Butter Chicken
If there was a chicken dish that was fit for Royalty, I truly believe Butter Chicken would be it! Perfect grilled boneless chicken served in a creamy, buttery, silky smooth sauce….this dish is not for those that would shy away from extra calories!! It's the kind of dish that would have you literally licking your plate and scooping up second helpings!The dish is famous the world over, and is probably one of the most loved of Indian meals. It goes oh-so-well with steamed rice and naans, and each bite of the tender and juicy chicken morsels covered in creamy sauce is a delightful experience.Because of all the extra calories in this dish, it should be one of those meals that you save for super-special occasions, that way you can look forward to and enjoy the meal the way it is supposed to be enjoyed!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade
- 500 gm boneless chicken breast cut into cubes - marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight in the ingredients below.
- 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. red chilli powder
- pinch of turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tbsp. tandoori masala
- 1 tsp. tomato paste/puree
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp. oil
Additional Ingredients
- 1 large onion grated
- 1 tsp. fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi
- 2-3 green chillies
- 4-5 fresh tomatoes chopped
- 1-2 tsp. tomato paste/puree
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup fresh cream you can use up to 3/4 of a cup if you want it creamier
- 4 tbsp. butter + 4 tbsp. oil
- 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. garam masala
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Put the chicken on skewers (discard the marinade) and either grill on a bbq grill or in the oven directly under the grill for about 8 minutes on each side (at 200 C) or until the chicken pieces are slightly charred. (Remember that the chicken will be cooked further in the sauce, so don't over-cook them at this stage). Remove the cubes from the skewers and put them in a bowl, cover to keep them moist and set aside.Heat the butter and oil in a pot, add the cumin seeds, cardamom and cinnamon. When the cumin starts to splutter, add the fenugreek leaves followed by the onions and fry until they are translucent and starting to brown. Then add the ginger and garlic paste and the green chilies, fry them for a minute then add the cubed tomatoes and the tomato paste.Cook on high heat for a few minutes, then lower to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and well-cooked and some oil begins to get released from the sides. Turn off the heat, and remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods from the mixture. Let it cool slightly, then put the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture into your pot, season with a bit of salt and the sugar. Add the grilled chicken cubes. Simmer together for about 5 minutes until the gravy coats the chicken cubes well, you can add a bit of warm water at this stage if you want extra gravy. The gravy will thicken when you add cream. Sprinkle the garam masala.Lastly add the cream, stir well and simmer on low heat for 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Switch off and serve over rice or with naan. You can add a blob of butter or drizzle some cream for a lovely appearance if you want when you serve the dish.Enjoy! 🙂
may i know what is cardamom pods
Whole cardamom.
I have always wondered what you mean by fresh cream? There are so many different types of creams sold here, I get confused. Do you mean regular cream also used for whipped cream on cakes? Or creme fraiche?
Fresh cream is sometimes labelled as cooking cream. You can use single cream in it’s place. Not creme fraiche nor whipped cream. However if you cannot find the ones I’ve mentioned, you can use whipping cream (the liquid version) but dilute it in half with milk so it is not too heavy. Fresh cooking cream is normally lighter in consistency. Hope that helps!
hi, instead of grilling the chicken, can i shallow fry it in a pan?
Hi, yes you can! Don’t over-fry though, just 3-4 minutes per side for every skewer.
butterchicken is my favorite
Are you talking here about d nestle fresh cream?d one vch comes in a small tin like milk maid tin?want to make it for iftaar,hope it comes out good 🙂 can u tel me plz what type of bread goes best wit this?i dont have electric oven,can i make ur tawa naan for this?
No, in this case fresh cream is the fresh cooking cream, normally available in the refrigerated section next to stuff like sour cream, whipping cream etc. You can use single cream instead. And yes you can make tawa naan for this, goes beautifully with it. Otherwise I sometimes make it with Parathas.
Made this atleast 10 times now! This is simply the best chicken dish ever! Cannot believe I made this – its such a high quality restarant dish! Thanks!
Hi! This is such an easy dish to make. It was a super hit at my place. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks.Do you have Methi Chicken’s Recipe? Would love to try that too.
Hi and thanks! At the moment no methi chicken recipe but planning on adding it soon inshaAllah.
salted butter or unsalted?
It doesn’t matter, either of the two. If salted, mind how much salt you use in the recipe.
ms.fauzia
aap ka koi b mukabla nahi kar sakta.aap kamaal ho. kya aap garam masala ki recipe bataa sakte ho aap ki recipe ki video kahan se dowlload kar sakte hai.
In English please?
If I have garlic & ginger paste mixed together, should it still be 1 spoon or should I use 2 spoons then?
Thanks
2 tsp.
Salamz.. Hi
How much fresh cream is it in ML??
W/Salaam, 1 cup of cream is 200 ml.
kk thanx 🙂
Fauzia love u dear.u r blessed.thx 4r helping me in my kitchen.
if using chicken with bone hw mch ckn i shd use.and in oven is it k if i just keep the ckn on a grill tray.
The recipe should be good enough for a full small chicken, about 1.2kg or so.
Wat about ckn in oven is it k i just keep on grill tray
Yes that is fine.
I tried the above recipe.taste ws awesome same.same like restaurant.thank you.
hey fauzia,
hope you’re well
what is the difference between tomato paste and tomato puree? are they the same?
can i use tomato puree in this recipe?
thanks,
Sabira 🙂
Hi, am well thank you Sabira. You know, in some places tomato paste and tomato puree actually mean the same thing, but literally, puree is blended tomatoes and paste is the thick concentrated tomato that is sold in jars or cans. For this recipe use the concentrate, not the blended tomatoes. 🙂
Can we make tomato paste at home?
Can I skip grilling part??
Either grill or fry, but do not skip that step entirely.
pLZ TELL CAN WE GRILL ON THE GRILLING PAN?
Yes that is ok.
Salam fauzia, can we freeze your butter chicken after fully cooked? I have some leftover that I would like to freeze for another time. Pls advise . JazakAllah khair
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Salam fauzia, its difficult finding methi leaves here during d raining season. What should I use instead of the methi leaves? I could only get fenugreek seeds. Thanks
W/Salaam, you can leave it out. Don’t use the seeds in place of the leaves for this recipe.
aslamoalikum fauzia anty May Allah pak bless u ..i want to know the recipe of tandore msla that u use in making of buttter chikn coz i cannt fond ths msala in market.
Thanks for the quick reply, but wunt it change the flavour without the leaves? Just curious, I want it to be perfect☺ I wanT to cook it for lunch tomorrow insha Allah.
W/Salaam, I normally buy tandoori masala ready made, where are you located? Try checking for it at any indian grocers or at the supermarket. 🙂
It won’t make a huge difference although the leaves add a very nice flavour to the dish. If it is possible to get the leaves do so, otherwise the dish will still be yummy even without them.
If I want to substitute fresh tomatoes for the tin ones how many tins will it be
1 can of tomatoes.
Fabulous recipes!!!
Butter chicken tastes yummy if cashew paste is added to the gravy
Mashallah , May Allah Reward you for your kind help
Salam Fauzia Baji, What is tomato paste? I haven’t seen it in supermarket. Is it something that needs to be made at home? I have seen and used tomato puree that comes in can(tin) and tube, is it same as paste? I live in UK.
W/Salaam, it comes ready made, please refer to my previous comment on this. 🙂
can we put chkn in fan oven instead of grilling ??? if so thn for how much tym ???
Grilling helps retain moisture in the chicken. You can fry the chicken for 3 minutes per side or bake for around 10 minutes, although I would recommend to grill or fry rather than bake if you want the chicken to remain moist.
Best to get the ready made version as it is very thick and concentrated. Otherwise blend tomatoes and cook them down with a pinch of salt and sugar until thick and dark.
assalamulikum…. i would lyk to knw wt to do wid left over marinated chicken masala…. reply soon..
W/Salaam, please refer to the first line of my Instructions.
Had this at my sisters place and loved it. Just put the chicken to marinate now. Will let it stay overnight and make the dish for lunch.
Salam..I really appreciate your work and the way you explain solutions to our every queries . Your all recipes are great. I wanted to make this butter chicken for the first time ..I have started the procedure after thoroughly going through your recipe but I just did a big mistake . I have marinated boned chicken.. Wanted to get it marinate overnight. Now how can I fry it? Should I deep fry it or bake it ? Please solve my problem. That boneless thing just got out of my mind while marinating.. Thanks in advance
W/Salaam, thank you. It is ok, you can use the chicken on bone for this recipe. Bake the chicken just as described in the method and then cook it as per the rest of the recipe. It should be just fine. 🙂
i mean,i will try this butter chicken recipe of yours for the 1st time.i tried other recipe of butter chicken but it turned out not so well.jst want to know adding of cashewnuts will change the taste of the recipe.plz reply soon.
Cashewnut will help add more flavour and thicken the gravy. I prefer it without the cashewnut myself though.
Salaam…this looks delish!
Salaam…this looks delish! Quick Question…can I use sour cream as I cannot find whipping cream at our grocery store…also, can I just use oil instead of oil and butter?
W/Salaam, sour cream will
W/Salaam, sour cream will give a slightly different flavour, rich but tangy. Without the butter, this will no longer really be butter chicken. 🙂
hi,
hi,
can i use nestle cream as i dont have any other cream at home niether i hav time to go out??
Hi, it should be ok I guess
Hi, it should be ok I guess if the cream is not sweet.
This was a real treat. Can’t
This was a real treat. Can’t ask for more. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Hi
Hi
Can you plz instruct me on how to grill the chicken coz i am new to kitchen 🙂
Hi! Are you grilling in the
Hi! Are you grilling in the oven or on a bbq grill?
oven
oven
Preheat the oven to the
Preheat the oven to the recommended temperature and make sure the grill knob is turned on. Once the oven is hot, you can then grill your chicken in it. 🙂
Wah wah,,,it was delicious!!
Wah wah,,,it was delicious!!
Thanq once again,,
Salam
salams fauzia. can i use
salams fauzia. can i use double cream instead of fresh cream?
W/Salaam. Yes that is fine.
W/Salaam. Yes that is fine.
If i cant get fresh methi
If i cant get fresh methi leaves than should i replace it with dried kasoori methi?
Yes that is fine, just a
Yes that is fine, just a small pinch will do. Or leave it out completely. 🙂
Jazakallah Sis
Jazakallah Sis
I made this last night and at
I made this last night and at first it looks complicated but once half way through its very easy and very yummy. My friends were licking their fingers satisfied customers i believe 😀
I made this yesterday for
I made this yesterday for dinner and it was yumm.
Assalam O Alaikum!This is the
Assalam O Alaikum!This is the most delicious and perfect recipe MashAllah. If I replace chicken with beef/mutton, at what temperature and how long do I have to bake it?
W/Salaam, thank you. I’ve
W/Salaam, thank you. I’ve never tried this with beef/mutton so am not sure exactly how it would turn out using the method given. Maybe you should pressure cook or boil the meat first to make sure it is perfectly tender.
Salam Fauzia
Salam Fauzia
Can I freeze this curry after making it?
thanks
W/Salaam, yes you can.
W/Salaam, yes you can.
Absolutely delicious . It was
Absolutely delicious . It was a hit with my hubby and the rest of my family! I always get asked to make this.
is heavy whipping cream or
is heavy whipping cream or half and half same as the cream you mentioned.
thanks 🙂
You can use heavy whipping
You can use heavy whipping cream.
I enjoyed this dish very much
I enjoyed this dish very much. Its a real treat!
Hi. By ‘cardamom pods’ do you
Hi. By ‘cardamom pods’ do you mean badi elaichi or chhoti elaichi?
Hi, I do not speak indian so
Hi, I do not speak indian so am not sure what badi elaichi and chhoti elaichi mean. I mean whole cardamoms.
Ummm.. What I meant was, the
Ummm.. What I meant was, the green (small) ones or the black (bigger) ones?
Btw, I thought you were Pakistani 🙂 … Are you not?
Small green ones. I am Arab,
Small green ones. I am Arab, not Pakistani. 🙂
Salam fauzia.. can we use the
Salam fauzia.. can we use the fresh cream we store which comes on top of milk? thanx
W/Salaam, have never used
W/Salaam, have never used that cream so am not sure how the results would be, sorry!
Hi. First of all, I think it
Hi. First of all, I think it is very kind of you to reply to every query individually. Thank you!
I have a few questions:
1. By ‘discarding’ the marinade, you mean washing it off, rite?
2. I don’t have skewers or grilling equipment or an oven. Is there anything else I can do with the chicken?
3. Is ‘tandoori chicken masala’ the same as ‘tandoori masala’? Coz that’s all I could find.
Hi,
Hi,
1. No, do not wash it off. Just shake off whatever is excess, what sticks to the chicken is fine, leave it there. Anything remaining after you take out the chicken from the marinade, just discard it.
2. Fry the pieces on a frying pan.
3. Yes same thing.
Thanks!
Thanks!
salaam fauzia.i will b making
salaam fauzia.i will b making this for an occasion soon,i will b making 6kg worth of chicken,my only fret is fishing out the cardomoms which will b 24 in total,any recommendation to make it easy.i made 1kg worth the other day 4 elachi was not too bad.
W/Salaam, use just 4-6
W/Salaam, use just 4-6 cardamoms instead of all 24, it will still be deliciously good. 🙂
Can I use half and half milk
Can I use half and half milk cream as a sub for fresh cream? And if so, what quantity for this recipe?
Yes you can, same amount.
Yes you can, same amount.
Hi. I would like to know if I
Hi. I would like to know if I can use garlic cloves instead of garlic paste. One more question please. Butter chicken recipe calls for red chili powder. I have cayenne powder, regular chili powder and hot chili powder. I am Confused as to which powder to use . Thanks in advance
Hi, you can actually use
Hi, you can actually use whichever of the three that you like. I just use regular chilli powder. As for garlic paste, it is basically garlic cloves that are blended into a paste or grated into a paste.
Hi, I made this dish today
Hi, I made this dish today and it was really tasty. I was wondering though if it’s supposed to be sweet. My husband told me to omit the sugar next time but I think it’s a crucial ingredient for this dish. Would u be able to tell me the approximate measurement of salt? Thanks for ur great recipes
Hi, thanks for the lovely
Hi, thanks for the lovely feedback. You can omit the sugar, it helps cut the acidity from the tomatoes, but if you do not mind that slight acidic taste that is normal with tomatoes then it should be just fine. As for salt, since there is half a tsp in the marinade, I would say maybe at most another one tsp in the gravy. But add it a bit at a time and taste.
Hi, can u tell me if u use
Hi, can u tell me if u use black cardamom or the green cardamom in recipe? Thanks
Hi, green.
Hi, green.
Salaam fauzia,
Salaam fauzia,
Just wanted to say a BIG jzk for this recipe
And all the others that i have been following, being recently married your website has been a lifesaver in the kitchen for me and helped me impress the in laws!
Keep up the good work sister!
Hi,
Hi,
I made this for the first time and the whole family loved the recipe MasaaAllah. I wud like to make 1kg chicken next time as this amount was not enough! How many onions, tomatoes shud I use. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes with us.
Hi, thanks for the lovely
Hi, thanks for the lovely feedback. Simply double the entire recipe. 🙂
Asalamualikum ..
Asalamualikum ..
My chicken gets hard where I’m getting wrong
W/Salaam, chicken hardens
W/Salaam, chicken hardens when overcooked or cooked over very high simmering heat for too long.
I made this yesterday. It was
I made this yesterday. It was fantastic. Thankyou so much Fauzia xx
Hi, when you say add salt to
Hi, when you say add salt to taste. How much would that be exactly. I dont know how to tell by tasting if there’s too less or too much salt. Please could you tell me how much you put. Thanks so much
Hi, it is normally difficult
Hi, it is normally difficult to gauge with gravies as all depends on how much liquid is added later on. I would start with half a teaspoon, then give it a taste and add as needed.
Hello,
Hello,
Thanks for the delicious recipe. Is it possible to make the sauce, blend and refrigerate or freeze, then bring to room temperature before use?
Yes that is fine.
Yes that is fine.
Assalaamualaikum…tday i
Assalaamualaikum…tday i made dis recipe using boneless shredded chicken..which was not grilled…i followed ur same procedure of frying den blending of onions n tomatoes …ill give dhungar to it (liting d coal) for dat grilled like smell…will d results be the same???
Assalamu Alaikum sis, if i
Assalamu Alaikum sis, if i can cook the marinated chicken on a pan, could you please suggest how many minutes should i cook the chicken on each side ?
W/Salaam, 3-4 minutes per
W/Salaam, 3-4 minutes per side over high heat. 🙂
Jazakallahu khair sis
Jazakallahu khair sis
Salam
Do i use single or double cream where it says fresh cream?
Thank you
Single cream or cooking cream. You can use double cream too but it does tend to be quite a bit richer.
Salaam, I would like to make the recipe but I have a question. When you say 8 minutes per side, is it 2 sides or 4 sides ?