Home › Recipes › Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Tender yogurt-marinated chicken in a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce with warm spices.
Ingredients
| Volume | Grams |
|---|---|
| Marinade | |
| 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, bite-sized pieces | 907 g |
| 1/2 cup plain yogurt | 114 g |
| 1 tbsp lemon juice | 14 g |
| 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste | — |
| 1 tsp garam masala | — |
| 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder | — |
| 1 tsp table salt | 6 g |
| Sauce | |
| 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided | 56 g |
| 1 medium onion, finely chopped | — |
| 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste | — |
| 1 tsp garam masala | — |
| 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder | — |
| 15 oz tomato puree, 1 can | 425 g |
| 1/2 cup heavy cream | 114 g |
| 1 tsp granulated sugar, to taste | 4.1 g |
| 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi, crushed | — |
Gram weights use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; amounts given in lb or oz are converted by weight (1 lb = 453.6 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g); “—” means the ingredient isn’t on the chart, so measure it by volume or count. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it.
Method
- Mix the chicken with the marinade ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Broil or grill the chicken until charred in spots and just cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning once.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet and cook the onion until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and chili powder and stir 1 minute.
- Add the tomato puree and simmer 15 minutes, until thick. Blend smooth if you like.
- Stir in the cream, sugar, fenugreek and remaining butter. Add the chicken and simmer 5–10 minutes. Serve with rice or naan.
Tips
- Kashmiri chili powder adds color with mild heat.
- Dried fenugreek leaves give restaurant-style aroma; don't skip them if you can find them.
Baking at elevation? See high-altitude adjustments. Different pan? Try the pan size converter.
Handy while you cook: oven temperature converter · yeast converter · safe meat temperatures · Pantry Survivor Mode