Butter chicken was invented in 1950s Delhi when a chef accidentally mixed leftover tandoori with tomato gravy.
Butter Chicken
Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of our Butter Chicken, where tender chicken pieces simmer in a luscious blend of aromatic spices and velvety tomato sauce. Perfectly paired with fluffy Basmati rice and warm, buttery Garlic Naan, this dish promises a mouthwatering experience that will have you coming back for seconds! Get ready to savor a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds straight to India!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 tsp garlic paste (5 ml)
- 1 tsp ginger paste (5 ml)
- juice of half a lime
- 1 1/2 cups tomato purée (360 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 chicken thighs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1 tbsp of butter (14 g)
- 2/3 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt (161 ml)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 tbsp of oil (15 ml)
- 1/2 tbsp of sugar (7.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1 tsp chili powder (5 ml)
- 2 tsp Garam Masala (10 ml)
- 2 tsp ground coriander (10 ml)
- 2 tsp salt (10 ml)
- 1 tsp turmeric (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season your chicken with half the seasoning and save the other half for the gravy.
- 2
Then add the lemon and Greek yogurt, mix and refrigerate overnight. If you're impatient you can do one hour.
- 3
In a large pan heat up 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter, 1 tsp ginger paste and 1 tsp garlic paste.
- 4
Cook the chicken on both sides and remove from pan.
- 5
Add 2 tbsp of butter and 1 1/2 cups tomato purée, the rest of the seasoning and 1/2 tbsp of sugar.
- 6
Simmer until sauce darkens and thickens and pour in 1 cup heavy cream.
- 7
Simmer and then add back in the chicken.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in yogurt for at least 4 hours because the lactic acid breaks down proteins at pH 4.5, tenderizing meat while the calcium ions help retain moisture during cooking.timing4+ hours at pH 4.5
- ✓Cook chicken to exactly 165°F internal temperature, then rest 3 minutes before adding to sauce to prevent overcooking from residual heat and sauce temperature.technique165°F + 3 minutes rest
- ✓Reduce tomato purée until it darkens by 2-3 shades and loses 30-40% volume to concentrate flavors and remove excess water that would thin the final sauce.technique30-40% volume reduction
- ✓Add cream when sauce temperature drops below 180°F to prevent curdling, as dairy proteins denature and separate above this temperature.timingBelow 180°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of tomato purée to cream for proper consistency, as this creates the ideal balance of acidity and fat for sauce emulsion.ingredient3:1 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Butter chicken was invented in 1950s Delhi when a chef accidentally mixed leftover tandoori with tomato gravy.
Butter Chicken
Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of our Butter Chicken, where tender chicken pieces simmer in a luscious blend of aromatic spices and velvety tomato sauce. Perfectly paired with fluffy Basmati rice and warm, buttery Garlic Naan, this dish promises a mouthwatering experience that will have you coming back for seconds! Get ready to savor a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds straight to India!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 tsp garlic paste (5 ml)
- 1 tsp ginger paste (5 ml)
- juice of half a lime
- 1 1/2 cups tomato purée (360 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 chicken thighs
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1 tbsp of butter (14 g)
- 2/3 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt (161 ml)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 tbsp of oil (15 ml)
- 1/2 tbsp of sugar (7.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- 1 tsp chili powder (5 ml)
- 2 tsp Garam Masala (10 ml)
- 2 tsp ground coriander (10 ml)
- 2 tsp salt (10 ml)
- 1 tsp turmeric (5 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season your chicken with half the seasoning and save the other half for the gravy.
- 2
Then add the lemon and Greek yogurt, mix and refrigerate overnight. If you're impatient you can do one hour.
- 3
In a large pan heat up 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter, 1 tsp ginger paste and 1 tsp garlic paste.
- 4
Cook the chicken on both sides and remove from pan.
- 5
Add 2 tbsp of butter and 1 1/2 cups tomato purée, the rest of the seasoning and 1/2 tbsp of sugar.
- 6
Simmer until sauce darkens and thickens and pour in 1 cup heavy cream.
- 7
Simmer and then add back in the chicken.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in yogurt for at least 4 hours because the lactic acid breaks down proteins at pH 4.5, tenderizing meat while the calcium ions help retain moisture during cooking.timing4+ hours at pH 4.5
- ✓Cook chicken to exactly 165°F internal temperature, then rest 3 minutes before adding to sauce to prevent overcooking from residual heat and sauce temperature.technique165°F + 3 minutes rest
- ✓Reduce tomato purée until it darkens by 2-3 shades and loses 30-40% volume to concentrate flavors and remove excess water that would thin the final sauce.technique30-40% volume reduction
- ✓Add cream when sauce temperature drops below 180°F to prevent curdling, as dairy proteins denature and separate above this temperature.timingBelow 180°F
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of tomato purée to cream for proper consistency, as this creates the ideal balance of acidity and fat for sauce emulsion.ingredient3:1 ratio