky texture.

The name "Murgh Makhani" translates to "chicken with butter".

There is some butter in this recipe, but butter isn't actually needed to make butter chicken. You can easily replace it with olive oil if you'd like, and you won't lose any flavor or texture.

Leftovers and Storage

Creole tomato and shrimp stew will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily warm it in a pot on the stove top to enjoy the leftovers.

You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy this amazing butter chicken. It is incredibly delicious. Drop me a line if you have any questions.

TRY SOME OF MY OTHER POPULAR CURRY DISHES

• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Chicken Korma
• Easy Chana Masala
• Chicken Biryani
• Spicy Beef Vindaloo
• Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
• Coconut Chicken Curry
• Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
• Easy Chickpea Curry
• Chicken Satay
• Chilli Pickle
• Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Potato and Cauliflower)
• Pav Bhaji (Spicy Vegetable Curry)