45 mins
![Butter Chicken Recipe Butter Chicken Recipe](/images/recipe-main-images/Butter-Chicken-96.jpg)
Ingredients for Butter Chicken
If you want to know more about Indian ingredients, check our Indian Spices and our Indian Pulses, Rice and Seeds pages.
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Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Butter Chicken
- Remove any skin from the chicken and wash the meat thoroughly, cut it into large bite-size pieces. Place all the marinade ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir in the chicken pieces. Leave in a cool place for for at least one hour for the chicken to marinate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan (skillet), remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and fry them over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown. Set them aside and keep them warm.
- While the chicken is cooking, peel and chop the onion, grind the cashew nuts to a thick paste and mash the tomatoes. Add the other 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and gently fry the chopped onions for about 5 minutes until they are golden. Add in the ginger-garlic paste with 1 tablespoon of water and continue to cook until the oil separates (about 2-3 minutes). Add in the cashew nut paste, chili powder and tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes over a low heat.
- Finally, add the butter and cream, stir well and then add back the chicken pieces. Mix well and cook for a few minutes until everything is warm. Serve hot, garnished with coriander.
![Mamtha Sunil Kumar Mamtha Sunil Kumar](/images/recipe-author-photos/Mamtha.png)
There's always a risk of over-cooking Butter Chicken, causing it to become dry. To avoid that, don't use any cream - just sauté with butter and serve the dish. It's less original, but it works!
Reviews of Butter Chicken
![]() This is the best ever butter chicken I have eaten and, as I am a big fan of Indian food, I have eaten butter chicken many times. So easy to make and totally worth the effort. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much, Mamtha. This is a keeper. marc (4 reviews) |
What To Eat Tonight
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Chicken, that most tender and versatile of foods, deserves a place of honor in the chef's 'keepers' file. Take a look at some of these.
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Those wonderful beasts that just scream for something hot and tasty between toasted bread or buns. Once tasted, never forgotten!
Other Chicken Recipes
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The French name for this is "Poulet a l'ail et aux Fines Herbes en croute de Sel Parfumée" - Chicken in Garlic and Herbs with a crust of Perfumed Salt
![Butter Chicken Butter Chicken](/images/recipe-main-images/Butter-Chicken-96.jpg)
Butter Chicken has been eaten in India for more than a thousand years and can be traced back to a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Delhi.
![Chicken with Garlic Cloves Chicken with Garlic Cloves](/images/recipe-main-images/Chicken-with-Garlic-Cloves-150.jpg)
You will no doubt be surprised to see that 25 cloves of garlic (about 4 complete heads of garlic) are used for Chicken with Garlic Cloves.