A super easy, full flavoured Butter Chicken recipe that rivals any restaurant or take out!
Similar to Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken is one of the most popular curries at any Indian restaurant around the world. Aromatic golden chicken pieces in an incredible creamy curry sauce, this Butter Chicken recipe is one of the best you will try! You will love how easy it is to make in the comfort of your own home, especially with garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread.
BUTTER CHICKEN
Tender and juicy chicken thanks to a deliciously spiced yogurt marinade, Butter Chicken is ridiculously easy to make. The curry sauce is out of this world!
I know you all love food with beautiful, bold flavours, and nothing beats sitting down to a good great curry to finish off a chaotic day. The aromas alone transport you to a completely different world.
The best part about cooking up Butter Chicken at home is the ingredients list. Every ingredient is easy to find from any grocery store or supermarket.
WIN-WIN!
WHY IS IT CALLED BUTTER CHICKEN
Butter chicken originated from Northern India in 1948. Created by Kundan Lal Gujral, you may notice that Butter Chicken (known as murgh makhani — chicken with butter), is similar to British tikka masala.
Prepared in a buttery gravy with the addition of cream gives the curry sauce a silky smooth rich texture. Most restaurants are known to add in copious amounts of butter, which as a result can leave you feeling bloated or ill from the slick of grease.
However, we found while recipe testing that we prefer to start the sauce off in Ghee (clarified butter, or you can use a combination of half regular butter and half oil).
Adding cream at the end of cooking provides enough of that richness you look for in an authentic butter chicken. Our less oily version leaves you feeling good and satisfied.
HOW DO YOU MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTER CHICKEN
A milder curry when compared to other Indian curries makes Butter Chicken a favourite among families with little ones. You can certainly add as much or as little chili as you wish. In other words, YOU are in total control of how spicy you make it.
As mentioned above, the juicy and tender, flavour infused chicken starts with an easy yogurt marinade made from scratch: plain yogurt, fresh garlic and ginger, and easy to find spices.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts. We prefer dark meat, but go with what you like.
- First, mix your yogurt marinade together.
- Marinate chicken for 20 minutes, or overnight if time allows. (The longer it marinates, the more tender your chicken will be.)
- Sear chicken in a skillet or pan. Keep those charred bits on the pan to make your sauce. Browned bits = flavour. If you have too many burnt pieces stuck to the pan, you can discard some of them if you wish.
- Finally, make your curry sauce in the same skillet.
WHAT SPICES GO IN BUTTER CHICKEN
Easy to find spices, for example: Garam masala, Tumeric, Cumin, Red Chili Powder and Salt, are all you need to make a great sauce. You may even already have some of these in your kitchen cupboards! If you don’t, there’s no doubt you may use them again.
WHAT IS BUTTER CHICKEN SAUCE MADE OF
It’s all about that sauce when it comes to authentic butter chicken. You’ll be surprised to find that you only need an onion, a can of crushed tomatoes, garlic and ginger, and some added spices to continue those beautiful flavours in the sauce.
The trick to making a great sauce is to let the tomatoes cook off for at least 10-15 minutes, until they are almost dry on your pan. Additionally, you can add in a couple tablespoons of water if it dries to early.
After that, blend until smooth and add in your cream (heavy whipping cream or thickened cream). You can use evaporated milk or half and half for a lower calorie option.
If you want a richer sauce, feel free to add a couple tablespoons of butter (or ghee) right at the end, letting it melt though the sauce, before serving.
MAKE AHEAD OPTION
The beauty of this gravy/sauce is that you can prepare it ahead of time if you want or need to. Allow it to cool completely, store it in an airtight glass jar or container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
Those deep flavours will have plenty of time to develop and shine through before adding your chicken. Of course, this is completely optional.
If there’s any Indian recipe that’s worth making at home, its Butter Chicken, and this is the BEST butter chicken you’ll make!
Serve over basmati rice and our garlic naan bread! Similarly, you can use our NO YEAST flatbread recipe if you’re looking for something easy to dip into the delicious curry gravy/sauce.
Looking for more Chicken Recipes? Try these!
French Onion Stuffed Chicken
Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
Chicken Piccata
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger (or finely grated)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil)
- 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 oz (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 cup of heavy or thickened cream (or evaporated milk to save calories)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
- Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
- Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
- Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
- Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
- Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh, hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!
April says
Have made this dish before and it was excellent. Would like to make this recipe for a Christmas dinner. If I make it a day ahead how would you recommend reheating the dish? I’m concerned if the heavy cream will curdle if I reheat in the microwave. Please let me know. Thank you!
Flo says
Just amazing!!! The flavors, the smell,…. so yummy.
Just didi it and it is one of the best butter chicken I tasted.
Grant says
Thank you for posting this recipe Karina. I lived in India for a while and tasted a lot of Indian food. This recipe is so easy to follow and without a doubt the taste is above expectation. I have made it several times and have never added the kasoori methi (or its alternative, as it is not available where I shop) and it is still by far one of the best Indian dishes I have ever tasted (without bragging of course :). Along with Dal Bati and Malia Kofta it is one of my favourites – followed by a couple of Gulab Jamun.
brooklyn Ny says
What can I say. I mean this butter chicken is so amazing. I really do like the moisture of it so delicious.❤❤
Avanti J. says
My first time eating butter chicken was from a jar bought at Aldi and it was so delicious I had to seek out how to make it for myself. So the second time eating it was when I made this recipe a couple nights ago and I must report that it was absolutely BANGIN! I bought way too much chicken so I doubled the marinade and sauce recipe and it still turned out way better than I imagined it would. I also made the garlic butter rice and would have made the naan if I didn’t already have some on hand. This recipe will be on regular rotation, thank you for sharing!
Kristen says
Made this delicious recipe for my parents last night. This butter chicken recipe is amazing, and relatively easy to make! Take it from me as a 23 year old who is starting to cook more (so i’m not a great cook by any means). My parents also really enjoyed it and will definitely be saving this recipe to make again. I marinated the chicken overnight, did my prep work before starting (chopping onion and garlic), used an immersion blender to blend the sauce, and substituted about a teaspoon of maple syrup for the fenugreek, since we didn’t have any. This came out great for the three of us and provided enough for leftovers the next day! 🙂 highly recommend if you are craving some butter chicken.
CARRIE says
I just made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! So delicious!!
Sonu Kataria says
Wow yummy mouth watering recipe. One of the best chicken recipe in India. Thank you so much for sharing such a lovely recipe.
Debbie says
This recipe is a staple in our household now. Omg SOOOO GOOD!!! I love all of Karina’s recipes I’ve tried and she is definitely my favorite food blogger & I follow many of them. She always has rich flavorful recipes you’ll want to scarf up in one sitting, and this butter chicken is no exception!
HL says
The recipe is delicious, thank you. I did everything per the recipe except use 400 g tomato paste (passata) and left out the methi just because I didn’t have any. Everyone in our family loved it.
Meghan says
SO GOOD! I have made this with tofu and chicken and both were delicious. Saving the recipe to make again and again. Thank you!
AM says
This was fantastic. I used homemade canned tomatoes which added a bit of citrus flavor since that is part of the canning process but still loved it. Next time I make it, I’ll used regular canned tomatoes. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Jessica Fontenot says
So good. You can sub a splash of maple syrup at the end in lieu of the fenugreek leaves. After doing some research, apparently the flavor is the same, chemically, and can only be imparted without continued cooking (hence adding at the end). This recipe is the exact flavor and texture of my absolute favorite Makhani made by Panjabi Chef Doosa Rama Srina of East India Co. here in Downtown Portland, Ore. If you are searching for a recipe, please don’t hesitate with this one. Thank you, Karina!
Don says
Fantastic, I’ve made many butter chickens and this is as good as any of the best, but probably the simplest of the ones I rate at the top. This will be my new go to. Love the addition of the Fenugreek, one of my favourites.
Tina says
I add about 1/2 tsp ground cardamom as well to this recipe and it’s fab! Also, to make it vegetarian, I add cauliflower and paneer instead of chicken. Still amazing, and better than some I’ve had in restaurants.
Jess says
I’ve used this recipe several times and it always tastes great however, the color is much more brown than red/orange. Do you have any tips?
Tony says
This recipe is amazing!! My family doesn’t particularly care for Indian cuisine, so I don’t have it very often despite the fact that I love it. I decided to make it for myself one night when the family was having a meal that I’m not overly crazy about, and it was SO good!! I can’t wait to make it again, and now that I have seasonings like garam masala and kasuri methi in the pantry, I definitely will.
Jen says
Delicious, much better than my “old” butter chicken recipe. Mine didn’t look as dark and richly red as your images, but the flavour was phenomenal. Used ground fenugreek instead of leaves.
Aaishah says
Can’t even lie, this is THE best butter chicken recipe I have ever come across. I’ve been searching for one for ages to replicate the ones you get in restaurants and this is it! Thank you so so much for sharing x
Jocelyn Buckaloo says
This recipe is amazing!!! By far the best butter chicken recipe I’ve found so far! I accidentally got tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes and it tasted just like it was from a restaurant. I was worried because there weren’t a ton of reviews, but fear not this is the bomb. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Andrea says
This was easy to make and it was absolutely delicious. I didn’t have fenugreek so I used some maple syrup and its place and I used evaporated milk and it was so yummy. Definitely recommend making it to anyone who wants to eat a good butter chicken meal.
Taste the Fun says
I liked the recipe very much. I will must try it at my home. Thankyou for nice sharing.
Angela Prior says
I made this tonight with the garlic butter rice. Very nice, better than other recipes I’ve tried.
Next time I will double the chicken recipe and vacuum pack and freeze some.
I will definitely use the rice recipe again as well maybe with chilli con carne
stefan says
I must have made this recipe about 15 time now at least, it has become kind of a tradition in our home 🙂
Absolutely delicious !!
Thanks
Shia says
Love this recipe and it tastes amazing. My sauce is always much darker than the pictures on this page. Should I add more cream?
Scott says
Tried this recipe out, not having much experience with curries at all apart from pre-made packet sauces.
Let me tell you, this is the most amazing butter chicken I have ever tasted, I will never buy packet sauce ever again. Loved every bite! Thank you!!
Nathaly says
Incredible! It tasted just like at a restaurant!
Leah says
Okay listen! This is THE butter chicken recipe…this is the second time I made it and this time it was perfect! ( last time I didn’t have heavy cream and used canned cream and also didn’t have fresh ginger so I used ground) This recipe is so authentic tasting because of the SAUCE omg it’s identical to our local Indian restaurant. Delish! 10/10!
** wierd tip… if you don’t have fenugreek leaves use a tsp of maple syrup (as in the cheap ones, I used log cabin) bizarre I know but it really made a difference! If you don’t believe me google it! 🙂 I wish I could leave a pic cause wow! thanks for this!
Thasha Ramkissoon says
I tried this butter chicken recipe from a friend’s recommendation. I substituted fennel seeds instead of coriander but followed everything else to a tee. I used chicken thighs for an enhanced flavor and it came out amazing. I highly recommend this recipe.
Alison says
This recipe is delicious! My kids and my “meat and potatoes man” husband love it! I recommend making the sauce and marinating the meat the day before you want to eat this meal. So many wonderful flavors come out with some time. Also, I added a can of evaporators milk and a can of coconut milk and let it simmer for about 20 min til thickened. We made the rice and the naan that is listed in the narrative of the recipe – omg! Give this recipe all the stars!!! Definitely need to double the recipe next time. We have a small bowl of leftovers, definitely not enough to feed everyone again.
Noelle says
I had to substitute the crushed tomatoes for Ragu pasta sauce and was worried it would mess up the flavor. I also couldn’t find fenugreek. HOLY WOW THOUGH. Despite the complete wrong ingredient and using half and half instead of whole milk, this was so good I practically licked the plate. I am so happy I tried this recipe and its a win for my first ever Indian dish!
Lisa White says
OMG….This is amazing..It’s so easy to make. thankyou very much for this recipe.
YUM YUM YUM!!!
Daniel says
Delicious recipe, first time making Butter Chicken and this was easy to follow, and extremely tasty! One thing is that it was very difficult to find the dried fenugreek leaves, but even without it was fine. Thanks for the recipe!
Erika says
Also did not have fenugreek, but recipe was still amazing. Marinated meat nearly 24 hrs. Flavor was fantastic. Plan to purchase fenugreek for the future. It might put this recipe over the top!
Isha says
I made this for my foreigner guests and trust me they simply loved it .. and i am so happy that i was able to cook the butter chicken so well. Thanks chef 🙂
Happy me !!
Amy says
I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and shared it with many people. It is SO incredibly delicious. Thank you!!!
Jessica says
Tried this today it’s just too good! Everyone at home loved it! This was my first attempt for this recipe and it was perfect! The ingredients are easily available as well. Had been looking for a good recipe from a long time…the search is finally over 😂
Sara says
This was easy to make and delicious. Everyone in my family enjoyed it. Thank-you for posting.
Hannah says
Excellent recipe. Might use a little less chilli powder though for a milder curry next time. It was pretty spicy with the 2 teaspoons of chilli powder (1 for marinade, 1 for sauce). I used evaporated milk instead of the cream and it saved ALOT of calories. The Kasoori Methi I found at a local Indian grocery store as the supermarkets don’t stock it.
Alex says
very flavorful and very yummy, easy to make!
Sara says
ummm okay WOW. amazing taste and amazzzingg recipe!! made it last night and it had a very authentic indian taste. loved it!
Delilah says
The recipe is simple to follow and brilliant in flavour. Tried making butter chicken for the 1st time & so glad to have bumped into the right recipe. It turned out really well even with half the quantity of the cream. Thank you so much for the super recipe. Paired it with another one of your interesting recipes – butter garlic rice. My family loved it.
Bina says
Hi Karina,
I have no idea if I commented before or not. My friend made this recipe for us and it was delicious; I thought there is no way I could ever make it but I did several times with your recipe and everyone who tried loved it (including my Indian husband).
Anyway I wanted to try making it with paneer for a vegetarian friend. Could you give me pointers on how to do this successfully? I tried on my own before and the paneer was hard and chewy 🙁
Thanks 🙂
ik says
Made this last night, having marinated the chicken for nearly 48 hours after a change of plan the previous night. It was *delicious*. Discovered at the last minute I had no coriander left – d’oh – but with all the other spices in there it was fine without it. I knew I had no fenugreek leaves but wasn’t concerned about that. Only criticism would be that the cooking time noted is a bit ambitious and the absolute least amount of time you could manage it in, which I only realized too late once the rice was already cooked (noting that 1 cup basmati rice to 2 cups water was a perfect amount for four healthy servings for us). Thanks for a great recipe, will definitely make this again.
Rand says
Nice blend of spices. This was better than any butter chicken I’ve ever eaten before.
Frank says
Made as instructed and quite excellent. I’ll reduce cumin a bit next time and blacken less in the pan as that gave a brown result instead of the expected orange. But I was surprised to see the restaurant dish emerge from my kitchen!
I’m wondering as to the necessity to have garlic, ginger, cumin garam masala, and chili powder added both to the marinade and to the sauce? If I added these all just to the marinade, or just to the sauce, do you think even you personally would detect a difference?
Kelly W says
The fenugreek leaves are not easy to find for most people. I’m fortunate enough to have an Indian grocer nearby but to me this ingredient is essential. You know that deep, sweet aroma that you smell when you go to an Indian restaurant? That’s fenugreek. If you can’t get it, use about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Add it right at the end and omit the sugar.
Great recipe though. Actually tastes like restaurant quality. Once I dial it in to my preferences it will be the best butter chicken I’ve had.
An says
WOW! I can’t believe *I* made this because it tastes restaurant quality! My entire family, including my toddlers, LOVED this recipe. Only regret is not doubling the recipe! (Did not add fenugreek because I didn’t have it available – but still DELICIOUS)
Tommy says
I substituted powdered mustard seed for the fenugreek. Came out pretty awesome
Megan Mazingo says
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, and it never fails to impress! I usually double the recipe, and almost always sneak veggies into the sauce by sauteing them with the onion until soft and blending them in. My family is oblivious. I’ve added bell peppers, carrots, cauliflower and even zucchini.
I love the garlic butter rice that is suggested in this recipe as well! Last night I used fresh basil in the rice, and added some curry powder, and dehydrated onion. It paired so well with the chicken!
Bailey says
This recipe is amazing, I’ve made it many times and it’s always a treat! A great replacement for the fenugreek is a good quality maple syrup. (I know it sounds odd for an Indian dish) but all you need is about 1/2 teaspoon! Hope this helps. 😊
Maria says
great recipe, thank you
where can I find kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)?
Krina says
You can find it at any Indian grocery store
elric phares says
I got mine on Amazon
Hannah says
I found it at an Indian grocer. Otherwise you can order online
shadow says
You can find it in general kirana store:)
Hillary Diephouse says
I just got it on amazon. 🙂
Jessica Akerson says
Amazon sells both
Ophelia says
You can find it in any Indian grocery store.
Emma says
There is some on Amazon ! But I’m sure you can find it in specialized shops that sell Indian food
Liz says
I got fenagreek leaves on Amazon.
Lezlie Rabine says
I ordered mine on Amazon
Tahmina says
This was my first time making butter chicken and I am SO pleased with the results. Thank you for the amazing recipe!! I followed it word for word (except the kasuri methi, b/c I don’t have access to it right now) and it turned out so well.
Bob says
Kasoori Methi can be ordered on Amazon!!
Lynnie says
They say that maple syrup is a good substitute (also can omit sugar if used) you can also use fennel seeds 🙂
Mellow Mike says
Thanks a million for this, I made the sauce and served it with some other foods for my extended family. Could not believe that taste when it was finished, fresh to death, keep kickin’ it and stickin’ it, my dudette.
Dan Says says
We made the recipe substituting the oil and Ghee with Ranch dressing. Gee golly that was the best meal I’ve ever had… Gotta I love me some Ranch dressing!
Leah says
My family love this meal. I dont add the chilli As have young children and didn’t have fenugreek. It is very tasty and it feels so nice to feed my family something so yummy that is made from scratch. It is a regular in our household now.
Connie says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I didn’t have all the right ingredients (yogurt, fenugreek, sufficient cream) but it turned out amazingly well, at least to me! There have been other recipes but this one is best 🙂 Maybe next time instead of mincing the ginger I may make a garlic ginger paste either with a spice blender or a mortar and pestle, but it’s a lovely flavor the fresh ginger and really comes through. Also, will try to have enough heavy cream (had to use a mixture of cream, sour cream, and half and half) on hand.
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and they did turn out very tender even with all the cooking. Wonder what it is about the marinade that makes it so?
I plan to freeze some of the sauce for the next batch of chicken!
Happy cooking
Dan Says says
Connie why don’t you have any yogurt? It’s that that expensive and adds a nice flavor to the recipe.
Zlanie says
Wonderful – marinated in the yogurt mixture for 8 hours, and the meat was fork tender. Sauce was so good the flavors amazing. Prepped everything for the sauce before work, so it all came together while the rice was cooking. Definitely making again.
Ryan says
This came out amazing! It’s the most delicious curry I’ve ever tasted and I’ve been to many Authentic Indian restaurants around the world!
Manka says
This recipe has become a staple at our home. I am from North India and very picky about indian recipes and this one hits the right spot. Thanks so much!
Dan says
Holy Mackerel! This butter chicken is restaurant quality, even better than some restaurants! Like others said, I needed to add a little more oil as I browned the subsequent batches of chicken. And as someone else mentioned, I also used passata because I couldn’t find crushed tomatoes. But everything else I found at a local Indian shop near my house. Will definitely make again!
Jim Smith says
First time making this curry. It was absolutely superb. Better than any Indian restaurant I was told.
Ciara says
For the oil/butter substitute for ghee, what kind of oil would you recommend?
elric phares says
Try Coconut Oil
Laurie says
I made this for my picky and varied family tonight. I’m Canadian, my husband is Jamaican (also a chef), 3 kids (ages 20, 12 and 3). I’m using things from my freezer so used a whole chicken, chopped, since I have several on hand. I didn’t have fenugreek. Also didn’t have heavy cream so I used evaporated milk. I used about half of the chili powder so it would have a little kick but not too much spice for my 3 year old. WOE!!! Served with toasted garlic bread. This was soooooo delicious! Every family member loved it.
Mgan says
I am a cook and for whatever reason always assumed I can’t make Indian food. I have been making different foods lately and decided to attempt this recipe along side a trusted naan bread recipe I make. My family and I really enjoyed it. I doubled it and am bringing leftovers to my parents.
Will make again and again. Maybe next time with paneer.
Thanks
Sarah from Oz says
I made this tonight after marinating the chicken for 24 hours, I used chicken tenderloins and they were basically fall apart soft – fantastic recipe will make again. I didn’t have a blender but used my Kitchen Aid 3.5 cup chopper and set it on puree worked awesome! It’s a keeper thank you so much!
Irene says
This recipe is excellent! The butter chicken turned out amazingly delicious — juicy, full of flavor, and just like how it tastes in a restaurant. Thank you so much for this! I’m definitely saving this recipe and will keep it in rotation for whenever I crave Indian food (which is often!). I also love how the aromas have now filled our apartment. 🙂
Grace says
absolutely love this recipe. I did a couple things different though:
1. I used crushed tomatoes instead of what the recipe calls for. This let me skip the whole blender thing.
2. I cooked the chicken in much bigger groups (7-10 pieces at a time) on low heat, with vegetable oil. The olive oil kept burning and it was just frustrating. I also popped the lid on the pan for a minute or too to help it cook more evenly.
I’m still pretty new to cooking so I’m sure these things were not in the recipe for a reason, but it still tasted amazing and my family of picky eaters (I’m a teenager, it’s my mom who’s picky lol) loves it so much.
Dan says
Brilliant recipe, thank you so much. A real keeper!
2 monkeys says
Wow. Just wow. We’ve been trying to replicate the butter chicken from our favorite restaurant and this came out very similar if not even better!! Thank you!
Kathleen says
Truly excellent comfort dish!! I reduced the salt and skipped the fenugreek because I had none on hand, and it was delicious. I doubled the recipe, shared a portion and the recipe, and successfully froze another dinner’s worth. It took me longer than suggested, due to fresh ginger/garlic prep, but was worth it. This totally satisfies the “I’m craving Indian food” thing! ❤️
kris says
Ahh, i don’t know where to begin. First time I made this and it just tick all the box 🙂 this is my all time fave Indian dish, am keeping this in my recipe, definitely a keeper.
Drea says
Absolutely delish. By far the best dish I have ever made. This dish will give any restaurant a good run for their money.
I also added some cashews while blending the sauce up.
neha says
hi the recipie is easy but one thing since i simmer the cream with sugar and methi for 8 minutes ..will the cream cuddle due to prolong cooking .
thanks
Mac says
I made this and got a great compliment from my usually negative 20 year old. He said “tastes store bought”. That’s a huge win in my books. Everyone else said it was delicious.
Alicia says
As long as its not single cream it won’t split or curdle. Double cream, whipped cream, extra thick double cream do very well with heat. Single cream does not
Veli says
Easily the best Indian curry recipe I’ve tried – it takes ages but utterly worth it. The amount of oil specified to fry the chicken wasn’t nearly enough however – so just use your instinct and add oil when necessary to prevent the pieces from sticking.
Poornima Swaminathan says
Great recipe. First time making butter chicken and my family just loved it. Made Turkish flatbread to go with it.
Megan says
I followed this recipe exactly except for the fenugreek leaves. I ordered some some Amazon so I’ll have them next time. It was delicious and tasted just like our local Indian take-out spot.
Zoe says
Wow. First time making butter chicken from scratch and this recipe NAILED IT. Definitely a keeper, definitely will make again. Would go as far as saying it was the best butter chicken I’ve ever eaten. Whipped up some quick sourdough discard roti’s and the fam was thoroughly impressed! Thank you!
Darren says
My family loved it. Such a fantastic way to eat chicken. When my wife said let’s have chicken tonight I needed something different. This was it. Thank you!!!!
Eurika says
May I ask what I could substitute for dry fenugreek leaves without losing the flavor of the dish?
Linda Antisavage says
Eurika, You can use 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh celery leaves per 1 tsp of the kasoori methi/fenugreek leaves. Or you can add a big dash of maple syrup but this would be added very near the end because the aroma cooks off quickly.
Rita Molloy says
Thank you Linda Antisavage I read through the comments hoping someone would ask for a substitute for fenugreek. Thanks to Eurika I now know. Am about to try the recipe.
Sincerely.
Rita Molloy.
Victoria Crouch says
I used ground fenugreek as I didn’t have the leaves
Signe says
This tasted sooooo good. Just like in a restaurant! I used Passata, less sugar and salt. Served with naan. Perfect!!!!
Johnny says
Crazy good recipe!!
Madhura says
Just started learning how to cook and this turned out really divine! My family couldn’t stop praising it either. Thanks for sharing!
Cynthia says
Thank you sooo much for this recipe!
The measurements, subsitution ideas, the well laid-out ingredient and instruction list…perfect.
I tried it without fenugreek, with evaporated milk instead of cream, with Heinz heirloom crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp of regular butter, a light sprinkle of cayenne powder instead of chili, plain kefir instead of yogurt. Everything else was as described in the recipe and my boyfriend and I LOVED it.
It’s even better after freezing and reheating. I ate it with quinoa this time.
It was my first time making indian food at home. I bought garam masala and turmeric specially for the recipe. Thanks to this brilliant recipe, I will get to use up those spices.
Alison says
Have made this for a couple of clients, in my capacity as a private cook, to rave reviews. I am finally cooking it for my family this evening anticipating a similar response. Thank you for sharing your recipe and tips.
Maren says
Amazing! My friends were all drooling over the photos I was sending them. I’ve promised them a butter chicken feast as soon as we are done socially isolating! I paired with your no-yeast garlic flat bread (though I added some fresh garlic in addition to the powdered). Divine. Thank you!
Sahil says
This recipe was amazing! I tried to follow it as best as I can and it turned it great! One thing I want to ask is, my end dish still tasted a bit too tomatoey. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
Karina says
You can add more cream to the sauce
Natalie says
Hi when you write crushed tomatoes do you mean fresh or tinned? Thanks
Victoria Crouch says
I used a tin of chopped tomatoes. I did buy really good quality ones as I find cheap ones are more acidic
Natalie says
Thanks!😊 made with the tin tomatoes was awesome
Andtea says
I have to say a HUGE thank you for this recipe – I’m not a particularly confident cook, nor am I a fan of (hot spicy) Indian food so it’s not something I’ve ever attempted to make for myself.
The current situation of being isolated and staying home means I’ve had more time to cook and with today being my birthday I decided I’d make the effort to do something different. I had most of the ingredients already, just needed to find turmeric and double cream and I used crème fraiche instead of yoghurt. Hand on heart, I didn’t have high hopes of it turning out well but honestly I’m delighted that it was not only easy but absolutely delicious and I am definitely going to make it again after all this is over. Thanks again for helping to make my birthday a bit better 🙂
Laura says
Happy Birthday!
Jim says
I didn’t change a thing and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you
Christine says
Excellent butter chicken recipe! Even though I had to reduce salt a bit and omit the sugar due to a family member’s dietary restrictions, the end result was still fantastic.
Aqsa says
This recipe is hands down the best butter chicken recipe! I made it for a dinner party and everyone thought it tasted like restaurant style butter chicken. The recipe is easy to follow, especially for someone who has just started cooking. I used ARZ cream product and some sour cream and didn’t add ground cumin as I didn’t have it lol. Definitely recommend this recipe, so glad I found it!
Tracey Sullivan says
My husband very rarely makes dinner requests, he usually eats whatever I cook. This is the only recipe he will specifically ask for in the last few months. I make it exactly as listed except once I used coconut milk ( it was slightly sweeter) and once when I made it for myself I used lamb (hubby was out of town). It tastes very authentic. There is an Asian market about 10 miles from my house so I get my ghee, masala and methi powder there. You can get the methi powder on Ebay and Amazon also, I think it is worth it, it tastes more authentic.
Mary Jay says
Excellent!! Followed everything to a T. I used 5% cream and added cooked potato chunks for the last 5 minutes. Really exactly what I was looking for in a butter chicken recipe – not too fatty. It is now in the permanent recipe folder!!
Verdunois says
Forgot to add the 5 stars
Verdunois says
Hey , thanks for the recipe. Turned out effing amazing.
My touches:
– x1 the chicken dark meat from tight and legs; much more tender than chicken breast
– x1/2 the amount of red chili ; mild enough for my kid but distant hot flavor definitely there
– x4 the amount of yogurt; meat extra coated with thick marinade cooks wonderful in the skillet
– x2 all the other ingredients except salt
Served with brown basmati rice (22 min cooking time in the Instant Pot + 10min natural pressure release)
It’s a killer.
Julie says
This recipe always gets so many compliments when i cook it! Friends and family beg me to cook this butterchicken, and i do it happily, because it tastes so amazing. It’s so easy to follow, and you dont really need a lot of ingredients when you have all of the spices.
It also freezes quite well, so you can make a big batch and save some in the fridge.
Carmela says
Absolutely amazing! This dish is definitely worth the work, next time I will double or triple it. Did not have any plain yogurt so I substituted with sour cream and it worked out well. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
breezy says
Thank you for your comment! I was wondering if I could substitute sour cream, beings I don’t have any plain yogurt on hand. I’m going to start my marinade tonight! 😀
luvs2cook says
Hey breezy, that’s exactly what I did and it turned out amazing!!! I only marinated it about 4 hours and you wouldn’t know I subbed anything. 🙂
Adam Arsenault says
Looks great!
I’m planning to make this for 50, would you suggest I scale down the amounts of garlic, ginger and spices?
Michelle says
This was the best butter chicken recipe I have ever followed, The flavours were so beautiful.
My family love it. I have made it a few times and they all say when they come over for dinner that
they hope I make it again. I tried your best lasagne recipe the other day. yummm I won’t lie lasagne is
not something I have ever been good at and usually I won’t make it for that reason. I thought I would try yours and wow my crew were very impressed.
Thank you
Mehrnaz says
Why does this recipe say that you have yo cook the chicken for only 13 minutes total?
Doesn’t the chicken need to cook for at least 25-30 minutes to cook thoroughly?
Merry says
My guess is because it is meant to be cut into pieces, not whole. Takes a lot less time to cook.
marianne says
Hi – not my recipe, but I’ve just made it and it was delicious….I can only say that I didnt even cook the chicken for as long as the recipe says…Remember, the chicken is fillets and cut to bite size pieces – if you cooked it any longer it would be dry and overcooked! I cookd chicken breast fillets often (cut to bite size pieces) and it requires very little cooking…..nothing worse than dry overcooked chicken. 😉
Lee says
Best butter chicken recipe I’ve used. Follow exactly, add the fenugreek leaves if you have em, and enjoy.
jackie freedman says
This recipe was FABULOUS. All members of my family, which includes an adult daughter and a 10 year old picky granddaughter loved it I was impressed and they were impressed. I will be making this again. Cannot wait to try additional recipe’s of yours. Thank you!!!!
Alessandra DL says
Fabulous recipe – approved by the whole family! Just followed the instructions and came out perfect. I’m not a very experienced cook but had no problems following the instructons here and it was the best butter chicken ever!
Mehrnaz says
Can i use canned Crushed tomatoes that has Basil in it too or does the crushed tomatoes have to be plain?
Deidre says
I would avoid using basil crushed tomatoes. Go with plain.
Marcus says
This is a fantastically easy recipe to cook. Do & big pot of it & store away in your freezer. Don’t forget to add plenty of fresh Coriander at the end. Tried this last night & it went down a storm!
Ellen says
Tried the recipe to the tee, and it was just so yummy! Living out in rural Colorado we have zero access to Indian cuisine, so as a Brit, I’m craving great recipes to try at home. This is perfect and going in my recipe book!
Sarah says
We’re a dairy free household and I substituted the yoghurt and cream for coconut cream and it worked a treat. It didn’t taste of coconut. Gorgeous! By far the best butter chicken recipe I’ve tried. Many thanks!
Marta M. says
Delicious! Substituted the kasoori methi with 2 bay leaves, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was so easy, and I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch.
Jocelyn says
So, so good! My husband and I were looking for a butter chicken recipe after our favorite Indian food restaurant closed. This was amazing, my husband is already requesting again.
me.eeeeee says
yeet this stuff good its lit bro
Brian Rae says
Fantastic recipe! Clearly presented and easy execution. Result was delightful!
Lisa says
This tastes authentic! I’ve made it twice now and family can’t get enough! I didn’t have access to fenugreek, so don’t know what a difference that makes. Also, I didn’t take the time to blend the sauce in blender, but everyone was super happy with it anyway. (Still working to find the perfect naan recipe to accompany this delicious dish.) Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Mary says
I have found the best naan bread recipe that is quick and foolproof on this website… Once Upon a Chef
MAM says
Amazing! Better than our local take out. I didn’t have the fenugreek and didn’t use the sugar and it turned out fantastic.
Fiona says
You can use bay leaves instead of fenugreek but I’ve missed it out entirely on a few occasions and it’s always delicious. My whole family loves it but my 2 year old cannot get enough!!
Richard S Needham says
I have made a few different Chicken Tikka Masala recipes but they we not close to this one. Addictingly good! Seems key to the success was a good patient sear on the chicken pieces, a patient simmer of the tomatoes and a complete scraping of the stuck brown bits from the bottom of the pot. I also substituted the recommended evaporated milk for cream to save calories and it was still lush. Could not stop sliding the Naan through the sauce.
Hardy says
Mine had a little bit of a burnt taste in it. Maybe I overcooked it at the last stage as I found the pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. I didn’t do the blender part as well. I used it without blending. Any suggestions to overcome this? What did I do wrong?
Kelly says
I’ll never use the jar version ever again
Deb F Brisbane says
I read the comments and they’re all true – the best Butter Chicken I’ve ever eaten or ever made. So fresh and delicious! I’m currently making your fudgy chocolate cake and it’s your baked salmon for dinner! So pleased I found this site, amazing food thank you.
Robyn says
Absolutely the best butter chicken recipe I’ve ever made. I just made it for a part of my family who’ve never had Indian food before. They all loved it! Even my 91 year old grandmother. The spices were spot on and the chicken was moist and tender. This will be my new go-to recipe. Thank you!
STEVE S. says
Hello Karina,
I made this recipe three times within the span of one month. Twice with chicken, and once with Aussie lamb meat (third time). Each time it was perfect and my family loved it. For the lamb, I used shoulder meat, boneless. I also adjusted the simmering time. Absolutely out of this world.
Took your advice the second time by making extra sauce that I used with the lamb meat.
I love your recipes because they are clear and simple, yet very detailed. Delicious!! Anyone that has a little motivation can make them.
Thank you so much.!!
Ted says
I like the bottled sauce, the difference is cinnamon, I have made sauce but with cinnamon.
Savannah VanFossen says
It was absolutely DELICIOUS! My husband and I love this recipe and plan to make it many more times. I will say that I used 15 oz can of tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes. Next time I make it I do plan on using less salt. We found that the 1 and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the sauce is too much. I think next time I will just start with 1/2 teaspoon. Otherwise, the texture of the sauce is amazing, I love the idea of blending it all up. The leftovers are good too!
Priya says
I tried the recipe today, turned out great !! Thanks for Sharing this is a keeper:)
Mahi says
Please post a video. It will be hugely beneficial!
Michelle says
So surprised how this ended up turning out. When I’ve attempted to make curries in the past have ended up watery or the chicken rubbery or dry. This turned out perfect thanks for sharing!!
Justtin says
Fabulous recipe…I added a little extra chilie just because I like it that way. Also substituted 18% coffee cream for the heavy cream and it worked perfectly.
Jeffrey says
Like everyone has commented, this recipe is hands down the best Butter Chicken we’ve tasted including from many Indian restaurants. My son made Raita, I made a Nan bread, my wife made the chicken, basmati and vegetables on the side. We were all very happy and extremely full!
Sandra pitner says
Have you ever substituted shrimp instead of chicken?
Karina says
No but it sounds great!
Liz says
Great recipe. Especially when made ahead and ate the next day! I added more passata and doubled the spices for 900g of chicken thighs. Marinaded overnight. After browning the chicken I put it in a slow cooker, made the sauce and put it in a blender and added it to the slow cooker and let the chicken cook on high for 4 hours for it to simmer and really get juicy. Chicken was so tender and delicious. Loved it. Definately adding this recipe to my cookbook 🙂 thanks!
Dianne says
I’ve got my sauce made ( used lite coconut milk). Chicken marinading overnight.
Planned to cook in crockpot tomorrow like someone suggested. Will there be a problem with my coconut milk separating during the long slow cooking?
Faye says
This is an absolute favourite in my household ?
Ella says
A huge winner! I have made this several times now (I have to even make double batches now!) and my family absolutely adores it. My two siblings are quite fussy but even they prefer this over the ones we buy from the local Indian restaurants. The spices gives it a flavoursome, authentic taste, rather than that Americanised creamy flavour.
10/10 recommend.
The only adjustments I make is adding more ginger and garlic as I absolutely love the hell out of it! I also add a dab less cream, and more chilli
Tiffany C says
We’ve made so many different kinds of Indian food, it’s wonderful to find a recipe that is delicious and easy to make. Plus you can prep ahead of time and finish it right before dinner. Wonderful!
Crystal says
Although I can’t source fenugreek, I follow every other instruction and a dash more cream (sometimes coconut cream) and this recipe is a huge winner with friends and family. Love love love it!
Rebecca Sturwold says
I’ve never. Made an Indian dish before but I was wondering if I could substitute curry powder of all the other ingredients? There are many of the same spices in curry powder
MissyK says
I have made several versions of Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala over the past couple of years, and just always felt like something was missing, or wasn’t completely happy with it. Well those days are over…. this was delicious! Rather than my normal Kroger garam masala, I used Penzey’s this time and I think the good quality spices combined with this amazing recipe made all the difference! Thanks so much!
Musicman44mag says
I made it and doubled the amount of cream. Its so good that when I went to my usual resturant for this, I was dissapointed. I will make this at home and eat in the comfort if my home. This is the first time ever i have left a review for a recipie.
Leah says
The only thing I did differently is add a teaspoon of ground cardamom to both the yogurt marinade and the sauce. Perfection. I had never attempted making any type of Indian food before. Your recipe was easy to follow and it turned out perfect. Today is the second time making it and I have to double the recipe, because my family loves it so much!
(Also awesome for leftovers the next day.)
pauline bhamjee says
This recipe is so good. There is a bit of prep work, but totally worth it. I will definitely make this again.
Ann says
This is the best butter chicken. My son loves it so much and asks me to make it quite a bit. Fantabulous!!
Cecile says
Awesome. Best recipe I have ever tried! Thanks for sharing with us!
Jason says
Life changing
Kelly George says
I love to cook but was always intimidated to make a curry by scratch and wow this recipe has changed my way of cooking curries all together! Amazing, authentic, easy and delicious so a big thank you for your wonderful website and recipes. I’ve now cooked 5 of your recipes and none have let me down xo
Jayna Patel says
I had to comment! I have been making this recipe for months and everyone raves about it! Only thing I do different is I par-bake my chicken in the oven to give it some char, then add to the sauce to allow it to fully cook. It’s adds a slightly smoky flavor as if it’s been cooked in a tandoor. I skip the sugar and add fresh lemon juice to cut the tomato acid at the very end. Total hit!
Roseanne Penner says
This is on regular rotation at our house. It freezes beautifully as well, which is great because my boys often request it for their school lunches.
Lyndsay says
I have made this butter chicken a handful of times and it’s absolutely delicious and a hit with all the family. It is restaurant quality and I’ll definitely be making it many times in the future. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Yuri says
Finally I have found the recipe for Butter Chicken my husband and I love so much. It was super easy and delicious as you promised!! I can’t believe now that we get this one, we don’t need to go out anymore to an Indian restaurant when the craving comes. Thank you so much ?
Marilyn says
Yes, I may it tonight and the best butter chicken by far!!
Terry says
I Love this Recipe, the best butter chicken recipe I have come across.
I make this all the time. Its so close to what you get from any Indian restaurant.
enjoy!!!!!! 🙂
Ellie says
I have made this recipe 6 times now, 4 times exactly as written, no substitutions or adjustments, and 2 times with slight variations to see if I could get away without marinating the chicken, or use ground ginger instead of fresh (as I don’t always have fresh ginger on hand). I have to say the original recipe without any changes is absolutely the best butter chicken I have ever had, either in Canada or in the UK. I have tried probably a dozen different recipes and most are fairly similar but this one is the keeper and my one and only “go-to” now. It is SO worth the time and effort involved. I would say definitely do NOT skip the marinating step. It really elevates the chicken in this dish so it marries perfectly with the sauce and the whole dish is incredible. If you skip the marinade, don’t bother with chicken and just make the sauce to have over veggies/rice. The chicken will be tasteless and disappointing compared to the amazingly flavourful, rich sauce. Secondly, you CAN get away with using ground ginger for convenience instead of fresh and it will still taste “good”…but the sauce will lack “zing” that makes you say “wow” with every bite. Use ground ginger if necessary for the marinade, but when it comes to the sauce, stick with fresh ginger for the wow factor. Seriously, the recipe is PERFECT as it is. Thank you, Karina, for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Cherry says
Five Stars! A keeper!
THUy says
Thank you for this recipe.
WE love Indian food and I have attempted many different butter chicken recipes. Most without success. THis is the first one that has come almost like the takeaway we get.
My husband love s it and I have made it many times now.
Val says
I’ve never tried Indian food before or cooked it but I tried out this recipe and it came out delicious! pretty simple to make once you get the recipe and steps down but my whole family enjoyed it as well. Thank you for this recipe!
Sebastien L says
Excellent recipe! Better than any restaurant butter chicken!
Ola says
I’m hoping to make this dish tomorrow night, however I don’t have a blender. Is it absolutely necessary that you blend the sauce? Thanks for you advice!
Karina says
No it’s not necessary
Cherry says
Made this for Easter dinner today. It was superb. I marinated the chicken overnight. The flavors are beautiful. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again.
Deb says
Can I use tomato passata instead of tin tomato
Jodie says
I am looking to replace paneer with chicken. Is this okay to do or will it ruin the dish?
Ronnie says
I haven’t got the fenugreek leaves. Will that affect the flavours a lot?
Karina says
Not at all
shelly says
This was so delicious . I made it last night, my husband and kids loved it and that says a lot as my son is a picky eater. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Tommie says
This was fabulous!! I normally have to tweak any recipe I find online, but this was great exactly as is!!
Grace says
Confession: I am not a fan of Indian food. Unfortunately, hubby spent six weeks in India and it’s his favorite, lol. I determined that I could at least give it a shot, and after a “meh” crockpot recipe, decided to try this next. Hubby was basically giddy, lol. It is his FAVORITE food in the WHOLE WORLD, and the look of dazed bliss on his face made it worth making a recipe that forces me to use my blender, which would ordinarily be a deal breaker. I actually enjoyed it as well! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Paul Clevenger says
I followed this recipe exactly (except for not being able to find kasoori methi). The result was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be growing my own kasoori methi and making this recipe again and again. I am so happy that I found this!
Yolanda Long says
Absolutely the best! My family inhaled it. Thank you Karina
Amy says
I’ve made this twice and I’m absolutely in love with this dish! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. It’s full of flavor but not spicy (which is nice for the kids). Love it!
Melanie Ishmael says
I’ve tried so many butter chicken recipes but this one is by far the best. I made it for a large family function and left out the chili powder in the sauce because of the kids and it was just perfect! Everyone was asking who made it and the compliments were rolling in Haha. Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try out the others on your website.
Perth, Australia
Roy says
Just tried this tonight, made it as a reward after a 7 mile hike for me and my bff. We loved it. I did use lite coconut milk and coconut sugar in substitution. Also topped it off with green onion in addition to the cilantro. Delicious!
Chris says
This was amazing! Followed the recipe to a t and put it on lemon rice. Absolutely adding to our rotation!
Cheryl says
This recipe if Fabulous! I made it last night. I was able to marinate the chicken for a couple of hours and it was so tender. The spices were perfect, very flavorful but not too spicy for me. (I tend to choke on spicy food.) I served it with quinoa and veggies. I’m already planning on making it again for my extended family. Thank you!
Evelina H says
So good! The whole family loved it. My 2year old loves the chicken. I will keep this recipe for all the butter chickens to come! Thank you from Sweden ?
Manju Mathew says
Made it. Loved it.
Kunal says
I was so excited to find this recipe, it usually calls for nuts and my son is allergic to them so this is perfect! Was very simple to follow.
I used half and half -it was still rich and rivals any restaurant butter chicken, better in fact in taste!
Son loved it, ate this Indian staple for the first time.
Sacha says
I’ve ruined butter chicken takeaway because this one is better, honestly the best I’ve had!!
E says
I did this without blending (i only read and bought ingredients, almost panicked when i got to the blending part of the recipe) and it still came out good. I even had to lessen the ginger and chili powder (housemates dont like ginger and spicy food) and it was a success. Ate this with basmati rice, which happened to be my fave rice, and it was a good meal!
This is by far the best butter chicken recipe…thank you VERY much!! You are a life saver!!!
PS, i felt like a spanish conquistador looking for spices xD…I drove to an Indian grocery store just for the Kasoori Methi, even if it was far from the grocery store where i bought the other ingredients. It was all worth it though. Again, thank you very much
Andrea says
This recipe made me a hero. Husband loved it. Restaurant quality.
Nick M. says
I’ve made this recipe twice and can’t begin to describe the look of euphoria on my husband’s face when he hears I’m making it for dinner. It’s absolutely delicious. Exceeded our expectations and rivals any restaurant. I’ve shared the recipe with my mom and can’t wait to hear her thoughts. Thank you for adding this recipe to our rotation. xo
Cate says
The flavours were delicious. We used this recipe to fix up some bland Indian takeaway we bought the night before. I made the sauce, marinated some additional chicken and….. voila it was great! From bland to delicious! Thanks.
Allison Denomme says
This was absolutely amazing! I didn’t purée the sauce, but it turned out great! Even had enough sauce to spoon over the paneer I made! Middle child called it comfort food, even though he has never eaten Butter Chicken! Thanks for the recipe.
Heather says
SO amazingly good. A bit of smearing around to make but SO worth it. Kids licked the plates. Will def make again. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Claire says
I tried this dish once and the whole family agrees it’s the best one yet! Restaurant quality status! My son just reminded me about this dish today and I told him I’ll make it soon! I’m salivating!
OUARDA says
This butter chicken is absolutely phenomenal!! I’ve always been so rubbish at making south Asian food but this recipe turned out perfect! Thank you 🙂
Richard Sasaki says
This was a wonderful dish, turned out well considering it’s fairly simple. I make curries quite a lot but I will often come back to this recipe! for sure! It’s nice that you can continue to use the same pan and don’t have heaps of washing to do at the end. Thank you for sharing it!
Wardah Ghauri says
This recipe became an instant hit last night at a family dinner .. the best one I have made so far …
Clint Tankersley says
Excellent recipe. Used ancho chili powder for “red chili powder” and fire roasted tomatoes (these were what I had on hand). Followed the recipe as is otherwise. Excellent. Tasted just like the butter chicken/tikka masala I’m accustomed to when dining out. Highly recommended!
Betty says
Has anyone tried using coconut yogurt and coconut cream?? Thanks in advance!
Roisin says
Delicious! I will reduce the salt slightly next time for the kids, but we all licked the bowl. ?
Mary says
This was delicious – so good my husband insisted I leave a review
Tina Yu-Wong says
Tried this recipe twice! The second time I added more cream. Fantastic both times! Even my 3 and 1/2 year old ate it up (minus the spicy components.). Amazing with garlic naan from Aldi’s. Thank you, Karina, for this excellent recipe and the substitution suggestions. You will forever be the lady who taught me how to make butter chicken. ?
Learn words says
It’s called “Aldi” not “aldi’s “
Shilpa says
Great recipe! love it! Only thing i changed was that I used chicken with the bone in and also substituted garam masala in the marinade for tandoori masala. turned out lovely!
Thankyou!
Karina says
Thanks!
sunny chew says
I tried it tonite…..this is simply too yummy n simple to make, thank you so much ??
Debbie says
This is an amazing recipe. My whole family thought it was better than any Butter Chicken we have had at an Indian restaurant – and we love Indian food. So good! Thank you!
Karina says
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
Kylie says
This looks delicious. Would it work if I substituted the cream with coconut cream?
Julien says
Yes. It will be delicious.
Nick says
Just cooked this up for my husband and LOVED every bite. Worth the effort. Rich, layered and complex. Added some simple steamed green beans on the side to eat with the sauce.. Will make again for sure. Rivaled any Indian take out we’ve had. Thanks!!
Karina says
Thanks so much!
Aliya says
Just made it ! Outstanding and authentic taste .
Sharon says
Excellent
Jenn says
Love that it doesn’t use a cupboard worth of spices. It definitely tastes authentic. I used left over tandoori chicken and it came out great! Thanks for the great recipe.
Tina says
Thank you for this amazing dish. I have to admit that it’s pretty close to what my local Indian restaurant serves. My husband and I loved this. Even my 3 and a 1/2 year old ate it! I didn’t add anything spicy to the dish to accommodate his taste buds.
Abida says
I tried this recipe for the first time & it came out delicious! Everybody thoroughly enjoyed it ? Thankyou!
Olviya says
Hii…
Thank you for such a wonderful and easy recipe . I had tried butter chicken a few times but never turned out so great. Full of flavours and so juicy. My husband and 5 year old loved it. ??
Pam says
Made this just now for dinner. Simply the best recipe i have made. Authentic and amazing flavours. My family loved it.
Leah Coleman says
I’ve made this twice now. This recipe is spot on! I’ve attempted A LOT of different curry recipes, and while they’ve been “ok”, none have scratched that itch like this one! I did make a slight change. The second time I reduced the red chili powder by half, as the brand I have from my local Indian grocery packs quite a punch. Did everything else exactly the same. It’s as good as any Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to.
Helene DiBartolomeo says
Just made this for dinner; AMAZING! Got rave reviews from husband and 10 yr daughter, who also licked the gravy off her plate as well as mine! 🙂 I didn’t have plain yogurt on hand so I used sour cream and it worked like a charm. I also used half and half instead of heavy cream. Thank you!
Karin says
My bf made this tonight – hands down the best butter chicken EVER!!! So many layers of flavour ? Will definitely be making again!
Phillipus says
Absolutely fantastic. First time trying it and it was not enough. Couldn’t stop. Thanks!!
Tatana M. Todd says
Oh my goodness. This is a life changing recipe!
Ahhhh Maaaa Ziiiiinnnnggg!
jmr says
Wow!!! This is SO good! My daughter told me that this is the best meal that I have ever made.
Abhinav says
Wonderfull recipe. This recipe very awesome to cook. And mouthwatering images of butter chicken.
Ryan says
Absolutely perfect.
Debi says
Outstanding butter chicken recipe right here – so delicious and tastes the closest to ones I’ve had from South Asian restaurants. Because we like lots of leftovers, I added more boneless skinless thighs than what was called for and doubled the marinade ingredients, and had it marinating for a couple of days. I did not double the sauce ingredients but did use a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of 14 oz. It turned out perfect – chicken so tender and flavourful and sauce so smooth and so good with naan bread and basmati rice. This will be my to go butter chicken recipe from now on. Thank you Karina for sharing!
Ginny says
Made this last night. My 7 year old loves it so much she’s requested the left overs in her lunch box!
Katalin Michaels says
This recipe is absolutely perfect. I was amazed at how authentic and delicious it turned out – and it had a really good amount of kick. Indian food should be a little spicier than other types of food, so I feel like it just made it more authentic. Well done!
Kristie Wantuch says
OMG, absolutely delicious. My husband and I loved it, this is a recipe I will use again and again, thank you.
Andrew H says
First try if this tonight. Family loved it!
Thank you!
Jeremy Schwerdt says
Amazing recipes. Easily the best I’ve ever made. Thank you so much.
Karina says
Thanks so much Jeremy… So happy you tried it!
Leslie Kalec says
This recipe sounds amazing! Is it really a tablespoon and a half of garlic and ginger
MK says
Best most authentic butter chicken recipe I have ever made – The search is finally over! This recipe is the one to use. Definitely a keeper
Collette Mitrega says
The best butter chicken I have made, and I have tried loads. TFS xx
Hita says
This is by far the best butter chicken recipe. In one attempt I managed to get it right and so so yum . It’s a family favourite now.?
Megan says
Wow. Just wow! Will make again.