Butter Chicken Recipe

This Butter Chicken recipe is chef-quality yet incredibly simple to make at home. The sauce is luxuriously rich, creamy, and deeply spiced—good enough to pour over anything!

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Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Butter Chicken Recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Ingredients

For the Marinade

½ cup full-fat plain yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala (see Note 1)
½ tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper (see Note 2)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ lb / 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces

For the Curry

2 tbsp (30 g) ghee or butter, or 1 tbsp vegetable oil (see Note 3)
1 cup tomato passata (tomato purée – see Note 4)
1 cup heavy / thickened cream (see Note 5)
1 tbsp sugar
1¼ tsp salt

To Serve

Basmati or white rice
Fresh coriander (cilantro), optional

Instructions

Optional (for a smooth sauce):
Blend all marinade ingredients (except chicken) in a food processor until smooth.
Marinate the chicken:
Combine chicken with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight (up to 24 hours).
Cook the chicken:
Heat ghee, butter, or oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Add chicken pieces—don’t shake off excess marinade (but don’t pour in leftover marinade yet).
Cook for about 3 minutes, until chicken turns white all over (it won’t brown much).
Make the sauce:
Add tomato passata, cream, sugar, salt, and any leftover marinade from the bowl.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve:
Garnish with coriander and serve hot with basmati rice, naan, or papadums.

Notes

Garam Masala:
A common Indian spice blend found in most supermarkets. Usually priced like other ground spices.
Chilli Powder:
Use pure chilli powder or cayenne pepper, not American chili powder (which contains other seasonings). This gives mild heat.
Ghee:
Clarified butter used in Indian cooking. You can substitute with butter or any neutral-flavored oil.
Tomato Passata:
Smooth, pureed tomatoes (called “Tomato Puree” in the U.S.). If unavailable, blend canned tomatoes.
Avoid Australian “Tomato Sauce,” which is more like ketchup.
Cream Substitute (Lighter Option):
Use ¾ cup light cream + ¼ cup milk (full-fat or low-fat).
Quick No-Fry Papadums:
Microwave raw papadums for 45–60 seconds on the edge of the turntable until puffed. They’ll crisp as they cool.
Recipe Source:
Adapted from a recipe by Australian chef Luke Mangan. Adjusted to include salt and a lighter cream option.

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