My Restaurant Trick for Making “Perfect” Butter Chicken (It Blows Everyone Away)

Also known as “murgh makhni,” butter chicken combines succulent, flavorful chicken thighs with a creamy, buttery sauce. It’s one of the dishes Indian cuisine is known for, even though it’s not really Indian. The exact origin of butter chicken is debatable, but the one thing we know for sure is that it was created by two chefs from Peshawar, a city in modern-day Pakistan. After the partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral moved to Delhi, India, where they opened a restaurant with the same name as the Peshawari one called Moti Mahal. Visited by the likes of many renowned people, from celebrated chef Madhur Jaffrey to India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the restaurant drew much attention, in large part due to its butter chicken. Here, it was made using day-old tandoori chicken in order to prevent food waste (it’s a story after my own heart).

My version of butter chicken is a multistep process, yet I promise that it’s one you will most definitely make multiple times. The key is to be intentional in every step. Marinate the chicken overnight if you have the time, and sear it well. Caramelize the onions with the spices and tomato paste. Blend the onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, and cashews until completely smooth. Cook the sauce on low heat until the oil starts separating from the sides of the pan. Cook the seared chicken in the sauce until just right. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s buttery without using too much butter. Soaked cashews make the sauce even creamier.

• You don’t need a tandoor to get that signature smoky flavor. Searing the chicken on high heat mimics the effect of the tandoor. The yogurt marinade will char on high heat, giving it the slightly smoky and burnt flavor that you’re after.

Key Ingredients in Butter Chicken

• Chicken thighs: I am a bone-in chicken thighs fiend, but to make it simpler for the masses, this recipe uses boneless chicken thighs. Dark meat is my go-to because it retains the most flavor and takes marinated meat to the next level with how juicy the outcome is. But, if you prefer white meat, feel free to substitute chicken breast.

• Whole-milk yogurt: The ultimate meat tenderizer, marinating any kind of meat in yogurt overnight is bound to give you the most succulent result. Flavorful with spices, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice, the marinade may be one of the best out there.

• Kashmiri chile powder: A type of spice made from chiles grown in Kashmir. It is known for providing a vibrant red color without adding too much heat. It’s a great natural coloring agent for curries and roasts.

• Cashews: This recipe calls for blending an onion-tomato sauce with soaked cashews. Soaking the cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes or more helps to break them down much more easily to create a smooth, creamy, and nutty sauce.

How to Make Butter Chicken

1. Marinate the chicken. Make the yogurt-based marinade in a bowl, adding the spices, ginger, garlic, and lemon juice and whisking well to remove any lumps. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, mix the marinade and chicken well in the bowl or add the chicken and marinade to a zip-top bag, then seal and mush them around so that the spiced yogurt covers every piece of chicken.

2. Soak the cashews. Before beginning to prepare the butter chicken, soak the cashews in boiling water, so when you blend them, they have had time to soften.

3. Sear the chicken. In order to ensure that excess marinade doesn’t end up on the pan, pat dry the marinated chicken. Sear on high heat so that charred spots form, which provides the smoky flavor you are looking for and mimics the tandoori effect. Remove the chicken and juices from the pan, and set aside.

4. Make the onion-tomato-cashew-based sauce. After wiping the pan clean, heat the ghee up and caramelize the onions with spices, ginger, and garlic. Add the tomato paste and allow the mixture to caramelize further. Blend the onion mixture with crushed tomatoes, water, and cashews until very smooth. Return the sauce to the heat with 1 cup of water and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and juices, continuing to cook it in the sauce for another 5 minutes.

5. Finish the butter chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat. Add heavy cream and butter. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and enjoy with rice, naan, or chapati.

Helpful Swaps

• Hot paprika can be substituted for the Kashmiri chile powder.

• You can use bone-in chicken thighs if you love them like I do, or boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

The butter chicken can be made up to 1 day ahead. Any Indian chicken curry tastes better the next day, so make it the day before you intend to eat it, refrigerate, and then reheat over medium-low heat.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

What To Serve With Butter Chicken

• Naan

• Chapati

• Steamed Rice 

• Pita Bread

• Saag Paneer

Butter Chicken Recipe

Flavorful, juicy morsels of chicken in a buttery tomato sauce — what’s not to love?

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 55 minutes to 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder or hot paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

• 2 teaspoons finely grated garlic (about 6 cloves), divided

• 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger (from a 1-inch piece), divided

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 small lemon)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces

• 3 tablespoons raw cashews

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 small or 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

• 1/2 green Thai bird’s-eye chile or serrano pepper, finely chopped (remove the seeds from the serrano before chopping)

• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

• 1 teaspoon tomato paste

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes and their juices

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or coconut cream (optional)

• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

• Cooked basmati rice or naan, for serving

Instructions

Show Images

1. Stir 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, and 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric together in a small bowl.

2. Transfer 2 1/8 teaspoons of the spice blend to a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of the grated ginger, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt. (If you’d like to marinate in a bag, whisk together in a small bowl, then pour into a large zip-top bag.)

3. Add 2 pounds cut-up boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the marinade and mix until each piece is well-coated. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.

4. When ready to cook, place 3 tablespoons cashews in a heatproof bowl and add enough boiling water to cover.

5. Prepare a double layer of paper towels. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the paper towels, cover with more towels, and pat dry.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and sear until dark brown or charred spots form on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. (It’s okay if some of them burn a little, you want to mimic the tandoori effect as much as possible.) Transfer to a bowl (the chicken may not be cooked through). Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet and repeat searing the remaining chicken and transferring to the bowl.

7. Turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the water to the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Scrape into the bowl of chicken.

8. Wipe the skillet clean. Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about 1 minute.

9. Add 1 finely chopped small red onion, 1/2 finely chopped green chile, and the remaining 1 teaspoon grated garlic and 3/4 teaspoon grated ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

10. Stir in the remaining spice mixture, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, and 1 pinch kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until the spices are toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 teaspoon tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens in color and caramelizes, 1 to 3 minutes.

11. Transfer the mixture into a blender. Drain the cashews and add the cashews to the blender. Add 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, the remaining 1 1/2 cups water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until very smooth.

12. Pour the blended mixture back into the same skillet. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. The heat must be low, otherwise the mixture will splutter too much and begin to burn at the bottom. (This is a great time to make rice or naan.)

13. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, about 5 minutes more.

14. Stir in 1 tablespoon heavy cream if using and the remaining 3 tablespoons unsalted butter until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with cooked basmati rice or naan.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: You can substitute hot paprika or half the amount of cayenne pepper powder for the Kashmiri chile powder.

Make ahead: The butter chicken can be made up to 1 day ahead. Any Indian chicken curry tastes better the next day, so make it the day before you intend to eat it, refrigerate, and then reheat over medium-low heat.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.