Butter chicken

Ingredients

• 600 gchicken thighs
• 150 gplain natural yoghurt
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)lemon juice
• 10 ggarlic
• 10 gfresh ginger
• 3hot chillies
• 4 ggaram masala
• 4 gground turmeric
• 4 gground cumin
• 4 gsweet paprika
• to tastefine salt
• 400 gpassata
• 30 gtomato purée
• 200 gsoured cream
• 1onion
• 56 g (4 tablespoons)butter
• 1star anise
• 1cinnamon stick
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)cumin seeds
• to tastecardamom
• to tastefine salt
• to tasteblack pepper
• 200 gbasmati rice
• to tastefine salt
• to tasteparsley

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the chicken

   Debone the chicken thighs and cut them into pieces. Peel the ginger and garlic.

2. 2

   Make the paste

   Blend the ginger and garlic into a paste. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl and add the yoghurt.

3. 3

   Add the spices

   Stir in the ground cumin, sweet paprika and turmeric.

4. 4

   Season the chicken

   Add the garam masala, finely chopped chillies and ginger-garlic paste.

5. 5

   Mix the marinade

   Pour in the lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add salt and mix again.

6. 6

   Marinate and roast

   Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Preheat a fan oven to 200°C. Spread the chicken with its marinade on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for about 30 minutes, until browned. Meanwhile, cook the basmati rice in boiling water and make the sauce.

7. 7

   Start the sauce

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden. Add the whole spices—cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and cumin seeds—and toast for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.

8. 8

   Simmer the tomatoes

   Stir in the tomato purée, then add the passata and season with salt. Add a pinch of sugar if you prefer. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

9. 9

   Drain and remove

   When the rice is cooked, drain it and set it aside in a bowl. Take the chicken out of the oven.

10. 10

    Finish the sauce

    Remove the whole spices from the sauce and add the chicken. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the soured cream.

11. 11

    Serve the meal

    Mix until creamy. Serve the chicken with the rice alongside and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve hot.

What is butter chicken?

Butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is an Indian dish of chicken in a spiced tomato and butter sauce. Its familiar combination of warming spices, tomato and cream makes it rich and aromatic.

This version roasts yoghurt-marinated chicken before adding it to the sauce. That gives the meat time to brown while the tomatoes simmer separately.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 740 calories, 35g protein, 48g carbs, 41g fat.

The basmati rice supplies most of the carbohydrates, while chicken contributes much of the protein. Butter, soured cream and chicken thighs account for a substantial share of the fat. Serve with extra vegetables, such as greens, to round out the plate.

The marinade does the groundwork

Yoghurt and lemon: these coat the chicken and carry the garlic, ginger and spices through the marinade. Give it at least 30 minutes to take on flavour, or leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Fresh aromatics: blending the ginger and garlic into a paste helps them spread evenly across the chicken. Chop the chillies finely so their heat is distributed through the marinade.

Roast the chicken

Give the pieces space on the lined tray so they roast rather than steam. The method calls for about 30 minutes at 200°C in a fan oven, until the chicken is browned.

Chicken size affects cooking time, so check that the thickest pieces are cooked through before adding them to the sauce.

Build a fragrant tomato sauce

Whole spices: toast the cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and cumin seeds in the butter and onion for 1–2 minutes. Stop when they smell aromatic; letting them scorch can make the sauce taste bitter.

Tomatoes: simmer the passata and tomato purée, covered, for about 20 minutes. The sauce is ready for the chicken when it has thickened.

Keep the cream smooth

Take the pan off the heat before adding the soured cream, and stir it in gradually. This helps it blend into the tomato sauce without splitting.

After the chicken joins the sauce, simmer it for a further 10 minutes before adding the cream. Remove the whole spices first so they do not end up in the finished portions.

Rice and serving

Basmati rice is cooked separately and served beside the chicken, ready to take up the creamy sauce. Drain it once tender and keep it aside while the chicken finishes.

Parsley adds a fresh garnish at the end. You can also bring the rice and chicken to the table separately so everyone can choose how much sauce to spoon over.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so they cook at a similar rate.
• Use a tray large enough to spread the chicken out rather than crowding it.
• Toast the whole spices briefly, just until fragrant.
• Simmer the tomato sauce until it visibly thickens before adding the chicken.
• Stir the soured cream in gradually after taking the pan off the heat.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use fewer chillies for a milder sauce.
• Add sugar: stir in a pinch with the tomatoes if you prefer a less sharp sauce.
• Use coriander: garnish with fresh coriander instead of parsley.
• Make it dairy-free: use suitable plant-based alternatives for the yoghurt, butter and soured cream.
• Serve with flatbread: offer naan or another flatbread alongside the rice.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the tray: the chicken may steam rather than brown, so spread it out in a single layer.
• Skipping the marinade: allow at least 30 minutes for the yoghurt and spices to coat the chicken.
• Burning the spices: toast them for only 1–2 minutes and remove them from the heat if they start to darken too quickly.
• Stopping the tomato simmer early: give the sauce about 20 minutes to thicken.
• Adding cream over high heat: take the pan off the heat and stir the soured cream in gradually.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened; store rice promptly and reheat it thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions