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“Rich butter chicken served in a bowl with fluffy white rice and naan bread, topped with fresh cilantro.”

butter chicken

Restaurant-style butter chicken with tender, lightly charred chicken thighs in a rich tomato-butter-cream sauce fragrant with garam masala and kasuri methi. Weeknight-friendly, crowd-pleasing, and even better the next day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinate 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb Boneless skinless chicken thighs - Cut bite-size
  • 1 cup Plain yogurt - Whole milk preferred
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon juice - Fresh
  • 2 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste -
  • 2 teaspoon Garam masala -
  • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder - To taste
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder -
  • 1 teaspoon Salt Or to taste -
  • 3 tablespoon Butter - For sauté/sauce base
  • 2 cups Tomato puree Or crushed - blended smooth
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala -
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin -
  • 1½ teaspoon Ground coriander -
  • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder - To taste
  • 1 teaspoon Salt Adjust later -
  • 1 cup Heavy cream -
  • 1½ teaspoon Kasuri methi - Crushed between palms
  • 1 tsp Sugar - To balance acidity
  • 1 tablespoon Butter - Final gloss
  • 2 tablespoon Heavy cream - Optional swirl
  • ¼ cup Cilantro - Chopped for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy pot / Dutch oven (For the sauce)
  • 1 Grill pan or cast-iron skillet (To char chicken)
  • 1 Large mixing bowl (Marinade)
  • 1 Cutting board & knife (Prep)
  • 1 Wooden spoon / spatula (Stirring)

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, chili, turmeric, and salt. Toss in chicken to coat.
  2. Heat grill pan/cast iron over high until smoking. Shake off excess marinade; sear chicken 3–4 min/side for deep char (doesn’t need to be cooked through). Set aside.
    “Marinated raw chicken pieces coated in garlic and red chili powder inside a ceramic bowl, ready for cooking.”
  3. In heavy pot, melt 3 tablespoon butter over medium. Add tomato puree, garam masala, cumin, coriander, chili, and salt. Simmer 10–15 min until thick and oil pools at edges.
  4. Stir in heavy cream; bubble gently 2–3 min. Crush kasuri methi into pot. Balance with sugar and adjust salt.
    “Creamy tomato curry sauce simmering in a pan with chopped herbs, spices, and seasoning stirred together with a wooden spoon.”
  5. Add charred chicken and any juices. Simmer 8–10 min until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  6. Off heat, swirl in 1 tablespoon butter and optional cream. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with basmati rice and naan.

Nutrition

Serving: 300gCalories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 32gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 720mgPotassium: 650mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1.2IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 140mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes

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