Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

A recipe for Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)! This comforting dish pairs grilled chicken pieces with a creamy, spiced tomato curry.

Murgh Makhani is a North Indian dish with grilled chicken pieces as the base for a fragrant, indulgent curry with both butter and heavy cream infused into every silky bite. I first came across the inspiration for this recipe over on eCurry many years ago and it continues to be a favorite.

This meal takes some time to prepare, but the steps come together relatively easily. Start by marinating chicken pieces first in lemon and spices for a few minutes, then in a yogurt mixture for a few hours.

The chicken is then arranged onto skewers and grilled until golden before simmering in the spiced tomato cream sauce.

Serve the Murgh Makhani immediately with a drizzle of heavy cream, sprinkling of fresh cilantro, and alongside basmati rice and/or naan/other bread.

A Few Butter Chicken Tips

I made the Butter Chicken with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It can be prepared with chicken breasts, but take care at the end of simmering to not overcook.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, roughly 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide.

For best results, marinate the chicken in the yogurt mixture for at least three hours and ideally overnight in the refrigerator (though to be honest, I often forget the night before and end up marinating 2-3 hours).

Before simmering in the curry, the chicken pieces can either be arranged on skewers and grilled or baked in the oven. I especially love the smoky flavor of the chicken when it is grilled, but baking is definitely easier if you do not have a grill or tandoor oven available.

For the oven, preheat to 400˚F (200˚C) and arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a foil-lined rimmed baking dish. Bake on the top rack of the oven until golden, about 25 minutes. To try to get more of that charred flavor, broil during the last minute or two. Take care- the yogurt marinade is more easy to burn.

The cashews/almonds are optional, but add an additional level of creaminess and nuttiness to the curry. After soaking in hot water, either blend in a blender or a small food processor. I generally use a mortar and pestle since it is a small amount.

I have made this Butter Chicken with both butter and ghee. With the butter, take care to not let it burn when tempering the spices.

Have all of the ingredients ready before you start making the curry. The butter will quickly brown and spices (especially the red chili) will darken if they cook for too long.

I used pureed tomatoes for the curry base. If using crushed or diced tomatoes, puree in the blender before adding to the pot. Do not use a can with additional seasonings such as basil.

Adjust the salt, sugar, and spices as desired to taste.

The heat level can easily be adjusted higher or lower with fresh green chilies.

If the tomato mixture thickens too much, add a little more hot water.

Stir in the cream right before serving and don’t let it simmer longer than 2-5 minutes, just enough to heat through. The cream can be adjusted a little more or a little less as desired. If adding more, you may want to adjust the spices to make sure they don’t become too diluted.

For even more indulgence, stir in a little butter before drizzling the extra cream over each bowl.

This Butter Chicken is best hot from the stove. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.

Notable Ingredients

Kashmiri red chili powder has a mild heat and adds a deep red color. If unavailable, swap for 2 or 3 (depending on how much heat you want) parts paprika to 1 part ground cayenne.

This recipe uses both kasuri/kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and fenugreek seeds. They can be found in the spice section of markets with South Asian ingredients.

I used a thick, whole milk Greek yogurt for this recipe. A plain yogurt will also work. If the yogurt is thin and watery, strain for a couple of hours before using.

Green cardamom is a highly aromatic, warm citrus-like spice. You can buy cardamom whole or ground, but the seeds quickly lose their flavor once the pods are cut.

Same goes for Black Cardamom. Larger than their green counterpart, black cardamom has a notable smoky, earthy flavor that is more fragrant in the pods.

For those in Northern Virginia, I have been able to locate all of these ingredients at Lotte Plaza Market in Chantilly.

Looking for more Indian recipes?

Try:

• Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)
• Nimki (Crispy Nigella Seed Snacks)
• Samosas

This recipe was originally posted in July 2013 and updated in October 2025.

Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) Recipe

Adapted from eCurry

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5 from 1 vote

Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

A recipe for Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)! This comforting dish pairs grilled chicken pieces with a creamy, spiced tomato curry.

Course Main

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chicken, cinnamon, cream, curry, India, Indian, tomato, yogurt

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Resting Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup (80 grams) whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kasuri methi kasoori methi, dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) mustard oil or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) grated ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) grated garlic

Curry:

• 8 cashews or blanched almonds
• 4 tablespoons (58 grams) unsalted butter or ghee
• 4 green cardamom pods crushed
• 1 black cardamom pod crushed
• 4 black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick 2 inches (5 centimeters)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
• 2 inches (5 centimeters) fresh ginger grated
• 4-6 cloves garlic peeled and grated
• 1-2 fresh green chilies minced, stem and seeds discarded
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) tomato paste
• 14 ounces (414 milliliters) pureed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more as needed to taste
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) hot water plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) heavy cream

To serve:

• Heavy cream
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Steamed basmati rice
• Naan

Instructions

To prepare the chicken:

• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, Kashmiri red chili powder (1 teaspoon), and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Add the yogurt, kasuri methi (1 1/2 teaspoons), garam masala, turmeric, oil, ginger, and garlic to the chicken and toss, lightly massaging, to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat a grill to 400˚F (200˚C). Arrange the marinated chicken on skewers.
• Grease the grill and cook the skewers in a single layer, not touching, until golden and lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until just golden and lightly charred on the other side. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point as the pieces will simmer further in the sauce. Set aside.

To make the Butter Chicken:

• Place the cashews or almonds in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and blend or crush in a mortar and pestle until smooth.
• In a large pan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Once melted, add the green cardamom, black cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon stick.
• Cook until starting to become fragrant, about 2 minutes, then stir in the fenugreek seeds.
• Once the seeds begin to sizzle, stir in the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Cook just until fragrant the moisture from the pastes evaporate.
• Stir in the tomato paste, then the pureed tomatoes, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
• Cook until the tomato mixture is reduced to a thick paste, 15-20 minutes.
• Pour in the water and add the cashew/almond paste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the sugar and kasuri methi. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding a little more salt if desired.
• Add the grilled chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Cover and simmer for about 5-8 minutes, until cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little more hot water. Additional seasonings may be needed.
• Remove the cover, reduce heat to low, and stir in garam masala and heavy cream. Simmer lightly just until heated through, about 2 minutes, then remove the pan from heat.
• Discard the cinnamon stick and other whole spices.
• Serve the Butter Chicken immediately with a drizzle of additional heavy cream, a sprinkling of chopped cilantro leaves, and alongside rice and/or naan.