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Butter chicken masala over basmati rice and garnished with chopped cilantro.

Butter Chicken Masala

Tressa Jamil
Tender pieces of chicken simmer in a robust, fragrant, and creamy curry to make our easy butter chicken masala recipe or murgh makhani.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 705 kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
  
For the Marinade:
For the Chicken:
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 5 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Curry:
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon green cardamom, lightly crushed
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  • ½-1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder, depending on preferred level of spice
  • 1 ½ tablespoon homemade garam masala, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 4-5 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek leaves, dried
  • cilantro finely chopped, to garnish
  • 1-2 tablespoons dahi, to garnish
Instructions
 

For the Chicken:

  • Toss the chicken with ginger and garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, and yogurt in a mixing bowl. Set it aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes (6 hours for best results).
  • Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and shallow fry the marinated chicken until the pieces turn golden brown, for about 15 minutes. Set the chicken aside.

For the Masala:

  • In the same pan, warm 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Add green cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Cook until the ingredients sputter, then add the onions. Sauté until they become translucent and soften.
  • Next, add the garlic and ginger, then cook for another minute.
  • Stir in the Kashmiri chili powder, one tablespoon of garam masala, cumin, salt, turmeric, and tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender for this step.
  • Return the mixture to the pan over low heat and add the butter and heavy cream. Stir until well incorporated. Then, nestle the chicken into the pan. Gently simmer for 5-7 minutes, and adjust the temperature as necessary.
  • Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of garam masala and ½ tablespoon fenugreek over the curry; give it a quick stir and simmer for another minute or two.
  • Garnish with cilantro and green chilies, and drizzle with dahi; serve with Basmati Rice or naan.
Notes
Expert Tips:
  • Marinate the chicken for 6 hours for the best results.
  • If you have leftover tandoori chicken tikka or baked tandoori chicken, skip marinating and pan-searing the chicken. Proceed to make the masala for a quick and delicious meal.
Nutrition Disclosure:
  • The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. 
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 705 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 59 g | Saturated Fat: 26 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 253 mg | Sodium: 1049 mg | Potassium: 724 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 2233 IU | Vitamin C: 13 mg | Calcium: 101 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!