Butter Chicken

In the wide world of comfort food, nothing beats butter chicken. Rich spiced tomato gravy envelopes tender, lightly charred chicken for a meal that’s deeply flavored and incredibly satisfying. If you consider butter chicken a meal reserved for a night out at an Indian restaurant, think again. This deeply delicious dinner is sure to be your newest homemade favorite. Read on for more info on butter chicken, and our top tips and tricks on how to make it the best:

What People Are Saying:
“This might be the best recipe I’ve ever made. It was insanely good and will be going into my weekly rotation!!! Highly recommend!” - markskri

Where Does Butter Chicken Come From?

Butter chicken hails from northern India, where it’s known as murgh makhani. It was first created in Delhi in the 1950s, when restaurant owner Kundan Lal Gujral realized he could revive his dried out tandoori chicken by immersing it in a flavorful gravy made of butter, tomato, and heavy cream. Seventy years later, butter chicken has become a classic in its own right.

How To Make Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• Whole-Milk Yogurt: A yogurt marinade is the key to the buttery, perfectly cooked chicken that gives butter chicken its name. The acid in the yogurt acts as a natural tenderizer for the chicken thighs, while also helping the spices soak into the meat for layers of flavor.
• Garlic: The garlic adds a hint of spiciness when raw and is cooked into an almost sweet, buttery flavor.
• Lemon Juice: Mixed in with the yogurt and spices, the lemon juice adds extra acid to help tenderize the meat while also providing ever more tang. Fresh squeezed lemon juice is always nicer than the pre-squeezed, bottled stuff, and there is no exception here. Though in a pinch, it’ll work as well.
• Garam Masala: This classic Indian spice blend is a staple of many Indian recipes and for good reason. The blend includes bay leaves, green and black cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and mace. This creates a somewhat spicy, very fragrant aromatic blend.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger is a sweet, spicy kick that benefits so many classic dishes. In this butter chicken recipe it adds to the complexity of spice and freshness.
• Kashmiri Chili Powder: Kashmiri chili powder is the authentic, and best, way to go here. It is slightly milder than cayenne chili powder and has hints of citrus. If you absolutely can’t find Kashmiri chili powder, cayenne will work in a pinch, but it really is worth searching for.
• Chicken Thighs: Thighs are the way to go here. They are more tender and have much more flavor than breasts.
• Makhani Sauce: One of the keys to butter chicken is the makhani (butter) sauce. A great makhani sauce should be luscious in texture with a perfect blend of intense tomato flavor and warming spices. Garam masala, kashmiri chili, and cumin are king of the dried spices here, with finely chopped ginger and serrano chiles adding a backdrop of fresh heat. Dried fenugreek leaves, or kasoori methi, bring the perfect aromatic finish. These ingredients are easy to find online and in specialty Indian shops, but in a pinch, each teaspoon of kashmiri chili powder may be swapped out for 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon paprika. The kasoori methi is optional but highly recommended.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start the marinade off by whisking together yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, garam masala, ginger, salt, and Kashmiri chili powder. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs and then toss them in the yogurt mixture to coat completely. Cover the bowl and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

Heat your broiler and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil, then spread the marinated chicken evenly across the sheet in a single layer. Broil the chicken, paying close attention that it doesn’t burn, for about 15 minutes until it is charred and cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.

Then begin the makhani sauce by melting butter in a large skillet. Add in the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes until darkened to a deep brick red. This helps bring out more tomato flavor and aroma. Once the tomato paste has darkened, add in the serrano and ginger and continue to cook for about 1 minute more until fragrant and the tomato paste begins to stick to the pan.

Add in the spices and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant. After 30 seconds, add in the cream, fenugreek, salt, chicken, and water and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and has begun to separate from the fat.

Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning if need, then top with cilantro and serve over rice.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Marination is key. It’s difficult to make true tandoori chicken (the base for this recipe) at home, but marinating chicken thigh pieces in spiced yogurt for an hour before broiling them until lightly charred and cooked through is a more approachable method that still yields great flavor. Depending on the broiler, you may need to rotate the pan and even move the chicken pieces around on the baking sheet so they all cook evenly. If you have a super-small broiler, you might also find it easier to cook in two batches instead of one.

Storage

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a small pot on the stove for best results; the aggressive heat of the microwave will split the sauce, altering the texture. Make no mistake, though—it will still be JUST as tasty.