Learn how to make authentic, restaurant-quality Butter Chicken at home with this easy, chef-tested recipe—bold, creamy, and full of Indian flavor. Vegetarian-adaptable. Video.
During our recent trip to India, we stopped by a little roadside cafe and experienced the best butter chicken of my life! We scooped it up with warm, buttery naan, completely enthralled by the nuanced flavors and luxurious texture. It was heavenly!
Rich, creamy, and deeply flavorful, this Butter Chicken recipe is inspired by my travels through India and years of hands-on experience as a chef. After tasting countless versions and experimenting back home, I’ve landed on one that captures the true spirit of this beloved dish—warm spices, tender chicken, and a silky tomato-based curry you’ll crave again and again. It’s surprisingly easy, adaptable for vegetarians, and doesn’t require marinating.
One reader, Ingrid, says: “Sylvia! I’ve made a lot of butter chicken recipes in my life. This is the best one so far. It reminded me of being in India! Just delicious. Thank you so much for this!! I was able to get my hands on some fresh fenugreek leaves. I added more than the dried, and you were right it sure elevated the flavour!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken is a classic Indian curry dish called Murgh Makhani- the name means “luxurious chicken.” It is typically made with chicken bathed in the most fragrant, creamy, spiced, tomato sauce enriched with ghee.
The problem with many recipes out there, is the lack of flavor balance and nuance, often due to the heavy-handed use of spices in overpowering amounts. Let’s change that!
Why you’ll love our Butter Chicken!
- The secret to the best butter chicken is our unique blend of authentic spices and the use of ghee, which adds a unique, rich, nutty flavor. It’s creamy and luxurious, like the vibrant curries I enjoyed while visiting in India.
- It’s Adaptable! This butter chicken recipe is versatile. You can use chicken, roasted cauliflower, crispy tofu, or fish! It’s perfect for mixed households: your spouse can have chicken while your vegetarian teen can enjoy other options. You can also make it dairy-free with coconut milk.
- Great for meal prep! Make this ahead and enjoy it during the busy week. It keeps for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- A delicious freezer-friendly meal. Make it ahead and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
Butter Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Breast- I prefer the lightness of chicken breast here, but feel free to use chicken thighs- you can even leave them whole in the sauce. A great plant-based swap is to use roasted cauliflower florets, or crispy tofu.
- Ghee – ghee versus butter truly elevates this dish. It has a unique flavor that you can’t get with butter. You can make homemade ghee or buy it! Vegans can substitute vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Onion, fresh ginger and garlic cloves – all add depth of flavor.
- Fresh Chilies – Serrano chilies offer the best flavor and heat here, but milder jalapeno is a fine substitution.
- Tomatoes – Use canned tomato puree, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes or puréed fresh tomatoes.
- Spices in butter chicken: The spices make the dish- try to use as many as you can. Cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, paprika (not smoked), black mustard seeds, chili powder, fenugreek leaves, garam masala spice blend, turmeric, coriander, optional cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
- Coconut milk , whole milk yogurt or heavy cream – Butter chicken sauce is made creamy with either plain yogurt or coconut milk. You could also use heavy cream.
Butter Chicken Variations
Make it vegetarian. Use roasted cauliflower or crispy tofu instead of chicken.
Make this vegan! Skip the ghee and use coconut oil (though ghee adds great flavor). You can also serve the Indian Butter Sauce over roasted veggies and basmati rice.
Make it with fish. You can cook white fish in the sauce. Instead of chicken breast, try using chicken thighs (skin on bone in) after searing them.
Make it with lamb. Add cooked lamb meatballs to the sauce. It’s really that versatile!
How to make ThE best Butter Chicken (step-by-step Instructions)
Step One: Season chicken (either whole or cut into bite-sized pieces) with salt, pepper, and garam masala. Heat ghee over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven, add chicken and brown the chicken until golden and set it aside. No need to cook it through.
Step Two: Add the remaining ghee to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and chilies and saute 5-6 minutes until deeply tender and fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook until ginger is cooked and golden, about 3 more minutes.
Add the spices: garam masala, fenugreek, chili powder, paprika, and cinnamon stick, and toast the spices for one minute., to bring out the flavor.
Step three: Add the tomato puree plus 1 cup water. Add the salt and sugar, give a good stir. Add the seared chicken. Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes, uncovered, allowing all the fragrant spices to infuse the sauce and your home.
Step four: After simmering 8-10 minutes, stir in the coconut cream and simmer gently once more for 3-4 more minutes.
Step five: Taste the sauce, adjusting the salt and spice level to taste (add cayenne to taste). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve! This Butter chicken tastes savory and flavorful, rich with Indian spices, with a subtle, pleasant heat and a beautiful creamy butteriness to the sauce.
Chef’s Pro Tips
- Use ghee for the best flavor.
- If using yogurt, balance the recipe with a little sweetness- a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar works wonders.
- Find the brightest red paprika you can, for the best color and presentation, and remember that smoked paprika is not the right flavor profile.
- Salt and season the chicken well first, and give it a good sear to lock in those flavors.
- The leftovers taste better and better as the flavors meld.
Serving Suggestions
Butter chicken is rich and delicious, and best served over something to soak up the sauce like basmati rice, or naan bread. For a low-carb option, cauliflower rice works too!
Make this ahead!
What is nice about this Butter chicken recipe, is that it can be made ahead and will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator- great for meal prep! The butter chicken can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Favorite Indian Recipes
- 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
- 35 Must-Try Indian Recipes to Make at Home
- Indian Shepherds Pie
- Aloo Gobi Recipe (Indian-Spiced Potatoes & Cauliflower)
- Indian Lamb Meatballs
Watch how to make Butter Chicken
The Best Butter Chicken Recipe (Chicken Makhani)
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
The best recipe for Butter Chicken, (Chicken Makhani) a classic Indian dish made with tender chicken breast in a fragrant spiced tomato curry sauce enriched with ghee. Vegan-adaptable and GF.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 2 teaspoons salt (use 1 teaspoon per pound of chicken)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons ghee
Butter Sauce
- 1 tablespoon ghee,
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 serrano chilies (or sub 1 jalapeno) split in half lengthwise (leave tops intact)
- 4 fat garlic cloves- finely minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely minced (or use ginger paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds or regular mustard seeds
- 14-ounce can tomato puree, tomato sauce (or sub 2 medium tomatoes, blended with their juices, roughly 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup water (or veggie broth or chicken stock)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala spice (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves (optional, but elevates the dish substantially)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2-3 teaspoons paprika (do NOT use smoked paprika, if you don’t have regular, just leave it out!)
- 1 cup coconut cream (or sub heavy cream or full-fat yogurt- see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar, brown sugar, or honey
- optional additions: lime juice,cayenne pepper to taste, pinch turmeric, pinch cardamom, pinch coriander
- garnish with cilantro
Serve with naan bread, fluffy basmati rice, cauliflower rice or cauliflower florets and optional raita!
Instructions
- Season chicken (either whole or cut into bite-sized pieces) with salt, pepper and garam masala. Heat ghee over medium heat in a large skillet or dutch oven, add chicken and brown the chicken until golden and set aside. No need to cook through.
- Add the remaining ghee to the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and whole chilies and saute 5-6 minutes until deeply tender and fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook until ginger is cooked and golden, about 3 more minutes. Add the spices: garam masala, fenugreek, chili powder, paprika, and cinnamon stick, and toast the spices, for 30-60 seconds to bring out their flavor. Add the tomato puree plus 1 cup water.
- Add the salt and brown sugar, give a good stir. Add the seared chicken. Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes, uncovered, allowing all the fragrant spices to infuse the sauce and your home.
- After 10 minutes, stir in the coconut cream and simmer gently once more for 3-4 more minutes. For a brighter red hue, you could add more paprika if you like.
- Taste, adjusting the salt and spice level to taste (add cayenne to taste). Feel free to fish out the whole chilies. If you feel it needs acidy, add a little lime juice.
- Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice or naan.
Notes
Ghee: This recipe is all about the Indian “Butter” Sauce. The ghee truly makes it. Trust me! If you don’t have ghee- it is easy to make at home – see our homemade ghee.
Coconut Cream– use the thick solids out of the coconut milk can. Light coconut milk will be too runny. You can also use heavy cream or extra thick yogurt in a pinch.
Garam Masala Spice can be made at home- see our Homemade Garama Masala or find it at your local supermarket – it’s one that we use here on the blog frequently, so perhaps worth investing in or making.
Dried Fenugreek leaves (not seeds or powder!) are worth tracking down, as they elevate Indian dishes substantially! Asian markets usually carry them or they can be ordered here on Amazon.
Vegan: Use coconut oil instead of ghee and coconut milk. The Indian Butter Sauce is delicious over roasted cauliflower or Crispy tofu !
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 307
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 866.3 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 16.7 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg
FAQS
What is the difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala?
Butter chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala are similar in that both are made with chicken that is simmered in a spiced tomato curry sauce. But Butter Chicken is both creamier and milder than Chicken Tikka Masala which tends to be less rich and more spicy, and slightly tangier.
Can Butter chicken be made in an Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Follow the recipe as stated in the recipe card, up until you add the chicken back into the pan with the tomato sauce. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 7 minutes, naturally release then add the remaining ingredients following the recipe card.
The Origin of Butter Chicken
Butter chicken (murgh makhani) is thought to have happened as a happy accident. Created quite spontaneously by 2 chefs, Kundan Lal Jaggi, and Kundan Lal Gujral in a restaurant in Old Delhi, India called Moti Mahal, in 1947, they mixed leftover tandoori chicken with a tomato curry gravy, enriched with ghee. Murgh makhani means “luxurious chicken” which perfectly captures the spirit of the dish.
Dear Sylvia, When and where do we need to use lime in the recipe? I do not find it in the instructions, only on the necessary ingredients photo. Thank you.
Hi Zsofia, It is added to taste, only if needed, in the last step.