Butter Chicken stands alongside Chicken Tikka Masala as a global favorite at Indian eateries. Featuring tender, golden pieces of chicken enveloped in a sumptuous creamy curry, this Butter Chicken recipe ranks among the finest. Its simplicity allows for effortless preparation in your own kitchen, perfectly complemented by garlic butter rice and freshly made Naan bread.
This Butter Chicken recipe is effortlessly simple yet packed with rich flavors, rivaling any dish you’d find at a restaurant. It features aromatic, golden chicken pieces in a sensational curry sauce. Thanks to a yogurt-based marinade infused with spices, the chicken is both tender and succulent. The sauce it’s bathed in is simply divine.
For those who cherish meals with vibrant, robust tastes, there’s nothing quite like winding down with a delectable curry. The scent alone has the power to whisk you away to an entirely new culinary realm.
One of the greatest advantages of making Butter Chicken at home is the accessibility of the ingredients. You can easily find everything you need at your local grocery store or supermarket, making this dish a practical and delightful choice for any day.
Why is it Called Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken, known as murgh makhani in Hindi, which translates to “chicken with butter,” traces its origins back to Northern India in 1948, thanks to Kundan Lal Gujral. This dish shares similarities with the British tikka masala.
The dish is renowned for its creamy, buttery gravy, enriched further with cream, lending the sauce its signature smooth and rich texture. It’s common for many restaurants to use a generous amount of butter in their recipes, which might lead to a heavy, greasy feeling after eating.
In our recipe testing, we discovered a preference for beginning the sauce with Ghee (clarified butter) or a mix of half butter and half oil, to maintain the dish’s traditional flavor without the excess grease. Incorporating cream towards the end of the cooking process ensures the dish retains the desired creamy richness without the heaviness, resulting in a more enjoyable and lighter version of authentic Butter Chicken.
What’s the Difference Between Thai and Indian Curry?
Indian Curry is typically a blend of spices and herbs such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger, combined with either vegetables or meat in a rich sauce, often based on coconut milk or tomatoes. It’s traditionally served alongside rice, flatbread, or other sides. Thai curry, on the other hand, is characterized by its aromatic spiciness. Thai curry comes in several varieties, each distinguished by the color of the curry paste it employs.The most common types of Thai curry are green, yellow, and red.
To learn more about the different types of curry, read our article on The Differences Between Thai Curry and Indian Curry.
How to Make Butter Chicken Curry
Making homemade Butter Chicken is a delightful venture, especially since it’s a gentler curry compared to its Indian counterparts, making it a hit among families, particularly those with young children. The beauty of this dish lies in its adaptability; you can adjust the chili level to suit your taste, giving you full control over the spice intensity.
To begin, the chicken is marinated in a homemade mixture of plain yogurt, fresh garlic and ginger, and a selection of readily available spices, infusing it with moisture and flavor. You have the choice between boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, depending on your preference for dark or white meat.
Start by preparing the yogurt marinade. Then, allow the chicken to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or leave it overnight for even better results, as a longer marination period ensures more tender chicken.
Next, sear the chicken in a skillet or pan, taking care to preserve the charred bits in the pan, as they are key to flavoring the sauce. While some burnt pieces can be discarded if excessive, they generally contribute to the sauce’s depth of flavor.
To finish, prepare the curry sauce right in the same skillet, incorporating all the delicious flavors from the cooking process.
Butter Chicken Spices
For crafting a delicious Butter Chicken sauce, you’ll need a selection of readily accessible spices such as Garam Masala, Turmeric, Cumin, Red Chili Powder, and Salt. Chances are, you might already have some of these in your pantry. And if not, acquiring them can be a useful addition to your spice collection for future recipes.
Butter Chicken Sauce
When it comes to crafting the quintessential Butter Chicken sauce, the secret lies in the ingredients. Surprisingly, you only need an onion, a can of crushed tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and a selection of spices to create those delightful flavors in the sauce.
The key to achieving a fantastic sauce is allowing the tomatoes to cook down for a minimum of 10-15 minutes until they nearly dry out in the pan. If they start to dry out too quickly, you can introduce a couple of tablespoons of water to maintain the desired consistency.
Once the tomatoes are ready, blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth texture, then incorporate your choice of cream, whether it’s heavy whipping cream, thickened cream, or a lower-calorie option like evaporated milk or half and half.
For an even richer sauce, consider adding a couple of tablespoons of butter (or ghee) towards the end, allowing it to melt into the sauce before serving, enhancing the overall richness and flavor.
Can I Make the Curry Ahead of Time?
A convenient feature of this gravy/sauce is its make-ahead capability. If desired, you can prepare it in advance. Simply allow it to cool thoroughly, transfer it to an airtight glass jar or container, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
During this refrigeration period, the rich flavors will have ample time to mature and intensify before you introduce the chicken. However, it’s worth noting that this step is entirely optional.
When it comes to homemade Indian cuisine, Butter Chicken is undeniably a top choice, and this recipe promises to deliver the finest Butter Chicken you’ll ever make at home!
Here are the step-by-step instructions for preparing Butter Chicken
For the chicken marinade:
- 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger (or finely grated)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil)
- 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 oz (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup of heavy or thickened cream (or evaporated milk to save calories)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine the chicken with all the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour, or for even better results, marinate it overnight if time allows.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling, add the chicken pieces in batches of two or three, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry each side for approximately 3 minutes or until they develop a nice brown color. Once done, set the browned chicken aside and keep it warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
3. In the same pan, add butter or ghee. Sauté the onions until they begin to sweat, which usually takes about 6 minutes. While doing so, make sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for 1 minute until the fragrant aroma fills the air. Then, introduce the ground coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Let these spices cook for approximately 20 seconds, stirring occasionally.
5. Incorporate the crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and salt into the mixture. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring until the sauce thickens and achieves a deep brown-red color.
6. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the mixture into a blender. Blend until it becomes smooth. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water (up to 1/4 cup) to help with blending, depending on the size of your blender. You might need to work in batches if your blender is not large enough.
7. Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir in the cream, sugar, and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) into the sauce.
8. Reintroduce the chicken with its juices back into the pan. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and the sauce becomes thick and starts bubbling.
9. Garnish your Butter Chicken with chopped cilantro and serve it with freshly prepared, hot garlic butter rice and homemade Naan bread for a delightful meal!
Enjoy your homemade Butter Chicken!
Notes
Optional: If you prefer a thinner sauce, you have two choices. Towards the end of the cooking process, you can add a couple of tablespoons of ghee or butter and gently simmer them through the sauce. Alternatively, you can add a small amount of water to achieve the desired consistency.