Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is a rich, creamy, and buttery Indian classic—tender chicken pieces cooked in a velvety tomato-based sauce, full of aromatic spices and finished with a generous swirl of cream and butter. 🍗🍅🧈🇮🇳
It’s comforting, mildly spiced, and absolutely irresistible!
🕒 Time: 45 minutes (plus marination)
🍽 Serves: 4
🌟 Ingredients:
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 500g boneless chicken thighs or breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Butter Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (grated)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika (for color)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter (extra, to finish)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance the flavors)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
🔪 Instructions:
- Marinate the Chicken:
Combine all marinade ingredients with the chicken.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better). - Cook the Chicken:
- Heat a little oil in a pan.
- Sear the marinated chicken pieces on high heat until lightly charred and cooked through (you can also grill them).
- Set aside.
- Prepare the Butter Sauce:
- In the same pan, heat butter and oil.
- Add chopped onions and cook until golden brown.
- Stir in garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute.
- Add garam masala, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
- Stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer:
- Pour in the tomato puree.
- Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thickened and deep red in color.
- Finish the Sauce:
- Stir in the cream, sugar (if using), and extra butter.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces into the sauce and simmer for another 5–7 minutes until everything is coated and luscious.
- Serve:
Garnish with fresh cilantro and a drizzle of cream.
🍽️ Perfect with:
- Garlic naan or butter naan
- Steamed basmati rice
- Jeera (cumin) rice
- A simple cucumber raita
💡 Tips:
- For extra smoky flavor, you can “dhungar” (smoke) the chicken using a piece of hot charcoal placed in a small bowl inside the pot, covered for a few minutes.
- Adjust the cream to make it richer or lighter based on your taste.
- Slight sweetness from sugar balances the tanginess of tomatoes perfectly!
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is pure magic—creamy, slightly tangy, warmly spiced, and always a crowd-pleaser! 🍛✨
Would you like a super quick 30-minute Butter Chicken version too, for busy nights? 🚀
