Here it is. THE BEST BUTTER CHICKEN RECIPE. The only one you’ll ever need from now on. It’s creamy, buttery, spicy and oh so easy to make. This butter chicken is so good you’ll be drinking the sauce and licking the pan. Oh… and your family will ask you to make this every night from now on!
Okay. So, this is a super tall order. To call this recipe the best butter chicken… ever, may seem like it’s a little too confident. But I’ve got news for you. This recipe is almost world famous. It’s that good.
It’s the recipe from a very famous UK Indian restaurant called Mowgli. The recipe for their Mother Butter Chicken to be precise. It’s by far their most popular dish on the menu and now you can make it any darn time you feel like it!
How’s that for exclusive access.
Even though this recipe is world famous and is a restaurant best seller you can’t let that intimidate you. This is the easiest butter chicken recipe you’ll find. All the ingredients are everyday supermarket finds and you can just serve it over plain white rice with my miracle 2 ingredient naan bread. You can seriously have this dinner on the table in less than 1 hour.
We’re in weeknight dinner territory here.
Best Butter Chicken Tips:
- Use a tin of chopped tomatoes instead of the cans of whole tomatoes. They blend better.
- A shallow roasting pan works better to cook this chicken rather than a saucepan.
- Make sure that all your spices are fresh. It really does make a difference. If in doubt, grab some fresh ones and toss the old ones.
How to Make the Best Butter Chicken in The World!!!
- Dice your chicken and toss it with the Tandoori Masala. The longer that chicken and spice and mingle and get to know each other, the more delicious your butter chicken.
- Get all your ingredients chopped and prepped before you even say “put a pan on the heat!”. We’re going cooking show style over here. Imagine Rachel Ray or Ina cutting, chopping, cooking and mixing all the same time. Ummm… that’s a hard no. Everything measured and chopped. This recipe can move quickly when you’re ready and you don’t want to forget a single spice.
- Pan on the heat and add the onions, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Let that get soft and turn just barely golden.
- Add the spice mix (see recipe notes) and the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, and the Greek yogurt. Use full-fat yogurt here. Bring it all to the boil for a minute and then use a hand blender to get it all smooth.
- Okay. Here’s where you’ll need a second pan. Add a splash of oil and gently fry the chicken for a couple of minutes until it starts to turn golden. It doesn’t need to cook all the way. Put the chicken into the sauce and let it cook in that for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
- Add in some water to get a perfect consistency. I like my sauce on the thick side, but you go with what you like. Then add in your sugar and butter.
That’s it. Six steps to Butter Chicken Perfection.
You totally have weeknight dinner handled!
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND COOKING ALONG WITH ME! IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE A QUESTION, I’D LOVE IT IF YOU LEFT A COMMENT AND A RATING. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ALONG ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM TO SEE WHAT WE’RE EATING, PINNING AND A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES TOO!
Tools Used To Make The Best Butter Chicken
Cast Iron Roaster– This pan is my go-to for roasting, braising and all things stove and oven. It’s an investment, but till last a lifetime.
Hand Held Blender– So much more convenient than putting the sauce through the blender. Just blend right in the pan. Perfect for busy weeknights.
Glass Mixing Bowls– Perfect for making your spice mix and for spicing the chicken.
Non-Stick Frying Pan– For frying the chicken and for cooking your miracle naan bread.
The Best Butter Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 2 large white onions brown are fine*See Notes
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger
- 6 garlic cloves grated or chopped
- For the Spice mix* See Notes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 g/ 14oz can chopped tomatoes
- 5 Tablespoons full fat Greek yogurt* See Notes
- 750 g/ 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless* See Notes
- 2 Tablespoons Tandoori Masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
Instructions
- Dice the chicken and rub with the Tandoori Masala. Set aside. Put 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large shallow roasting pan set over a medium high heat. When hot, add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry for 8 -10 minutes until the onions are soft and just starting to turn brown.
- Turn the heat down, add the spice mix, tomato paste, the tinned chopped tomatoes, and the Greek yogurt. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Blend with mixture with a hand blender until smooth.
- In a separate non stick frying pan, set over a medium-high heat fry for 6 minutes or until the chicken starts to turn golden brown.
- Add the chicken to the blended sauce. Return to a low heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add some water to adjust consistency if necessary. Add the sugar and butter and season to taste. Mix thoroughly to create a thick and creamy sauce.
Recipe Notes
If you can’t find white onions, brown ones are absolutely fine. They’re just not as sweet as the white and have less moisture, so you may need to add a little extra sugar at the end and a little more water.
Make the spice mix before beginning the cooking process. All the spices can be measured into one bowl.
Use full-fat Greek yogurt so the sauce doesn’t split.
You can use chicken breast in place of the thighs and turkey will work perfectly here too.
You had written a very amazing article in very simple language which easy to understand for everyone. Thank you so much for sharing this article with us.
Thanks so much Ajay!