Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)
Whip up a restaurant-quality Butter Chicken in your own kitchen with this mouthwatering recipe! Bursting with rich spices and creamy tomato goodness, this Chicken Makhani is a true flavor explosion. With just a hint of fenugreek and a touch of butter, it's an irresistible dish that will have you coming back for seconds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste (11.2 ml)Can use grated ginger and garlic
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon lemon juice (11.2 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 500 grams (1.1 lbs) boneless chicken
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 2 tablespoon butter (28 g)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd (79.2 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon oil (11.2 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(8)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional) (5 ml)optional
- 1 cinnamon (optional, 2 inch piece)optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional) (2.5 ml)optional
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (3.75 ml)
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste, divided) (5-5 ml)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (2.5 ml)Can substitute with paprika
- ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon salt (1.25 ml)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (haldi, optional) (0.62 ml)optional
📦Other(5)
- 4 cloves (optional)optional
- 4 green cardamoms (optional)optional
- 1 to 2 green chilies (deseed, slit or chop)optionalAvoid for kids
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional) (5 ml)optionalLeave out if not available
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed (7.5 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
316
Protein
26g
Carbs
3g
Fat
22g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Pat dry the chicken and mix with red chili powder, salt, and lemon juice. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
- 2
Add ginger garlic paste, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, kasuri methi, turmeric, and yogurt. Mix well and marinate for at least 12 hours.
- 3
Heat oil in a pan and sauté sliced onions until slightly golden. Blend onions with tomatoes and cashews into a smooth puree.
- 4
In the same pan, add butter and the blended puree. Cook for a few minutes, then add marinated chicken and cook until done.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken in two stages: first dry-brine with salt and lemon juice for 20 minutes to denature surface proteins and allow acid penetration, then add yogurt-based marinade for 12+ hours so lactic acid breaks down collagen while calcium in yogurt firms the exterior.timing20 minutes dry-brine, then 12+ hours wet marinade
- ✓Blend onions, tomatoes, and cashews into a puree with a 2:1.5:0.5 ratio (by weight) because cashews contribute 50% fat content that emulsifies the sauce while their starch thickens it without flour, creating silky mouthfeel.ingredient2:1.5:0.5 ratio (onions:tomatoes:cashews by weight)
- ✓Cook the onion-tomato-cashew puree in butter for 5-7 minutes at medium heat (around 280-300°F) before adding chicken to allow Maillard browning of puree solids, which develops complex savory notes and deepens color by 30-40%.technique5-7 minutes at 280-300°F
- ✓Use Kashmiri chili powder (0.75-1 tsp) instead of cayenne because its lower pungency (50-100 SHU vs. 30,000-50,000 SHU) allows the paprika-derived deep red color to dominate without overwhelming the creamy sauce's pH balance.ingredient0.75-1 teaspoon; 50-100 SHU
- ✓Pat chicken completely dry before the initial marinade because residual surface moisture dilutes the salt concentration and prevents proper protein denaturation, reducing moisture retention by up to 15% in the final dish.technique15% moisture loss if not patted dry
Share this recipe