Description
A quick and easy homemade butter chicken (Murgh Makhani) recipe ready in about 30 minutes, with tender chicken simmered in a creamy, mildly spiced tomato‑butter sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh), cut into bite‑sized pieces
- 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder or paprika (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz (110 g) tomato paste or tomato sauce/passata
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream or coconut cream
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon juice or honey (optional, to balance acidity)
Instructions
- Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook until just golden-browned. Remove and set aside.
- In same pan, melt remaining butter. Add onion, sauté until translucent (~5 min). Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 sec more.
- Stir in garam masala, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper; cook 1 min until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste/sauce, stir to coat, reduce heat and simmer ~5 min.
- Return chicken to the pan; stir to combine and simmer ~5–10 min until chicken cooked through.
- Lower heat and stir in cream. Let sauce gently bubble 2–3 min to thicken. Adjust flavor: add lemon juice or honey if desired.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot over basmati rice or with naan.
Notes
- For richer flavor, use chicken thighs instead of breast.
- Marinating chicken 30 min–1 hr in yogurt + spices enhances tenderness, but is optional.
- Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream for a dairy‑free version.
- Add 1 tsp sugar or honey if sauce tastes too acidic.
- Leftovers keep in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Adjust chili powder amount to suit spice preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about ¾ cup sauce + chicken (no rice)
- Calories: ≈400 kcal
- Sugar: ≈6 g
- Sodium: ≈600 mg
- Fat: ≈25 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈12 g
- Trans Fat: ≈0 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈8–12 g
- Fiber: ≈1 g
- Protein: ≈35–40 g
- Cholesterol: ≈130 mg
