Restaurant-Style Butter Chicken | Murgh Makhani

 

 The creamy, velvety curry that made Indian food a weeknight favorite

If you’ve ever ordered takeout and thought “I need this in my life every Friday,” this is the recipe. Butter Chicken, or Murgh Makhani, comes from Delhi in the 1950s when leftover tandoori chicken got simmered in a rich tomato-butter gravy. It’s mildly spiced, not fiery hot, and that silky sauce is what everyone fights over.

I make this version at home because it’s restaurant-level creamy without a tandoor oven, and it comes together in about 1 hour total.

What makes it so good

1.   Marinated chicken: Yogurt + spices keeps the chicken tender, not dry.

2.   The sauce: Roasted tomatoes, onions, cashews, and butter blended smooth. That’s the signature orange color.

3.   Finish with cream + butter: Don’t skip it. It’s literally in the name.

Ingredients | Serves 4

For the chicken marinade:

• 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5" pieces
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

For the curry sauce:

• 2 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 10-12 raw cashews, soaked in warm water 15 min
• 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp butter, for finishing
• 1 tsp kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
• Salt + sugar to taste
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

To serve: Warm naan or basmati rice

How to make it

1.   Marinate: Mix all marinade ingredients and coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate 30 min, or overnight if you can.

2.   Cook chicken: Sear chicken in a hot pan with 1 Tbsp oil until lightly charred at edges, 5-6 min. It doesn’t need to cook through. Set aside.

3.   Make the sauce base: In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Sauté onion until soft, add tomatoes and cook down 8-10 min. Add ginger-garlic paste and dry spices, cook 1 min. Add soaked cashews.

4.   Blend: Let the mixture cool slightly, then blend until completely smooth. Strain if you want it extra silky.

5.   Simmer: Return sauce to the pan. Add 1/2 cup water to loosen. Stir in cream, 1 Tbsp butter, kasuri methi, a pinch of sugar, and salt. Simmer 5 min.

6.   Finish: Add the seared chicken and simmer 8-10 min until tender and the sauce coats the chicken. Garnish with cilantro.

Lillian’s tip: If you don’t have kasuri methi, toast 1/2 tsp dried oregano and crush it. It gives that same subtle restaurant flavor.

Serve hot with naan to scoop every last bit of sauce. Leftovers are even better the next day.