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    You are here: Home / Indian / Authentic Butter Chicken - Murgh Makhani Restaurant Style

    Authentic Butter Chicken - Murgh Makhani Restaurant Style

    May 28, 2020 · 15 Comments

    Authentic Butter Chicken

    Anjali Mazumdar
    5 from 5 votes
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    45 minutes

    Authentic Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is a luscious, velvety, and creamy Indian chicken recipe. It is primarily a Tomato and Cashew Nut based sauce where Chicken Tikkas (Grilled Chicken Pieces) are smeared in and topped with Fresh Cream and Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Have you tried my Butter Chicken Meatballs? It's so easy and gets ready in just 30-minutes from scratch. Also, try my Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

    Butter Chicken is also known as Murgh Makhani in India. Murgh meaning Chicken and Makhani meaning a buttery smooth sauce. This Authentic Butter Chicken is a mildly spicy and sweet Chicken Curry recipe. The slight punch of sweetness in the Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani makes it unique from other Indian Chicken recipes such as the Authentic Chicken Curry or Coconut Chicken Curry or even the spicy favorite Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicken Korma Recipe || Shahi Chicken Korma or Chicken Jalfrezi (Slow Cooker or Stove Top) or Chicken Vindaloo in Instant Pot or Chicken Madras or Chicken Pasanda or Malabar Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk or Indian Spiced Spinach Chicken | Spinach Chicken | Murg Saagwala

    Jump to:
    • 😋 Authentic Butter Chicken - Let's talk about the Taste
    • Why is it called "Butter Chicken"?
    • 🎥 A Video Tutorial For You 🙂
    • 📝 How to make restaurant-style Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani?
    • First - Marinate the Chicken
    • Second - Make the Sauce
    • Third - Grill the Chicken
    • Fourth - Blend the Sauce
    • Fifth - Add Heavy Cream
    • 💪 Is Butter Chicken Healthy?
    • 💯 How to make the best Butter Chicken every time
    • Authentic Butter Chicken

    I love Butter Chicken. I don't even remember the first time I ever had this recipe. I love the mildly sweet and spicy flavors of butter chicken. I love how creamy and velvety the sauce is and of course, it has my two favorite things - the grilled Chicken Pieces and of course the Makhani or the Buttery gravy.

    If you know Indian food, it's generally very spicy or mostly spicy. However, this one is different. It's a very delicately prepared recipe where the sauce is strained to get a smooth and velvety texture that tastes perfect with some Naan Bread or Fried Rice or Coconut Rice or Jasmine Rice.

    😋 Authentic Butter Chicken - Let's talk about the Taste

    Butter Chicken has a mildly sweet and spicy taste. It's creamy, luscious, velvety, and oh so yummy! Butter Chicken has a flavor of blended Indian spices.

    So there is no whole spice which'll come to your mouth while you are enjoying this. There is a simple yet sophisticated taste to Butter Chicken.

    The velvety smooth gravy or the buttery sauce has a punch of the Tomatoes which is so beautifully blended with the spices, the onions, the Cashew Nuts, the Heavy Cream, and of course Butter.

    Why is it called "Butter Chicken"?

    The common misconception, especially in the states is that Butter Chicken is all about Butter. Well, no! Butter Chicken gets its name from the silky smooth sauce which is so carefully prepared and it feels like melting butter over a bed of grilled Chicken Pieces. So, yeah! that's how it gets the name Butter Chicken. It's the buttery feel to the sauce or the gravy and not the actual use or taste of butter in every bite.

    🎥 A Video Tutorial For You 🙂

    📝 How to make restaurant-style Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani?

    Below is a brief description of the recipe. You can jump to the recipe below for a detailed printable recipe. Also watch the video for a quick visual 🙂

    First - Marinate the Chicken

    Marinate the Chicken.

    • So, you "marinate the Chicken" with some freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, Ginger and Garlic Paste, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder (OR Smoked Parika), Yogurt, and some Salt.
    • You mix all of these spices with the Chicken and keep this covered in the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes.

    Second - Make the Sauce

    • Meanwhile for the sauce, roughly chop the Red Onions and Tomatoes.
    • Heat a knob of butter in a skillet.
    • As the Butter starts to melt, throw in the whole spices - Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom Pods, Mace flower strands, and some Peppercorns.
    • As the spices get fragrant, add the Onions, Garlic, and Tomatoes.
    • Also, throw in the Cashew Nuts in it and mix well.
    • Season it with some Red Chili Powder (Paprika), Garam Masala, Sugar, Salt, and Pepper.
    • Mix all of these and cover cook for at least 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes get mushy.

    Third - Grill the Chicken

    • So, while you are waiting for the Tomatoes to get cooked, you can get your Grill pan out and heat some vegetable oil in it.
    • As the oil becomes smoking hot, place the chicken pieces into it, and allow it to get fried, both sides, until it develops nice charr.
    • Charr the Chicken pieces until they form a nice brownish crust over them and look like they've been grilled.
    • This is the third stage in the process of cooking Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani.
    • As the Chicken pieces get properly charred get them off the pan and keep them aside. Don't worry about the leftover oil. We'll add that to the curry later on. So, don't throw it away.

    Fourth - Blend the Sauce

    • So, by now your tomatoes will have got all mushy and cooked. So turn off the heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature for about 5-10 minutes.
    • Then throw it all in a blender and blend to a smooth puree.
    • After you've pureed it, take a strainer and strain this.
    • You can use a spoon to get everything out of the strainer. What you'll be left with is a smooth and lump-free puree. You can discard the leftover.

    Fifth - Add Heavy Cream

    Trust me, this is the last step of this whole process of making restaurant-style Butter Chicken at home.

    • So, you heat a knob of butter in a wok and add the blended sauce
    • Mix it well and then add some Heavy Cream to it and mix well.
    • As the heavy cream gets mixed with the Sauce you can add the Grilled Chicken Pieces to the curry and then cover cook for at least 15 minutes.
    • After 15 minutes, your Butter Chicken will be ready.
    • So you can garnish it with some Dried fenugreek leaves or Chopped Cilantro, and some more heavy cream and serve this with Naan bread or Fried Rice.

    💪 Is Butter Chicken Healthy?

    Yes! absolutely. It's just about 320-330 calories and will not give you heartburn or digestive trouble. Also, this is not at all spicy.

    I understand why people keep away from Butter Chicken. It's because the most common misconception is that Butter Chicken is all about butter.

    Well actually, it's not about butter. It's the silky smooth consistency of the sauce that makes it feel like melting butter over a bed of Chicken.

    If you notice in my butter Chicken recipe I have used just 2 tablespoon of butter, which is just 100 calories. Besides that, I have used some 2 Tablespoons of Heavy Cream which is about 190 calories.

    So, roughly this whole big bowl of Butter Chicken adds down to about 320-330 Calories which is just the amount of calories in a basic Chicken or Beef Casserole recipe. Also, this is the essential amount of calories we intake regularly for dinner.

    Besides this Butter chicken is filled with proteins because of the Chicken and the cream and the butter making it a healthy diet option.

    💯 How to make the best Butter Chicken every time

    • Always grill the Chicken pieces until they get nicely charred from both the sides
    • Do not overuse any spices. Just use the mentioned amount of spices.
    • If you do not have whole spices, skip that and just use Garam Masala.
    • Always add some sweetness to the Butter Chicken because that's what makes it stand out.
    • Do not overuse butter in the Butter Chicken.
    • Replace Heavy Cream with Coconut milk for low carb version
    • Always strain the sauce and then use it for a smooth and silky texture. Throw away the leftover seeds and pulps.

    Authentic Butter Chicken

    Authentic Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is a mildly spicy and sweet Indian Chicken recipe, which is best served with naan bread or fried rice.
    4 people
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Indian
    Keyword butter chicken, chicken butter masala, murgh makhani
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    No Resting Time Rquired 0 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Servings 4 people
    Author Anjali Mazumdar
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    Ingredients

    For Chicken Marination

    • 2 lbs Boneless Chicken washed and dried
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
    • 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 2 tablespoon Thick Yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or smoked Paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Salt

    For the Sauce

    • 2 tablespoon Butter
    • 3 medium sized Tomatoes
    • 3 medium sized Red Onion
    • 10 cloves Garlic
    • 1 Handful Cashew Nuts
    • 1 Handful Whole spices - 1 Bay leaf, 3 small Cinnamon sticks, 2 strands Mace, 3 peppercorns, 2 pods of Green Cardamom
    • 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • 2 tablespoon Heavy Cream
    • 1 pinch dried fenugreek leaves optional
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    Instructions

    • Marinate the Chicken with Lemon Juice, Ginger Garlic Paste, Yogurt, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, and some salt. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes, and allow the marination to seep into the chicken for about 15 to 20 minutes.
    • Heat butter in a skillet. As the butter shimmers, Add whole spices, chopped onions, tomatoes, cashew nuts, red chili powder, garam masala, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well. Saute until it gets fragrant over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. After that, Cover cook for 5 minutes over low heat. If it gets too dry in the meantime, add some water and scrape off anything that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
      After it gets all mushy and cooked, turn off the heat. Allow it to cool down for some time. Throw it into a high-speed blender and blend into a smooth puree.
      Strain the Puree using a siever so that you get a smooth and silky puree ready. Discard the leftovers.
    • Heat vegetable oil in a grill pan. Grill the Chicken until it gets charred. (Defined Brownish Marks on both sides)
    • Heat butter in a large wok or skillet. Add the pureed sauce that you had prepared in step 2. Mix it well. Pour Heavy Cream and stir until combined.
      Finally throw in grilled chicken pieces and cover cook for 10-15 minutes.
    • Take a chicken out on a serving plate. Garnish with the Sauce, dried fenugreek leaves and some heavy cream.
      Serve it with Naan Bread or Fried Rice.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Always grill the Chicken pieces until they get nicely charred from both the sides
    2. Do not overuse any spices. Just use the mentioned amount of spices.
    3. If you do not have whole spices, skip that and just use Garam Masala.
    4. Always add some sweetness to the Butter Chicken because that's what makes it stand out.
    5. Do not overuse butter in the Butter Chicken. 
    6. Always strain the sauce and then use it for a smooth and silky texture. Throw away the leftover seeds and pulps.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcal
    Nutrition Facts
    Authentic Butter Chicken
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 325
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Anjali

    Hi, I'm Anjali - Thank you for stopping by at Recipemagik.com. I hope you enjoyed your time reading through some of my contents. the voice and the thought behind this website. A mother of twins looking to make life pretty through little things. Stay connected.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Racheal says

      June 09, 2020 at 5:36 am

      5 stars
      Ummm! It was SO TASTY!

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        June 09, 2020 at 5:46 am

        Thanks, Racheal!

        Reply
    2. Mia says

      June 09, 2020 at 5:37 am

      5 stars
      Man oh Man! It is the BEST Butter Chicken I have ever had. So So So GOOD. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        June 09, 2020 at 5:45 am

        Thanks Mia! Glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    3. Ron Tucker says

      June 09, 2020 at 5:38 am

      5 stars
      Well, I would replace fenugreek with cilantro. But, overall the recipe sounds perfect. Cant wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        June 09, 2020 at 5:45 am

        Yeah sure! But I highly recommend you to use dried fenugreek leaves. It has such a great flavor. however, you can obviously use Cilantro in its place, although the flavors are absolutely different.

        Reply
    4. Vanessa Martinez says

      September 18, 2020 at 2:31 am

      5 stars
      Wow! This looks so yum! I tried some in Delhi and I think this is truly the authentic way to make Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani! Silky smooth sauce and perfect hint of sweet and sour flavors. Will definitely try this soon.

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        September 18, 2020 at 2:33 am

        Please do! Tell me how much fun you had making this!

        Reply
    5. Alyssa says

      October 12, 2020 at 4:46 pm

      5 stars
      I love Indian Butter Chicken! And I followed this recipe by word and turned out just amazing! Your recipe Reminds me of Delhi where we visited and had this so long ago and loved it!
      Just the best and most authentic recipe for Butter Chicken out there!!!

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        October 12, 2020 at 4:55 pm

        Wow! Thanks for such a kind response. I am so glad you loved my recipe.

        Reply
      • Anjali says

        October 12, 2020 at 5:00 pm

        Wow! So happy for your kind words.

        Reply
    6. Angie says

      July 28, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      3 onions? Haven’t made this yet but want to just seems 3 onions is a lot

      Reply
      • Anjali says

        July 28, 2021 at 1:06 pm

        3 onions are required for 2lb of Chicken. If you find this a lot, you can always reduce the quantity. however, in my home, we love to use Onions because it adds to the sweetness of the curry.

        Reply
        • Angie says

          July 28, 2021 at 2:52 pm

          Thank you for the quick reply should I use red onions or yellow ?

          Reply
          • Angie says

            July 28, 2021 at 3:02 pm

            Nevermind I see now it says red can’t wait to try thank u!

            Reply

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