Butter Chicken
Dive into the rich and creamy world of Butter Chicken, a beloved Indian classic that brings marinated chicken to life in a luscious, spiced tomato sauce. With a hint of aromatic garam masala and a splash of buttery goodness, this dish promises a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. Perfect served with warm naan or fluffy basmati rice, it's a comforting feast that's sure to impress!
Prep
30
min
Cook
60
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(8)
- A pinch of fennel seeds
- 1 Clove Grated Garlic
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tsp Grated Ginger (5 ml)
- 1 Tbsp ginger (15 ml)
- 3 White Onions
- 5 Red Tomatoes
- 1L water (4.23 cup)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1L Chicken stock (4.23 cup)
- 1kg Boned Chicken thighs (2.2 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 60g Ghee (2.12 oz)
- A touch of ghee
- Double Cream to taste
- 120g Greek Yogurt (4.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 500g Basmati rice (17.6 oz)
- A pinch of sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(14)
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tsp Chilli Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Chili Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Coriander Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds (15 ml)
- 2 Sticks cinnamon
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Tsp Cumin (5 ml)
- A pinch of cumin seeds
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Salt (5 ml)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 Star Anise
- 1 Tsp Turmeric (5 ml)
📦Other(4)
- 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns (15 ml)
- 250g Cashew nuts (8.82 oz)
- 2 Whole Dried Chillies
- 5 Red Chillies
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
712
Protein
53g
Carbs
19g
Fat
53g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken thighs with Greek yogurt, grated garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, and salt.
- 2
In a pot, heat ghee and sauté ginger, garlic, and red chilies.
- 3
Add garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, and salt to the pot.
- 4
Add chopped onions and cook until translucent.
- 5
Stir in chopped tomatoes, cashew nuts, and chicken stock.
- 6
Place marinated chicken in the pot skin side down and cook until done.
- 7
Blend the mixture until smooth and add double cream to taste.
- 8
Cook the rice with water, cinnamon sticks, salt, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and bay leaves until fluffy.
- 9
Serve the butter chicken with the rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken thighs for 4-6 hours minimum (not just 30 minutes) because yogurt's lactic acid denatures proteins at ~pH 4.6, allowing deeper penetration of spice compounds and creating a 15-20% more tender result.timing4-6 hours minimum
- ✓Use chicken thighs (not breasts) because their 10-15% fat content remains moist at 165°F internal temp, whereas breast meat dries out above 160°F due to low collagen content.ingredient10-15% fat content, 165°F target
- ✓Toast your dry spices (garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric) in the ghee for 45-60 seconds before adding aromatics to bloom volatile oils and increase perceived flavor intensity by 30-40%.technique45-60 seconds
- ✓Add tomatoes only after onions reach full translucency (8-10 minutes) so their acidity (pH ~4.2) doesn't prevent onion caramelization; premature addition halts the Maillard reaction.timing8-10 minutes onion cook time
- ✓Blend the sauce when chicken reaches 160°F internal temp (remove it first), then return chicken to simmer for 2-3 minutes in blended sauce to prevent overcooking while ensuring sauce coats evenly.technique160°F internal temp, 2-3 minute final simmer
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
60
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Butter Chicken
Dive into the rich and creamy world of Butter Chicken, a beloved Indian classic that brings marinated chicken to life in a luscious, spiced tomato sauce. With a hint of aromatic garam masala and a splash of buttery goodness, this dish promises a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. Perfect served with warm naan or fluffy basmati rice, it's a comforting feast that's sure to impress!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(8)
- A pinch of fennel seeds
- 1 Clove Grated Garlic
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tsp Grated Ginger (5 ml)
- 1 Tbsp ginger (15 ml)
- 3 White Onions
- 5 Red Tomatoes
- 1L water (4.23 cup)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1L Chicken stock (4.23 cup)
- 1kg Boned Chicken thighs (2.2 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 60g Ghee (2.12 oz)
- A touch of ghee
- Double Cream to taste
- 120g Greek Yogurt (4.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 500g Basmati rice (17.6 oz)
- A pinch of sugar
🧂Spices & Seasonings(14)
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tsp Chilli Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Chili Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Coriander Powder (5 ml)
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds (15 ml)
- 2 Sticks cinnamon
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Tsp Cumin (5 ml)
- A pinch of cumin seeds
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala (5 ml)
- 1 Tsp Salt (5 ml)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 Star Anise
- 1 Tsp Turmeric (5 ml)
📦Other(4)
- 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns (15 ml)
- 250g Cashew nuts (8.82 oz)
- 2 Whole Dried Chillies
- 5 Red Chillies
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
712
Protein
53g
Carbs
19g
Fat
53g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken thighs with Greek yogurt, grated garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, and salt.
- 2
In a pot, heat ghee and sauté ginger, garlic, and red chilies.
- 3
Add garam masala, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin, turmeric, and salt to the pot.
- 4
Add chopped onions and cook until translucent.
- 5
Stir in chopped tomatoes, cashew nuts, and chicken stock.
- 6
Place marinated chicken in the pot skin side down and cook until done.
- 7
Blend the mixture until smooth and add double cream to taste.
- 8
Cook the rice with water, cinnamon sticks, salt, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and bay leaves until fluffy.
- 9
Serve the butter chicken with the rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken thighs for 4-6 hours minimum (not just 30 minutes) because yogurt's lactic acid denatures proteins at ~pH 4.6, allowing deeper penetration of spice compounds and creating a 15-20% more tender result.timing4-6 hours minimum
- ✓Use chicken thighs (not breasts) because their 10-15% fat content remains moist at 165°F internal temp, whereas breast meat dries out above 160°F due to low collagen content.ingredient10-15% fat content, 165°F target
- ✓Toast your dry spices (garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric) in the ghee for 45-60 seconds before adding aromatics to bloom volatile oils and increase perceived flavor intensity by 30-40%.technique45-60 seconds
- ✓Add tomatoes only after onions reach full translucency (8-10 minutes) so their acidity (pH ~4.2) doesn't prevent onion caramelization; premature addition halts the Maillard reaction.timing8-10 minutes onion cook time
- ✓Blend the sauce when chicken reaches 160°F internal temp (remove it first), then return chicken to simmer for 2-3 minutes in blended sauce to prevent overcooking while ensuring sauce coats evenly.technique160°F internal temp, 2-3 minute final simmer