Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (2024)

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (1)Helene Dsouza

I invite you to try this easy butter chicken recipe, a classic flavorful and comforting Indian dish.

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

2 -3

4.9 from 11 votes

RECIPE

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (2)

Butter Chicken is definitely the most known and popular North Indian dish in the world.

Most probably you will have come across this dish abroad and if you are in India then of course you couldn't have missed it.

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (3)

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (4)

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I, personally, don't remember when I tasted my first easy Butter Chicken recipe but one thing is sure, it must have been in this marvelous big colorful country called India.

Jump to:
  • 📕 Butter Chicken boneless or on the bone?
  • 📜 Tandoori Chicken Leftovers
  • 🍗 Anything and everything Tandoori
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

📕 Butter Chicken boneless or on the bone?

There are countless versions of this dish and I think so it must be the most modified Indian dish ever and everybody, of course, claims theirs is the best - just like the middle eastern shakshuka.

Some folks prefer the butter chicken with the bones, some claim that it is not a butter chicken if certain ingredients are not included.

Honestly, I do not know the real version and I am not going to tell you either that my easy butter chicken is the best.

But I am standing behind my easy butter chicken recipe and I assure you I can eat it every single day in my life and so does my Indian husband.

I remember how our tandoori chef would cook butter chicken occasionally.

You see, butter chicken is a typical north Indian dish and so is the Chicken Tandoori and Tikka from Punjab.

I am not going to go into the details of the butter chicken history since it seems to be rather blurred (and even the Wikipedia entry has changed in the past year, which is suspicious).

Anyway, so our chef would prepare, cook and serve his fabulous and famous chicken tandoori and if some were left, he would not resell it the next day, no, he would turn it into a gorgeous butter chicken lunch for us all.

📜 Tandoori Chicken Leftovers

The cool part in reusing tandoori chicken and turning it into a delicious butter chicken dish is...

1. leftovers are turned into something even better

2. Time management - you don't have to marinate the chicken again

and finally...

3. anything cooked previously in the Indian Tandoori oven develops a crunchy outside and perfectly cooked inside.

Because I had gained this knowledge in the past years I was reluctant to cook a butter chicken without using tandoori baked chicken.

The way our chef would prepare his food was beyond perfection, although he was a humble cook, and he was the controller of the mighty tandoori oven.

I, the white western girl, couldn't possibly recreate something so majestic in the foodie world or so I thought...

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (5)

🍗 Anything and everything Tandoori

After the tandoori dream crumbled and I was officially a big-time tandoori fan I was stumped.

I was missing the fresh naans and tandoori dishes and guess what, one fine day I simply started to prepare them at home.

You can imagine that I had a couple of faux pas but all those mistakes helped me in understanding the mughlai concept of North Indian cuisine.

Finally, I have come to a point where I can say that this easy butter chicken recipe is all I will ever need.

Trust me I have tried different approaches but I enjoyed the flavors in this self-developed recipe the most.

Not many people own a tandoori oven in their back yards, so an easy butter chicken recipe was required.

I have taken the trouble to make this dish perfect because it doesn't deserve anything less so that you can get to enjoy it in your own four walls with the simplest means.

I invite you to try this easy butter chicken if you love Indian food or if you want to learn about Indian food.

Once you have done that, leave us a comment so that others can enjoy as well.

I am of course always eager to read your comments and questions.

Do you like Indian curries?

I may recommend my quick and easy chicken curry, goan meatball curry, easy and quick paneer korma, mushroom masala, aloo gobi masala, as well as a collection of 18 fantastic chicken curry recipes from India.

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (6)
Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (7)

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (8)

Global Food Recipes

with Spices and Herbs

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📖 Recipe

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (9)

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani

I invite you to try this easy butter chicken recipe, a classic flavorful and comforting Indian dish.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 -3

Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

US - Metric

Instructions

  • First toast your almonds in a dry pan by shaking the pan frequently so that they don't burn. We need to do that so that we can blitz the almonds in the blender into fine almond flour. Keep the almond flour at the side for later.

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (10)

  • Then rinse the chicken, tap dry with a kitchen towel and cut into bite size cubes. Place into a bowl.

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (11)

  • Add to the bowl all at once the ginger garlic paste, yogurt, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric powder, chaat masala, kitchen king masala, food coloring, salt, pepper, the tomato paste, ½ lime and the previously ground almond flour. Mix the whole content well and keep aside to marinate for 20 minutes (the longer the better).

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (12)

  • Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (13)

  • Add the butter and olive oil to a shallow pan and allow to melt on slow heat and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is turning translucent, stir frequently, then add in the bay leaf.

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (14)

  • Continue to add in now the chicken yogurt masala mixture and stir fry for 9 minutes before adding half amount of the chopped coriander (¾ Tablespoon) and the cream.

    Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (15)

  • Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (16)

  • Let it cook for 1-2 more minutes. Take from the heat, garnish with the remaining chopped coriander and serve with Indian flat breads such as nan, chapati, roti.

Easy Butter Chicken Recipe - Murgh Makhani | Masala Herb (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between butter chicken and murgh makhani? ›

Butter chicken, traditionally known as murgh makhani (pronounced [mʊrɣ ˈməkʰaːni]), is an Indian dish originating in Delhi. It is a type of curry made from chicken with a spiced tomato and butter (makhan) sauce. Its sauce is known for its rich texture. It is similar to chicken tikka masala, which uses a tomato paste.

What is butter chicken sauce made of? ›

Water, Tomato, Cream, Unsalted butter, Vegetable oil, Sugar, Modified corn starch, Concentrated tomato purée, Spices, Dried onion, Ginger, Garlic, Salt, Lactic acid (acidulant), Paprika extract, Citric acid (acidulant), Dried fenugreek leaf.

What is the best combination for butter chicken? ›

Butter Chicken is best served with Jeera rice , Turmeric Rice, plain fluffy Basmati Rice, Tandoori Roti, Naan or Paratha.

Why does my butter chicken taste bland? ›

As you have discovered, even a heavily spiced dish can taste bland if there is not enough salt or umami flavouring. In the case of your Butter Chicken recipe, first of all I'd ensure the spices you use are fresh, and clearly have an aroma. Stale spices won't taste of much. Secondly, a good dish is a balanced dish.

Which is healthier butter chicken or tikka masala? ›

Although both dishes have high levels of saturated fat, chicken remains the preferred choice for maintaining good health. Compared to other meats, chicken dishes tend to be more nutritious. Chicken tikka masala is a healthier option than butter chicken as it contains less fat (7 grams vs. 4 grams) and more protein.

What does murgh makhani mean in english? ›

Makhani (ਮੱਖਣੀ) is a Punjabi word meaning "butter" and may refer to several dishes in North Indian cuisine: Dal makhani, made from beans and pulses. Murgh makhani, also known as butter chicken or chicken makhani.

Why is butter chicken so tasty? ›

Butter chicken is made with a spiced tomato and butter sauce, which does in fact give it the sweet, creamy and buttery taste.

Why does butter chicken taste so good? ›

With its sweetly spiced tomato and cream-based gravy, butter chicken is a comforting, warming dish that feels decadent thanks to its silky-smooth richness. It's a dish that can be cooked with either breast meat or chicken thighs, with bones or without.

What vegetable is good with butter chicken? ›

Palak Paneer [Vegetables]

Palak Paneer is a delightful addition to butter chicken with its creamy spinach and soft paneer. Its earthy flavors and smooth texture complement the creamy, spiced butter chicken. This combination promises a meal that's both nutritious and delicious.

What is better chicken masala or butter chicken? ›

Chicken in tikka masala sauce tends to be more tender and juicy than butter chicken due to its marinade-containing yogurt. Butter chicken also tends to have a creamier texture. Both are tasty in their own right—it just depends on what you're craving! Try mixing them up if you want an exciting twist on your taste buds.

Is breast or thigh better for butter chicken? ›

You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts. We prefer dark meat, but go with what you like.

What is a substitute for tomato paste in butter chicken? ›

You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.

How do you reduce the bitterness in butter chicken? ›

The chances are you can rescue your bitter curry by: Add equal parts sugar and salt, a teaspoon at a time, mixing well between each pair of additions and tasting until the curry is no longer bitter. Sugar and salt help to reduce bitterness. You can use any sweetener or salt you like.

Why does my stomach hurt after butter chicken? ›

Among the macronutrients — carbs, fat, and protein — fat is the most slowly digested ( 1 ). Because greasy foods contain high amounts of fat, they slow stomach emptying. In turn, food spends more time in your stomach, which can cause bloating, nausea, and stomach pain ( 2 ).

What does murgh makhani taste like? ›

The heat/ spice of the dish combines with the rich gravy and slight sweetness that make it very hard to resist. With most dishes that have fond memories it's the taste that lingers on even years later.

Is butter chicken and makhni handi same? ›

Butter chicken is called as Murgh makhani in Hindi. There are many different recipes for this dish. Everyone seems to follow their own recipe for it. I followed my favorite chef Sanjeev Kapoor's simple makhani gravy recipe and changed few things.

Is murgh makhani the same as tikka masala? ›

Butter chicken vs tikka masala – at a glance

Butter chicken uses tandoori chicken, which is then finished in a spicy, buttery tomato-based sauce. The chicken in tikka masala is usually chargrilled, for a distinct flavor. Chicken tikka masala is most likely based on butter chicken, originally known as murgh makhani.

Is makhani and butter same? ›

Makhani is simply a Punjabi word meaning butter. Makhani Chicken, or Murgh Makhani means 'Butter Chicken'. Your question is a bit like asking if Ginger is the same things as 'Ginger Beef'.

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