Butter Chicken Recipe (2024)

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Bavarchi

I'm an experienced Indian cook, and this is the best butter chicken I have ever had. Some modifications necessary: never leave skin on for curry recipes; and increase cooking time in first part of step 4 to get a nice "bhuna" brown. Takes moving around and scraping the bottom, as the yoghurt will stick. If adding breast meat as well (cut each half bone-in and skinless breast into 2-3 pieces), increase the cooking in stock to about an hour, which will require extra stock or water.

jvh503

One thing I really like about this site - until reading this response - is that the comments are made by those who have tried the recipe. So many other sites are clogged with comments about how amazing a dish looks, without ever having cooked it. Just saying.....

Jamie

I have used this recipe a number of times and really enjoy it! I don't use any butter at all and just enough oil to cook the onions, substitute light cream for full cream and I also add 2 cinnamon sticks right when I start cooking the onions for more sweetness. I feel this cuts out a lot of fat and calories but turns out awesome!! Be sure to marinate at least overnight and don't be tempted to add any more tomato or tomato paste than the recipe calls for or you will ruin the dish

Sherrin Guy

Hi I am an Indian cook, who teaches authentic Indian and northern Pakistani cooking, the amount of garam masala sounds completely inaccurate. Garam masal is a very pungent, strong combination of spices , even 1 TBS would be over doing it. This explains why some of the readers found it bitter abd felt the need to add sugar. The proportions of spices and balance can completely alter the taste.

VBR

I first had Butter Chicken at an office holiday potluck, in Atlanta, contributed by a nice, but very quiet, Indian colleague. At first, the mostly-Southern group was dubious but after a few bites were won over, and the dish quickly disappeared. My co-worker shyly accepted the compliments and clearly took pride that afterwards, when any potluck was in the offing, everyone would say, "You're bringing that awesome chicken thing, right?"

Charles

It's an excellent dish. I agree with Maggie, a dash of sugar. As I mixed the marinade, I thought so as well. I added the sugar during the last phase. Right, taste early and taste often, as in Cook County voting rules.

The fat is important in this recipe. It carries the flavor. I spent the afternoon climbing the Watchung hills on a bike, so I have no guilt. Plus, this is a recipe one doesn't eat every day. We're obsessed with guilt, and nutritional guilt. Chill out and enjoy.

Dale

In America, we're obsessed with 'boneless, skinless' poultry. Cooking meat and poultry on the bone gives a depth of flavor you can't get any other way. We've been fortunate in the Chicago area this summer to have bone-in thighs on sale for only 59 cents a pound. I used those and tried the recipe with cream once and coconut milk (as they do in another part of India) another time. DELICIOUS, is my verdict for both!

Maggie

Love this. However, it's a dish that one needs to taste-test along the way. Garam Masala is a mixed bag of spices and has different flavor profiles depending upon the source. I've made this several times and occasionally found myself adding a dash of sugar, or additional tomato paste to balance some otherwise bitter spices.

SMarquet

This is a great recipe and was a great hit with my friends at a recent dinner party. I would suggest though for a more authentic flavour to reduce the garam masala -- 2 tbs was just short of overpowering the dish.

Elisa Winter

Oh, my, stars! Delicious! We did not want to wait for the overnight marinating time so we used the crockpot. Made the yogurt marinade. Used skinned trimmed bone-in thighs which sat in the marinade for about a half hour while we pan-friend the onions, garlic, spices, tomato mixture. (We did not use chilies at all.) Added all ingredients except cream and cilantro to crockpot. Cooked on high for 45 min or so, turned to low for about two hours. Chilled completely, then added cream and cilantro.

Joyce Vining Morgan

We add a can of tomato soup and a can's worth of milk to the left-over sauce for a delightful soup. Garnish with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro for fun.

Ally

Butter chicken. Butter. Chicken. You want spicy try chicken vindaloo that says spicy. Is butter spicy? No. This dish is meant to be savory, buttery, and delicious.

Dory

Skinless thighs are favored in butter chicken, and in my house, boneless are as well. The dish doesn't cook long enough for the bone to impart any flavor and the sauciness of it makes it difficult to eat bone-in. The picture here is a little deceiving--the preparation called for will not result in that browning (and, indeed, the dish has a more yellow-ish, curry hew than the orange above), but no matter. It was a big hit with some garlic naan.

Evan

We used our leftover sauce to make risotto the next day. Really delicious!

John M

"It's like torture." Seriously, get over yourself. Throw it away. Side note: if you thought "Chef Bombay" from Walmart butter chicken hooked you and this recipe was "bland," then you maybe need to look at your addiction to sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Karen Kressenberg

Quick question: it says add salt “to taste” in step 3. At that point it’s not at a stage where you can taste it really. Is there a general guide on amount? TIA.

Nadine

this recipe tasted like a curry and not like a buttered chicken. I followed the recipe exactly.

Ryan

Just echoing what another helpful commenter said: The recipe has a typo. It should be 2 teaspoons garam masala, not 2 tablespoons (see Amandeep Sharma’s original recipe)

Lynn

Prepared as directed. One thing I would do differently is in Step 4. Adding all of the chicken stock at once made this dish very soupy. Next time I'll have some chicken stock available and only use it as needed. I'm not an expert in butter chicken recipes, but my guests and I all thought this dish was beautifully seasoned and delicious.

Rhinegold

Eating for our dinner this after making tonight. Very tasty followed the recommendations from many folks here, thank you! Added more veg, carrots, celery, peas. so yummy, I will make this again.

Hanna

This was exceptionally good butter chicken. I substituted using skinless boneless chicken thigh because I didn’t have bone-in. In lieu of tomatoes I used 8 ounce of tomato sauce and added a tablespoon of sugar and half can of tomato paste at the end. No cream needed after long simmer. Paired with home made naan.

Lyndie

Liked this! I did kind of a rough chop with the veggies and could see how using an immersion blender could be helpful if I made this again for a creamier sauce. I only marinated the chicken for 2 hours, but will definitely plan for overnight (based on comments) next time!

John

Cut all ingredients in half3 TBSP butter1 tbsp oilChicken tenders

Cat

disclaimer: dietary adjustments for low lactose & low fodmapThis was so good! I made the following adjustments:butchered whole chicken (w/ skin)leek for onionscoconut yoghurtghee for butter & oilasafoetida for garlicchilli powder for whole chilliscoconut milk for creamgreen onion tops and a drizzle of garlic & onion infused oil at the endAlso added a couple tablespoons of sugar, more salt to taste, potatoes and a carrot, more liquid and used homemade garam marsala. Yummo!

perfection

We cooked this exactly as is but with a full chicken (salted and dried in the fridge for 2 days) since it’s what we had and it was utter perfection. The breast was actually our favorite part! Unbelievable

Ben

Step 4 - to be clear....add the uncooked chicken and marinade into the sauce. The chicken will cook well this way?

MM

Made this dish for the first time and enjoyed it, but found it very acidic and that the amount of garam masala overpowered the taste. Added sugar and cooked longer to counter the acidity (I assume from the tomatoes, used canned). Will try reducing the garam masala next time. Good start though.

Souad Sharabani

too convoluted. You can simplify the recipe and make it less rich but still tastes good

Stephen Martin

It doesn’t matter if it is authentic. What matters is if it is delicious, and this is. It’s like American “Chinese “ food. It can be very delicious, but it is not even close to authentic. So what?

Vinni

1/2 bunch of cilantro to garnish??

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Butter Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce in butter chicken 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.

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.

What thickens butter chicken? ›

Yoghurt or heavy cream:

To achieve a creamy, tangy curry sauce, incorporate yoghurt or heavy cream. Stir them in gently, as high heat may cause curdling. These ingredients are ideal for creating a luxurious texture in dishes like butter chicken or tikka masala.

How do you make butter chicken less bland? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

Does butter chicken contain cream? ›

Heavy cream is an important ingredient, and butter adds a final silkiness to the finished sauce (and is why this curry is called Butter Chicken!).

What is special about butter chicken? ›

Butter chicken is a timeless delicacy, historically cooked in an earthenware tandoor and tenderly spiced. With the invention of innovative cooks, different herbs and components have been used to shape personalized recipes for this classic dish. Consequently, there are multiple recipes for butter chicken now available.

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 better for butter chicken thigh or breast? ›

INGREDIENT NOTES: I like using chicken thighs because I find them juicier than chicken breasts, but you can use breasts if you like. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The butter chicken will keep well for 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge (and will actually get even better as the flavours continue to develop!).

Why is my butter chicken so watery? ›

If you've ever wondered "why is my curry too watery"? here are some common causes: Too much liquid or broth is added during cooking. Short cooking time or not enough simmering time for the sauce to reduce.

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.

Why add cashews to butter chicken? ›

In many recipes for butter chicken, copious amounts of butter and heavy cream supply richness, but we do as we were taught in India and use cashews pureed with a small amount of water until smooth. The nut puree adds creaminess without making the dish heavy.

Can you overcook butter chicken? ›

Do not overcook because it will continue to cook in the sauce.

How can I spice up my butter chicken? ›

To make your butter chicken spicier, try adding more kashmiri chili powder to the curry. You might need to increase the amounts of the other spices, too, so you don't throw off the balance of flavors.

Why does my butter chicken taste like curry? ›

Butter chicken is a curry

At its very core, a curry is a dish cooked using a blend of spices and aromatics. There are, like, hundreds of spices in Indian cuisine, and it still blows my mind how restaurants expertly balance all of these nuanced flavors.

What can I add to my curry to make it taste better? ›

Transform your curry with a simple topping! Toasted sesame seeds, desiccated coconut or a sprinkle of fresh pomegranate adds another layer of depth to your creation. Leftovers: Make curries go further by adding pulses like chickpeas and yellow split peas.

Is butter chicken sauce the same as tikka masala? ›

Butter Chicken has a milder and creamier taste, while Tikka Masala has a spicier, earthy, and tangier taste. Butter Chicken is a buttery and creamy tomato-based sauce. At the same time, Tikka Masala has a slightly sour and tangy tomato-based sauce.

What is tikka masala sauce vs butter chicken? ›

Tikka Masala is a curry dish served in a brown or spicy red sauce that originated in South Asia. On the other hand, butter chicken has a creamy tomato-based sauce with shredded chicken or cubes of chicken breast pieces. It originates from Punjabi cuisine but is popular across India.

What can I use instead of garam masala? ›

3 Common Substitutes for Garam Masala
  • Curry powder: Use curry powder as a substitute, swapping garam masala entirely in your recipe. ...
  • Allspice and Cumin: Combine 4 parts ground cumin with 1 part allspice, for an easy substitute when you're in a hurry.
  • Chaat Masala: Try using chaat masala as a substitute.

What's masala? ›

Masala is loosely translated as “spice” and although there are many varieties and preferences masala is typically made up of 5 spices. Cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and cumin are mixed together to make an aromatic and flavour profile.

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