The Best Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani)

Nash Khan — June 8, 2014 @ 9:06 am Reply

Will try this tomorrow and let ya know how it turned out! Looks delish btw and your photography is ABSOLUTELY stellar! 🙂

Ram — July 6, 2014 @ 6:02 pm Reply

Sucks. Butter chicken with a shan masala, what a let down.

Marzia — July 6, 2014 @ 7:53 pm Reply
Sorry you feel that way Ram.
Most Indian restaurants use a tandoori masala to flavor the chicken prior to preparing the gravy. Therefore this recipe calls for Tandoori Masala to flavor the chicken. We’re not using butter chicken spice mix. Give it a try, you might be surprised!
jfelix05 — July 10, 2014 @ 11:07 am Reply
ya im gonna take my chances with the recipe that calls for the many many ingredients. Before i read this post I didnt like the idea of that Shan Masala.. im not a chef and im sure its good.. but just dont like that package.
- Mike — August 16, 2024 @ 6:10 am Reply
  Fantastic, second time round and everyone thinks this is a five star winner , I am now busy making it again ,thank u for sharing this great recipe

marzbay — July 12, 2014 @ 3:43 am Reply

Thank you so much for this recipe!!! It takes way less time than my other recipe where I had to make the tandoori chicken the night before and leave it to marinate. This is so much quicker and easier, plus I think it was actually even better – the chicken turned out even more tender than ever! And yes, it tastes totally authentic. I will most definitely be using this recipe from now on. Thanks again!

kim — July 16, 2014 @ 7:58 am Reply

Hi Marzia,
I tried your butter chicken recipe for dinner tonight (found it by googling) and it turned out great! Pretty much followed the recipe except for halving the butter and omitting the cream. My husband loved the result. It’s so time-saving to use a jar of tandoori paste instead of making everything from scratch. No harm in a little short-cut! Anyway, just wanted to let you know, and to thank you for putting the recipe online.

Amanda — July 16, 2014 @ 7:01 pm Reply

Made this for dinner tonight and it is almost done! I’ve gotta say, I am extremely excited to taste it! The color and smell are both perfect. My husband and I are serious Indian cuisine lovers and I really hope that it tastes as good as it smells and looks! I’ll post back after we eat! Thanks for posting!

Arla DeField — July 28, 2014 @ 3:11 pm Reply

I just found this recipe today and made it for lunch! YUM. We went to our favorite Indian restaurant last week and evidently the chef had changed, because the butter chicken was not as good as it normally is. So, when I saw this recipe, I had to try it.

Sure am glad I did. I did not have the tandoori spice mix, so I used fish curry mix and both my husband and I LOVED it.

I made a full recipe, when normally I cut them in half and am sure glad I did. Leftovers Baby, Leftover!

Marzia — July 28, 2014 @ 4:10 pm Reply
Hi Arla!
I hate it when there isn’t consistency in a restaurants food. But with that said, i’m so glad you made this recipe and loved it! Thanks for commenting! =)

Sarah — August 7, 2014 @ 8:29 pm Reply

I stumbled on your website looking for a butter chicken recipe. This one is awesome. I will be putting it on regular rotation. Thanks!

Cindy — August 13, 2014 @ 5:23 pm Reply

Would it be okay to use coconut milk (can) instead of whipping cream.

Marzia — August 13, 2014 @ 9:44 pm Reply
Hi Cindy,
You can use coconut milk if you like but the flavor will be a little different then if you use whipping cream. It will be more like a coconut curry with the tandoori flavor. I think it would be delicious, just a different flavor than authentic butter chicken. Another option is half and half if it’s not a lactose issue. Or even fat free half and half if it’s the fat you want to avoid.
Hope that helps! 🙂

Sarah E. Ahmed — August 30, 2014 @ 12:04 pm Reply

Marzia!

The recipe was absolutely delicious 😀 My family couldn’t help licking their fingers! I’m always hunting for easy-to-cook dishes and this one was just that. So glad I stumbled upon it..will be trying other recipes soon.

JazakAllah!!

Love/Sarah

Marzia — September 2, 2014 @ 9:37 am Reply
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the butter chicken recipe, Sarah!
Thank you for taking the time to comment! =)

Patti — September 24, 2014 @ 7:14 pm Reply

How many does this recipe feed?

Marzia — September 26, 2014 @ 10:04 am Reply
I would say 4-6.
Lilly — June 3, 2024 @ 7:02 pm Reply

Was about to comment the same thing. Super useful
5

Jeremy F — October 24, 2014 @ 1:06 am Reply

I’ve made this twice now and it is really good. I’ve made maybe 10 other recipes for butter chicken in the past. This is probably in my top 3.

Marzia — October 24, 2014 @ 10:21 am Reply
Glad you enjoyed it Jeremy! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!:)
- andy — November 1, 2014 @ 7:44 pm Reply
  Hi marzia could you do this recipe and then put it in a slow cooker for a few hours to make it more tender?
  - Marzia — November 1, 2014 @ 11:48 pm Reply
    Hi Andy,
    I haven’t tried making butter chicken in the slow cooker yet, but my suggestion would be to prepare/marinate the chicken as directed, prepare the sauce as directed (without adding the cream, garam masala, and fenugreek leaves) and add both to the slow cooker (let the chicken cook completely in the slow cooker). The boneless chicken may dry out if you cook it then add it to the crockpot. I would cook it for 2 hours on high and 4 hours on low. Since the chicken pieces are smaller, they won’t take as long too cook. Hope this helps!

Rania — November 10, 2014 @ 5:16 pm Reply

I made twice and it came out perfect thank you for the recipe I also will post it on my website 🙂

Peter desouza — November 10, 2014 @ 10:50 pm Reply

Thank you for your recipe. Just wanted to confirm that the stated proportions were for 1 lb of chicken or 1 kg of chicken?

Marzia — November 14, 2014 @ 10:19 pm Reply
Yes that’s correct, 1 lb. of chicken. You can get away with using up to 1 1/2 pounds but anything more than that wouldn’t leave you with enough gravy.

Faffy — November 13, 2014 @ 5:26 pm Reply

Loved it, thank you for sharing.

Zara — November 14, 2014 @ 7:57 pm Reply

Can I use heavy whipping cream instead? Thanks

Marzia — November 14, 2014 @ 10:11 pm Reply
Yes, heavy whipping cream is fine. 🙂

Nikunj Patel — November 15, 2014 @ 1:28 pm Reply

Hi, wonderful recipe. Tried today and my family loved it. Thanks so much.

Marzia — November 15, 2014 @ 2:28 pm Reply
Thanks Nikunj. I’m glad to hear your family enjoyed it!

Anita — November 21, 2014 @ 4:55 am Reply

Hi Marzia

I would like to make your recipe for about 25 people how do I increase the
ingrediants please help

Thanks Anita

Marzia — November 21, 2014 @ 11:23 am Reply
Hi Anita,
This recipe comfortably feeds 5-6 people. If your serving just butter chicken then I’d suggest multiplying the recipe ingredients by 6. If you’ve got side dishes (at least 2-3 other sides) I would say just multiply this recipe by 4 (so 4 pounds of chicken, etc).
I hope that helps! 🙂

Nikita — November 28, 2014 @ 3:17 pm Reply

Hi thank you for this excellent recipe, I made butter chicken better then my mom for the first time ever!
Thank you!
Nikita

Marzia — December 2, 2014 @ 2:31 pm Reply
Wow! That’s quite a compliment! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

ryan — December 2, 2014 @ 8:07 am Reply

do you need the onions?

Marzia — December 2, 2014 @ 2:31 pm Reply
Yes, the onions are essential for making the gravy.

ash — December 2, 2014 @ 9:14 am Reply

Hi, instead of crushed tomatoes, can I use tomatoes bought from the grocery store? If yes, how many do I use?

Thanks

Marzia — December 2, 2014 @ 2:28 pm Reply
You can use fresh tomatoes if you’d like but the flavor will be slightly different. To replace with fresh tomatoes, use about 5-6 Roma tomatoes. Boil them in water until the skin bursts, peel, and pulse them in a food processor. Hope that helps!

Sarah Hansen — December 2, 2014 @ 2:16 pm Reply

Hello, what kind of vinegar do you use for the paste?

Marzia — December 2, 2014 @ 2:22 pm Reply
Just regular white vinegar, Sarah.
- Fauziah — July 22, 2015 @ 8:18 am Reply
  Can i use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?
  - Marzia — July 22, 2015 @ 5:10 pm Reply
    I have never tried using apple cider vinegar to make the ginger garlic paste before, so unfortunately I cannot say.

Shehla — December 15, 2014 @ 3:51 am Reply

When u say 3 teaspoon ginger garlic paste is it 3 teaspoon each?

Marzia — December 19, 2014 @ 4:42 pm Reply
Shehla, you’re going to combine the ginger and garlic in the food processor with the vinegar. Once blended, use the paste as it’s called for in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Robert — June 6, 2016 @ 5:03 am Reply
I love butter chicken and always try to seek out Indian restaurants that make it well. Not any more. I make my own at home. Thanks to you. I did feel it was a bit bland so added salt, and honey to sweeten it up. I read somewhere that’s what they use in butter chicken. Great recipe. Thanks again.

definitelynotapoet — January 5, 2015 @ 10:06 pm Reply

Used the National Butter Chicken spice packet instead of Shan Tandoori, didn’t have cream so used some more yogurt and evaporated milk, cooked the onions longer until almost golden, and it was lovely. With homemade naan, my husband was so excited. This is the only butter chicken recipe that’s ever worked for me!

Syrah Fox — January 26, 2015 @ 2:41 pm Reply

Hi Marzia! Recipe sounds great but we dont have any of tandoori masarla type mixes here in Oz (that we can find). Do you have a recipe for how we could make that component from scratch?

Marzia — January 28, 2015 @ 2:12 pm Reply
Do you perhaps get tandoori masala paste? That can be used instead of the my mixture. I unfortunately don’t have a recipe on how to make the tandoori masala from scratch but you can search for it online. Just make sure your tandoori masala recipe has red chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala amongst other ingredients. Hope that helps!
marzbay — January 28, 2015 @ 5:41 pm Reply
Hi Syrah,
I’m from New Zealand and our products are very similar, often the same, as what you have. Do you have Pataks brand over there? I use the Pataks tandoori spice paste and although I have no comparison to Marzia’s mine turns out just as good as, if not better than, the restaurant version. If you don’t have Pataks I’m sure there’d be something the same as we have here that you could use. It’s a fabulous recipe!
- Marzia — January 28, 2015 @ 5:54 pm Reply
  Thanks for the suggestion for Pataks paste. That’s exactly what I was thinking, just couldn’t remember the name! 🙂
- Syrah Fox — January 29, 2015 @ 1:49 pm Reply
  Thanks so much for the tip! We definately have Pataks here. Do you use the same amount as nominated in the recipe above?
  - marzbay — January 29, 2015 @ 3:07 pm Reply
    Yes, exactly the same. I’m presuming it’s probably much the same thing as what is called for in this recipe anyway.

samo — April 24, 2015 @ 6:38 pm Reply

hi the fenugreek leaves can you use ground fenugreek as in Australia its very hard to find and if so is it the same amount needed.

Marzia — April 27, 2015 @ 5:24 pm Reply
Yes, ground fenugreek is absolutely fine! I’d replace it with 1/8 teaspoon first, you can always adjust to preference later. Fenugreek is quite pungent so you don’t want to use too much to start with.

jessica — June 1, 2015 @ 1:28 am Reply

Could you tell me what a Dutch oven is ?

Marzia — June 1, 2015 @ 10:12 pm Reply
A dutch oven is a cast-iron, thick bottomed cooking pot. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use any heavy bottomed pot or a large saucepan

Akila — August 3, 2015 @ 2:34 am Reply

Which garam masala powder to use..?..brand name?

Marzia — August 3, 2015 @ 10:09 am Reply
I used a homemade mix, Akila. Any brand that you like will do!

Toni — February 14, 2016 @ 12:29 pm Reply

Can you make the gravy in advance? Or freeze it? I’ve made this before and I loved it, but it is time consuming, so I’ve only made it a couple times. Just wondering because I could eat this at least once a week, but I don’t always have the time tio make it.

Marzia — February 16, 2016 @ 5:18 pm Reply
Definitely. You can make the gravy portion in advance, puree it and freeze it. Just make sure you defrost and reheat the sauce before adding in the whipping cream.

Vinnie Barbarino — March 28, 2016 @ 2:04 am Reply

Just made this for dinner.
Both wife and kids loved it.
Great recipe

Rebecca — April 20, 2016 @ 8:29 am Reply

Hi Marzia,

The recipe looks amazing I can’t wait to try it! I am off work at the moment and have plenty of time on my hands so I was wondering if you have your previous version of the recipe before you simplified the ingredients/method? I can’t wait to make it as since I moved to the UK I haven’t been able to find a proper Butter chicken anywhere, not even in a restaurant!!

Marzia — April 20, 2016 @ 8:47 am Reply
Hey Rebecca! The previous butter chicken recipe is almost identical to this one. I just swapped out homemade ginger/garlic paste for store bought to make it a little easier. But of course, making it fresh right before you make the butter chicken will definitely make this recipe more delicious.
To make your own ginger/garlic paste, combine 1/4 cup peeled garlic cloves + 1/4 cup of peeled ginger with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a blender and blend until completely smooth. You’d use 2 teaspoons of this in the marinade and 1 tablespoon for the BC sauce. The leftover paste can be stored in single portions in ice cube trays and frozen or you can keep the paste in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

April Quetschke Moore — April 24, 2016 @ 7:05 pm Reply

I’ve made this twice now and it is easy and delicious! I’m surprised that I made something so good! I bought a huge can of tomatoes (6.6 lbs), and made a giant batch today to freeze in portions. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

Phil — May 1, 2016 @ 6:05 pm Reply

I’m making this tonight for dinner and looking forward to it! I marinated the chicken over night and was wondering one thing. Is the left over marinade discarded or is it all added when combining everything? Thanks in advance 🙂

Marzia — May 1, 2016 @ 6:19 pm Reply
Hi Phil! When you marinate the chicken right before cooking it there usually isn’t too much leftover marinade, so I toss it all in and cook it. But when you marinate it overnight, the mixture tends to become a little more watery and if that is the case for you, i’d discard the excess marinade. If it’s pretty thick (like yogurt), you can cook it along with the chicken! Hope that helps 🙂
- Phil — May 1, 2016 @ 8:24 pm Reply
  Thanks Marzia for the recipe and the quick response I can’t wait to to try it. You’re the best!

catherine — May 9, 2016 @ 3:08 pm Reply

Hi! I see no mention of how much salt should be added. I was wondering if you put any, and how much?

Marzia — May 10, 2016 @ 11:40 pm Reply
Hey there! Tandoori masala usually contains quite a bit of salt but can vary brand to brand. For best results, I suggest tasting at the very end and adjusting the salt to taste.

claremurphy5 — June 21, 2016 @ 11:41 am Reply

Can I make it the night before for crowd and just reheat the next day as pushed for time?

Marzia — June 22, 2016 @ 5:40 pm Reply
Yes, definitely! You may need additional cream/water to help thin the consistency a bit though.

Sujud — June 30, 2016 @ 2:45 pm Reply

Omg!!! I am so ready to make this tonight. Maybe I’ve finally found the *recipe*!!
I’ve tried over ten recipes before but to no avail 🙁

I think one of my biggest problems was the type of tomato sauce I used. What brand do you use? I’ve tried several, along with making my own.

Also can you share your recipe for garam masala? I bought a store bought one but I’m worried that might be effecting the flavor as well.

Trips — July 1, 2016 @ 11:19 am Reply

I made chicken recipie 1st tym in lyf
N wen i saw ur recipie….i was craving for such a beautiful butter chicken
I made it d same way..my love loved it……thanxx??it ws awesome

Yumzy — July 6, 2016 @ 5:35 am Reply

If using butter should one use? salted or unsalted?

Marzia — July 6, 2016 @ 4:06 pm Reply
Either will work.
- Yumzy — July 8, 2016 @ 2:02 am Reply
  Hi Marzia,
  I ended up using unsalted butter and i must say this was an easy to follow recipe and the outcome was lovely. I had guests yesterday and they all loved it. I dint find fenugreek leaves so i used ground fennel and it was just as perfect. Will definitely make this again, am on the hunt for the fenugreek leaves. Thank you.

Curry-Lover — July 9, 2016 @ 7:56 pm Reply

When you order in a restaurant, you always have the option of mild, medium, or hot… I don’t imagine they are making each dish from scratch but simply stirring in “the heat” on an order-by-order basis. Is this just Cayenne? or…..
Thanks!! Love the recipe, sooooooo delish.

Ayana — July 10, 2016 @ 4:41 pm Reply

Am i able to use Whole Fenugreek Seeds as a substitute for the dried fenugreek leaves?

Also is there any other suggestions for substitute for the dried fenugreek leaves?

Marzia — July 12, 2016 @ 5:01 pm Reply
No unfortunately the seeds are not a suitable substitute. I really can’t think of any substitutions for the flavor, you can simply omit it if you’d like but keep in mind that that ‘authentic’ butter chicken flavor will be lacking a bit.

Lesley Whiteley — July 24, 2016 @ 10:06 am Reply

The recipe for the marinade says you need a tbsp of oil. However the instructions don’t say to add that. Do I need the oil in the marinade? Thanks so much! Looking forward to having this tomorrow 🙂

Marzia — July 31, 2016 @ 9:34 pm Reply
The oil is used when you’re cooking the chicken in the ‘assembly’ portion.

little — July 26, 2016 @ 8:55 pm Reply

Hi i was wondering how long does it cook after u added the 1/4 cup of water and turn off the heat after that? Thanks for answering 🙂

Marzia — July 31, 2016 @ 9:29 pm Reply
You’re cooking the mixture for a total of 5 minutes and you’d add the water if/when it bubbles within that time frame. Hope that clarifies it a bit 🙂

Lyndsey — July 29, 2016 @ 10:45 am Reply

Do you have any tips for making this in a crock pot?

Marzia — July 31, 2016 @ 9:20 pm Reply
Unfortunately this recipe hasn’t been tested in a slow cooker so not too sure on how well it will work!

believer — August 15, 2016 @ 4:30 pm Reply

OMG!!! This recipe is amazing. I cooked for my boyfriend for the first time ever this past week. I made this recipe, tandoori lamb rack chops, rice, and raita. He told me he was beyond impressed, and so was I. This recipe is perfectly spiced. I used fresh ginger and garlic instead of paste, it was so authentic and amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. 🙂

yagishnee — August 23, 2016 @ 9:51 am Reply

hi, I found your website today. I made this recipe with a few changes. It came out so devine.

I doubled the recipe but used 1 can tomato puree (400g). I marinated my 1.3kg chicken strips in sour milk (maas – curd) and used 3 tablespoon of Shans butter chicken spice. I fried my onion with a green pepper with 150g butter and added in the ginger & garlic, tumeric and spices for gravy and added in chicken and cooked it. then added in tomato puree with little water. cooked for 10 minutes and added in 1 cup fresh cream and garam masala. once thickened I added in kasturi methi (fenugreek leaves). I added in salt.

I absolutely love this butter chicken. This recipe is a keeper. This is my birthday supper today 🙂 I made roti’s to have.

Kind Regards
Yagishee Moodley
Durban, South Africa

Jos — August 29, 2016 @ 2:13 am Reply

This has been my go-to recipe for butter chicken, ever since I stumbled upon it a few months ago. I follow the recipe almost exact, except I have trouble finding fenugreek, so I just omit it completely. In my opinion, it doesn’t take away from the flavor at all, in fact I don’t even miss it! This recipe is so delicious, that anyone who’s been over and tried it says it’s the best butter chicken they’ve had, even better than the local Indian restaurants! Thanks so much for posting this! As a mother on a budget, I love that I can make this at a fraction of the cost of ordering take out, and still get my butter chicken fix in anytime I want! Love it!!

Marzia — August 29, 2016 @ 1:21 pm Reply
So happy to hear it! Thanks for commenting! 🙂

Jules Tee — August 30, 2016 @ 3:50 am Reply

Hello Marzia. I’m feeling just a wee bit clever tonight, with my chicken marinading overnight and the sauce blended and chilling in the fridge. We have16 hungry teenage football players descending on our house tomorrow night and I can’t wait! I have quadrupled the recipe and things are looking and smelling fab. I just wanted to check (and you’re probably reading in disbelief!) but…once the chicken has finished marinading, the marinade is discarded isn’t? That is, it doesn’t get thrown in with the other sauce? Thanks for the recipe (I feel a long overdue success coming on!) Julie, NZ

Marzia — September 7, 2016 @ 7:33 pm Reply
Yup, that’s correct! Just toss out the remaining marinade. I find the yogurt (after marinating overnight) sometimes curdles if added in. Best to just toss it. Hope all the hungry teenagers enjoyed it! 🙂

Merak Spielman — September 3, 2016 @ 12:30 am Reply

I’m so glad I found this recipe!
The last recipe I found for Butter Chicken didn’t taste anything at all like what I find in the restaurant. But this one was AMAZING.

I have a thing for mixing and grinding my own whole spices instead of buying powder. So I made my own tandoori masala, which came out great.

I doubled the recipe but then found out I only had one can of crushed tomatoes. But a bit of quick thinking (and realizing the whole thing was going to be blended up anyway) led me to just add some tomato paste and water, and it seemed to come out ok. Do they use cans of crushed tomatoes in India?

The only other mistake I made was when I made my ghee — I just made clarified butter. But then afterwards I looked up how to make proper ghee and it’s so simple I should have just done it. Oh well.

I also got to buy dried fenugreek leaves, which were only available in a pretty large quantity, but they were so cheap I didn’t mind. I don’t have a lot of use for them, and I’m a little worried the rest will go stale and flavorless before I get to them.

But all in all, this recipe came out wonderfully! It was very close to my local Indian restaurant’s version, and got even closer when I added a bit more cream.

Marzia — September 7, 2016 @ 7:15 pm Reply
Regular tomatoes are usually used in India when making butter chicken. But I find the overall flavor of the butter chicken comes out richer with canned tomatoes. 🙂 Also, you can refrigerate the fenugreek leaves to prolong the shelf life. Glad to hear you enjoyed my take on it! Thanks for commenting!

Loveen — October 15, 2016 @ 8:30 pm Reply

Absolutely delish! I was a bit leary about not caramelizing the onions as I do with most Indian dishes but I’m so glad I followed your recipe. I used Patak’s Tandoori Paste to marinate the chicken. My family devoured it and I cannot wait to share with more family and friends!

Lisa — October 31, 2016 @ 4:15 pm Reply

I made this over the weekend and it was ridiculously good!!! I can’t believe I made Indian food and it truly tasted like the restaurant I go to. Just wow! Thank you so much!

Theresa — November 4, 2016 @ 10:14 am Reply

Hi!
I’ve bought tandoori masala at an Indian grocery store, but its a brown-ish colour. I expected it to be red. When I mixed it with the rest of the marinade ingredients, the marinade turned a brown colour. Is this normal? I’m worried my butter chicken won’t have that nice orange/red colour? Am I overthinking this?

Marzia — November 6, 2016 @ 11:10 pm Reply
Hi Theresa! I’ve never seen a tandoori masala that was brown-ish in color. They usually look red or orange in color. But that being said, this specific brand may not have food coloring added to the mix. You can simply add in a drop or two of yellow and red food coloring to make that orange color if the color is important to you! No need to worry so much about the color though, it usually ends up a little brownish orangey after it all cooks down anyway! 🙂

julianne — November 4, 2016 @ 6:19 pm Reply

Hi there, when you say yogurt…are you meaning greek plain yogurt? I am so excited to try this!

Marzia — November 6, 2016 @ 10:58 pm Reply
I just used plain yogurt (not Greek) but yes, Greek yogurt will work just fine for this recipe. 🙂
- julianne — November 10, 2016 @ 10:07 pm Reply
  Thank you!! I just made this recipe and it’s great!
  I was wondering what to do with the extra marinade sauce? I put it in with the chicken but was not sure if I should have ?

Jessy — November 6, 2016 @ 3:17 pm Reply

Made your Butter Chicken recipe.. it turned out yummy.. my relatives and family enjoyed the dish.. thanks for the great recipe..?

Carri — November 7, 2016 @ 5:25 pm Reply

This was perfection! The recipe was easy to follow, and the ingredients were available at my local grocery store. Two kids, ages 4 and 10, ate every bite. Will definitely make this again often.

Sandy — November 8, 2016 @ 4:41 am Reply

Hi,

I tried your recipe for the portions stated and it was very easy and fantastic. I am now about to attempt an increase in the proportions by 15X for a school fair!!!! Is there any advice in regards to the proportions of spices etc i.e. do you reduce for the bulk cook or just go with the same ratios. BTW I will cook the chicken once marinated on a rotisserie charcoal grill then add them to the mixture.

Kind regards

Sandy Tasmania Australia

Marzia — November 10, 2016 @ 8:46 pm Reply
Unfortunately i’ve never really made that much before so I really couldn’t say how much the recipe would need to be changed. Rotisserie chicken from a charcoal grill sounds amazing!

Mar — November 29, 2016 @ 5:30 pm Reply

How long should I leave it to simmer at the end?I’m worried my chicken isn’t cooked through.

Marzia — November 30, 2016 @ 6:38 pm Reply
The chicken should mostly be cooked through (step #3) before adding in the butter chicken sauce. Once you add the sauce, you’re really just bringing it to a simmer before adding the cream and the garam masala. You can allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce until it cooks before proceeding with the remaining recipe if it’s not cooked though. It really shouldn’t take more than 1-2 minutes if the pieces are 1 ½ inches.

Coleencake — December 15, 2016 @ 3:22 pm Reply

Hi, can I substitute garlic and ginger paste combo instead of the separate pastes? It would be more budget friendly for me if I bought the combo. Thanks!!

Marzia — December 16, 2016 @ 9:26 am Reply
Absolutely!

Tara — December 24, 2016 @ 10:03 am Reply

Finally, thanks to your recipe posting I got the colour and flavour I was looking for with ease. The only thing I did different was use fresh ginger and garlic as I didn’t have the paste form. Another thing I did differently was fry in the pan was the garlic, ginger and onions for the sauce. Then I ground them up in a food processor to make things easier. There’s no need to grind up canned crushed tomatoes. Every other step I followed and it was perfection! This butter chicken recipe is a keeper, thank you so much for posting! Next time I’m going to try to add some sliced green peppers to the recipe and finely chopped almonds after I learn how to do it properly. I’ve had those ingredients included in the recipe that some restaurants add and it’s delicious as well.

M — December 28, 2016 @ 12:12 am Reply

Authentic restaurant style butter chicken! Thank you so much for posting it. I am Indian and I have always wanted a good recipe and now I finally have one that is amazing! My family loved it!

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naz hira — December 29, 2016 @ 2:57 am Reply

Dear Marzia, firstly, congrats on your beautiful photography.That’s what attracted me to click on your recipe. I was astounded with your honest soul. i tried your BUTTER CHICKEN recipe, and having been in restaurant business for thirty years, i could tell you left nothing out, First honest recipe on internet. I applaud you Marzia. NAZ,

Rebekah Tourian — December 31, 2016 @ 8:12 am Reply

Wow!! I started this recipe yesterday morning…cooked it this morning at 0900…my husband walked in the house and next thing you know we are having a butter chicken snack for breakfast. It tastes just how I ‘needed’ it to…it’s an amazing recipe. I am especially glad you put this on the web because my favorite Indian restaurant shut down…the owner made the best butter chicken I’ve ever had…this is the closest to her recipe I’ve found…and I made it myself lol. Thanks so much.

Shelby — January 7, 2017 @ 4:22 pm Reply

This turned out amazing!! I was looking for a recipe to use the tandoori masala my old roommate left when she moved out, and I ended up bookmarking this recipe. I was snowed in today so I made some naan from scratch and whipped this together. I didn’t have any chili powder on hand and there was nearly a foot of snow outside, so I subbed half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. That made it a bit hotter than I was going for, but not unpleasantly so.

Timea Szarkova — January 18, 2017 @ 10:52 am Reply

Made this for my boyfriend and he absolutely LOVED it! He thought it is only possible to eat such in an Indian restaurant….bravo, well done and thank you for sharing! 🙂

Shaista Khan — January 21, 2017 @ 3:58 pm Reply

Recently made butter chicken using this recipe..and it turned out awesome…got compliments from my friends too!!!…:-)

Thank you!!

Kimberly Stickell — January 24, 2017 @ 8:04 pm Reply

My sister lives across the street and close with neighbors so we take turns cooking dinner weeknights since with the exception of my sisters family (husband and 2 teen boys) we are all single. Hard to cook for just one. She and her husband eat Butter Chicken at a local place and rave about it. In a money saving effort of not eating out as often, I am trying to cook stuff we eat out. This was excellent and easy. Followed exactly but did not have the leaves to garnish. I used 2# breasts and still had plenty of gravy. Thanks for the recipe.

Coleencake — January 29, 2017 @ 6:16 pm Reply

Wow! This is the best butter chicken we’ve ever had! My hubby loves it so much that he wants this in constant rotation for dinner. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
On another note, if you have a recipe for rogan josh Or if there’s one you can recommend, I’d be so grateful if you could share as well. It’s our second favorite next to butter chicken when we dine out at Indian restaurants.

nadia — February 2, 2017 @ 3:40 am Reply

hey can i skip using dried fenugreek leaves? will it affect the taste of the dish?

Marzia — February 6, 2017 @ 2:43 pm Reply
Hi Nadia, yes you can omit the fenugreek leaves if you’d like but know that it will be missing that ‘restaurant style’ flavor – still delicious but just a little different 🙂

Felicity — February 4, 2017 @ 9:52 am Reply

This recipe was excellent! Simple to make and tasted just like a dish you would get at a restaurant! Highly recommended!

Amatullah — February 10, 2017 @ 7:35 am Reply

It looks divine. You should try it with a ground cashew sauce. Simply soak about two handfuls of raw cashew nuts in boiling water until they’re super soft, then drain and process them in a food processor or blender with just enough water to make a paste. Then you can omit the tomatoes. The colour will be totally different, as will the flavour. I rather prefer the cashew sauce.

uzma — February 15, 2017 @ 12:13 pm Reply

Hi Marzia,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have already prepared this recipe several times for my husband and he is totally in love with it. I have made slight changes for marinating chicken since we eat extra spicy curries, we love the flavors and how the recipe comes together 🙂

Natalia — January 29, 2019 @ 3:09 pm Reply
Hi Uzma,
Could you tell me what you added to make your recipe extra spicy? I love VERY spicy butter chicken in restaurants and am looking to recreate the heat at home.
- Marzia — January 29, 2019 @ 4:35 pm Reply
  To make it spicier, I suggest adding cayenne pepper. Start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up to your liking.

Fudge — February 21, 2017 @ 12:32 pm Reply

Delicious! My husband and I enjoyed this so much, I’m thinking I’ll add it to our regular rotation of meals. I’ll add more chili powder though because we felt like it was missing some heat. Any other suggestions to heat up the dish a little more?

Marzia — February 21, 2017 @ 12:41 pm Reply
Glad to hear it was enjoyed! You could also bump up the tandoori masala a bit, that’ll help spice it up a bit more!

Gwen Curnow — March 1, 2017 @ 9:32 pm Reply

I made this tonight and it is EXACTLY what I was craving! Simple, delicious, amazing! Thank you. I’m always trying new curry recipes and this is by far my favorite!

Rachel S — March 14, 2017 @ 9:47 pm Reply

I was really looking forward to this recipe. I had it saved for two weeks while I gathered the ingredients (had to order the tandoori masala you recommended, and also had to order garlic and ginger paste since none of my stores carried them). I followed all the directions, including letting the sauce and chicken marinate for 24 hours, and I can’t tell where I messed up. My sauce was not smooth, despite being blended for well over 4 minutes. The taste was bland and I just couldn’t get excited about it. After reading through the comments tonight to see what other people thought of it, I saw the one reply about discarding the marinade sauce, which I did not do. Besides adding a bit of flavor and some additional sauce, I can’t imagine that minimal amount would make so much of a difference. I’m sorry that my experience isn’t a great one, but it just wasn’t what I was hoping it would be.

0.5

Marzia — March 16, 2017 @ 11:34 am Reply
Sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work out for you! From what i’m reading, it sounds like the excess marinade may indeed be the culprit. As it may have caused the recipe to thin out too much, thus diluting the flavor. Also, the sauce should definitely be smooth after blending for a whole 4 minutes! I just want to be sure, did you add a bit of water to help it along? These are the only things I can really think of, as I haven’t heard of this happening before.

Baily Warman — March 15, 2017 @ 8:00 pm Reply

Love this recipe! I’ve tried this with coconut milk as well and it is just as yummy as when I use heavy cream. I also downsize on the Cumin and up the chilli powder to be more to my taste.

Marzia — March 16, 2017 @ 11:36 am Reply
Glad to hear it worked well with coconut milk too, Baily! Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂

faiza — March 20, 2017 @ 11:50 pm Reply

Hi Thanks for the recipe it tasted great but unfortunately my gravy was toooo thick. what can i do to make it thin

please reply

Marzia — March 21, 2017 @ 1:18 pm Reply
It seems like you needed a little more water when blending the tomato gravy portion of the recipe. You can simply add a little water or additional cream to thin it out since it’s already cooked. Keep in mind that the cream will tone down the spices though.

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Peter B — April 3, 2017 @ 5:12 pm Reply

I was so excited to make this for me and my wife because every couple of weeks we get Butter Chicken delivered from our local Indian restaurant and I wanted to be able to make this at home. I followed the directions to a T (didn’t stray on ingredients, prep, cook time, or measurements), but I must say we were slightly disappointed. It was okay, but not addicting (like we’re used to).

This biggest problem we had was that the texture of the sauce was grainy (like cream of wheat) and not smooth. I used a Cuisinart blender, but perhaps I didn’t blend it long enough? (anyone else have this problem, and if so, how they solved it)? I did add the 1/4 cup of water during the cook-time because of the rapid bubbling, so the blender was definitely working and mixing/chopping/processing well. I used a large white onion, so maybe a yellow onion might be different in terms of both blending and taste? Or maybe I should used tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes? (I’ve made a different butter chicken recipe that called for tomato sauce and the texture was better, but didn’t seem as authentic as this recipe).

The other issue was that while it was flavorful, it seemed to lack the addictive creamy/buttery flavor we’ve come to expect from Butter Chicken. Wife thinks I should have added more than 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, but I think perhaps at the very end adding some real butter along with the garam masala and cream. Anyone try this?

I really believe this recipe is the closest to authentic butter chicken as one can find online (thanks Marzia), so I’m thinking some minor tweaks or some input could help turn this into an “addictive” butter chicken recipe that meets or beats the one from our local Indian restaurant (btw, they finish with a couple of thinly sliced cooked almonds on top alongside the fenugreek leaves, which is an amazing little touch and crunch).

Marzia — April 4, 2017 @ 6:53 pm Reply
Hi Peter, thanks so much for your comment. I’m sorry to hear that the butter chicken wasn’t exactly what you were hoping for. There are so many different versions of butter chicken from different parts of India and that makes it difficult to be able to figure out how your local Indian place made it.
For the texture issue, I think it just needed to be blended a bit more. Depending on how powerful your blender is, it may be better to divide the mixture into two batches to blend. Thanks for your feedback on that, i’ll add a little note in the recipe about it. Also, I see that you added water during the cooking time but did you perhaps add a little more water during blending? Sometimes that’s all it need to blend a little easier.
You can certainly add more butter to the recipe as i’m sure that would make it that much more rich and delicious! You can try upping the ghee (or butter) to ¼ cup in the beginning or melt additional butter in a skillet and add it to the butter chicken while it’s still hot (like you said), this is a cooking technique called ‘tarka’ and is traditionally used in many Indian dishes. You can certainly add more cream as well but keep in mind when you up the cream, you’ll also need to up the spices (cumin, coriander, tandoori masala, etc.) as well as the ginger and garlic paste. The cream will mellow out the spices so unless you add enough from the beginning, it’ll leave the butter chicken less flavorful.
Love the idea of adding sliced almonds like your local restaurant does. Thanks again for the comment and I hope this helps!
Leslie F — November 20, 2017 @ 12:03 pm Reply
Hi there. I did have the same issue with the texture. It was my first time making this so I thought I didn’t blend long enough and I also think I didn’t cook the onion long enough. I added more butter (from a previous comment) after tasting the first time and it did make a difference. I also added more fenugreek spice. I will be making this again for sure and also have passed along to co-workers who thought “Costco butter chicken” was the best!
Paco — April 22, 2018 @ 5:38 pm Reply
Just a note that some store bought ghee is grainier than others. This has been my experience. You may have to try a few different brands or attempt to make it yourself.

Rrajgara — April 14, 2017 @ 8:36 pm Reply

The butter chicken turned out amazing! Passed on your website to my relatives..
Thank you.

Anthony — April 19, 2017 @ 2:34 pm Reply

I would like to double this recipe. Is it as simple as just doubling all the ingredients?

Marzia — April 20, 2017 @ 6:00 pm Reply
Yes, I think you can simply double it without having to make any adjustments.

sunny — April 19, 2017 @ 9:01 pm Reply

Hi Marzia!
Thanks for a wonderful, accurate and totally legitimate restaurant style murgh makhani. I am so glad to have found your blog. I made this last night following the measurements closely but with three substitutions – coconut yogurt and lime in the marinade and coconut cream instead of dairy cream (husband has dairy allergy). I also used thighs. I usually never follow spice measurements but I did this time just so I would have no excuse if it didn’t turn out ok. The results were perfect. Beautiful colour and amazing taste. I served it with a green pulao. My husband was thrilled to have butter chicken after more than a decade. We’ll be making this again. =) Thank you. Now I can’t wait to check out your other recipes 😉
xx
sunny
p.s you can see my picture of how it turned out here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTEga4tFRXC/?taken-by=sunnyallovertheworld

Marzia — April 20, 2017 @ 6:02 pm Reply
Sunny! Your butter chicken looks perfect! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it 🙂

Kelsey — April 24, 2017 @ 12:12 pm Reply

Hi Marzia,
I tried Butter Chicken for the first time when living in India for a work project, and am now a life long addict. :p Can’t wait to try this recipe. What are the little green peppers you put on top of this?

Marzia — April 24, 2017 @ 3:05 pm Reply
Hi Kelsey! Glad to hear you’re gonna give it a try! It’s just sliced serrano peppers on top, for pictures 🙂

Tara Milne — April 26, 2017 @ 12:53 pm Reply

There is only one word for this recipe….LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Woohoooo

Wayne — May 1, 2017 @ 4:52 am Reply

I am definately making this!!!

Can I use bay leaves in stead of fenugreek leaves? Or what will be a suitable substitute?

Marzia — May 3, 2017 @ 12:54 pm Reply
Bay leaves have a different flavor profile than fenugreek so unfortunately, I don’t think it makes for a good substitute. You can simply omit the fenugreek if you’d like but it does add that ‘authentic’ indian food flavor to the butter chicken recipe. Really not sure of any other substitutes for it.

Anjilla Hebert — May 17, 2017 @ 7:27 pm Reply

This sounds absolutely yummy!! My boss took me to and Indian restaurant and let me tell you shed had me obsessed ever since! Also, I have ginger garlic paste combined. What measurements should I use for this mixture? Thanks in advance!

Marzia — May 19, 2017 @ 10:25 am Reply
You’ll need 2 teaspoons of the ginger garlic paste for the marinade and 1 tablespoon for the butter chicken sauce. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

Carleigh — May 23, 2017 @ 11:02 pm Reply

Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
It tasted Devine!

I was just wanting to tweak my finished product a bit. It ended up very runny (very liquid like in consustency), how could I go about preventing this?
Also, it is a tad bit more tomato flavoured than I am used to in my butter chicken, what would help to tone down this flavour without making it too spicy?

4.5

Paco — April 22, 2018 @ 5:28 pm Reply
Tamarind paste… adds a nice tangy sourness. I’ve used it to bring back overly sweet chili, that also seemed to be missing something, from the brink. Adds just the right tang that is missing from some dishes.
You also may want to add less tomato and more cream next time.

Kirk — May 26, 2017 @ 12:37 pm Reply

I have made this recipe several times and it is my favorite. Since I live in a remote location in Northern Canada I have a hard time getting the right ingredients. The FenuGreek leaves are impossible to get up here.?
I served this to a coworker who has traveled the world and spent a considerable amount of time in India. She said it brought her back to her time in India and claimed this recipe was as good as any she has had.
In a pinch I substituted Sour Cream for the yogurt and heavy cream. It added a nice tang and still maintained the texture.
Any suggestion for a traditional Indian vegetable dish that could be served with this?

DArryn — September 1, 2017 @ 7:24 pm Reply
I’ve ordered mine through Silk Road Spices. They are based out of Calgary and their spices are about as fresh as you can get short of growing them yourself!

Kam — June 1, 2017 @ 8:44 am Reply

Hiya I want to have a go at making this . I saw you mentioned that you removed some spices and replaced it with tandoori masala. What were those spices and what amount of each do I use ? I don’t mine if it takes longer.
It would be helpful if you could still keep a post about the long way of making it with all the individual spices please.
Thanks so much

Marzia — June 2, 2017 @ 10:45 am Reply
Hi Kam, the post states that I’ve reduced the ingredient list, however this isn’t referring to the spices. The tandoori masala is what I used in my previously posted recipe as well. The only thing i’ve removed is how to make your own ginger and garlic paste as you can easily find this in most grocery stores now. If you’d like to do that, it’s ¼ cup each ginger and garlic + 1-2 tablespoons vinegar. Pulse it all in a blender or food processor. Hope that helps!

Alliyah — June 4, 2017 @ 5:34 pm Reply

This recipe was absolutely amazing, it just melts in your mouth. I was caught off-guard with the somewhat spiciness since most of Butter Chicken does not have an ounce of spiciness, but this butter chicken has a very pleasant spicy, which made enjoy and love this dish so much more.

Michelle Mahabat — June 11, 2017 @ 2:37 am Reply

This was an incredible recipe. I used Chicken Tikka (leftovers from takeout), instead of marinating the chicken. The sauce is extremely creamy and delicious. I’m so glad to come across your blog.

Nicola — June 27, 2017 @ 8:47 am Reply

Help! I love this recipe and make it all the time. However, my guests are vegetarian so would like to substitute the chicken for butternut squash. Should I cube the butternut squash and perhaps dust with tandoori masala powder then fry first before adding to the curry sauce or just add as they are. Any advice would be really helpful.

Marzia — June 28, 2017 @ 5:34 pm Reply
Hmm. That’s a tough one. Not too sure how you’d go about adding butternut squash in place of the chicken. I think paneer or tofu would work well, but squash has me stumped. Worried the tandoori masala might burn when you fry the squash. I’ve got a recipe for Butternut Squash Red Curry where I add red curry paste to the sauce, maybe you can do that with the tandoori masala. It may taste a little different, but I think that may be the way to do it. Hope that helps!

Ryan — June 27, 2017 @ 8:21 pm Reply

Hi Marzia!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was fantastic! I made a few changes. I used fresh garlic and ginger instead of the paste, and used cauliflower, potato, and peas as I am vegetarian. I also have been making my own naan which is an absolutely necessary companion to Butter Chicken in my opinion. (http://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/homemade-naan.html)
Thanks so much for the recipe! It’s the best!
Ryan

Mariya — June 28, 2017 @ 4:37 pm Reply

Awesome finger-licking recipe truly.. made it for friends and when my family tasted it, they demanded it to be made again for them.. just yummy..!
P.s. I used fresh tomatoes without boiling or peeling the skin .. it still tasted good to devour.. wondering how good it would have been if I followed it with can crushed tomatoes

Rachna Bhatnagar — June 30, 2017 @ 3:43 am Reply

Hey…. I made butter chicken exactly the way you have shown….. It comes out the best dish I have ever made…. Other day I have invited few guest they are from IHM… They all just loved my butter chicken…. Even ask for the recipe….. Butter chicken was the star dish of the day… Thank you, thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe with us….

Tina — July 8, 2017 @ 5:01 am Reply

Hi Marzia thank you for the amazing recipe. I was wondering if this could be made by baking the marinated chicken pieces? Thanks
Tina

4.5

Marzia — July 8, 2017 @ 1:41 pm Reply
Hi Tina! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, you should be able to marinate and bake the chicken pieces. I haven’t done this before so can’t really suggest baking temp or times though. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!

Deepti — July 8, 2017 @ 11:51 am Reply

Hi, made this recipe today. Came out fabulous. I made a few variations to cut calories. I added cashew nuts during the gravy grinding stage. I mixed in thick yogurt while bringing it all together. Didn’t heat it much so the yogurt didn’t split. Both of these added richness and creaminess to the dish. Finally could get away with adding just a spoon of cream at the end.

Lindsay — July 18, 2017 @ 2:24 am Reply

Oh my goodness, thank you so much!! I’ve been going crazy trying to make butter chicken and after 2 failed attempts (because of BAD recipes! Well, they resulted in a tasty chicken curry, but it was certainly nothing like restaurant style butter chicken) I have found success with yours. Phew! I was about to lose heart! I’m currently living in Mexico and there is not a single Indian restaurant in my city! Nor do they sell any of the spices I need, but those are easy enough to bring in my suitcase. I knew I would have to master butter chicken, or face the unbearable reality of living without it! One question, did you really intend for it to be 1.5 tablespoons of coriander powder instead of teaspoons? It seemed a little odd when I saw the amount – I don’t think I’ve seen a curry recipe call for such a large amount. But I hadn’t seen anyone else comment on this, and all the reviews here were positive after having followed your recipe to a T, so I just held my breath and dumped in 1.5 tablespoons of coriander powder into the curry. Honestly, while I’m thrilled with the final result, I’m a serious perfectionist about my cooking and baking, and it did taste a little unbalanced in the direction of coriander…so I think next time I’ll try 1.5 teaspoons, and add in some fresh coriander garnish if I find it lacking… Oh! One final note! It’s become a pet peeve of mine when recipes call for “chilli powder”. There a zillions of different chillies and powders which can be made from them. Both paprika and cayenne are chilli powder. Just looking at paprika alone, there is sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika, spanish or hungarian, etc etc etc. My research in my obsessive quest of the perfect butter chicken recipe lead me to the suggestion that ideally, one would use Kashmiri Mirch or Deggi Mirch (I then fell down an internet rabbit hole of what exactly the difference was between these chillies, and the fact that Kashmiri chillies are relatively scarce, and so suppliers often use different, more readily available chillies and falsely label them as Kashmiri, etc etc. Sheesh!) But yes, please do specify what type of chilli powder you find works best – as Deggi Mirch is mild with regard to heat, but still lends a rich color and additional flavor, it would probably be the best choice for those who don’t wish to add any more heat to the dish. Cheers!

Anna — December 7, 2017 @ 3:54 pm Reply
I was wondering the same thing about the coriander! You answered my question. Thank you!

Monica — July 30, 2017 @ 9:33 am Reply

Can you use fenugreek powder instead of leaves? If so, how much powder?

Marzia — July 30, 2017 @ 5:20 pm Reply
Sure, I think that should work just fine. I’d start with 1/8 teaspoon and adjust with a little more if necessary.

Lauren — July 30, 2017 @ 7:04 pm Reply

Hi there. I’m about to try this recipe, but I can’t find whole fenugreek leaves ANYWHERE. I can only find the powdered spice. Can I use that, and what would you estimate the measurement I should use?

Thank you!

Marzia — July 31, 2017 @ 6:49 pm Reply
Fenugreek powder will work, you’ll want to start with 1/8 teaspoon. Give it a taste, if it needs it, you can add an additional 1/8 teaspoon of the powder.

Angela Jameson — July 31, 2017 @ 10:20 am Reply

Hello!
I am so excited to make this dish! we don’t have any indian restaurants close and i am 6 months pregnant and have been CRAVING Indian food, particularly my favorite, butter chicken! I was wondering if you could make this in the slow cooker? If so, how would you recommend doing so? I was thinking this would also make the flavors nice and developed slowly cooking all day.
Thanks!!

Marzia — July 31, 2017 @ 6:50 pm Reply
Haven’t tried this in the slow cooker, so not sure on how that would go, sorry!

Shelaine — August 15, 2017 @ 12:10 pm Reply

I was recently on the hunt for a butter chicken recipe and had no idea where to start. There are so many recipes out there and they’re all so different! I eventually settled on this one because it sounded the most interesting and because I already had the proper amount of cream in my fridge. This recipe did not disappoint! It was delicious. I don’t have an immersion blender so instead of crushed tomatoes I used a can of tomoato sauce as some other recipes had called for sauce. It worked as a great substitute and I will definitely making this again and soon!

4.5

Ron Gabrielson — August 18, 2017 @ 1:37 pm Reply

This was a hit in our Texas household. I adapted the recipe for the Instant Pot (as I was fairly disappointed with some of the more popular current Butter Chicken recipes out there for the IP), and it worked perfectly.

For ingredients, I followed what you listed, and substituted ghee for butter, coconut milk for the heavy cream (as we wanted a Whole30 compatible dish). I added 1/2 bunch of finely chopped cilantro and a slurry of 1 tsp potato starch and a small amount of hot water to thicken.

I did it pretty much as you listed in your recipe, doing the cooking and sauteing in the Instant Pot on the Saute setting. After sauteing the chicken, I added the butter chicken sauce (plus a few green cardamom, because I love the flavor of them) to the IP, set it to Manual and covered it. I cooked it for 8 minutes on high pressure and did a quick release after 5 minutes. I then set it to Saute again and added the coconut milk, garam masala and 1/2 bunch of finely chopped fresh cilantro (plus 1 tsp of potato starch mixed in a small amount of hot water to thicken). From there, I added the fenugreek leaves and simmered for 10 minutes per your recipe.

Best butter chicken I’ve had in recent memory, and my new favorite dish. Thanks for posting, Marzia!

Sairah — October 16, 2017 @ 12:48 pm Reply
Can you let me know what steps you took to adapt for the Instant Pot? I’m looking to do the same and would appreciate any pointers!

Irene — August 31, 2017 @ 3:48 pm Reply

This recipe came out delicious!
Although the times you put have nothing to do with the real times. For instance, when doing the sauce you need to let it boil for a good 15 min so the crushed tomatoes get fried. The same for the onions, etc. Always found that most recipes miss this very important part about really how much it takes each step.
For the rest I have to say it congratulations!

DArryn — September 1, 2017 @ 7:29 pm Reply

Marzia, this is the best butter chicken recipe I have tried. I’ve made it several times and each time it has come out excellent! Even my father who dislikes heavily spiced food (both heat wise and flavour wise…he had a bad experience with some very spicy food a south Indian roommate made back in his college days) loved this! I think its the kasoori methi that takes it over the top. I plan on making a double recipe of the sauce soon to keep on hand in the freezer.
Thanks again!

Eddie — September 2, 2017 @ 12:01 pm Reply

Thanks for the recipe – I wonder if I missed something. It came out waaay too tomato-ey or spaghetti saucy-ey and not quite what I expected. When warming up it smells more like a chili than a butter chicken.

I should probably give it another whirl… Any suggestions?

2.5

Marzia — September 2, 2017 @ 4:16 pm Reply
Hi Eddie, sorry to hear the butter chicken didn’t turn out for you! It definitely does seem like there’s something missing as I haven’t had anyone else say it turned out similar to spaghetti sauce. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what might have happened, but it seems like perhaps there wasn’t enough tandoori masala? Or perhaps it was the kind that you may have used? Really hope you’ll decide to give this a second try as so many others have really enjoyed this recipe!
DArryn — September 16, 2017 @ 3:13 pm Reply
Are you using the tex mex blend chili powder? that could be it. The chili powder used in this recipe refers to comething like Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne. Simply a powdered chili pepper, and not a spice blend.

Tanya Lloren — September 30, 2017 @ 8:21 pm Reply

2nd time to make this, everyone loves it! I adjusted the tomatoes a bit, used less (just our preference) and added a bit of sugar in the end to counter the sourness of the recipe (we like things a bit sweet!)

Best Butter chicken recipe I’ve tried so far. Also, I’ve opted to reduce the sauce a little in the end just so the flavor is stronger.

Thanks for the recipe!

Keith Collins — October 12, 2017 @ 1:39 pm Reply

Made this recipe tonight, delicious first time, made a minor adjustment by leaving out the ginger paste but it was still great anyway, I’m just wondering whether there is a way to make it “butteryier” my local indian makes it so you can really taste the butter and it is divine. Thanks for the recipe.

Marzia — October 12, 2017 @ 2:29 pm Reply
Hey Keith! Glad that you enjoyed the recipe. If you’d like it to have more of that butter flavor, you can melt another 2-4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan, add the fenugreek to the butter and then pour the butter into the butter chicken. This should help give it that rich butter flavor you’re looking for! 🙂

Toni — October 12, 2017 @ 8:43 pm Reply

Hi Marzia!!!!!! Just wanted to tell you how much we love your recipe. I don’t usually marnate the meat, I’ll have to try that next time(we just had it for dinner tonite). I’ve made it several times and its amazing. I don’t often eat so much that I can’t or don’t want to move….but oh boy. Very happy with this!!

Jon Anders Arntzen — October 27, 2017 @ 1:24 pm Reply

Delicious butter chicken! Just a question.. I have a friend who are allergic to chicken. Can I make it with turkey or do you recommend something else?

Marzia — October 28, 2017 @ 1:19 pm Reply
Turkey would work, you could even try paneer (Indian cheese, similar to tofu) or even extra firm tofu. I don’t recommend marinating the paneer/tofu for more than an hour though!

kk — November 13, 2017 @ 11:23 pm Reply

How many people does this recipe serve?

Marzia — November 14, 2017 @ 11:05 am Reply
About 5 servings in this recipe. You can always find this information on the recipe card, just above the title.

Sonia Durrani — November 23, 2017 @ 11:27 am Reply

Hey,
my son love eating butter chicken
He says thats the best ever dish that I make for him with fresh naan & plain rice
Lots of love??

4.5

Ron — November 28, 2017 @ 9:54 pm Reply

Amazing recipe, I’ve gotten to the point now I make my own masala spice mixesand garlic and ginger paste, and have been trying different types of yogurt, finding water buffalo yogurt is the best with goat and sheep yogurt in a tie for second

Ive seen a few posts about bland or runny, I do mine In a slow cooker on low, scraping all the build up from the sides back down (lots of concentration of flavour you’d waste not doing it)

Ron — November 28, 2017 @ 9:55 pm Reply
Forgot to mention for the rice, use 1/2 water and 1/2 coconut milk and add some kafir lime leaves

Caleb — December 3, 2017 @ 6:17 pm Reply

yum

Abraham — December 13, 2017 @ 4:09 pm Reply

This is the best chicken dish I have ever made.

Since I like chicken on the bone , I removed the skin from chicken quarters and made some slits on it and marinated it for 24 hrs .

I then sealed it in hot oil as per your recipe and then cooked it in my airfryer at 160° for 15 min (Since these are big pieces I wanted to ensure that the chicken was well cooked) . This also gave the chicken some char as well and helps to retain shape.

Rest of the recipe was exactly as you suggested.

Thanks for this great recipe..

Ruben Brinkman — December 16, 2017 @ 10:07 am Reply

This recipe made me feel like I was back in India for a second. Amazing flavor, amazing description. Keep up the good work! Greetings from the Netherlands.

Leah — December 16, 2017 @ 3:59 pm Reply

Made this last week. Didn’t have any chilli powder. The taste was amazing but it was a little mild (that’s my fault for not realizing I was out of chilli powder). Gonna try making it again this weeked when my mom comes over, this time with chilli powder. I also used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt and half and half cream instead of thicker cream and it was still awesome

Mike — December 17, 2017 @ 2:52 pm Reply

I tried this a few times, family loves it. I am experimenting with smoked paprika instead of the chilli powder

4.5

Chris Johnson — January 19, 2018 @ 7:28 am Reply

Can you please post a link to your original recipe before you tweaked it? I like the original recipe.

Marzia — January 19, 2018 @ 11:15 am Reply
Hi Chris! The only thing different is that I made my own ginger and garlic paste for the “original recipe”, everything else remains constant. If you’d like to make your own, it’s ¼ cup each ginger slices and garlic cloves + 1-2 tablespoons vinegar. Pulse it all in a blender or food processor and store leftovers in an airtight container. Hope that helps!

Blythe — January 23, 2018 @ 2:20 am Reply

Hi, I’m aboutto cook this but I want add a Smokey taste to it… so when would add the coal?
Thanks 🙂

Marzia — January 23, 2018 @ 10:54 am Reply
See Also
Butter Chicken vs. Tikka Masala: Unraveling the Differences in Flavorful Delicacies
Hi there! To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure. I’ve never tried adding a smoky flavor to the dish. I’d suggest maybe doing a search on google to see if anyone else has tried it and if they’ve provided any guidance on how to.
Eben Hafkamp — March 5, 2018 @ 3:17 pm Reply
After searing off the marinated chicken in a skillet I throw them under the grill until I can see the tops going black. Then add to the sauce to finish them off and make them tender and juicy on the inside. I feel like this adds a nice charred/smokey flavour.
Paco — April 22, 2018 @ 5:06 pm Reply
Add some chipotle, it’s great on/in everything. Should give the smokey/spicey flavor you’re craving.
James Mathieson — May 18, 2018 @ 8:33 pm Reply
try smoked paprika in the spice mixture , or you could smoke the tomatoes, or you could just cheat and add some drops of liquid smoke extract at the end.

Sri — February 12, 2018 @ 1:47 pm Reply

Hi Marzia, I’m making this tonight and I just wanted to confirm that you indeed did mean to write 1 and a half TABLESPOONS of coriander powder ?

Rikke Former — February 17, 2018 @ 2:23 am Reply

Wow, made this for a fifteenth birthday with 20 guests -with only 16 hours notice. Itwas easy and very delicious and everyone loved it! From 14-75 year olds. (Left some of the chill out, and put chili flakes on the table instead.) Will definitely serve this again and again!

Rikke Former — February 17, 2018 @ 2:35 am Reply
By the way, here in Denmark the heaviest whipping cream is 38%. I used that, and it was perfect! But just out of curiosity; what is ‘Heavy whipping cream’ exactly?
- Marzia — February 17, 2018 @ 8:58 am Reply
  Heavy cream in the US is 36% or greater, so the kind you used is perfect 🙂 glad to hear everyone enjoyed the butter chicken!

Mallory Kowalchuk — February 19, 2018 @ 7:33 pm Reply

Loved this recipe! Definitely reminds me of the butter chicken I have ordered in restaurants. A make again for sure! I couldn’t find any tandoori Marsala in the regular grocery store, will have to do some deeper searching for next time! Also, when I added the chicken I found the yogurt marinade curdled a bit. Maybe I should have cooled the sauce to room temp before adding it in? Overall an excellent and easy weeknight dinner. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

4.5

Sherry — February 20, 2018 @ 3:00 am Reply

This will be the fourth time I’m making this dish. It is absolutely delicious! I’ve tried a lot of different recipes for Butter Chicken but they have never really produced the flavors I like. This one does! Very little ingredients and prep work. This has become my go to recipe when I’m short on time! Thank you so much!

Holly — February 23, 2018 @ 2:26 pm Reply

This is such a delicious recipe, I make it all the time. It isn’t exactly restaurant-style but it is WAY better than Sharwood’s or Patak’s jar sauce from the supermarket. Honestly, I like the jar sauces but there is NEVER enough sauce for everyone unless I buy so much that it becomes uneconomical and it never completely satisfies my cravings.
i have tweaked this here and there out of sheer laziness; regular whipping cream instead of heavy, garlic powder/minced garlic instead of paste, minced ginger in a jar rather than paste or fresh, one full single-serve fa*ge yogurt cup to minimize waste, minced onions instead of sliced, etc without significantly changing the taste. Usually I’m rather heavy-handed with the spices, sometimes with the crushed tomatoes too, and I even sprung for some fairly cheap kashmiri chili powder from a local indian store that really gives the dish a vibrant red color supposedly with less heat. Spice Hunter’s Global Fusion Tandoori Rub works marvelously as well. I’ve forgotten the butter before (leave it to me to forget the butter in butter chicken) and while I wouldn’t recommend doing that, it was still delicious.

Katie — March 21, 2018 @ 2:12 pm Reply

I made this last night and it turned out so delicious! It was a little spicier than I generally prefer (I like mild spice), so next time I’ll cut down on the chili powder (I used cayenne) since the tandoori masala has a good amount of kick to it already. Based on other comments, I was confused about the amount of coriander to use, and it does not appear that the question has ever been resolved by the author. So, I started with 1.5 teaspoons and gradually increased by taste. I’m not sure exactly how much I ended up adding, but I estimate that it was something close to 1.5 tablespoons.

Roksana — May 30, 2018 @ 5:38 am Reply

Thank you so much for your recepie. I just cooked your butter chicken I use fresh tomatoes as my husband doesn’t like tomato teste at all. It’s delicious just like at restaurant:-)

Lucia Peter — June 12, 2018 @ 4:56 am Reply
I was also looking for some recipe to make butter chicken more delicious. I have had butter chicken in many restaurants in Brampton but was missing home made taste. But now I will try this at home and let you know. Anyways thanks for sharing such useful information.

Stacey — June 16, 2018 @ 11:21 am Reply

Yes, i love adding yogurt to the chicken recipe. It is so delicious. By the way, can I use coconut milk or milk instead of whipping cream? Thank you for amazing recipe!

Paula — June 17, 2018 @ 11:33 pm Reply

Wow. That’s all I have to say! I’ve been looking for a recipe just like this for so long. I’ve made butter chicken after butter chicken only to be disappointed because it’s bithing like what I get at my favorite restaurants….until now! This is life changing!! Thank you so much for this recipe. ?

Merrin — July 6, 2018 @ 10:12 am Reply

Awesome recipe..really fingerlicking good…My husband love this…Love the smell..better than restaurant food. So easy to make and tasty. Loved it. Thankyou.

Faye Jacobs — July 7, 2018 @ 12:35 pm Reply

Tried, tested and love it!! Been looking for an authentic butter chicken recipe for a while, stumbled upon this by accident and won over my hubby who was not a fan of butter chicken. Made it for a family function of 35 people, just adjusted the recipe and empty plates all round. Thank you!!

4.5

Fj — July 12, 2018 @ 1:21 pm Reply

thank you so much for sharing this recipe. it turned out to be amazing and everytime I make it gets better and better

4.5

Virag — July 22, 2018 @ 1:41 am Reply

Marzia, Thanks for sharing an amazing recipe. I have been trying to recreate the butter chicken/chicken tikka masala for two decades now and this one just hits the spot. Wow. This is amazing. I did make one change. Rather than add garam masala to the gravy, I fried some whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper) along with juliennes of green chiles and ginger. Then added the chicken and gravy to that (kind of like a tadka/tempering).

Alvina — September 3, 2018 @ 11:39 am Reply

Can I marinate the chicken also ahead of time and freeze it in addition to the sauce? I appreciate your advice. Thanks!

4.5

Marzia — September 5, 2018 @ 3:33 am Reply
Not too sure about freezing the chicken as you run the risk of the yogurt separating and/or curdling and making the sauce grainy when you cook it. If you decide to give it a go, I’d love to know how it went!

Rochelle Tabacon — September 14, 2018 @ 11:14 am Reply

I did it your recipe is soo amazing?❤️

4.5

Rachael Rydbeck — September 14, 2018 @ 3:28 pm Reply

I’ve been looking for a good butter chicken recipe for years!! This was absolutely fantastic. My kids are begging for more. Thank you! 🙂

Cooks from Finland — September 16, 2018 @ 10:13 am Reply

This was really really good!

Johnnie — September 22, 2018 @ 4:06 am Reply

What can I substitute the fenugreek with?

Marzia — September 22, 2018 @ 11:08 am Reply
You can simply omit it from the recipe.

Marni — September 28, 2018 @ 9:23 pm Reply

Made it for my family using a mixture of butter and olive oil. It was good, although it lacked a bit of the sweet and savoury flavour that i note in most butter chicken recipes. That aside, it was still had very good flavour. I added about a tsp of each salt and maple syrup. Although I did not plan too far in advance and only marinaded for about an hour, it still turned out nice and tender. I will definitely try this recipe again, marinading overnight and make the sauce ahead of time, although with my own adjustments to the recipe.

3.5

Ash — November 4, 2018 @ 2:11 pm Reply

Normally don’t leave reviews, but this was so good I had to! Although it’s not quite the restaurant style that I remember, it is the closest any recipe has ever got me. Easy to make – both my husband and I loved it.

Anna — November 6, 2018 @ 9:21 pm Reply

Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy. This will be my go-to butter chicken recipe!

Kathy — November 13, 2018 @ 9:54 am Reply

Intend to make this this weekend. The photos show jalapeño and green flecks…cilantro? Did you incorporate that into the recipe, or use only as garnish? Thank you –

Marzia — November 14, 2018 @ 4:39 pm Reply
Garnish, just for pictures!

Rashmi — November 18, 2018 @ 1:08 am Reply

1 lb is hw many grams of chicken.can we use chicken with bone. If using fresh tomatoes hw many can be used.

Irene — December 13, 2018 @ 12:44 am Reply

I loved making this dish and it turned out very well! It was super yummy and rich ??? you did a great job explaining the recipe!

Kate — December 17, 2018 @ 5:55 pm Reply

Help – I’m in Australia and the tandoori masala isn’t avaiable near me. Is there anything at all that is an equal subsitute, or is anyone able to portion out the spices to make the mix?

Thanks very much 🙂

Peter — January 14, 2019 @ 3:27 am Reply
You can buy tandoori spice mix in Coles. It’s near the salt & pepper sections.

Paula — December 31, 2018 @ 12:10 am Reply

If I want more than 1 lb chicken. Should I double the whole receipe ?

Heather — January 6, 2019 @ 12:52 pm Reply

I plan on making this butter chicken this evening and am looking for a basmati rice recipe on your site but am having difficulty finding one. Do you have one? Did I miss seeing a link? I found a link to your garlic naan on another recipe.

Sushma — January 12, 2019 @ 4:13 am Reply

Tasty!!thank u 🙂

Isra — January 31, 2019 @ 4:38 am Reply

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for this recipe it turned out amazing! I’m glad I doubled the recipe because everyone ate until bursting ? it’s very yummy, easy and authentic!

Sami — March 18, 2019 @ 2:50 am Reply

Had to comment because I saw couple of comments saying their butter chicken ended up grainy rather than smooth. I think it is because of their sauce getting split rather than making an error in the recipe/not blending the sauce enough. Butter chicken is actually a very hard sauce because it contains yogurt, cream, butter and tomato sauce. Yogurt and cream are the reason why sauces can split while butter, tomato sauces and other salty products increase the risks of it happening. Splitting is a process where liquid separates from the rest of the yogurt/cream ingredients (those are the little grainy elements). You can look up more about this on the Internet but here are some tips that can lower the risks of your sauce splitting:

– Instead of Turkish or Greek yogurt, use natural yogurt. I think it doesn’t split as much as Turkish or Greek yogurt.
– Wait for the chicken yogurt marinade to get to room temperature before starting to cook it, adding cold yogurt to a hot pan makes it split 100%. Even if you didn’t refrigerate the marinade over night, wait for the temperature of the yogurt to rise. Also take the cream out of your refrigerator a good time before using it (once again you don’t want to add cold cream to a hot sauce).
– As the recipe states, only use medium heat AT MOST. Cooking the yogurt marinated chicken on too hot pan makes the yogurt split. Same goes later on in the recipe, do not heat the sauce too much or the yogurt and also the cream has a chance to split (that’s probably why Marzia wants you to add some water if the sauce started to bubble rapidly).
– Don’t add too much salt after adding the cream. Yogurt/cream + salt = split.

Hope this helps, remember that this sauce is incredibly hard because of its ingredients, even if you follow these tips there is still a good chance of your sauce getting split. But even if it does, it will still taste delicious, it just doesn’t look as good.

Good luck!

Sahar — April 28, 2019 @ 3:53 pm Reply

Hi,

I’ve made this recipe exactly per your recipe (came out great!), but I have a question. The recipe says to “thinly slice” the onion…I like to use a food processor for onions. Since you end up blending it anyway, does it really matter how the onion is cut? Thank you in advance!

-Sahar

Marzia — April 29, 2019 @ 10:37 am Reply
I slice the onions because it’s the quickest way to cut them and as it exposes more of the onion to the oil and cooks it slightly quicker. Food processing, or dicing the onions might change the cooking time to get the onions translucent by a little bit, but for this recipe, it won’t make a huge difference if you prefer to use your food processor!

Alyssa Brooke — April 30, 2019 @ 2:38 am Reply

First time ever making Butter Chicken and oh my gosh, this recipe is just deeelish! My household loved it! Thankyou for sharing 🙂

Jessica — May 2, 2019 @ 11:36 pm Reply

I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and it had been a hit all 3 times. 1st time made it only for me and my husband. 2nd time for my parent. 3rd time for a dinner party of about 15 people. This is my new go to me if I want to impress someone. Making the sauce ahead of time was brilliant saved so much time.
*If you’re sensitive to spice heat omit the chilli powder. The tandoori mix is just enough to make you think “What is the wonderful taste” without the discomfort of the heat. I’ve made it with and without and both are amazing.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. 100% a must try!!!

ali — June 26, 2019 @ 6:17 pm Reply

it was really good

nehal — July 19, 2019 @ 9:26 am Reply

HI,
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO IF I DON’T FIND CAN OF CRUSHED TOMATOES., CAN I USE RAW ? HOW MANY? AND DO I NEED TO FILTER THROUGH COLANDER IF USED FRESH PURIED TOMATOES?

Anna York-Braun — August 3, 2019 @ 1:25 am Reply
You would need to cook the fresh tomatoes down. I would suggest using whatever can of tomatoes you have, (or can find) and using your blender or food processor. Your hands work too!

Melissa — July 21, 2019 @ 2:47 am Reply

I made this in the slow cooker today and we had it for dinner tonight. OMG – it was so nice, it wasn’t as greasy as it normally is at a restaurant – which was really great.

The best part is that we have left overs and we will be enjoying it for a few more nights to come 🙂

Zoe — June 8, 2020 @ 9:13 pm Reply
What a great idea!
How did you adjust the recipe to use the slow cooker?
I’ve tried a couple of slow cooker butter chicken recipes and they were fine but needed something more. Did you cook the chicken and the sauce then throw that all in the slow cooker?

Kayla — August 2, 2019 @ 4:38 pm Reply

I loved this recipe!!! So did my husband and friends!! I’m Bengali and my husband is Indian so we have very good sense in how these foods should taste. This butter chicken recipe has got to be hands down the best. It’s better than my family recipe! The only change I would do is to add a tbsp of the coriander, cumin, gram Marsala, garlic and ginger paste and 1/4 tsp of chili powder. ( in most Indian restaurants this dish is the mildest so putting a whole tsp makes it a spicy dish.)

Sylvia — August 21, 2019 @ 12:51 pm Reply

I now understand why this recipe has been rated 5 stars by all. It’s the best butter chicken recipe I’ve ever come across. So yummy and delicious! Thanks for sharing

Christina — August 31, 2019 @ 11:59 pm Reply

I just made this recipe for the 4th time tonight, and I think I finally got it perfect this time! It was amazing – I’m so glad I made a double batch and froze half. After practicing several times, these are the tweaks that work for me…

I was having a really hard time getting my sauce smooth enough. No matter how much water I added, or how long I blended, it was always grainy. But no big deal, I just started running it through a fine mesh sieve and it’s fine!

I also had some issues with graininess because the yogurt was curdling when cooking the chicken. I did some research on other Indian recipes and how they prevent it from curdling in dishes like Chicken Tikka, etc. Turns out that adding some kind of stabilizer to the yogurt is all it needs. I used cornstarch (1 tsp per 1 cup yogurt). I also switched from pan frying the chicken to cooking it in the oven under the broiler, in a roasting pan with a rack. 3-5 minutes on each side and it’s nice and caramelized on the outside while still having some internal temperature leeway to finish it off in the sauce without it getting dry.

I used basmati rice (which I’ve never made at home before) and it tasted SO authentic next to this curry. Also toasted some naan and brushed with ghee. They were the perfect accompaniments!

When canned tomatoes are called for, I ALWAYS use certified San Marzanos (I use Cento brand, but there are others). Yes, they are a bit pricier – but I promise you can really tell the difference and it is so worth it.

I doubled my chicken batch too, and cooked the extra half juuuust long enough to be cooked through after resting. I froze that chicken to go along with the extra sauce I also froze for a later date. I’ll report back here to let everyone know how it goes when I defrost and throw it all together, but I’ve had great success freezing cooked chicken in the past.

Amazing recipe, thank you so much for sharing with us!!

Sri Tekumalla — September 2, 2019 @ 3:37 am Reply

It’s decent. With due respect, I wish u had put a “go to recipe” button. Cause by the time I went through the history of mankind…I lost interest and just ordered it from a restaurant.
I think most Indian recipe sites go on and on and on about things that people really don’t care or get tired. My parents are Indian, so I understand, it’s an Indian thingy. So I kept saying “get to the point” growing up.
Ure recipe is good so thought I should let you know. Thanks

Marzia — September 2, 2019 @ 5:40 pm Reply
There is a ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the page…

fatu — September 10, 2019 @ 5:52 am Reply

Its really finger licking recipe, my husband have it on dinner last night he came back from work and was so hungry at that time I placed a very large dish with dressed Butter Chicken with the naan and salad ,
literally he licked his fingers and said : from where did you order this amazing food ?
from internet and made by me’ I said. 🙂

thank you very much for sharing such amazing recipe

with love
Fatu

Holland — September 23, 2019 @ 4:26 am Reply

I made this and it was really good! Very flavourful! My only substitution was maple syrup for fenugreek leaves. Thanks!

Reenam — September 24, 2019 @ 4:00 pm Reply

I made this recipe tonight and thought it tasted delicious! But the texture wasn’t right despite me blending the gravy with water, and disposing of the marinade during the assembly.

I suspect the problem may have been something to do with the tomatoes I used. I live in the UK where we don’t get “crushed tomatoes”. I used canned chopped tomatoes instead. The other options for me would have been: peeled plum tomatoes or passata. If we don’t have crushed tomatoes, what would be the best substitute? Could I just blend the plum tomatoes?

Marzia — September 24, 2019 @ 6:58 pm Reply
Passata would work really well in place of the crushed tomatoes 🙂

Tina — November 23, 2019 @ 9:10 pm Reply

Hi Marzia Do we need to add salt to this recipe? I didn’t see it in the list Of ingredients.

Marzia — November 24, 2019 @ 5:33 pm Reply
Hi there! The chicken seasoning I mentioned contains quite a bit of salt, so I found the recipe didn’t need any additional seasoning. Unless you’re using a salt-free version, I suggest leaving the salt out until the very end, tasting and adjusting according to preference 🙂

Andrew — November 26, 2019 @ 10:40 am Reply

Do I marinate the chicken cooked or uncooked!?

Marzia — November 26, 2019 @ 4:53 pm Reply
You marinate the chicken uncooked and then cook it under step 1 in ‘assembly’

Elisa — December 18, 2019 @ 4:20 pm Reply

Approximately how many servings is this for?
I’m trying to make this for 3 adults and 2 children.
Do I need to double the recipe?

Marzia — December 18, 2019 @ 4:49 pm Reply
This makes enough for approximately 5 servings. You can always find this information on the recipe card, just above the title ?

dustin — January 20, 2020 @ 1:30 am Reply

Is there a diff between tandoori masala and garam masala? If so, which garam masala do you use?

Marzia — January 20, 2020 @ 11:11 am Reply
Hi there! Tandoori masala and garam masala are different, they contain different spices. I think I mentioned it in the post, but I usually use a homemade blend for the garam masala. For best results, I suggest using an Indian brand if it’s easily available, they are a lot more potent as the spices are roasted before grinding into powder form! I find I often have to use more garam masala to give it that same flavor when using a generic store brand garam masala and it doesn’t have that same roasted flavor. Hope that helps!

Erin — January 24, 2020 @ 8:49 am Reply

Would coriander powder be the same thing as crushed coriander seeds? That’s all we can get here and it’s a power.

Marzia — January 24, 2020 @ 11:26 am Reply
Yes, it’s the same thing!

Jillian Casey — February 7, 2020 @ 10:00 am Reply

This was a great recipe! The title speaks for itself. It does take preparation. It’s a little messy but I believe every step helps because I’ve tried it a few different ways. Thanks!

Erin Fraser — February 19, 2020 @ 12:17 pm Reply

You said you recommend using Indian brand spices because they’re a lot more potent. If we don’t have Indian brand spices, would you recommend increasing the amount we use? if so, to approximately how much? I like my flavours strong and a lot of Indian I’ve tried making in the past seemed bland. I’m wondering if I should increase my measurements a bit when I try yours as I couldn’t find Indian brand spices?

Marzia — February 20, 2020 @ 4:10 pm Reply
Hey there! If you can’t find the tandoori masala I suggested, a non-Indian brand would also work! I would suggest maybe using a little over the two tablespoons listed (heaping instead of flat) if you’re looking for more spice and then adjusting as desired for next time. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult to say as the flavors can vary quite a bit from brand to brand. Hope that helps though!

Erin Fraser — March 3, 2020 @ 10:24 am Reply

Oh Wow! I must say i was a little hesitant when I tried this recipe because the spices used were different than many other recipes i’ve seen in the past, even supposed “100% authentic from the masters” recipes, but wow am I ever glad I did!
This was the best butter chicken I’ve ever made, and better than any sauce I’ve found in store! SO GOOD!
I did make a couple tiny adjustments.
First I had a hard time finding the recommended tandoori powder, so I used Patak’s tandoori paste instead, as we’re big fans of Patak’s and figured they wouldn’t let us down – it worked so well!
Second, because we had some older non-indian brand spices around, I upped the coriander power and cumin both to 2 tsp each, and garam masala to 1 tsp. We also omitted the fenugreek because we couldn’t find any.
It was so tasty! I think I’m going to make it again this weekend!

Jessica — March 3, 2020 @ 4:07 pm Reply

I absolutely love this recipe. I’ve made it more than a dozen times and it’s always a hit. Now this is what everyone expects me to make to every dinner party ?

Question: If I don’t have heavy cream can I use canned coconut milk?

Thanks!!!

Marzia — March 3, 2020 @ 4:47 pm Reply
Glad to hear you enjoy the butter chicken recipe! Yes, you can use canned coconut milk in place of heavy cream, however, it might have the little bit of coconut flavor – not in a bad way, but it will alter it just a bit!

Aimee — March 27, 2020 @ 12:48 pm Reply

Made this last night and it turned out so well! Even my fiance from india loved it!

Mobasir Hassan — April 4, 2020 @ 6:06 am Reply

Butter chicken is a traditional dish in our country India. You can find it in almost any social events. I personally love the Punjabi style butter chicken.
Last night I made your recipe at home and my boy love it very much. He want me to make it regularly. Looking forward for more recipes. Thank you.

Jen — April 9, 2020 @ 11:59 pm Reply

So delicious! & so so easy!

Laila — April 11, 2020 @ 7:04 am Reply

Seriously delicious. My father-in-law is 1/2 Indian, and he was raving about it! I think I’ve made it at least 5x now. Good every time. Also, keeping the chicken pieces closer to 2″ blocks helped the meat stay nice and juicy?

Alan Brown — April 15, 2020 @ 10:18 am Reply

I made this for dinner tonight, comments from ‘Er Indoors” absolutely bloody lovely, or in my parlance “Back of the net!”.

Annette Vaughan — April 21, 2020 @ 4:18 pm Reply

I have made this recipe few times now, over last couple years,i love cooking from scatch when I’ve time to, always tasted fabulous, I make extra sauce and freeze it now leaves me only to prepare chicken marinade part to prepare , thank you , will go in my family recipe collection ? five star

Grahame — May 13, 2020 @ 12:16 am Reply

Hi can you use normal double thick cream?

Marzia — May 13, 2020 @ 3:14 pm Reply
Yes, I think that’s the equivalent to what we call heavy whipping cream here in the states! Hope you enjoy the butter chicken!

Saaidah Sharief — May 21, 2020 @ 8:59 am Reply

I make it during special occasions because it is special. It tastes divine and never flops

Marzia — May 21, 2020 @ 3:05 pm Reply
So happy to hear that, Saaidah!

Michelle — May 23, 2020 @ 10:48 am Reply

I made this recipe earlier this week, and I am making it again today since I have all the ingredients now, lol, and I think I can incorporate some minor changes to make it even better. I got 5 star reviews from my friend I shared it with. I feel like when I have had this dish at restaurants it has been a smoother consistency. I am going to try for that today. I may try a combination of blender and immersion blender. I am also going to use a different type of onion and a different brand of crushed tomatoes. Overall this is a great recipe for making great butter chicken. Even with 3 tablespoons of the tandoori paste it was still very mild. I added extra to the marinade this time and will probably add some chilli powder to take it up a notch in the spice…it won’t be hot, just a little zing . Is there anything special that can be done with the rice to make it an amazing meal?

Ellena Mundy — May 23, 2020 @ 8:21 pm Reply

My family loved this. I made double the sauce so they could soak it up with naan and rice. They liked that!

Marzia — May 23, 2020 @ 11:54 pm Reply
That’s awesome! So happy to hear that, Ellena!

Gangka — May 30, 2020 @ 7:06 pm Reply

Hi Marzia,
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. It’s so good . My kids loved it. Well… I did minor adjustment.. I replaced tandoori masala (unavailable) with briyani masala..
Thank you. ❤

Elyse — May 31, 2020 @ 7:56 am Reply

I’ve probably made this dish over 50 times. I can no longer eat takeaway butter chicken. This recipe has been passed onto many many people. The greatest recipe I have ever come across. Thank you so so much! Absolutely delicious!!

Marzia — June 1, 2020 @ 11:27 am Reply
So glad to hear you’ve made and enjoyed so many times, Elyse! ♥

Sandy — June 2, 2020 @ 10:10 am Reply

My daughter loves Butter Chicken so I am looking forward to making your recipe.
Could not find Coriander powder separate but I did find Cumin+Coriander Powder combined in a package. What would be your suggestion on using this instead of the separate amount of 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder. Should I use 3 teaspoons of the CC Powder or scale it back.
Thank you for any advice.

Nevin Dewani — July 7, 2020 @ 9:47 am Reply

Hi if I want it slightly spicier what do you suggest?
Thank you!
5

Lydia — June 16, 2020 @ 8:51 am Reply

Help! 🙂 we live in rural Alabama and can’t get ginger paste or garlic paste. Can I sub powdered ginger and minced garlic? Thank you!!!

Marzia — June 17, 2020 @ 9:12 pm Reply
Hi Lydia! Minced garlic will work just fine! If you can get fresh ginger and grate it yourself, that would be the best option! Powdered ginger could work, but I’m not sure how much you’ll need.

Sana — June 16, 2020 @ 12:52 pm Reply

Hi, how much is this in grams?
Can anyone help me out?

1(14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Margreet — July 1, 2020 @ 6:57 am Reply
Sana, 14.5 ounce is 411 gram

J — June 18, 2020 @ 6:06 pm Reply

Can i use milk instead of whipping cream?

Marzia — June 18, 2020 @ 9:48 pm Reply
Unfortunately, milk is not a suitable substitute for this recipe. I suggest making the recipe as written for best results!
LiB — November 7, 2020 @ 7:48 pm Reply
Coconut milk would work but won’t be as yum. Making this now and smells amazing! I like thighs for juiciness but am using tenderloins as that’s what I had.

Mamamia — August 11, 2020 @ 6:12 pm Reply

I’ve been making butter chicken with tandoori masala for some time, and it Def works. I came online to see if anyone else did it that way. Great to see there is a good following that does the same!

I also need it to be dairy free…so instead of yogurt, I add 1/2 lemon to give it the slight zing…and instead of cream I use coconut milk. And to make it even easier without compromising taste, I Actually use tomatoe paste or a small can of tomatoe sauce. Weeknight 30 min meal without the weekend prep.

Billie — August 12, 2020 @ 3:39 am Reply

Wow. What an amazing dish! We substituted tandoori masala for tandoori paste, used 3 table spoons. We also used fresh garlic and ginger instead of store bought paste. It was absolutely delicious and tasted just like restaurant style butter chicken! Definitely adding this recipe to the book of regulars!

James — August 12, 2020 @ 3:44 am Reply

Amazing dish. If you want it to taste more like a restaurant style, I suggest adding 1-3 tablespoons of sugar (to taste) to sweeten it up a bit. Very authentic flavour, great recipe.

Rayann — August 17, 2020 @ 5:40 pm Reply

I love this recipe. It is the best butter chicken curry ever. I do have one question though. What type of onion do you use. I used a white onion when I made this. But I want to make sure I use the right onion for this. The recipe does not say what type of onion. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

Marzia — August 19, 2020 @ 9:44 am Reply
I usually use yellow onions but have used white as well. Both work equally well here.

Inge — September 17, 2020 @ 1:59 pm Reply

Dear you
I was thinking – it is not that simple to cook butter chicken only with those simple ingredients. BUT IT WAS!!! It was to delicious!!!! The greatest recipe ever!!! We enjoy it so much!!! Restaurant style – as you promised! 🙂 I will only use your recipe in the future!!! 🙂 Sincerely finger lickin’ good!!! Greetings to your mom and her sister! 🙂 I am so happy!!! 1000 stars from here! I am done with takeaway butter chicken!!! :-)))) THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Kind regards
Inge

Taste the Fun — September 17, 2020 @ 2:39 pm Reply

The butter chicken recipe looks eminent and yummy. I will must try to cook it at my home. Appreciative to you for offering this amazing recipe to us.

Carolyn Teagle — September 19, 2020 @ 2:46 pm Reply

Love this bitter chicken the best I have had

Kathryn Bennett — September 26, 2020 @ 2:52 am Reply

Made this for the first time today! My partner and I decided we should learn how to cook butter chicken at home instead of paying $$ so much for takeout.

The recipe was super yum! We didn’t add any spice as the recipe alone has enough kick to it for us, we added 2 tablespoons of sugar and a dollop more of the cream and it was YUMMO!

Thank you for posting this recipe

Katie — September 27, 2020 @ 11:23 am Reply

What is the difference between the tandoori masala and the garam masala? I am having a hard time finding tandoori masala powder, could i used garam masala instead? If not do you know what stores would carry the tandoori masala powder? Thanks!

Marzia — September 29, 2020 @ 12:44 pm Reply
Hi Katie! Tandoori masala and Garam Masala contain different spices and have a very different taste, so unfortunately, they can’t be used interchangeably. If you are having trouble finding tandoori masala, there are recipes available online where you could make your own (it’s just a handful of spices.) Unfortunately, I’m not sure where you’re located so it’s difficult for me to suggest stores near you that might carry it. It’s available online here if you’d like to purchase 🙂

bibah — September 30, 2020 @ 4:57 am Reply

One word, scrumptious

Moira — October 4, 2020 @ 3:54 am Reply

Hi. Would it be possible to get a breakdown of carbs, fibre, fats, protein and energy at all? On a keto diet and with this list of ingredients I’m at 9gs of carbs but with the removal of the marinade it should be less. Having trouble working it out.

4.5

Michael Schertz — October 21, 2020 @ 12:50 pm Reply

If one wants to use fresh ginger and garlic what would the recommended substitutions be? Thank you!

Ann — October 29, 2020 @ 8:17 pm Reply

At what point should I add salt?

Steph — November 8, 2020 @ 1:00 am Reply

I just had this for dinner and it’s definitely the best butter chicken I’ve ever had! I made the sauce and marinated the chicken the day before . I also substituted the Tandoori Masala for 3tbspn of Patak’s Tandoori Paste and grilled the chicken in a cast iron skillet prior to adding it to the sauce. Such a flavourful and delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing!

spice man — November 13, 2020 @ 10:42 am Reply

i substituted the chili powder for Kashmiri chili powder, its very mild, yet adds color.

i’ve also used sweet paprika or annanote powder, both add an earthy taste and impart great colour, without the heat.

4.5

Ali — December 7, 2020 @ 3:33 pm Reply

I made it (with a few adjustments to suit my spices) and it turned out amazing and sooo tasty, better than any takeout. Never knew it’s so easy to make curry base! Would recommend using thigh instead of breast for extra juiciness.

4.5

ssktx — December 15, 2020 @ 10:50 am Reply

Great recipe! Almost exactly like my mother-in-law’s, except she adds 2 tbsp of powdered cashews (you can do it in a coffee/spice grinder) or almond flour (we use bob’s red mill and it turns out perfectly) to the sauce, which gives it a really nice texture.

Years ago while I was getting to know a new friend (now my wife), she would make this for me for dinner… little did I know her mom was making it, freezing it, and overnighting it to her. This recipe is clearly the foundation for everlasting love !!

Bee — December 22, 2020 @ 9:35 am Reply

Very good and quick to put together! Added. Broccoli , carrots and beans into the sauce right at the end just got extra nutrition. But otherwise it was spot on!

Ad — April 25, 2022 @ 9:47 pm Reply

Definitely one of the best Butter Chicken recipes around. Really improves over night too, I find the garlic a bit overpowering immediately after cooking but if I premake it and leave it overnight it’s perfect.
5

elrey — January 1, 2021 @ 4:54 pm Reply

Family loved it. Thanks.

Linda — January 14, 2021 @ 1:46 pm Reply

Loved the Butter Chicken! It had excellent flavor and I’ll make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

Erin — January 23, 2021 @ 12:05 pm Reply

I love this recipe so much! The problem is I’m finding it hard to find ginger paste now. How would the measurements compare if I were to use minced ginger from a jar?
Thanks!

Marzia — January 23, 2021 @ 12:13 pm Reply
Hi Erin! If you’re having a hard time finding ginger paste, I would use freshly grated ginger in place of paste. Typically pastes are used in Indian cuisine so the flavor disperses better throughout the recipe. Minced ginger may give the sauce a different texture.
- Erin — January 23, 2021 @ 12:52 pm Reply
  Ok that makes sense. If I use freshly greatest ginger, how do the measurements compare?
  - Marzia — January 23, 2021 @ 2:24 pm Reply
    They’ll be the same, no change to the quantities!

Gene Mirro — January 24, 2021 @ 8:10 pm Reply

Wonderful. It needed a little sugar and salt at the end to perfectly match restaurant flavor. I made a little extra sauce, and added one diced potato, two diced carrots, and 1/2 cup of peas, and cooked for ten minutes more.

Margaret — January 28, 2021 @ 6:24 pm Reply

This is by far the best butter chicken recipe I have tried. I think I’ve tried 5 different recipes and I have never been thrilled. This will be my go to recipe for now on. It makes a ton of sauce which you need for rice and naan bread. My husband had two full servings. The only thing I did differently was I used Kashmiri chili powder instead of regular chili powder. I bought Kashmiri chili powder for another recipe and ended up using your recipe instead. I think the recipe needed some salt, but that can be added to taste. My only regret was not doubling the recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Margaret — January 28, 2021 @ 6:25 pm Reply

I forgot to give this recipe 5 stars

Deedra Chaitu — February 2, 2021 @ 10:50 pm Reply

Definitely the best butter chicken recipe I’ve tried! Thank you

Vinay Javkar — February 22, 2021 @ 12:14 am Reply

This is was the best recipe thank you .

Kori — February 26, 2021 @ 2:42 pm Reply

Good

Kathy Stewart — March 5, 2021 @ 6:56 pm Reply

Made this tonight my first time at making butter chicken it was easy to make and very delicious

Shereen — March 14, 2021 @ 7:47 pm Reply

This is the easiest and tastiest butter chicken recipe I’ve found. This was the recipe that started it all for me. I found this site looking for a tasty butter chicken recipe. Who could go wrong with a recipe claiming finger lickin in the title? I have been in love with your recipes ever since. Thank you so much for sharing!

Andrada — April 11, 2021 @ 11:42 am Reply

Simply delicious!

Kristina — April 30, 2021 @ 5:22 am Reply

Very easy and tasty. My guests was amazed by taste. Thank you for sharing !

Kunal — May 2, 2021 @ 12:00 am Reply

Excellent recipe, restaurant quality. I did improvise a little, added a little sugar and cream to thicken the sauce/gravy.
Well done!!

4.5

Mary — May 9, 2021 @ 11:01 pm Reply

Finally…a truly restaurant style butter chicken!!! This was AMAZING!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Steve — July 27, 2021 @ 12:36 pm Reply

love this recipe. Just made it tonight for mine husband, he could not get enough of it!!!!

James H — August 1, 2021 @ 10:27 am Reply

This is an awesome recipe!! One thing I’ve found about every other butter chicken recipe online is that there is a significant lack of salt. Maybe it’s just my palate or the butter chicken I’m used to locally but I find that I usually have to add about 2 tsp of salt to balance the flavor since the spice blend I use doesn’t have any salt in it. I understand that those of you who perceive salty things as being unhealthly may feel differently. This particular recipe calls for Shan brand tandoori masala which does contain a significant amount of salt and makes it taste perfect in my opinion.

Holly — August 24, 2021 @ 2:38 pm Reply

You have ruined me for Indian takeout. Why pay when I can make it even better at home? Thank you so much!

Hina — September 7, 2021 @ 6:02 pm Reply

So yummy! My super picky 3 year old and super picky husband devoured it!

Al Maqdisi — October 16, 2021 @ 10:45 am Reply

I made this today and it came out beautifully. I used normal fresh tomatoes and blended them instead of canned tomatoes; used tandoori paste; cooked the sauce for 15 mins before adding to chicken and cooked the entire butter chicken for 10-20 mins. I felt it was really lacking in spice so I added extra. It definitely needed salt as well. Served it with flatbreads ☺
Thanks for the recipe, Marzia

John — October 31, 2021 @ 4:24 am Reply

Really lick your fingers! Thanks!

Chelsea Lazenby — November 3, 2021 @ 7:41 am Reply

Absolutely beautiful recipe! The dish is my go to when I fancy a milder curry , always make the sauce when making the marinade for the chicken and leave them both over night in the fridge. Literally chuck it all together the next day and it’s on the table in 20mins. It got my little girls eating curries ! They want to try all of the ones I cook now ! Definitely recommend

Nadia — November 11, 2021 @ 8:23 pm Reply

I have used this recipe a few times now, and we really enjoy it. It’s very healthy and that’s the reason we use this recipe over others. I use less ghee (1.5 tbsp) and cashew cream instead of whipping cream. Love this recipe!!!

4.5

Gabbi — January 6, 2022 @ 8:35 am Reply

This recipe is AMAZING. I have been trying to replicate this as its one of my favorite takeout dishes and I was wary I could achieve it on my own. This recipe was perfect though and it came out exactly as I had hoped. 🙂 thank you!

Vanillabean — January 16, 2022 @ 5:39 pm Reply

It is delicious! My suggestion is to double the chicken, as there is too much sauce and not enough chicken.

Karyn — January 23, 2022 @ 8:53 pm Reply

This is my favorite!!!

Cortney — February 14, 2022 @ 11:22 am Reply

I found this recipe a few years ago and it’s my go to butter chicken recipe!! This is the ultimate comfort dish!! It’s so good and very easy!!

ish — February 15, 2022 @ 8:49 am Reply

I made this for and Indian friend and he absolutely loved it… Gonna be making it all the time.

Tinaa — February 22, 2022 @ 3:37 pm Reply

This recipe definitely deserves 5 stars! Not only is it delicious, but very easy to make. I followed the recipe as is, except for the yogurt I only had zero sugar vanilla and not plain which ended up working. Lol. Idk why others had an issue with it not tasting like butter chicken, but it turned out great for me and my family! Thank you for sharing. Will make again and again.

Carolyn — June 15, 2022 @ 10:20 am Reply

Very simple and straightforward. The best butter chicken recipe I have made and I’ve tried a lot of authentic butter chicken. Sent this recipe to friends!!

4.5

Rayann — July 25, 2022 @ 9:40 pm Reply

Hi I was wanting to know what I can use to replace heavy whipping cream with. I have a family member who cannot have cow dairy or anything with coconuts due to allergies but they can have goat dairy and sheep dairy. I am going to use goat ghee, and goat yogurt but I don’t know what to replace the heavy cream with.

I love the recipe big time and I love to make it and I want to share the love of this recipe with them but have to change out the cow dairy ingredients. Please help

Mila — August 6, 2022 @ 6:53 pm Reply

How much sauce per pound of chicken? I doubled the sauce recipe so I could portion and freeze it.

Mona — October 10, 2022 @ 5:34 pm Reply

Is there no salt in this recipe? Am I missing something?

Fatima Riaz — October 28, 2022 @ 6:17 pm Reply

What an amaizng south Asian/Pakistani cuisine recipe! Loved making and then eating this butterchicken recipe. Infact my whole family loved it!
Easy to make and super tasty! I couldn’t believe that it was home made!

Jay — November 22, 2022 @ 7:02 pm Reply

Hi can I use chicken thighs instead of the breast?

Angela Michelle Billo — November 29, 2022 @ 9:50 am Reply

My absolute go- to for Butter chicken. Pataks Tandori Masala is the key!

4.5

Kayla — December 14, 2022 @ 12:11 pm Reply

I’m bangali and I’ve been making this for years now… it’s amazing! Taste better than restaurant dishes! Though I use a lot more ghee instead of oil.

P G — January 8, 2023 @ 3:21 am Reply

Easy recipe, turned out so well!!

Angela — March 3, 2023 @ 1:53 pm Reply

This is my go-to recipe, and has been for 5 years. It’s the very best one I’ve found. Thank you for making me look good in front of my Indian friends. They even bring me spices back now when they visit home.

Sunbal Ashraf — March 7, 2023 @ 9:11 pm Reply

Hi Marzia! Loved the recipe but felt the tomatoes were a little too strong. I guess I also used fire roasted crushed tomatoes instead of regular which could be contributing? I would probably use half the can to see if it balances it out otherwise spice, flavor, consistency was perfect.

Franca — March 23, 2023 @ 8:07 am Reply

I have made this multiple times and it’s delicious!! The only thing I found was when I use the immersion blender it comes out gritty for some reason. I have recently purchased a vita mixer and it works perfectly. The sauce came out so creamy. Oh and I also use coconut milk instead of cream. So tasty.

Amanda — April 13, 2023 @ 3:57 pm Reply

Soooo good! Just made this for dinner as my kids absolutely love butter chicken from our fav local place. They haven’t woken from nap yet, and I am holding myself back from getting a second “taster” bowl! =P

I could not find fenugreek leaves from my local store, so I did have to sub a little mustard seed and then finished it off with a bit of maple syrup. The one we get is typically a little on the sweeter side so it is going to be right up the kids alley – and it taste AH-mazing.

Thank you! Definitely bookmarking this as a must do weekly!

Veronica — June 4, 2023 @ 11:12 am Reply

Can I use minced garlic and ginger if I can’t find the pastes?

Marzia — June 4, 2023 @ 2:38 pm Reply
Hi Veronica! The minced ginger and garlic will work for the sauce however I find the bit in the chicken marinade makes the overall butter chicken grainy and not as smooth. You could pop these ingredients into a blender/food processor and blend them to make a paste before hand. That should fix the issue! Hope you enjoy the butter chicken!

Lauren — August 11, 2023 @ 2:29 pm Reply

Can I substitute Garam Masala for Tandoori Masala???? I have sooo much Garam Masala and my spice cabinet is already overflowing. Trying to avoid buying something new if I can avoid it!

Sharon — August 19, 2023 @ 1:38 pm Reply

What if I cannot have ginger???
(Transplant patient).

Btw
Your blueberry gluten free muffins werethe bomb!!!!!
And even tho I don’t like almond, you did it and with the nutmeg added you made it perfect!
You made the real deal. GF and all.

Denita — August 20, 2023 @ 10:42 pm Reply

Made this recipe tonight! Most of the family really loved it but it was a little spicy for some. Is there a way to cut the spice and still get the flavor?

Tone Hill — September 7, 2023 @ 9:45 am Reply

It is a lovely recipe, higly recommend it.

George — November 10, 2023 @ 5:39 pm Reply

Best

Saba Baig — December 7, 2023 @ 12:48 pm Reply

Love this recipe! Do I double the garam masala when doubling the recipe?

Linda — January 4, 2024 @ 10:13 pm Reply

I tried this recipe today after going to an Indian restaurant recently and having the most delicious butter chicken. After adding way more spices than the recipe calls for, I finally could taste some flavor. So this recipe didn’t work out for us very well. I added less cream because it was washing out flavor as well. I must also say that we did not marinate anything and just continued on cooking all at once. Maybe tomorrow it will taste a little bit better!

2.5

Annette — April 7, 2024 @ 5:16 am Reply

This recipe has become part of my favourite dishes – absolutely great! Easy to make and a great choice for inviting guests. Love it – thank you 🙂

Alex — April 25, 2024 @ 4:08 pm Reply

I have made this both with chicken and subbed with paneer to make it vegetarian. DELICIOUS! One of my go to Indian recipes!

Sally — May 4, 2024 @ 1:05 am Reply

Is the nutriational information for the recipe available?

Sydney — May 28, 2024 @ 7:52 pm Reply

I made this tonight for dinner, my chicken only marinated for 4 hours. I did not have red chilli powder, or fenugreek. I omitted the red chilli powder as the tandoori masala has it in it, and for the fenugreek I added a splash of maple syrup. I also didn’t have garlic and ginger paste so I just used jarred minced garlic and ginger. Thank you so much for the recipe! It was fantastic! I have made a few butter chicken recipes, and so far this is the closest to a restaurant butter chicken. 10/10!

Ashley — June 14, 2024 @ 12:47 pm Reply

Thank you, this was fabulous! I will definitely keep this recipe on rotation. When I portioned out my serving, I ground a little sea salt on top. Other than that, I made it exactly as written. Can’t wait to try out some of your other recipes as well!

Nabisah — June 15, 2024 @ 8:00 am Reply

I tried this, super delicious. Thank you

Vicky Lindsay — June 17, 2024 @ 12:21 pm Reply

Can I use powdered ginger – how much
Or fresh ginger – how much?

mason — August 24, 2024 @ 9:25 pm Reply

didn’t taste like butter chicken, i probably did the recipe wrong BUT it was still very delicious. tasted more like a curry

Rhea — August 29, 2024 @ 12:02 am Reply

I loved it, and I always asked my favourite person to make this for our dinner, and he never failed me. Our all time favourite

The Best Butter Chicken Recipe (Murgh Makhani) | Little Spice Jar (2024)