Delicious Classic Butter Chicken

This Classic Butter Chicken is an easy recipe, full of savory flavor with warm spices. This mild curry has tender chunks of chicken simmered in a creamy spiced curry sauce. It’s quick to make with chicken, tomato sauce, cream, and a handful of pantry spices.

It is similar to Chicken Tikka Masala. Butter Chicken is one of the most popular curries at any Indian restaurant around the world. Aromatic golden chicken pieces in an incredible creamy curry sauce. Serve with home-made Gluten-Free Naan Bread.

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Butter Chicken

In Indian cuisine makhani is a butter chicken sauce. Tender and juicy chicken thanks to a deliciously spiced yogurt marinade. Butter Chicken is ridiculously easy to make. The curry sauce is out of this world! You will come back over and over to this recipe.

The best part about cooking up Butter Chicken at home is the ingredients list. Every ingredient is easy to find from any grocery store or supermarket.

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History and why it is called Butter Chicken

Butter chicken originated from Northern India in 1948. Created by Kundan Lal Gujral, you may notice that Butter Chicken (known as murgh makhani — chicken with butter), is similar to British tikka masala.

Prepared in a buttery gravy with the addition of cream gives the curry sauce a silky smooth rich texture.

If you love to go to Indian restaurants and love to order Butter Chicken, you might wonder why you feel heavy after eating your favorite dish. Most restaurants are known to add huge amounts of butter. That results in feeling bloated or ill from the slick of grease. Let’s make it at home in and much healthier way.

Adding cream at the end of cooking provides enough of that richness you look for in an authentic butter chicken. You can choose to use a cream with more calories or go for half&half.

Let’s get cooking…

This curry recipe is definitely milder, compared to other Indian dishes. If you love spicy food, just add more chili. In other words, YOU are in total control of how spicy you make it. My kids love this dish. They always ask for seconds. I make the main dish less spicy for kids, and add more heat to my own plate. We are all happy.

I personally use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as we prefer juicy meat over dry breasts. If you prefer breast, go with what you like. You are the boss in the kitchen.

Gather your ingredients:

Prep chicken and marinate,

The ideal time to marinate chicken is overnight. Meat gets more tender the longer you marinate. That goes for any marinate, not just Butter Chicken. The minimum for marinating your meat is at least 20-30 minutes. Longer the better!!!

Mix together all ingredients for marinating. Trim your chicken from excess fat and cut it into bite-size. You can slip a step and just pour all ingredient over your chicken and mix all together.

• 1 pound of chicken tights or 4 pieces.
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 tsp of garam masala
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 cup of plain yogurt (I like to use whole milk Icelandic yogurt)

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Butter Chicken Delicious Sauce

It’s all about that sauce when it comes to authentic Butter Chicken. You’ll be surprised to find that you only need an onion, a can of crushed tomatoes, garlic, and ginger, and some added spices to continue those beautiful flavors in the sauce.

Melt butter over medium heat and add diced onion into a skillet. Saute for a couple of minutes, until translucent. Add spices, ginger, garlic. Do not burn your spices.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion (diced)
•  1 tbsp ginger (grated)
•  5 cloves garlic (minced)
•  1 tsp of cumin
•  1 tsp of garam masala
•  ½ teaspoon chili powder (omit if you do not want spicy)
• 1 tsp coriander
•  ½ tsp Tumeric

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Add marinated chicken and if possible with your marinate.

Here comes in play, why I use whole milk, thick yogurt. Marinate does not get watery.

Toss your meat in a skillet with spices and onion mix. Cook for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally to coat and cook evenly. You will love all the aroma coming from the skillet.

Finishing Buttered Chicken sauce

Add the rest of your ingredients to skillet. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

The trick of making a great sauce is to let the tomatoes cook-off. The sauce will thicken as all juice will evaporate. You can add in a couple of tablespoons of water if it dries too early.

• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• ¼ cup chicken broth – Optional
• 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar is in the original recipe. I do not use sugar.

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Time to add cream or half&half. You choose what tastes better for your family. Both make the trick of a great sauce. Pour in and lower your heat on low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken even more. Garnish with cilantro.

Not everybody loves cilantro and you can use flat parsley instead.

• 1 cup of Hal&half or Heavy cream
• Cilantro or flat parsley to garnish ( more the merrier)

Serve over basmati rice and Gluten-Free Naan bread! Enjoy this delicious meal!

Do you enjoy easy chicken recipes? Here is one, you will love! Orange Chicken

Cooking tips

• Marinate chicken for 20 minutes, or overnight if time allows. (The longer it marinates, the more tender your chicken will be.)
• Don’t use low-fat yogurt if you can. They do not have much flavor and they are not as thick. ( I do not believe in non-fat or low-fat products) In Czech, we say: “If my great-Grandma would not recognize it, it is not eatable”
• To store leftovers: Allow to cool completely, store it in an airtight glass jar or container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
• Cannot find whole milk plain yogurt? Never mind, sour cream will work as well.
• If you like ghee better over butter, do use ghee

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Who inspired me?

If you wonder who inspired this delicious recipe. You can find it here. Caffe Delite is the name of a blog. She makes delicious meals. I cannot wait to try more of her recipes!

Until next time…! 

DOBROU CHUT!

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