The most liked curry in India is butter chicken. Most people always prefer to order this recipe in a restaurant or to prepare it at home. Served with naan, roti, or rice, it offers a luxurious experience across the globe. This amazing recipe can make your and everyone’s day special.
Butter Chicken is also known as Chicken Makhani and Murgh Makhani. It is a popular and beloved dish in Indian cuisine. This recipe originated in Delhi and features tender pieces of chicken cooked with a blend of aromatic Indian spices.
Preparing this recipe might be slightly tough, but I have made it easy so that you can follow and cook this dish quickly and easily.
Butter Chicken Recipe Ingredients
Boneless chicken 300-400g
3 tomatoes
2 onions
60g butter (add extra if required)
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania)
1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh cream / cashew paste
Authentic Indian Butter Chicken Recipe Instructions with Images
Gather the mentioned ingredients: Boneless chicken, tomatoes, onions, butter, chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder (dhania), coriander leaves (optional), cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, ginger garlic paste, lemon, yogurt (curd), and fresh cream.
Take the breast part of the chicken and cut it into small cubes. As optional, you can also use other parts of chicken or even bone pieces to enrich the flavor of the dish.
Prepare for marination: In a bowl, place the cut chicken cubes and add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp of Kashmiri chili powder, 2 tbsp of yogurt, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of garam masala, and whisk everything together. Marinate the mixture of chicken and seasonings for a minimum of 30 minutes to enhance its flavor and tenderness.
Chop onion and tomatoes into slices. Start by peeling the outer skin of the onion. Next slice off both ends of the onion, and cut it half from top to bottom. Place the half flat on the cutting board and slice the onion vertically. In the same way cut the tomatoes into slices, making sure your cuts are evenly spaced.
Once your onion and tomato are chopped, it’s time to fry it. Heat 20g of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry until it turns a light golden color.
After your onions are fried to perfection, it’s time to add the chopped tomatoes. Toss the diced tomatoes into the pan with the onions and stir well. Allow the tomatoes to cook for a few minutes until they soften and start releasing their juices.
Now bring everything together with some spices. Add 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of salt, little amount of water and stir everything together. Once done, keep it for cooling and blend it.
Once the chicken marinates, heat another 20g of butter in a pan over medium heat, add the marinated chicken, and fry it. The goal is to cook the chicken to about 75% done.
Collect the fried chicken on a plate, or use another pan for the next process of the recipe. Preheat another 20g of butter in a pan and add 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder along with the blended mixture (masala) in it. Add water according to your preferred thickness.
Once it starts boiling, add 2 tbsp of fresh cream, or as optional, you can use cashew cream and add fried chicken to it and slowly stir all together for 4 to 5 minutes.
Place the dish on the serving plate and garnish with some coriander leaves along with some fresh cream to showcase the richness of the butter chicken you have prepared. Serve with naan or roti to enjoy the dish.
Nutritional Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 880 Cal
- Fat: 82g
- Protein: 26g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
Additional tips
Which suits well for the butter chicken recipe fresh cream or cashew cream?
While preparing butter chicken, both the ingredients, fresh cream and cashew cream, taste good, depending upon your taste and preference. I have used fresh cream in my recipe. If you like to have cashew cream, then take 15 to 20 whole cashews and blend it by adding 4 to 5 tablespoons of water. As optional, add more water only if you want to make it less thick cream, depending upon your preference.
Can I use chicken with bones for the butter chicken recipe?
Yes, you can use chicken with bones like thighs or drumsticks while preparing butter chicken. It releases more natural juices and fat. This adds extra flavor during cooking and deeper tastes. Chicken with bones might require a slightly longer cooking time to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked and tender.
Can I add extra butter?
Yes, you can definitely add extra butter to butter chicken. Adding more butter will make the dish even richer and creamier, which is great if you enjoy a more indulgent flavor. Just remember that it will increase the calorie content, so it’s all about how much you prefer in terms of taste and texture by increasing the quantity on each step of the recipe.
Recipe Card
Indian Butter Chicken Recipe - Timsip
The most liked curry in India is butter chicken and you must try this recipe. Most people always prefer to order this recipe in a restaurant or to prepare it at home. This amazing recipe can make your and everyone's day special.
Type: Main course
Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Indian butter chicken recipe, easy butter chicken recipe
Recipe Yield: 4
Calories: 880
Preparation Time: PT10M
Cooking Time: PT30M
Total Time: PT40M
Recipe Video Name: Butter Chicken Masala Recipe
Recipe Video Description: The most liked curry in India is butter chicken and you must try this recipe. Most people always prefer to order this recipe in a restaurant or to prepare it at home. This amazing recipe can make your and everyone's day special.
Recipe Video Thumbnail: https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img,q_orig,to_webp,s_webp/timsip.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Butter-Chicken-Recipe-1024x576.jpg
Recipe Ingredients:
- Boneless chicken 300-400g
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 60g butter (add extra if required)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- Half lemon
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh cream / cashew paste
Recipe Instructions:
Preparation:
Gather ingredients
First, gather the mentioned ingredients.
Cut the chicken
Take the breast part of the chicken and cut it into small cubes.
Marinate
In a bowl, place the cut chicken cubes and add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp of Kashmiri chili powder, 2 tbsp of yogurt, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of garam masala, and mix everything together. Marinate for a minimum time of 30 minutes to enhance its flavor and tenderness.
Cut onion and tomatoes
Chop onion and tomatoes into slices, making sure your cuts are evenly spaced.
Cook the dish:
Fry onion
Heat 20g of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry until it turns a light golden color.
Add chopped tomato
After your onions are fried to perfection, it's time to add the chopped tomatoes. Toss the diced tomatoes into the pan with the onions and stir well. Allow the tomatoes to cook for a few minutes until they soften and start releasing their juices.
Blend
Add 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of salt, little amount of water and stir everything together. Once done, keep it for cooling and blend it.
Fry the chicken
Once the chicken marinates, heat another 20g of butter in a pan over medium heat, add the marinated chicken, and fry it until 75% done.
Curry
Preheat another 20g of butter in a pan and add 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder along with the blended mixture (masala) in it. Add water according to your preferred thickness.
Add chicken to curry
Once it starts boiling, add 2 tbsp of fresh cream, or as optional, you can use cashew cream and add fried chicken to it and slowly stir all together for 4 to 5 minutes.
Serve
Place the dish on the serving plate and garnish with some coriander leaves along with some fresh cream. Serve with naan or roti to enjoy the dish.
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