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GET IT NOWMy Easy Butter Chicken Recipe Disappeared So Fast
I’d usually choose my garlic butter chicken over Indian food, but this easy butter chicken recipe won me over. I originally made it because my husband loves the cuisine, and it has since become my favorite Indian dish of all time.
This was also the first dish to disappear when I served it for my friends after one of my recipe testing days. Everyone asked how I made the sauce taste like the takeout they were used to! I think this is why:
- Buttery, spiced tomato sauce – This butter chicken sauce… it’s like a warm hug on a plate. It’s the perfect balance of a creamy, velvety texture against tomatoey, warm spiced flavors. And I didn’t skimp on the butter. 😉
- Tender, juicy chicken – The secret to the best butter chicken is marinating it in a spiced yogurt marinade and then simmering in sauce. It some of the juiciest chicken I’ve ever made. Especially if you use chicken thighs like I did.
- Not too many ingredients – I use the same spices in the marinade and the sauce, so it’s actually only 12 ingredients total (plus salt). Not an easy feat — most butter chicken recipes need a lot more! But I tested which spices were essential for that classic Indian flavor, and good news, they’re common pantry staples. You’ll just need to pick up garam masala if you don’t cook Indian food often.
- Quick and easy – This dish makes a quick weeknight meal if I plan ahead for it! You do need at least an hour to marinate, but other than that, it takes under 30 minutes. And it tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.
The biggest surprise about this butter chicken was when my picky kids chose it over the sheet pan chicken thighs I made for them. Guess it’s kid-friendly, too. Make it with me!
What Is Butter Chicken?
Butter chicken, also called murgh makhani, is an Indian dish of tender chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and cooked in a rich, buttery tomato sauce with spices. Garam masala is the primary spice blend in my recipe, and I kept it to just the basics!
As you might expect, butter chicken tastes like pieces of chicken in an Indian spiced tomato sauce. It’s somewhat similar to a curry or chicken tikka masala, but more creamy, less bold, and a little sweet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my easy butter chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Chicken & Marinade:
- Chicken – Either chicken breasts or thighs work. I’ve tried both, but prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs because they’re the juiciest! I don’t recommend bone-in cuts with skin here, because they’ll just get soggy.
- Yogurt – The base of the marinade. I used full-fat Greek yogurt. Regular plain yogurt also works. (If you’ve got extra, make my frozen yogurt recipe for later!)
- Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes the best, but I won’t judge if you use jarred minced garlic.
- Spices – The main spice blend I use for this dish is garam masala. This combination of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, and coriander gives butter chicken its signature flavor. I also added extra cumin (or you can use an extra teaspoon garam masala instead, since it also contains cumin), ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. You can also add turmeric for added depth.
Butter Chicken Sauce:
- Tomato Sauce – This is the base of the sauce and leaves it very smooth. You can swap in canned diced tomatoes if you want it more chunky.
- Butter – I used plenty here, because… hello, this is butter chicken! I prefer unsalted butter to control the salt myself. Feel free to use salted and just reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Aromatics – Onions and garlic! You can use a white, yellow, or sweet onion. My recipe calls for it sliced thinly, but I’ve also made it using diced onions and they work just as well.
- Heavy Cream – A.k.a. heavy whipping cream. If you’re dairy-free, I’ve had good results substituting coconut cream or canned full-fat coconut milk (which I also use for my coconut chicken curry).
- Spices – To keep it simple, I use the same spices in the sauce that I do in the marinade.
Reader Review
“I love Indian food and we have an amazing restaurant in our town (rated one of the best in MA)…. but I will say this recipe blows that place out of the water! It was amazing!” –Megan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How To Make Butter Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, garam masala, cumin, salt, ginger, and chili powder. Add the chicken thighs, mix to coat, and marinate. Right before cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Saute the aromatics. In a large saute pan with tall sides, saute the onions in (plenty of) butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the center. Cook until fragrant, then combine with the onions.
- Mix the butter chicken sauce. Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ginger, chili powder, and salt.
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the pan. Nestle them in the sauce in a single layer and stir to coat. All that’s left for this easy butter chicken recipe is a good simmer to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce! I always garnish mine with fresh cilantro.
My Tips For Flavor & Texture
- Coat the chicken evenly with marinade. The chicken marinade is quite thick, so it helps to use your hands to massage it into the chicken. I didn’t have much luck trying to mix it with a spoon.
- Feel free to dice the chicken before marinating. I cut mine into bite-sized pieces after the marinade step (right before cooking), but there’s really no reason for it. Either way works!
- Marinate for at least an hour, but overnight is even better. Between the marinade and the saucy simmer, this easy butter chicken definitely turns out juicy enough for me after marinating for an hour. But it’s even juicier if you have time to marinate overnight. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or it tends to get mushy.
- Grab a very large skillet with tall sides. Between the chicken and the sauce, my butter chicken recipe needs a lot of space or it’ll overflow! This saute pan is one of my favorites to cook this dish.
- Is butter chicken spicy? My recipe has a mild kick from the chili powder and garam masala, but it’s not very hot. (Even my picky 6-year-old ate it!) If you want more heat, add a dash of cayenne pepper or black pepper.
- Puree if you want the sauce completely smooth. It’s already pretty smooth, but it does have soft onion pieces, which I actually love! If you want no texture to it at all, puree with an immersion blender before adding the chicken.
- Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin — it will thicken as it cools. It gets thicker after simmering, but I noticed it gets even more thick after removing from heat.
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
My easy butter chicken recipe has a quick spiced yogurt marinade and a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala. A simple weeknight dinner!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Marinade:
Butter Chicken Sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken thighs, stir to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
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Remove the chicken from the marinade and use kitchen shears to cut into bite-sized pieces. No need to wipe the marinade off the chicken, but leave behind what isn’t stuck to it.
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Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 8-10 minutes, until soft and browned.
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Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.
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Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, garam masala, cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, and sea salt. Adjust salt to taste; other flavors will develop as it cooks afterward.
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Add the chicken pieces to the pan, nestling them in the sauce in a single layer. Spoon additional sauce over the chicken to cover. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Adjust salt to taste if needed.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 3/4 cup, or 1/6 entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips to help you get the best flavor and texture in your butter chicken.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The sauce did get very thick when I’ve stored it, but it will be right again after you reheat.
- Meal prep: Since you have to marinate the chicken before cooking it anyway, you can do this up to 24 hours in advance. You can also meal prep my entire butter chicken recipe and portion it into individual containers for easy lunches.
- Reheat: This dish reheats very well, since the sauce prevents the chicken from drying out. You can heat it in the microwave (be sure to cover or it splatters all over the place!), or on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Note on nutrition info: I included only half of the Greek yogurt in the marinade, because about half is discarded after marinating.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Easy Butter Chicken Recipe
How I Serve It
I love to serve this easy butter chicken recipe with homemade cauliflower rice (and sometimes even my low carb naan). I usually keep a stash of frozen cauliflower rice, pictured above, in my freezer for a shortcut. You can also opt for jasmine or basmati rice for a more traditional option.
If you want to add some veggies, I’ve been liking this with Asian salad or red cabbage salad on the side.
More Easy Indian Chicken Recipes
I’ve got more ways to spice up your cooking routine! Check out some of my other saucy Indian-inspired chicken recipes:
90 Comments
Yvette
0Omg! This was some very tasty! And easy to boot! I love all your recipes Maya!! Thank you!
Sarah
0Delicious!!
Expat Egg
0I cut the chicken into large cubes _before_ marinating overnight.
Added 8oz rough cut button mushrooms to the sauce just before serving over cauliflower rice.
Cindy
0I only used 4 chicken thighs… I am freezing the leftover sauce and putting it on plain chicken at a later date (if I can keep from just spooning it straight into my mouth!!!). This is definitely going in the rotation!!!
Katherine Baynton
0This is delicious, thank you! Our whole family loved it.
Naomi
0Looks amazing! Have you tried it substituting sour cream for the yogurt?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Naomi, I have not tried this. Yogurt is a staple ingredient in butter chicken recipes, but let me know how it goes if you try sour cream.
Liezel
0Very tasty recipe. But my butter chicken didn’t turn out like your photos. It is not a nice thick rich looking sauce. More like a pale orange/light pink cream sauce and I used everything as per the ingredients. What am I doing wrong 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Liezel, Did you use the correct amount of tomato sauce? The recipe calls for a 29oz can. It should be enough to create a nice red butter sauce.
Sophie Heath
0The Keto diet is hard for me because I can’t ever find foods that I actually like eating, but this butter chicken recipe is so yummy!
Pam Greer
0No need for takeout with this easy and delicious butter chicken recipe! It’s a family favorite at our house!
Michelle
0This is the most delicious dinner I’ve made in a long time! I used half the amount of the chili powder so the kids wouldn’t complain, a can of crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and just cut up chicken breast for the marinade so I didn’t have to cut it up after marinating. Fantastic!!