Butter Chicken is my weeknight take on the North Indian classic: chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, lemon, and a heavy hand of garam masala, then simmered in a buttery tomato cream sauce you'll want to spoon over everything. It's right up there with the rest of my Indian-leaning rotation, including Easy Dahl (the lentil side that turns this into a full meal) and Thai Chicken Coconut Curry when I want something brighter and lemongrass-driven. And if you're in the mood for an Indian-fusion night, my Samosa Pizza uses the same warm-spice profile in a totally different format.
Butter Chicken at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 45 minutes (15 prep + 30 cook), plus 30 minutes to overnight marinade
- 👪 Servings: 4 to 6
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: North Indian / Punjabi
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Rich, buttery, warm-spiced with tomato sweetness; a slow simmer that builds restaurant-style depth
- 📖 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free; contains dairy; easily made dairy-free with coconut milk and ghee in place of cream and butter
- 📦 Storage Notes: Keeps 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge; freezes for up to 3 months. The sauce holds beautifully; reheat in a skillet over medium heat, never the microwave (it breaks the sauce)
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: This is the version of butter chicken that actually delivers on the buttery, restaurant-style sauce, with chicken thighs that stay juicy and a tomato base that tastes like it simmered all day. The whole pan comes together in 45 minutes flat. Served with warm naan or basmati rice, it's a complete weeknight meal that's also nice enough for guests.
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Why I love this Recipe
Butter chicken is one of the best chicken recipes I’ve made to date. It’s right up there with Chicken Parm Meatballs and Chicken Tawook!
At it's core, it's cut up chicken thighs marinated in a lemon juice, yogurt (Stonyfield Grassfed Greek Quarts to be exact) and a spice mixture and then simmers in a savory sauce made of butter, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and some cream. It’s slowly cooked until the chicken is almost falling apart, majorly tender, and packed full of flavor. (side note - if you're looking for incredible and AUTHENTIC spices - check out Diaspora Co. They are the best of the best)
Jump to:
Any of the Greek Stonyfield (non-flavored) products would work for this recipe. But we’ve been buying the Grass-fed recently and we’re obsessed. Like all Stonyfield products, 100% Grassfed Greek is organic, non-GMO, and made without the use of artificial hormones.
Butter chicken is reminiscent to chicken tikka masala but the difference is that while Tikka Masala is a bit more complex and this tastes more buttery with a delicious tomato based Indian yogurt based gravy.
There are all sorts of delicious juices that come with this recipe so you absolutely MUST eat it with a few pieces of homemade naan!
Some frequently asked questions coming your way:
Substitutions & Swaps
🌶️ Spice
- Garam masala - Backbone of the dish; don't sub. Buy fresh; old garam masala loses its top notes
- Smoked paprika - Pinch hitter when you're out of cayenne; trades heat for a smoky depth that works
- Curry powder - Last-resort swap if the garam masala is gone; tastes flatter, swap 1:1
🥛 Dairy / Cream
- Heavy cream - The classic; gives the sauce its velvet texture
- Full-fat coconut milk - Same body, dairy-free, adds a faint tropical note that plays well with the warm spices
- Plain Greek yogurt - Only for the marinade, not the simmer (it'll split over heat)
🍗 Protein
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs - What I use; they stay juicy through the long simmer
- Boneless skinless chicken breast - Leaner; pull off heat at 158°F so carryover finishes the cook without drying it out
🍅 Tomato
- Canned diced tomatoes - What the recipe calls for; convenient and consistent
- Canned crushed tomatoes - Gives a smoother sauce without the strain step
🧈 Butter / Fat
- Butter - Namesake of the dish; don't sub for the finishing knob
- Ghee - Traditional choice in Indian kitchens; nuttier, deeper than butter; higher smoke point
- Coconut oil - For dairy-free builds; doesn't have the same finish but handles the initial sauté beautifully
🍅🧈🌶️ Tips & Tricks for the Best Butter Chicken
The 10 small moves that turn a decent butter chicken into a restaurant-style one.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, overnight if you can. The yogurt, lemon, and spice combo seasons the meat from the inside out; skipping the marinade is the single biggest reason home butter chicken tastes flat.
- Bloom the spices in the butter for 30 seconds before adding the onions. Dry spice meeting hot fat unlocks flavor compounds the marinade alone can't reach.
- Use chicken thighs, not breasts. Thighs survive the simmer and stay juicy. Breasts go dry the second they hit the sauce.
- Don't crowd the pan when you sear the marinated chicken. Two batches gives you actual color; one packed batch steams.
- Hand-grate the ginger on a microplane. Pre-jarred ginger paste is fine, but fresh ginger off a microplane has a brighter, less metallic finish.
- Salt in stages, not all at the end. Season the marinade, season after the tomatoes go in, season once more before the cream. One big shake at the end will taste flat.
- Give the sauce 15 minutes of low simmer minimum. Time is what melds the spice, butter, and tomato. Rushing this is the difference between "fine" and "I'd order this at a restaurant."
- Garnish like you mean it. Torn cilantro, a swirl of cream, a squeeze of lemon. The fresh acid at the end is what makes the first bite pop.
Butter Chicken FAQs
What is Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is a North Indian dish of yogurt-and-spice-marinated chicken simmered in a buttery tomato cream sauce, originally developed in 1950s Delhi to use up leftover tandoori chicken. It's similar to chicken tikka masala but tastes butterier and slightly sweeter, with a glossier sauce and a more pronounced cream finish.
What do you serve with Butter Chicken?
Warm naan is the classic, ideally homemade. It's also great over basmati rice, jasmine rice, quinoa, or farro. For a full Indian-leaning spread, add a side of dahl or a quick cucumber raita to cool the heat.
What spices go in Butter Chicken?
Garam masala, ground turmeric, and ground cumin are the must-haves. Cayenne adds heat (skip it for kid-friendly portions). A pinch of smoked paprika or Kashmiri chili powder upgrades the color without adding aggressive spice.
Can you freeze Butter Chicken?
Yes, and it freezes beautifully. Freeze fully cooked in portion-sized airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Reheating in the microwave breaks the sauce; always skillet, never microwave.
Ok... away we go!
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup Stonyfield Grassfed Greek Quarts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the remaining part of the recipe:
- ½ cup butter
- 1 onion, roughly diced
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 cups heavy cream OR coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Lemon juice to taste
- Cilantro to garnish
- Naan bread to serve
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, greek yogurt, lemon juice, and spices in a bowl. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in onion and cook slowly until the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and its marinade to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil - then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, tomato paste and salt and continue to simmer until the chicken has cooked through, about 15 minutes, and the sauce is thick.
- Taste, adjust seasoning as needed, add lemon juice for a bit of acid. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve alongside warmed naan.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
I am making this for my fourth time--it is SO GOOD. Everyone I have made it for absolutely loves it. So many of your recipes are now in my meal rotation, they are what my husband constantly requests! Thank you for all the yummy food!
yayyyyyy! Thanks Sally! xx
Hi, do you cover it during the simmer period? Or do you leave it uncovered? Thanks!
uncovered
This looks amazing! Could you make this in the slow cooker and skip the marinating step?
I havent tested it in a slow cooker but I'd assume it would work!!
I just found your site on the Internet and I'm excited to start making many of your recipes. Do you have a calorie count for your recipes?
I don't calculate calories for my recipes - but I know there are a bunch on online tools to do it for yourself if you're curious!! Thanks!
I have attempted to make Butter Chicken several times but I aways seem to missing something, A friend told me that it could be the garam masala mix I'm using, what brand (if you don't mind me asking) do you use? She said that some brands differ on ratios and may even leave an ingredient out depending...?!
I use the one from McCormick!! Let me know what you think of this recipe once you make it!! xx
This looks lovely. Any suggestions for the lactose intolerant that won't alter the flavor?
coconut cream instead of heavy cream! vegan butter, and lactose free yogurt!!
Love Indian flavors! Would definitely like to try this but with tofu for a veg option!
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
Butter chicken is soooo good. something I dont get nearly often enough. I will have to add this to my make list for the week to treat myself!
looks amazing! definitely making it this week. can you sub something else for heavy cream?
YUM! This looks amazing and definitely going on my to make list!
Thats amazing, i can imagine the taste, ive been there! lol
Hi Gaby
Just to confirm, your description says chicken breasts but the recipe says thighs. Which should we use for the recipe it sounds delicious!!
Thanks!
either!
I definitely need to add this to my meal rotations!! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!
Yum! That looks so delicious!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/sweet-and-spicy-burgers/
This sounds amazingly yummy! I'm a chicken lover and this sounds fantastic.