Butter Chicken – buttery chicken in a creamy tomato sauce Recipe
This North Indian-style butter chicken pairs yogurt-marinated chicken thigh pieces with a velvety tomato, butter and cream sauce. The tomatoes cook for a full 20–25 minutes to lose their raw, canned edge, then the sauce is blended until smooth before the chicken returns to the pan. The result is gently spiced, rich and aromatic rather than sharply hot.
Butter chicken, or murgh makhani, is closely associated with Delhi and the post-Partition restaurant tradition of serving chicken in a buttery tomato gravy. Classic restaurant versions often begin with tandoori chicken; this home-kitchen interpretation creates browning in a wide pan while retaining the familiar tomato, butter, cream and garam masala profile.
Its texture is deliberate rather than accidental: the tomato-spice base is reduced until concentrated, blended smooth, and only then enriched with cream and the final portion of butter. Browning the yogurt-marinated chicken separately contributes savory pan flavors without forcing the cream sauce to cook at high heat.
Why this version works
- Boneless thigh meat cut into 3–4 cm pieces stays juicy through searing and the final simmer while cooking at an even rate.
- Cooking the tomato base for 20–25 minutes removes its raw canned flavor and allows the spices, tomato paste and fat to meld.
- Blending is a required step, so the promised smooth texture does not depend on the original consistency of the canned tomatoes.
- Butter is divided among searing, building the sauce and finishing, which preserves both browned flavor and a fresh buttery gloss.
- The final garam masala is added after simmering, keeping its aroma more distinct than if the entire amount cooked with the tomatoes.
Chef's tips
A wide, heavy pan gives the tomatoes enough surface area to reduce properly. If the sauce still tastes sharply acidic after 20 minutes, continue cooking it for another 5 minutes before blending rather than compensating with extra sugar. For the silkiest finish, blend longer than seems necessary—about 60–90 seconds in a countertop blender.
How to serve
Serve hot with basmati rice or naan so the smooth sauce can be gathered up easily. Add the fresh coriander only at the table or immediately before serving to preserve its color and clean herbal aroma.
Watch out for
- Crowding the pan traps steam and prevents the chicken from browning; use two batches in a wide pan.
- Wet marinade can spit when it hits the hot fat. Let the excess drip off, but do not wipe the chicken clean.
- Garlic and ground spices can turn bitter quickly. Reduce the heat if they begin to darken before the tomatoes are added.
- Blend hot sauce cautiously. Do not tightly seal a countertop blender full of steaming sauce; cool it briefly and work in batches if necessary.
- After adding the cream, avoid a vigorous boil, which can dull the sauce and make its texture look oily.
- Do not judge doneness by sauce color alone; check a thick chicken piece for an internal temperature of 74°C.
Substitutions
- Boneless chicken breast may be used in place of thigh meat; cut it into 3–4 cm pieces and begin checking for doneness after 6–8 minutes in the final simmer to prevent drying.
- Whole, diced or crushed canned tomatoes all work because the cooked sauce is blended; whole tomatoes may need to be broken up during reduction.
- If the plain yogurt is especially thin, let the excess marinade drain well before searing so the chicken browns instead of simmering.
Ingredients
- chicken - 700 g
- plain yogurt - 120 g
- garlic - 4 cloves
- ginger - 20 g
- lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
- butter - 60 g
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- canned tomatoes - 400 g
- 30% cream - 150 ml
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- garam masala - 2 teaspoons
- ground coriander - 1.5 teaspoons
- ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
- sweet paprika powder - 2 teaspoons
- ground chili - 0.5 teaspoons
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt
- fresh coriander - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Cut 700 g boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat into even 3–4 cm pieces. Finely grate the garlic and ginger, keeping half of each for the marinade and half for the sauce.
- Mix the yogurt with half the garlic and ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and turn until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours if possible; 20 minutes is the minimum. Take it out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 20 g butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is foaming, lift the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Sear it in two batches so the pieces do not steam, cooking each batch for about 5–6 minutes and turning until lightly browned on several sides. The centers need not be cooked yet. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the leftover marinade.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and another 20 g butter. Stir in the reserved garlic and ginger for 45–60 seconds, just until fragrant; do not let the garlic color deeply.
- Add the tomato paste, ground coriander, ground cumin, remaining 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ground chili and sugar. Stir for about 30 seconds, then add the canned tomatoes and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Scrape up the browned residue from the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the tomato mixture uncovered over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring more frequently as it thickens. It is ready when it has reduced noticeably, tastes rounded rather than raw or metallic, and small orange-red beads of fat appear around the edge.
- Blend the tomato base until completely smooth, with no visible pieces of tomato, garlic or ginger. An immersion blender can be used directly in a deep pan; otherwise, let the mixture cool briefly and carefully use a countertop blender. Return the sauce to the pan. If it is too dense to circulate while blending, loosen it with 2–3 tablespoons of water.
- Set the pan over low heat and stir in the cream and remaining 20 g butter. Keep the heat gentle: the sauce should steam and ripple but not boil hard. Once it is evenly orange and glossy, add the browned chicken and any juices from the plate.
- Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and reaches 74°C at the center of a thick piece. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon garam masala, taste and adjust the salt. The finished sauce should cling to the chicken and leave a clear trail when a spoon is drawn across the pan. Scatter with chopped fresh coriander before serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and reheat slowly over low heat with 2–3 tablespoons of water or cream, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth again. Do not refreeze once thawed.
I wait for two signs before blending: the tomatoes no longer smell raw, and a spoon pulled through the pan leaves a path that closes slowly. That short moment of patience gives this butter chicken a fuller tomato flavor and a noticeably more polished sauce.
