Butter Chicken Recipe (Indian Chicken Makhani)

Method17 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix 500 g chicken with the marinade lemon juice (¾–1 tbsp), chili powder and salt (¼–⅓ tsp). Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes. Then add the Greek yogurt (0.3333 cup), marinade ginger-garlic, turmeric (0.125 tsp), garam masala (¾–1 tsp), cumin/coriander powders (1 tsp), dried fenugreek and marinade oil (¾–1 tbsp); mix well.

   Marinate chicken · 20 minUses 500 g boneless chicken · ½–¾ tsp Kashmiri chili powder · ¼–⅓ tsp salt · ¾–1 tbsp lemon juice · 0.3333 cup Greek yogurt · 0.75 tbsp ginger-garlic paste · 0.125 tsp turmeric · ¾–1 tsp garam masala

2. 2

   Step 2: Cover and refrigerate the mixed chicken at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best results. This marination time is additional to the forty-five-minute active estimate.

   Uses chicken first rested with lemon/chili/salt then mixed with yogurt and second spices

3. 3

   Step 3: If using onion (130 g), sauté the 130 g sliced onion in its separate 1 tbsp oil for about 7 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool.

   Uses 130 g onion · 1 tbsp oil

4. 4

   Step 4: If needed for your blender, soak the cashews (28) 15–30 minutes in ½ cup hot water and drain. Blend the fresh tomatoes (600 g), optional cooled onion, cashews and separate ½ cup blend water into a very smooth puree, adding extra blend water only if needed. Choose only one of the stated tomato alternatives. For the cashew-free route omit the nuts here and reserve the separate ¼–⅓ cup replacement cream until the final step.

   Uses 600 g fresh tomatoes · 28 whole raw cashews · 0.5 cup water · 0.5 cup hot water · extra blend water only if needed · optional sliced onion sautéed in its separate tablespoon oil

5. 5

   Step 5: Take the covered marinated chicken out of the refrigerator briefly while you prepare the sauce and heat the griddle; keep it out only as long as needed for cooking.

   Uses chicken covered and marinated at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight

6. 6

   Step 6: Melt 2 tbsp of the 3 tbsp butter in the sauce pan and add optional cinnamon, cloves (2–4) and cardamoms. Keep the remaining 1 tbsp for grilling all chicken batches.

   Uses 2 tbsp butter for sauce · 2 inch cinnamon stick · 2–4 green cardamoms · 2–4 whole cloves

7. 7

   Step 7: When they begin to sizzle, stir in the ginger garlic paste (0.75 tbsp) & green chilies (1–2). Fry on a low heat, for a minute or 2, till it turns fragrant but not burnt.

   Uses 0.75 tbsp ginger-garlic paste · 1–2 green chilies · optional cinnamon/cardamom/cloves sizzling in 2 tbsp butter

8. 8

   Step 8: Turn off the heat and stir in the sauce chili powder, 1 tsp sauce garam masala, optional sauce cumin and coriander powder (1–1½ tsp). Reserve up to ½ tsp sauce garam masala for the finishing taste adjustment.

   Uses 1–2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder · 1 tsp garam masala for initial sauce · 1–1½ tsp coriander powder · 0.5 tsp cumin powder · ginger-garlic and chilies fried with whole spices

9. 9

   Step 9: Stir in the chosen smooth tomato puree, with cashews only if that route was used. If the puree is not smooth, strain it into the pan.

   Uses ground spices stirred into aromatic butter after heat turned off · tomatoes blended with chosen optional nuts, blend water and optional cooled onion

10. 10

    Step 10: Mix well and cover partially. Bring it to a boil on a medium high heat, reduce the heat to low or medium. Cook until the puree turns thick, keep stirring occasionally.

    Uses smooth puree combined with spiced butter

11. 11

    Step 11: Pour 1½ cups hot gravy water into the thick cooked sauce, or 1 cup if omitting cashews. Simmer 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and traces of butter appear on top. Remove and discard the whole spices at this stage.

    Simmer sauce · 10 minUses 1.5 cup hot water · puree reduced until thick, stirring occasionally

12. 12

    Step 12: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp butter or ghee on a griddle, sharing it across the grilling batches. Place the marinated chicken pieces apart so they can roast evenly.

    Uses 1 tbsp butter shared across chicken grilling batches · refrigerated marinated pieces taken out briefly before cooking

13. 13

    Step 13: Fry over medium heat about 2 minutes, turn and continue until the marinade dries and the chicken begins to roast. Avoid burning or drying it out; it will finish cooking immediately in the hot gravy.

    Uses marinated pieces placed apart in hot griddle with part of grill butter

14. 14

    Step 14: Roast the remaining marinated pieces in 2–3 batches as needed, sharing the reserved grill butter. Keep partially cooked pieces separate from the original raw-chicken plate and transfer promptly to the hot sauce.

    Uses chicken turned and cooked until marinade dries, browning as desired

15. 15

    Step 15: Add all pan-roasted chicken to the simmered gravy. Add the optional extra ½ cup hot water if too thick. Cover and simmer about 5–7 minutes, continuing until the thickest chicken pieces reach 165°F (74°C) and are tender.

    Simmer chicken · 7 minUses 0.5 cup hot water · all 2–3 grill batches, do not return to raw-chicken plate · sauce thinned with measured hot water and simmered 10 minutes

16. 16

    Step 16: Stir in the sauce salt (½–¾ tsp), sugar (1 tsp) and dried fenugreek leaves (0.5 tbsp). Taste and add some of the reserved up to ½ tsp sauce garam masala and optional extra 1 tbsp butter only if desired.

    Uses ½–¾ tsp salt · 1 tsp sugar · 0.5 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves · up to reserved ½ tsp garam masala only if needed · 1 tbsp butter · chicken simmered 5–7 minutes or until 165°F in thickest pieces

17. 17

    Step 17: Turn off the heat. Stir in most of the listed ⅓ cup heavy cream, keeping a little from that same amount for garnish. If replacing cashews, also stir in the separate ¼–⅓ cup replacement cream. Garnish with chopped coriander and the reserved main cream. Serve with cooked basmati rice, naan or another flatbread.

    Uses 0.3333 cup heavy cream · 2 tbsp coriander leaves · ¼–⅓ cup additional cream ONLY instead of cashews · fully cooked chicken/gravy adjusted with sauce salt, sugar and fenugreek