This Chicken Makhani - better known as Butter Chicken in the UK - is creamy, rich, and full of warming spices. It's an easy fakeaway favourite you'll want to repeat over and over!
Just look at that glossy sauce! I love Indian food - but I don't love how much it costs me to order takeaway.
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So I've made it my personal mission to recreate as many Indian takeaway favourites as I can. This Butter Chicken recipe (Chicken Makhani) was next on the list, and had been in planning for a good few months.
I've finally landed on the outcome I wanted so that it can proudly sit alongside my recipes for Chicken Chasni, South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken and this Easy Chicken Curry.
Let me know your favourite Indian takeaway curry in the comments.
Chicken Makhani or Butter Chicken?
Chicken Makhani and Butter Chicken are essentially the same dish, with "Butter Chicken" being the common English term used for the North Indian dish Murgh Makhani. Murgh Makhani, the original Hindi name, translates to "buttery chicken".
Both names refer to a creamy, tomato-based curry with tender pieces of chicken, with plenty of added butter of course, famously originating in Delhi.
It's especially popular in British cuisine due to its mild spice profile and creamy, buttery sauce.
Ingredients for Butter Chicken Curry
- Protein: chicken (although you could use lamb, beef, paneer or even tofu)
- Vegetable Oil
- Onions: onions are what provide thickness to an Indian curry, so use more onions if you prefer a really thick sauce.
- Lemon Juice: lemon juice and the greek yoghurt below tenderise the chicken - this is why we marinate before cooking
- Dairy: greek yoghurt, salted butter, double (heavy) cream
- Aromatics and Spices: garlic puree, ginger puree, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, whole cloves, bay leaves, garam masala, salt
- Chopped Tomatoes: I love these Mutti brand ones as they are really finely chopped, but you could opt for passata or peeled plum tomatoes (squeezing them and discarding the pith)
Can I substitute whole spices for ground spices?
You can substitute the following whole spices for ground spices:
- whole cloves - ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- cardamom pods - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- bay leaves (omit from recipe)
- cinnamon stick - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- coriander seeds - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
However, add them to the pan with the oil, butter and onions rather than frying in oil themselves (as there is no need to do this with ground spices).
If you don't have any specific spice from the list above, then simply omit it from the recipe. No need to substitute for something else.
I would urge you to use whole spices when making curries if possible, simply because the depth of flavour you can achieve is significantly better. Your curry will taste better, and you'll be happier as a result.
How to make Chicken Makhani (Murgh Makhani)
Add all ingredients for the Butter Chicken marinade into a bowl with chopped chicken breast pieces - allow to marinate whilst you progress to next stage of making the curry sauce.
Crush the coriander seeds and cardamom pods in mortal and pestle - discard cardamom shells. Add vegetable oil with all whole spices (cloves, cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and coriander seeds) into deep sided pan and fry on medium heat for a few mins until sizzling and popping (ensure not to burn them - so use your senses).
Finely chop onions and add them to pan with 150g butter - simmer on low/medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add tinned tomatoes, and cook for further 15 minutes, stirring throughout (the sauce should be orange/red at this point. If it’s brown then you’ve taken the spices too far). Remove whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves) and blend sauce either in a blender or using stick/hand blender until smooth.
Add marinated chicken and garam masala to empty pan and cook for 10 minutes (until chicken is cooked through).
Add blended and sieved curry sauce in with the chicken in the pan. Then add double cream, 100g butter and sugar.
Allow to simmer for further 5 minutes then serve with rice or naan.
Some Indian Appetisers to serve with your Chicken Makhani Curry
In my continuing pursuit of recreating all my favourite fakeaway favourites at home, I've got this selection of light bites you could add to your meal:
I've got recipes for Pink Pakora Sauce and Chilli Sauce too.
If you have any questions please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Or I would really appreciate it if you left me a review below.
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Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken Recipe)
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 50 g natural yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon garlic purée
- 1 teaspoon ginger purée
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 600 g chicken breast chopped into bite sized pieces
Makhani Sauce - Stage 1
- 50 ml vegetable oil
- 100 g salted butter
- ½ coriander seeds slightly crushed - See Notes for any substitutions on spices
- 3 cardamom pods slightly crushed and outer shells discarded
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 onion finely chopped
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
Makhani Sauce - Stage 2
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 100 ml double cream heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 100 g salted butter
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 50 g natural yoghurt, 1 teaspoon garlic purée, 1 teaspoon ginger purée, ½ teaspoon salt for marinade together in a bowl
- Mix 600 g chicken breast (chopped into bite sized pieces) through the yoghurt mixture and leave to marinate whilst you get on with the next stage of the curry
Makhani Sauce - Stage 1
- Crush ½ coriander seeds and 3 cardamom pods in mortal and pestle - discard cardamom outer shells
- Pour 50 ml vegetable oil into a deep sided pan and add all whole spices (crushed coriander seeds and cardamom pods, 4 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds)
- Fry the whole spices on a medium heat for a few minutes until they're sizzling and popping (ensure not to burn them - so use your senses!)
- Finely chop 2 onion and add to pan with 100 g salted butter - simmer on low/medium heat for 30 minutes (checking and stirring every 10 minutes)
- Add 400 g chopped tomatoes, and cook for further 15 minutes, stirring throughout (the sauce should be orange/red at this point, if it’s brown then you’ve taken the spices too far).
- Remove whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves) before blending the sauce either in a food processor or a hand blender - place sauce in a separate dish to the side until you complete the next stage
Makhani Sauce - Stage 2
- Add marinated chicken breast and 2 teaspoon garam masala to the now empty pan and cook for 10 minutes (until chicken is cooked through)
- Add the blended curry sauce back into the pan with the chicken
- Finally, add 100 ml double cream, 100 g salted butter and 1 teaspoon sugar to the sauce - allow to simmer for further 5 minutes then serve
Notes
- whole cloves - - ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- cardamom pods - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- bay leaves (omit from recipe)
- cinnamon stick - - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- coriander seeds - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
GEMMA GILMOUR says
Absolutely delicious recipe and great for all the family! Went down a treat 😋
Gemma Gilmour says
Absolutely delicious recipe! Easy to make and great for all the family my 3 1/2 year old loved it!!
Alice Allan says
Such easy steps to follow, and it’s the best curry I’ve ever made! Delicious, my 3year old loves it 😋