Description
Finger Lickin’ Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is a rich and flavorful Indian dish featuring tender chicken marinated in tandoori masala and yogurt, simmered in a smooth, creamy tomato-based sauce enhanced with aromatic spices and clarified butter. This restaurant-style butter chicken recipe delivers deep, authentic flavors made simple for home cooking, perfect to serve with basmati rice or naan.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons tandoori masala
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (crushed)
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tandoori masala, ginger paste, garlic paste, and yogurt until smooth. Adjust seasonings if desired. Add the chicken pieces and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, preferably 12-24 hours for deeper flavor.
- Prepare the Sauce Base: Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until translucent and sweating but not browned. Stir in the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Add Tomatoes and Spices: Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, adding about ¼ cup water if it starts bubbling vigorously, to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Blend the Sauce: Remove the pot from heat. Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until completely smooth, adding up to ¼ cup water if necessary to achieve a creamy consistency. Blend in batches if needed and secure the blender lid with a towel to prevent spills.
- Optional Make-Ahead: You may refrigerate the blended sauce for 24–48 hours or freeze up to 3 months to enhance flavors. Reheat gently to room temperature before proceeding.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same dutch oven over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces, discarding excess marinade, and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides evenly.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Pour the blended butter chicken sauce over the chicken and heat through on medium, allowing the mixture to bubble gently.
- Finish the Dish: Stir in heavy cream and garam masala. Once the sauce returns to a simmer, sprinkle in the crushed dried fenugreek leaves and mix well.
- Serve: Serve the butter chicken hot, over basmati rice or alongside warm naan bread for a classic and satisfying meal.
Notes
- This recipe yields delicious, restaurant-style butter chicken with simple ingredients for authentic flavor.
- Marinating the chicken overnight enhances tenderness and depth of flavor.
- Use ghee for a more traditional, rich taste compared to regular butter.
- Be careful not to brown the onions; they should soften and sweat to build the sauce base.
- Blending the sauce creates the creamy smooth texture characteristic of Murgh Makhani.
- The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Serve with basmati rice or naan to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 430 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
