Go Back
–+ servings
A bowl of creamy butter chicken recipe garnished with fresh cilantro, served with steamed basmati rice. In the background, there is a side of garlic naan on a wooden plate.

Butter Chicken Recipe

Restaurant-style butter chicken recipe made easy! This creamy, spiced murgh makhani delivers deep flavor with tender yogurt-marinated chicken and a velvety tomato-based sauce — all in under an hour.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Weeknight Meal
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Indian, Indo-American
Calories: 490
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken Marinade:
  • 1.5 lbs Boneless chicken thighs - Cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt - Plain
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice - Fresh
  • 2 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger - Grated
  • 1 tablespoon Garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
For the Sauce:
  • 3 tablespoon Butter - Or ghee
  • 1 medium Yellow onion - Finely chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger - Grated
  • 1.5 cups Crushed tomatoes - Canned or fresh
  • ½ cup Heavy cream - Or coconut/cashew cream
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper - Optional for heat
Garnish and Serving:
  • 2 tablespoon Butter - Stirred in at the end
  • 1 bunch Fresh cilantro - Chopped for garnish
  • 1 Lime wedges - Optional for brightness

Equipment

  • 1 Large pan or Dutch oven (Heavy-bottomed, for even cooking)
  • 1 Mixing bowl (For marinating chicken)
  • 1 Knife (For cutting chicken)
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Measuring cups
  • 1 Measuring spoons
  • 1 Wooden spoon (For stirring the sauce)

Method
 

  1. Mix chicken with yogurt, spices, and let it rest to tenderize.
    Top-down view of a bowl filled with raw chicken pieces, plain yogurt, lemon slices, salt, minced garlic, and spices ready to be mixed. Surrounding the bowl are small wooden bowls of herbs and seasoning on a wooden board.
  2. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until golden and fragrant.
    Overhead view of a pan with sautéed onions, minced garlic, tomato paste, and spices cooking together. Surrounded by ingredients like oil, chopped tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings on a rustic wooden surface.
  3. Add tomato paste and spices, then simmer crushed tomatoes slowly.
  4. Cook chicken, add sauce, temper and stir in the cream.
    A close-up of marinated chicken simmering in a rich tomato sauce in a frying pan, while a stream of heavy cream is being slowly poured into the center of the pan. Steam rises as the sauce thickens.
  5. Stir in butter, garnish with cilantro, and serve with rice or naan.
    A bowl of creamy butter chicken recipe garnished with fresh cilantro, served with steamed basmati rice. In the background, there is a side of garlic naan on a wooden plate.

Nutrition

Serving: 250gCalories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 32gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1100IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!