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    Butter Chicken

    October 11, 2024

    Rich with Indian spices, this creamy butter chicken recipe is one of our favorite take-out style curries! Made on the stove top or slow cooker, it couldn’t be easier.

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    homemade butter chicken in a bowl served with rice, naan and cilantro

    Butter chicken is one of our go-to Indian restaurant dishes, (right up there with Tikka Masala!) and we love it so much we just had to try making a homemade version. Also known as ‘Murgh Makhani’, creamy butter chicken stands out from a lot of Indian recipes because it’s easy to make at home! While we love an excuse to try cooking with new spices, we also love being able to easily recreate our favorite restaurant recipes at home, and butter chicken has a really approachable ingredients list.

    Make our Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken for days when you need to set it and forget it — the ingredients are the same — but our easy butter chicken recipe comes together fast on the stove top, too, and is such a weeknight win. Grab yourself about 30 minutes, and get ready to make the best stovetop butter chicken ever!

    onion, garlic, ginger, butter, stock tomato paste, spices, chicken, and cream in prep bowls to make butter chicken

    Is Butter Chicken Authentic?

    Yes! Butter chicken is a classic Indian recipe, but it’s not very old. Cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey (who introduced a lot of people in the US and UK to the idea of cooking Indian food at home) butter chicken was created at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s. But in just a few decades, it has fast become a globally beloved dish. After one bite of the generously spiced, savory creamy tomato sauce and the tender chicken, it’s easy to understand why butter chicken has had such a stratospheric rise from restaurant experiment to Indian take out staple.

    onions, garlic and ginger cooking in a pot with olive oil
    onion, ginger, garlic, butter, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala and tomato paste being stored in a soup pot with a spoon
    raw chicken being added to butter chicken sauce in a large white pot
    heavy cream being added to butter chicken in a large white pot

    Easy Butter Chicken Ingredients

    • Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is perfect for butter chicken, because it takes on all of the rich flavors so well, and becomes beautifully tender simmered in the delicious butter chicken sauce.

    • Butter: We like to use salted butter for this recipe, just for a little extra savory kick.

    • Spices: Cinnamon, cumin, Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend that’s really easy to find), and turmeric.

    • Fresh garlic and ginger: These are key! Fresh, bold and fragrant, they’ll bring your butter chicken to life. Tip: Using a microplane grater is the easiest way to grate the ginger.

    • Heavy cream: You can also substitute full-fat coconut milk for the heavy cream, if you’d like to!

    • Olive oil.

    • Onions: We like to use yellow onions for this recipe, but sweet onions would be OK too.

    • Chicken stock: Veggie stock is fine, too, if that’s what you have on hand.

    • Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds tons of depth and richness to the butter chicken sauce.

    • Lemon juice: A little zing of lemon juice is key here! It brightens up the dish, which is pretty rich.

    a pot of butter chicken made with garlic, ginger, stock tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala, cumin and cream
    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon
    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon
    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon

    How To Make Butter Chicken

    1. Prep the chicken breasts. Our favorite tip for cutting chicken breasts: It’s easier to cut chicken into cubes if it’s just a bit frozen. So, if you can remember to pop the chicken breasts into the freezer about an hour before you start cooking, yay! If not, no biggie.

    2. If you’re making it in a slow cooker, take all of these same ingredients over to our Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken recipe. If you’re making butter chicken on the stovetop, grab your favorite lidded pan and keep going.

    3. Sauté the onions, garlic and ginger for a few minutes.

    4. Stir in the butter, stock, tomato paste, all of the spices—the flavorful base of the butter chicken sauce!—followed by all of the chicken pieces.

    5. Pop a lid on the pan and simmer until the chicken is done.

    6. Stir in the cream and lemon juice, and simmer on low for just a few minutes to let everything cohere.

    7. You did it! You made butter chicken! We love this with plain, steamed basmati rice, and serve some warm naan on the side if you’ve got it!

    a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon

    What To Serve With Butter Chicken

    Butter chicken is so rich and satisfying, it’s almost a meal in itself. Try serving it with some (or all) of these sides:

    • Fresh homemade Raita

    • White Rice

    • Store bought naan or flatbread for scooping up all that lovely, velvety butter chicken sauce

    • Indian pickles (this is a stretch goal, but worth mentioning!)

    a bowl of Butter chicken on top of white rice topped with cilantro and served with naan

    More More Quick, Easy Indian Inspired Comfort Food

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    Butter Chicken

    Updated on October 11, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  25 min
    • Calories:  307
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup grated yellow onion, (from 1 small onion)
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • ¾ cup chicken stock
    • 8 ounces tomato paste
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 2 teaspoons garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
    • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, (from 2 lemons)
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • Fresh cilantro, for serving
    • 6 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and the garlic and ginger are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

      onion, garlic, ginger, butter, stock tomato paste, spices, chicken, and cream in prep bowls to make butter chicken

    2. Stir in the butter, chicken stock, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt, cumin, garam masala and turmeric until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then stir in the chicken until coated. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

      onion, ginger, garlic, butter, cinnamon, cumin, garam masala and tomato paste being stored in a soup pot with a spoon

    3. Stir in the lemon juice and heavy cream. Return to a simmer and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

      heavy cream being added to butter chicken in a large white pot

    4. Divide the rice between 6 bowls. Serve the butter chicken over the rice and sprinkle with cilantro.

      a pot of butter chicken topped with fresh cilantro being stirred with a wooden spoon

    Notes

    To make this dish dairy-free, use coconut oil in place of butter and full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 307
    • Protein 41 g
    • Carbohydrates 13 g
    • Total Fat 12 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 132 mg
    • sodium 241 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Butter Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Tom

      Does this dish freeze well?

      Ya freezes great! hope you enjoy!

    • Jamie

      Why must we use salted butter, could I use unsalted butter instead?

      Sure, if it needs a little more salt just add some at the end. Hope you enjoy!

    • Carol

      I love all your recipes but I need to limit dairy in my diet. Can I substitute full fat coconut milk for heavy cream and oat "butter" in this recipe.

      We haven't tested those exact substitutes, coconut milk shouldn't cause a problem. We aren't positive if oat "butter" will change the thickness of the sauce. We'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try.

    • E.

      Hi, I’d love to make this for a group, approximately 30 people. Do you have any ideas how that would work best? Is there any way I could do it in a large roasting pan in the oven??

      We've never tested in the oven, so I'm not sure how that would work. I would just get a few large pots out and cook it on the stove in large batches.

    • Megan

      Hi! Could I sub half n half for the heavy cream? Thanks!

      We haven't tested it but it should be fine!

    • Unique

      This stovetop butter chicken recipe is a true winner! The fragrant, creamy tomato sauce perfectly coats the tender chicken pieces, creating a dish that's both comforting and irresistible. Im amazed at how easy it is to prepare such a rich and flavorful meal right on the stove. Its become a staple in my kitchen for busy nights when I want something special and satisfying. Your recipe has made it so simple to enjoy restaurant-quality butter chicken at home. Thanks for sharing this delicious gem!

      Beth, so glad you loved it!

    • Nanajee

      The most fragrant, creamy tomato sauce in this stovetop butter chicken recipe is absolutely divine! It wraps around the tender chicken pieces, creating such a comforting and flavorful dish. I love how easy it is to make, and the result is always restaurant-quality. This recipe has quickly become a favorite for busy weeknights when I still want something hearty and delicious. Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe!

      Thanks, so glad you loved it!

    • Rachel

      One of the best recipes from Modern Proper! Hands down. I come back to it time and time again. It's EASY to make for your family or large groups and everyone loves it. Do yourself a favor and put this in your regular food rotation.

      Thanks Rachel, we are so glad you love it!

    • Haley

      Amazing dish! I add quite a bit more spices than called for, but otherwise, this recipe is spectacular. I get asked often when I am making this again. Definitely a staple in my home!

      Thank you! We are so glad you loved it!

    • Kat

      very nice. i turned to low temp and cooked it longer then added yoghurt instead of cream at the end. Also tried it again with Coconut Cream and full cardamon pods....was delish. Thanks for the recipe.

      Thanks Kat, we are so happy you loved it!