Butter Chicken | Murgh Makhani | How to make Indian Butter Chicken?

Butter Chicken recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. You can now enjoy restaurant-style butter chicken at home with this simple and easy recipe.

Butter Chicken has always been a favourite in our home. The reason being the taste and flavour is suitable to everyone and agreeable to all palates. Its mild spicy taste and yet a subtle hint of sweetness makes it a winner amongst other chicken delicacies. Hence, I always prefer to prepare butter chicken at home as I can tweak it to the spice levels we prefer.

This recipe is simplified so that it is easier to prepare butter chicken at home with little hassles. Traditionally, chicken is grilled in a tandoor. However, it can be grilled in an oven, at home. I am further simplifying it by pan-frying the chicken.

I believe the process of any recipe should be as simple as possible. Otherwise, you will never be motivated to prepare it at home. A complicated recipe will discourage you. Then you will feel, might as well order it or have it in a restaurant! However, I ensure that I do not compromise on the taste and flavour too.

Do not get overwhelmed looking at the steps involved. Its just that I have written the recipe in detail for you to comprehend it better.

Also, do check out my authentic Goan Chicken Xacuti recipe below.

Chicken Xacuti (Authentic Goan-Style Chicken Curry)

What is Butter Chicken?

Butter chicken is grilled chicken (tandoori chicken) cooked and simmered in a tomato-based gravy with minimal spices. It is known as Murgh Makhani in Hindi. (‘Murgh‘ means chicken and butter is called ‘Makhan.‘) It is one of the most popular chicken delicacies loved by one and all. Moreover, this turns out to be a favourite among kids and adults alike.

It is bright reddish-orange in colour, aromatic, rich, creamy and mildly sweet. It’s delectable taste will always keep you drooling for more. Unbelievably, butter chicken uses very simple and easily available ingredients from your pantry.

Origin of Butter Chicken

“Necessity is the mother of invention”. Nothing is far beyond truth in the case of butter chicken. Invented by Kundan Lal Gujral in the 1950s, at a restaurant in Delhi called Moti Mahal, butter chicken was an accidental discovery.

The restaurant famous for its tandoori chicken would have a large batch of leftovers at the end of the day. All the leftover tandoori chicken was then cooked and simmered in a tomato-based gravy rich in butter and cream.

Very soon butter chicken became popular not only in India but globally too. Today, undeniably, it remains one of the most popular and staple food item in any Indian restaurant.

Tips to prepare restaurant-style Butter Chicken

A few pointers are very important for getting the restaurant taste in butter chicken.

1. Marination – This is a very important step since it makes your chicken tender and easy to cook. Also, you can marinate the chicken overnight for best results. Alternatively, you can follow the recipe which calls for 45 minutes of marination.
2. Mustard Oil – This is a secret to the authentic taste. Do use if available otherwise you can use any regular cooking oil.
3. Onion – Any ‘makhani‘ recipe does not use onions. However, I have added onions to get a thick gravy. You can skip onions and add extra tomatoes.
4. Tomatoes – Use ripe, bright red tomatoes for a rich colour. Restaurants usually use food colours to brighten up the gravy.
5. Curd – Use thick and fresh curds. If your curd has a lot of water then hang it in a muslin cloth to drain the extra water. However, do not use sour curd. Note: I usually use store-bought curd as it is very thick. Since, curd gives you melt-in-the-mouth chicken.
6. Butter – Obviously, the most important ingredient. Be a bit generous to get lip-smacking butter chicken. However, if using salted butter add salt with caution to avoid making the gravy salty.
7. Cream – Makes the butter chicken gravy silky-smooth in texture. I use homemade fresh cream. Just collect cream formed over the top of milk, refrigerate and keep. Chilled cream will not curdle (become granular) when added to butter chicken. You can use readymade cream too.
8. Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) – Another important ingredient, do not miss out. Roast it till crisp (you could do it on a switched off warm tava). Crush and add. Be careful not to burn it.
9. Kashmiri Chilli Powder – For a rich, bright and red colour.
10. Tandoori Chicken Masala Powder – For the perfect tandoor taste and flavour. You can substitute with Punjabi garam masala or any other garam masala.
11. Cashews – Added for thickening the butter chicken gravy.
12. Sugar – Sugar or honey is added to reduce the tartness of tomatoes.

Extra Notes

1. The curd, ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice help make the chicken tender. Consequently, the pieces of chicken will become very succulent and soft upon cooking.
2. Fry chicken in small batches to avoid overcrowding.
3. Do not overcook the chicken else it will become hard and taste dry.
4. After pan-frying the chicken do not discard any charred or burnt pieces of chicken from the pan. Scrape and add to gravy for added flavour.
5. The cooking time varies depending on the size of chunks and the quality of chicken. (A young chicken cooks fast whereas an old chicken takes more time.)
6. Also, do not discard any extra marination left. You can add it to the gravy while it simmers.
7. If preparing for a party, you can marinate the chicken and prepare the gravy base the previous day and keep it refrigerated.

How to prepare Butter Chicken? (Step-by-Step)

1. Wash the chicken and cut it into chunks or large strips. Drain any excess water and take the chicken pieces in a large bowl.

First Marination

2. Marinate the chicken with lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Mix and coat everything evenly. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Second Marination

3. Take all the ingredients under ‘second marination’ list in a bowl and whisk everything well.

4. Whisk to get a uniform mixture. Squeeze out the chicken from first marination and add it to the second marination.

5. Coat the chicken chunks well with the second marination. Again keep aside for 15-20 minutes. You can marinate the chicken overnight too. Set aside any leftover first marination liquid.

Preparing Butter Chicken Gravy Base

Gravy Ingredients

Get all the gravy ingredients ready.

6. Heat oil in a pan. Add all spices and sauté for about a minute. Next add ginger and garlic.

7. Add roughly chopped onion. Sauté onion till translucent on medium flame. Then add tomatoes and sauté till tomatoes are soft.

8. Next add cashewnuts and keep sautéing till the cashews become soft. The tomatoes should become mushy almost like a paste or pulp.

9. Finally, add a tablespoon of butter and mix everything well. Switch off the gas and allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled, take this mixture in a mixie jar and blend it to a smooth puree. No need to add water while grinding. Keep the puree aside.

Frying the chicken

10. Heat oil in a pan. Keeping the flame medium, place the chicken pieces one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches. If the chicken starts releasing stock, fry on high heat to evaporate extra stock.

11. After about 3-5 mins flip the chicken with a fork to fry other side. Keep the flame medium.

12. Keep cooking the chicken further till it becomes tender and soft. You should be able to easily pierce with a fork. The cooking time varies depending on the size of chunks and the quality of chicken. (A young chicken cooks fast whereas an old chicken takes more time.) Once cooked remove on a plate and allow it to cool.

Shred the chicken into desired pieces and keep aside.

If any portion of second marination is left, set it aside. Also scrape off any charred bits of chicken from the pan.(To be added later to gravy for enhanced taste.)

For grilling in oven

Preheat oven to 240 C for 15 mins. Place the chicken pieces on a greased tray. Grill for 25-30 mins till the chicken is soft and cooked. Also, flip in between to grill other side.

Preparing Butter Chicken

13. Heat oil and then add butter. Allow the butter to melt. Add finely chopped ginger.

14. Add slit green chilli and sauté. Next add the pureed gravy base.

15. Give a quick stir and add chilli powder.

16. Add any leftover first and second marination. Next add crushed roasted kasuri methi. (Heat the kasuri methi till crisp and crush. Do not burn it.)

17. Add sugar and chilled fresh cream.

18. Add salt. Note: If using salted butter adjust the quantity. Finally, add fried or grilled chicken. Also add any charred or burnt pieces of chicken. They lend a smoky flavour (just like tandoor) to the gravy. Mix everything well. Add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.

19. You can add more butter and fresh cream for enhanced taste.

Butter Chicken is ready. Serve hot with naan, roti, kulcha, paratha, basmati rice, jeera rice etc.

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