Best Butter Chicken Recipe Ever (Better Than a Restaurant!)
Truly the best Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) recipe. It's a creamy and perfectly spiced Indian curry recipe with tender chicken and lots of sauce to mop up with warm naan.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Butter Chicken, Murgh Makhani
Servings: 6
For chicken and marinade:
- 2.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1" - 2" cubes
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For sauce:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 ½ cups chopped onion about 2 medium-large
- 2 tbsp garlic coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 2 cups diced tomatoes no-salt-added if canned
- ¾ cup heavy 35% or whipping cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped, to garnish (optional)
For marinade:Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag or shallow baking dish, massaging the marinade into the chicken. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the sauce, or marinate in the fridge overnight.
For sauce:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions and slowly cook until golden, about 20 minutes, reducing heat if they are getting crispy or browning quickly.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in garam masala, paprika, cinnamon and salt; cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, then add cream and carefully puree using an immersion blender (or standing blender, but do it in batches or the steam will blow the top off).
Return sauce to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove chicken from marinade and it to the sauce (discarding remaining marinade). Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 12 minutes (remove a couple of pieces to make sure they are no longer pink inside). A gentle simmer is required to gently cook the breasts so they don't become tough, and you don't want to overcook them.
Stir in butter, taste and add more salt to taste. Serve sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.
Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 1563mg | Potassium: 963mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1059IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg