This finger-licking Butter Chicken is the ultimate creamy, dreamy Indian curry you can easily whip up at home. It captures the iconic bold orange-red hue and rich flavors, rivaling your favorite restaurant’s Chicken Makhani. Perfect for beginners, this dish pairs beautifully with basmati rice or homemade garlic naan for the full experience.
INGREDIENTS
Marinade:
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, cubed
- ½ cup dahi (see notes)
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 green chili, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Butter Chicken Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 star anise
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 4-5 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 14 oz canned tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 5-8 cashews, optional
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- Cilantro, red onion, and extra heavy cream for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Trim the fat from the chicken thighs and cube them into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: dahi, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chili, garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and coat evenly.
- Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Crush the green cardamom pods and discard the green husks, keeping the black seeds.
- In a pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the star anise, black cardamom, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds, and let them infuse the butter for a minute.
- Add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste, cooking until the onions start to brown.
- Stir in the ground spices (garam masala, coriander, cloves, and Kashmiri chili powder) and cook for another minute to bloom the spices.
- Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, cashews (optional), sugar, and salt to taste.
- Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes until it thickens and darkens, releasing the fat around the edges. Remove from heat.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat a cast iron skillet on high. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee or neutral oil and cook the marinated chicken in batches, browning on all sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Set aside.
- Discard the black cardamom, star anise, and cinnamon stick from the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a blender along with the remaining butter and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach your desired consistency.
- Pour the blended sauce back into the pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the cooked chicken and stir to coat. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes, until the sauce separates from the fat again.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream and continue simmering for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is creamy and thick. Taste and adjust the spices if needed.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle kasuri methi over the top, crushing the dried leaves between your hands before adding them to the sauce.
- Garnish with heavy cream, cilantro, and finely diced red onions. Serve with basmati rice or garlic naan.
NOTES
- You can substitute dahi with plain whole-fat yogurt.
- If using a glass blender, allow the sauce to cool slightly before blending to avoid the risk of the glass breaking. An immersion blender works well if available.
- If certain spices are hard to find, you can use MDH Butter Chicken Masala, adjusting it with additional garam masala, cloves, cumin, ground cardamom, and coriander to taste.
- This recipe serves 4-6, depending on the sides served with the butter chicken. In an Indian household, it’s often served family-style alongside other dishes.
