I finally “cracked” the secret code to an amazing Indian butter chicken curry, that tastes just like our local London takeout, but cheaper and less calorific! You will want this recipe!
For a full Indian dinner serve with fluffy basmati rice and this Red Lentil Dal.
Indian Curry
I’ve written so much about our love for Indian food. It is our GO TO when a little of extra comfort is needed. We always call in for an order of curry when we come home after travelling.
It’s our tradition. Sitting down to our dinner table with an array of chicken, lamb and vegetarian curries with poppadoms, chapatis and pickles in front of us just signals HOME.
So it’s no surprise I’ve been slowly working through a list of our favourites for slightly healthier, homemade versions. Chicken Korma is a family’s favourite, so I had to re-create it.
My son prefers this vegetarian curry Aloo Gobi. For him I made an easy, homemade version called Simplified Cauliflower and Potato Curry. Some recipes are less authentic but nonetheless delicious like this Indian Spiced Meatballs in Curry Sauce.
As tasty as the takeout menus could be, we all agree they are laden with far too many calories! Today I am sharing my pièce de résistance…Butter Chicken Curry.
Butter Chicken Recipe
The origin of butter chicken aka murgh makhani is indeed in India, unlike the other popular curry Tikka Masala, which was invented in Britain. The famous curry came to be out of a need to use up leftover chicken. So grilled tandoori chicken got mixed with some tomato curry, butter and cream and a star was born.
Butter chicken curry was the first curry my kids agreed on trying and eating thanks to school dinners! For the longest time it was the only curry they would eat.
Soon the whole family fell in love with its mild, creamy and insanely flavourful taste to the point we started asking for two orders of butter chicken from our local takeaway!
How to Make Authentic Butter Chicken at Home
Seeing how much my family enjoyed the butter chicken I’ve wanted to recreate the familiar taste at home for ages but I knew it was not going to be easy.
The challenge came from a well known fact that butter chicken curry is made with leftover tandoori chicken pieces, and I was just not willing to faff around with a two-stage recipe at home. I wanted a quick butter chicken!!
The answer came from an old friend, who lived in India for years. She shared with me her secret and it is tandoori masala spice mix!! It imparts the unmistakingly delicious flavour of tandoori chicken without the extra pain of grilling the chicken first.
I didn’t add butter to my recipe but a generous splash of heavy/double cream, which created the same creamy texture but didn’t taste quite as heavy.
I’ve done a couple of tests on my family before I felt ready to share this recipe with you and here is the final version. I am so pleased with the result.
I don’t claim that this recipe tastes as authentic as in India. But I will assure you that it tastes exactly like our London takeaway butter chicken curry, and that is good enough for me!
Plus the entire recipe comes together in under an hour and who doesn’t like a quick chicken curry!
What to serve with it
If you would like to add a few other things to your Butter Chicken Curry for a more exciting Indian dinner experience I would recommend making my Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry. Those two curries go so well together!
Those are the dishes I made last night for our small dinner party and it went down a storm!
For more takeaway favourites check out:
This recipe was originally published in 04/2018. Updated and republished in 04/2020.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken breasts cubed
- 4 tbsp tandoori masala spice mix
- 1 cup/250 ml natural yogurt plain
- 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger paste or grated ginger
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup/125 ml water
- 1/2 cup/125 ml whipping cream/double cream
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix the yogurt with the tandoori masala spice mix and add cubed chicken breasts. Marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- In a deep pan heat the ghee or oil and fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger together over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken with the marinade to the pan, add the coriander and turmeric, tomato paste and water, stir to combine, then turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
- Add the double cream, stir and cook uncovered for 10 minutes longer until the sauce is thick and desired consistency. Add salt if needed. (There is salt in the tandoori masala spice mix, so only add extra salt if necessary.)
- Serve with fresh cilantro and basmati rice.
Damien says
I’ve made this three times now, tweaking the ingredients slightly each time to suit my family’s level of spiciness comfort, and I must say it’s gone to the top of my favourite curry recipe list now. Thank you!
Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says
I am so happy to hear you and your family enjoys this butter chicken recipe, Damien! We cook it often at home and especially now!
Marie Etheridge says
It was delicious, thanks for sharing the recipe, my dinner guest loved it as well, will definitely be cooking it again
vikalinka says
So pleased to hear it, Marie!
Amber says
Another awesome recipe … I used half vegetable oil half palm oil … Delicious everyone loved it
vikalinka says
So glad to hear it, Amber!!
josh says
Would this recipe work in a slow cooker/would i need to make any changes?
vikalinka says
Hi Josh, I haven’t tested it in a slow cooker but I think it just might work. I would use full fat yogurt as lower fat tends to split and add the cream at the end.
Josh says
Thank you! will definitely give it a go!
Jay says
Is it OK to use ginger powder ?
vikalinka says
It’s fine, Jay. Just make sure it’s still fresh and fragrant. Dried spices lose their potency after a few months.
Regitze Birketoft says
Let me start by saying I love this version of butterchicken
When read the recipe I figured that it would be rather “soupy” very very thin and wet…. so I made some alterations
I didn’t use regular yoghurt I used Greek. Lot less moisture…. and I only used cream – no water and I let it simmer for almost 1,5 hours
It was thick, creamy and obscenely rich in flavour so thanks for the inspiration. A definite repeat
Love Regitze from Denmark
Neil Thompson says
I make a lot of curries starting from scratch with all the herbs, seeds and spices a real martyr! But since I saw your recipe, no more hard labour it makes me look like a pro! It freezes perfectly so for me a real bonus as I have to have everything organised well in advance! I use Rajah tandoori masala powder and you are so right – why make your life difficult when you can conjure up an authentic curry!! Thank you.
vikalinka says
That’s just what I think too, Neil. I make plenty of things from scratch but some things are just not worth it like puff pastry or curries! Better do something more fun with my time than grinding spices, right? š
Neil Thompson says
So right, just if you follow so many rwcipe books that’s what it says ”place in a pestle and mortar ‘ ! I wrecked a coffee grinder when things like cloves and cinnamon sticks just don’t respond to pestle and mortar!! So keep it simple stupid is my constant reminder. Post divorce cooking had been my joy and an unbelievable success rate!!!
Thanks again
vikalinka says
You are very welcome, Neil!
M says
I never normally review recipes but this is amazing and could quite easily pass for an authentic dish from the local Indian restaurant!
vikalinka says
I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed this butter chicken recipe. Thank you for your review!
Roz Russell says
WOW, OMG this is the best butter chicken we have ever cooked, thank you so much for the recipe, it will certainly be on our saturday night curry list for some time
vikalinka says
So pleased to hear it, Roz! Enjoy!
Cynthia M Solis says
Easy to make and smells great. Unfortunately the spice blend I bought was so spicy we couldn’t eat the dish. Going to try making it again with a masala mix that is mild š
vikalinka says
Thatās too bad about the spice mix, Cynthia. It shouldnāt be this spicy. Was it the same one as I recommended?
Donna says
Butter Chicken is my absolute favourite takeout! This looks fantastic.
Sande says
Love this recipe. Tastes great and the chicken is so tender. The instructions are easy to follow, would have loved to have been able to find ginger paste.
vikalinka says
Thank you for a great review, Sande!
Lyssa says
I made this dish this weekend and it is delicious! Thank you. I did modify the ingredients a bit (fresh coriander /cilantro, waitrose rich and tangy tomato chutney & ‘Al Noor’ Pakistani bassar curry masala) Was very simple to make and very tasty. I couldn’t believe how much it tastes like restaurant qualityš thumbs up..thank you very much for tips. If you haven’t yet tried this but aren’t sure, go for it you won’t be disappointed āāāāā
vikalinka says
Excellent new, Lyssa! Thank you for sharing with us.
Neil says
Is this freezable as I have to plan a big birthday in advace
vikalinka says
Hi Neil, I haven’t done it but I can’t see why not. The only thing I would watch out for is yogurt. Sometimes it separates after being frozen and reheated. So I would reheat it at a low heat as intense heat is what usually causes the yogurt to split.
Dhee says
Want to check what brand tandoori masala you used
vikalinka says
Hi Dee, I’ve used a few different ones but this one by Fudco is what is currently in my spice cupboard.
Lesley says
Looking forward to trying this! Is it ground coriander or dried coriander for this recipe? Thanks š
vikalinka says
Hi Lesley, it’s dried ground coriander.
Sukaina says
Hi! I’m excited to try out this recipe!
Just wondering if the TRS Tandoori Spice Mix (you shared the Amazon link) has chili powder in it? Is it really spicy? I’m mildly tolerant to spice, so just wondering! Thanks so much:)
vikalinka says
It’s actually not spicy at all, Sukaina. Butter chicken has a very mild flavour.
Shama Hussain says
I’m from Pakistan and wanted to share a common tip.
To get that smoky BBQ flavour, a small foil cup is wedged in the middle of the pan with the prepared food. A glowing charcoal briquette is placed in the foil cup and a spoonful of oil is poured over it. The pan is quickly covered to keep the smoke from escaping. After 3 – 4 minutes the foil cup, oil and charcoal are carefully discarded
I light up the charcoal on my gas stove and have even tried it with success on an electric (coil) stove. Traditionally, a cup made from a layer of onion was used which definitely enhanced the flavour.
vikalinka says
What a brilliant tip, Shama! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try it.
nagendra says
A delicious recipe I have never seen this before like this way.
Christine says
When I clicked on the link to that tandoori masala seasoning I was shocked to see a legal disclaimer advising this “The product contains one or more food colours that may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
Just thought you should know, k have a blog and wouldn’t advertise something like this. The rest of your recipe looks great though and your pictures are very appealing š
vikalinka says
Hi Christine, the product I linked to was just something I found on Amazon in response to a reader’s question. It was an example of what tandoori masala is and had the best rating. In no way was I advertising it. I do not receive commission if that product is sold. As I mentioned I am located in the UK, so can’t know everything about what US products are like. I trust my readers do their own research just like you did. Thanks for your comment. Best, Julia
D R Thurman-kingham says
Cilantro and coriander are the same thing
vikalinka says
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. The fresh herb is called cilantro in North America and coriander in the UK. I include both names for convenience as I do with a number of other ingredients to avoid confusion. In North America the term “coriander” is referred to the dried spice and although the same herb they contribute quite different taste.
ChristyW says
I’ve used this recipe with salmon and shrimp and I”m planning on making a vegetarian version with cauliflower. The sauce is PERFECT. We used to order out Indian food but now my husband is so happy that we can make it at home anytime.
vikalinka says
Music to my ears, Christy! What a great idea to use salmon, shrimp or cauliflower!
Debbie McIlhone says
Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight. I had a recipe but when I read the reviews they were awful, so I googled and found you and this recipe. Happy days was delicious and way less complicated than the one I was going to do. Easy to do and vert tasty.
vikalinka says
So happy you found this recipe, Debbie. It’s definitely an easy one. Thank you for such a lovely review!
Jessica says
This is excellent! I doubled the recipe for dinner tonight and am so glad that I did.
vikalinka says
This makes me so happy. I just made a double batch of it as well!
Sally Cook says
Excellent recipe so good cooking it again this weekend
vikalinka says
So happy to hear it, Sally!
Joey says
What is Tandoori Masala spice mix? Is this a mix I can buy in the store? Iām in the US and not sure if we have this. Our array of Indian related foods in markets is very weak.
vikalinka says
Hi Joey, you are correct, it is a spice mix that you should be able to buy in the international isle of your supermarket. If all fails there is always Amazon, this product here looks good.
Kelly says
Also it is easy to make your own spice blend out of spices you already have in your cupboard. Most recipes call for mace but it is fine to substitute nutmeg š
Ivonne says
Omg!! I Will be making this for dinner this week it looks delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will let you know how it turns out.
vikalinka says
You are very welcome, Ivonne! Enjoy!
vera bentley says
i was going to make something else for dinner last night, at the last minute i saw this recipe & decided i was going to do this. what a great decision! there is only 2 of us & we had some last nite & had the rest tonight after we got home late. thanx so much julia i cant stop saying how wonderful its been. xxxx
vikalinka says
That is so great, Vera. You are my first reviewer for this recipe and I am so pleased to know it worked well for you!