An easy Butter Chicken recipe which the whole family will enjoy! Make this delicious curry with step-by-step photos.
Easy Indian Food at Home
There are many things I miss about Australia, and one of them is good Indian take-away. Lamb Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Biryani … you name it, I miss it.
I often lament about all of the food which I miss from home, especially during the long bouts between visiting my home country (and 2020 has felt like a particularly long year for the obvious reasons). But then I have to remind myself that my longing for foods which are not readily available where I live is precisely what got me into cooking in the first place.
Easy Butter Chicken
One of my favourite Indian take-aways is the classic Butter Chicken, also known as murgh makhani.
Butter Chicken is typically a mild curry consisting of chicken pieces marinated in yoghurt and spices, and cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce.
Butter Chicken Recipe
My Butter Chicken recipe is a relatively easy one. I marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of yoghurt and spices which will both tenderise the chicken, as well as add flavour to the sauce later.
And the Butter Chicken sauce itself is a simple tomato sauce with heavy cream to add the necessary creaminess and richness.
My children love this Butter Chicken; it’s not too spicy for them, so it’s the perfect introduction for kids to the world of curries and Indian food!
How to Make Butter Chicken
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.
Step 2
Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and give everything a good mix. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge. If you are pushed for time, 30 minutes is fine.
But it would be preferable to marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours, and overnight is even better.
Step 3
Heat some oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken in batches until they are nicely golden and caramelised. The chicken pieces do not need to be cooked through fully at this stage (you will continue to cook the chicken in the sauce later).
Step 4
In a large clean pan, heat some oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and garlic until they have softened.
Step 5
Add the Butter Chicken sauce ingredients and stir lightly. At this stage, the sauce will look quite pink in colour.
Step 6
Add the chicken pieces to the sauce, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has thickened. At the stage, the sauce should be a lovely golden colour. Taste for seasoning.
This Butter Chicken recipe produces a generous quantity of sauce, but I find that you need a lot of sauce for each person to drizzle on their rice or to have with their naan bread. The sauce also thickens quite a bit on reheating (should you have any leftovers).
What to Serve with Butter Chicken
Served simply with some steamed Basmati rice, this Butter Chicken becomes comfort food in a bowl.
A condiment which I find obligatory to serve alongside Butter Chicken is Pickled Onions. Simply slice 2-3 red onions into half moons, and cover them with lime juice (fresh or bottled). Leave to steep for at least a few hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. The onions will soften as they steep, and the lime juice will turn bright pink from the onions.
But some naan bread or Yoghurt Flatbreads to dip into the delicious Butter Chicken sauce will make this dish extra satisfying.
More Indian Recipes
For more Indian recipes, you might also enjoy:
Indian Chicken Curry with Lentil Dahl
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Butter Chicken
- Marinating Time: 30 mins
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Indian
An easy Butter Chicken recipe which the whole family will enjoy! Make this delicious curry with step-by-step photos.
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RateIngredients
For the Marinade
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chillies (i.e. pure chilli powder)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken breast or chicken thigh fillets, cut into large cubes
For the Butter Chicken Sauce
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 500 ml (2 cups) tomato passata
- 500 ml (2 cups) double cream or thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2–3 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
To Serve
- steamed Basmati rice
- Yoghurt Flatbreads
- coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- Pickled Chillies
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.
- Add the chicken.
- Mix well to ensure that all of the chicken pieces are well coated.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, 3 hours if you have time, or overnight is best.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat some oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken in batches until they are lightly brown all over. The chicken pieces do not need to be cooked through completely at this stage.
Make the Butter Chicken Sauce
- Heat some oil in a large skillet or pan.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they have softened.
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients. At this stage, the sauce will look pink in colour.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce and give everything a good stir. The marinade from the chicken will start to mix with the sauce to give a nice golden colour.
- Simmer on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste for seasoning.
To Serve
- Sprinkle the Butter Chicken with coriander (cilantro) just before serving.
- Serve with steamed Basmati rice and/or Yoghurt Flatbreads.
Kitchen Notes
MAKE IT CHILD-FRIENDLY
Omit or reduce the ground chillies, and maybe serve some Pickled Chillies on the side for the adults.
PICKLED ONIONS
A condiment which I find obligatory to serve alongside Butter Chicken is Pickled Onions. Simply slice 2-3 red onions into half moons, and cover them with lime juice (fresh or bottled). Leave to steep for at least a few hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. The onions will soften as they steep, and the lime juice will turn bright pink from the onions.
OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
This is a bit different than what I’ve made before, so I printed the recipe! We’re going to love this!!! Thanks.
Awesome recipe! I didn’t have time to marinate the chicken but it still tasted great. Will make again for sure.
Hi Mark,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, you can skip the marinating time without it affecting the overall taste 🙂
Delicious recipe!! My children don’t like curries but they couldn’t get enough of this butter chicken. I added broccoli to the curry which is not traditional but tasted great altogether.
Great recipe! I’ve tried other butter chicken recipes which were a bit more complex, but this was a pretty easy recipe with almost the same results. Delicious served with steamed basmati rice and garlic naan.
Beautiful recipe! Lovely and mild butter chicken curry. The family loved it.
Made this Butter Chicken for dinner with my in-laws tonight, together with your flatbreads. Awesome recipe. Everyone loved it!
This is by far the best butter chicken recipe. I’ve made it at least half a dozen times and everyone always loves it.
Absolutely brilliant recipe. Everyone loved this butter chicken, my son wants to eat it every night now!
Lovely recipe. I’ve already made it three times!
My go-to recipe when I am craving Indian flavors. They go perfectly with your flatbread recipe. In fact, my kids won’t let me make one without the other!
This butter chicken is so tasty and simple!! Absolutely will be making again!
This recipe was very easy to make and came out tasting like a restaurant-quality butter chicken! Scrumptious!
This is my go-to recipe for butter chicken now. So easy and utterly delicious.
Great recipe! Not too spicy for the kids. We all loved it.
This was excellent homemade butter chicken and fairly quick. My family loved it! Winning recipe!
So delicious! I made this butter chicken with your yoghurt flatbreads and everything tasted so good together. Loved this recipe!
By far my family’s favourite meal. They ask for this Butter Chicken whenever they can, and I agree that it is absolutely delicious.
This butter chicken is so tasty and delicious! My kids practically licked the bowls!
Very delicious butter chicken recipe. Easy to make and everyone loved it.
We all loved this butter chicken recipe. I will make this one again for sure!
Really yummy recipe! I will be making this again soon.
I always order butter chicken when we go to an Indian restaurant but I never thought to try and make it at home. I always thought you needed a tandoor oven? But I see how you have adapted this recipe to make and home and it is rather delicious, although it is different to what you get at a restaurant. Still tastes very good though! I’m going to make it for my friends this weekend and also try your flatbread recipe. Wish me luck!
This is a very good recipe! The flavours were quite mild so my kids really enjoyed it, but it is full of flavor like an Indian curry should have.
This is the only curry my family will eat. Great recipe!
This is a family fave! Everyone loves this curry 🙂
Hi there! Just wondering how far in advance I can make this butter chicken? I want to make it for some friends on the weekend but I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen when they are here. Thanks!
Hi Genevieve,
You can make this butter chicken recipe several days in advance (maybe even 3-4 days in advance) and keep it in the fridge with no problems. On reheating, you may need to thin the sauce with some water or some more cream.
You could also freeze this butter chicken – I freeze it in portions for 1-2 for easy defrosting. But for serving friends, I would opt to cook it fresh, even if it might be a few days in advance. Hope you will enjoy this recipe!
The vibrant colors and enticing aromas in your photos make me want to dive right into a plate of Butter Chicken. It’s a feast for the senses.
Thank you for sharing a homemade version of this restaurant favorite. It’s great to be able to enjoy Butter Chicken anytime, anywhere
Hi there!
When do we use the chicken stock cube? Thanks!
Hello,
The chicken stock cube is added with the sauce ingredients when making the sauce, after sautéing the onions and garlic. Hope you will enjoy this recipe!