Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken AKA Murgh Makhani is a modern classic Indian curry that serves marinated and grilled chicken in a spicy rich tomato sauce.

The chicken is at its best when marinated for at least 4 hours, but cooking this recipe from scratch takes under an hour.

Indian Murgh Makhani Curry

Butter chicken has become a bit of a global sensation much like its very similar British cousin, Chicken Tikka Masala.

Both recipes hail from roughly the same time, the 1960’s/70’s and traditionally both feature “leftover” or pre-cooked chicken.

Despite the names being modern, the technique is a classic Amritsari technique.

The recipe has become many things to many people!

My version stays with the idea of a Tandoori style marinated chicken that is cooked under the grill, much like my chicken tikka kebabs.

True to all of my recipes this is made to be as good as I can make it. No shortcuts, no skipping bits this is my BEST butter chicken recipe, not an approximation of it.

It is a halfway house between the traditional Indian roots of the recipe and the recipe that the rest of the world turned it into.

The most important part of this recipe is the chicken, this is where the flavour is based.

So make sure that you do not skimp on that marinade time!

It is then gently finished off in a butter and cream-rich spiced tomato sauce.

If you want something equally indulgent but are feeding vegetarians then you must try my shahi paneer recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amchoor?

Most of the spices in this butter chicken recipe should be familiar to anyone who has cooked a curry from scratch before with maybe the exception of amchoor.

It is also known as mango powder and it is made from green underripe mangoes. It adds a wonderful earthy sourness to the grilled chicken.

Can I fry the chicken rather than grilling it?

Yes, although I think that cooking it under the grill or broiler is as close as you can get to a tandoor at home.

But pop them into a heavy-based pan or griddle pan and get a nice colour.

Just like under the grill you need not worry about cooking the chicken all of the way through because they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Can I cook the chicken in the sauce?

You could, but this would stew the chicken and you would miss out on the wonderful flavour of grilled chicken.

Can I cook this in advance?

In theory yes, although I think that butter chicken is best served fresh, because the nuts in the sauce continue to thicken the dish when it is reheated.

The best way to prepare this in advance is to make the sauce through to stage 10 in my instructions, then chill and refrigerate it. It will be fine for 2-3 days.

The chicken can be made and cooked in advance, but make sure that you cook it all of the way through. This will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days.

To bring it all together heat the sauce, then add the cashew nut water, and the cream, then cook until it just starts to thicken. Finally, throw in the chicken and just heat it through.

Serving Suggestions

As in so many of my curry recipes, my choice of side is always a naan bread for butter chicken.

They are perfect for mopping up that thick and heavy sauce, but if you are a chapati or roti kinda person, don’t work I have recipes for those too.

Rice is always a fantastic option as a side for curry. I usually opt for plain rice but a good pilau rice is a classic option.

Potatoes are also a nice option and I have roasted Bombay potatoes and aloo methi recipes that fit the bill.

Finally, if you want to go all in on the curry house experience, don’t forget the poppadoms, kachumber salad and mint raita.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob or stovetop.
• Grill (broiler).
• 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
• Grill tray.
• Tin foil.
• Skewers. I prefer to use bamboo skewers with a square profile.
• Mini blender.
• Fine mesh sieve.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.