Shop
My
Custom
My 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 I originally made it because my husband loves the cuisine, and it has since become my favorite Indian dish of all time.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.
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOW
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
By
My easy butter chicken recipe has a quick spiced yogurt marinade and a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala. A simple weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Marinade:
Butter Chicken Sauce:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Make a well in the center and add the minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.
-
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.
-
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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
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:
92 Comments
Megan
2I 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! My husband and I are on the keto diet, so I cut the recipe in half and used chicken breasts (prefer white meat). I also simmered it’s for a couple hours, while I enjoyed my vodka soda (or three) on the deck. I am loving ALL you recipes! Thank you!
Robert Pontius
1Just made this for the first time today (Christmas Day). Delicious and absolutely spectacular! One note: I substituted an *equal* amount of cayenne pepper for the chili powder (in both marinade and sauce) since several in my family don’t care for chili powder. This proved too spicy for everyone but me, so I would recommend using half(?) the cayenne vs. chili powder if anyone else makes this substitution.
Shelli
1My husband and I love authentic Butter Chicken, so we were skeptical of this simplified recipe. It turned out AMAZING! I added a bit more heavy cream to smooth out the tomato tang. I also added a bit more garam masala and some cayenne pepper for some heat. We could not believe how good this was, considering the simplicity and ease of the recipe. This is definitely going into the dinner rotation!
Tina
0Love this recipe …. Made a few times now and always have some for future meals. Freezes well.
My changes ….I use my homemade canned San Marzano Tomatoes and some coconut milk to marinade – I replace the cream with Coconut Milk …. YUM!
Love your recipes! Thank you
Marleigh
1Delicious! I marinated the chicken thighs overnight. I used a dutch oven instead of a saute pan, but otherwise followed your recipe to a T. Very easy to make, and will definitely make again.
Nicole
1Oh how I’ve missed Indian food so badly. This butter chicken recipe is AMAZING!! It was the first time I’ve ever cooked (or ate) organic chicken thighs and let me tell you- do NOT substitute. Chicken thighs come out incredibly tender and taste amazing with the sauce of this recipe. If you like this (or Indian food in general) definitely try the coconut curry chicken. Another fav!
To add: I skipped the cauliflower rice and made a side salad instead. This is delicious no matter what you pair with it.
Lisa
0This was a winner for everybody! I have one VERY picky eater who has liked this one mild Indian curry chicken I have made in the past, but I find it pretty boring, so figured I would try this out for a bit more authentic flavor. It was declared AMAZING!
Wholesome Yum D
0Lisa, that’s such a huge win! 😊 I love that this brought more authentic flavor while still being a hit with everyone.
Chris Brackston
0WOW WOW WOW! This was amazing! Easy to make and so tasty. I’ve made other butter chicken recipes previously but yours blows them all away! Thanks Maya x
Wholesome Yum D
1Chris, that really means a lot! I’m so glad this one was easy and tasty for you!
Andrea
0Delish recipe! Easy and very flavorful. I will make this again.
Wholesome Yum D
0Andrea, I’m so glad you found it easy and flavorful! Love that you’ll be making it again, that means a lot!
rmcaulley
0This was definitely a winner. As good as as any restaurant version. I marinated the chicken and made the sauce the day before (less than 24hrs) and when I arrived home the next day after a busy and tiring day, it just took minutes to put together. This has definitely moved to the “I’ll be making this again” list.
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks for sharing! “Better than a restaurant version” is such an amazing compliment! So glad it made your repeat list. 🙂
Susan
0Unfortunately, I cannot eat spices like I use to. I always wanted to try and make this. How do you think it would taste without the garam masala and less chili powder? Is there something else you could recommend to not make it as spicy? I appreciate you and love your recipes!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, This recipe is a little spicy but not super spicy — even my kids handle it just fine. You can use less chili powder, but if you can’t have garam masala, I would choose a different recipe. That’s one of the main flavors and it would likely taste quite bland without it.
Laura
0Love, love, love this dish. So easy to prepare and leftovers too! I made it with chunks of chicken breat and it turned out great.
Wholesome Yum D
0So glad it was a hit for you, Laura! Using chicken breast chunks sounds perfect, and leftovers that actually taste good are the best kind of bonus. Enjoy making it again!
Jim
0I have made this many times as it has become a family favourite. Do you have an Instant Pot version available?
Chris Brackston
0If you do in the instant pot I’d recommend sautéing off the onions and garlic first, then adding everything else except the cream, add that after releasing pressure.. just as quick to make as the recipe states here though.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you like it, Jim! I’m sorry, I’ve only made it on the stovetop so far. Let me know how it goes if you try the Instant Pot.
Sherry Showalter
0Very good!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks, Sherry! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Janet
0OMG! Neither my fiancé nor I had ever had butter chicken before tonight. This recipe was so easy to follow and tasted soooo good! We had it over cauliflower rice. Yet another keeper! Thanks, Maya!
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds like a big win, Janet! I love hearing that it was both your first time trying butter chicken and that it turned out to be such a hit. Serving it over cauliflower rice is a perfect pairing, too. I’m so happy it’s earned a spot on your keeper list!
Katherine
0This is one of my absolute favorite recipes. The only thing I do differently, is cutting up the chicken before I put it in the marinade. Do you think it makes a significant difference? It’s a little bit easier for me to cut it before it’s covered with the marinade.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy this butter chicken is one of your favorites, Katherine! It doesn’t matter if you cut the chicken before or after putting in the marinade, either way works.
Kari Gray
0Delicious!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks, Kari!
Angie Jacklin
0This was amazing! The chicken was so very tender, and the flavors were amazing. I was afraid it would be spicy, but it was not!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked my butter chicken recipe, Angie! It’s really not very spicy, just “spiced”. 🙂
John
0Second time I made this meal, I didn’t make enough sauce for the first one. This was scrumdiddliumtious. I’ll try chicken breast next time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it, John! Hope you like the version with chicken breast next time, too.
Tammy
0Super yummy ! I replaced the cream with coconut milk because I had to use it up and my kids ate seconds!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tammy! I’m glad you and your kids liked this.
Aga
0Can the marinade be added to the sauce?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Aga, I haven’t tested this but the recipe is great as is, so don’t really recommend doing that. Normally it’s not a good idea to reuse marinades for sauces for safety reasons, although in this case it might be okay since the sauce is going to boil and simmer.