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Punjabi · Indian

Butter chicken

Non-vegetarian

मुर्ग़ मखनी · murgh makhani

Charred, yogurt-marinated chicken simmered in a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce scented with kasuri methi. Mild, rich and a restaurant favourite.

Butter chicken is a Punjabi curry from India, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with chicken thigh, butter and heavy cream. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Top view of a flavorful butter chicken dish served with naan and garnished with cilantro.
Photo: Alberta Studios / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Rest
1 h
Total
2 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
559

Ingredients

4 servings

For the marinade

For the sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw chicken in the fridge, not at room temperature.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) grill (broiler) to high. Spread the chicken on a lined tray and grill close to the heat, turning once, until charred in spots and cooked through.

    Food safety: Cook chicken until the juices run clear and the thickest piece reaches 74 °C (165 °F). Wash hands, boards and knives after handling raw chicken.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, melt half the butter (opens in a new tab) with the oil in a saucepan (opens in a new tab). Fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until soft, add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger for a minute, then the tomatoes, drained cashews (opens in a new tab), chilli powder and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Blend the sauce until completely smooth (strain it for an extra-silky result) and return it to the pan with the remaining butter (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt.

  5. Step 5

    Add the grilled chicken and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Rub the kasuri methi (opens in a new tab) between your palms over the pan, stir in the garam masala (opens in a new tab) and cream, and heat through without boiling.

    • 6 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Delhi, India · Commonly attributedWidely associated with Punjabi restaurant cooking in Delhi in the mid-20th century; the exact origin story is disputed.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, Canada, PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Broiled / grilled under heat, Simmered, Blended
Taste
creamy, buttery, tangy, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken thigh · Butter · Heavy cream · Yogurt · Lemon juice · Garlic
Techniques
Broiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Marinating · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, butter, heavy cream
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom cashews

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

559 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 459 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 28%
  • Carbohydrate 12%
  • Fat 60%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy559 kcal122 kcal
Protein40.1 g8.7 g
Carbohydrate16.7 g3.6 g
Net carbohydrate13 g2.8 g
Sugars8.1 g1.8 g
Added sugars1 g0.2 g
Fibre3.7 g0.8 g
Fat37.6 g8.2 g
Saturated fat17 g3.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol229 mg50 mg
Sodium1118 mg243 mg
Salt equivalent2.8 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
883 mg
Calcium
139 mg
Iron
3.2 mg
Magnesium
97 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
274 µg
Vitamin C
20 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
1.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
30 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Dried fenugreek leaves: Fenugreek seed (FDC 171324) used as a stand-in for dried leaves; used in pinches.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Thighs stay juicier than breast and can take the double cooking.
  • Kasuri methi is the signature aroma — don't skip it.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the sauce after adding cream, which can make it split.

Serve with

  • Serve with naan, jeera rice and a sliced onion salad.

Food safety

  • Discard any leftover marinade that touched raw chicken.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently over low heat, loosening with a little water or cream.

Variations

  • Paneer makhani: Replace the chicken with lightly fried paneer cubes and skip the marinating and grilling.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Seasons and tenderises before cooking

For the marinade

Make Punjabi garam masalaUsed in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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