Here’s a clear, friendly guide on how to make butter chicken (murgh makhani) at home, plus a quick “forum-style” scoop and some SEO touches built in.

How to Make Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is a creamy tomato-based curry where grilled or pan-fried chicken is simmered in a rich sauce made with butter, cream, and warm Indian spices.

Quick Scoop (What You’re Making)

  • Creamy, mildly spiced curry with a smooth tomato and cashew (or cream) base.
  • Boneless chicken is marinated with yogurt, spices, and ginger–garlic, then seared or grilled for smoky flavour.
  • Finished with butter, cream, and dried fenugreek (kasuri methi) for that restaurant taste.
  • Best served with naan, roti, or basmati rice.

Ingredients (Home-Style Restaurant Butter Chicken)

For Chicken Marinade

  • 500 g boneless chicken (thigh or breast), cut into bite-size pieces.
  • 3 tbsp thick yogurt.
  • 1 tbsp ginger–garlic paste.
  • 1–2 tsp red chilli powder (use Kashmiri for colour and mild heat).
  • 1 tsp garam masala.
  • ½ tsp turmeric.
  • 1 tbsp oil.
  • Salt to taste.
  • 1–2 tsp lemon juice (optional but recommended).

For the Gravy

  • 3–4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (or tomato sauce/passata, about 1½ cups).
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped (optional: some recipes skip onion for smoother, sweeter sauce).
  • 1–2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste.
  • 10–15 cashews (for creaminess) OR extra cream if you skip nuts.
  • 1–2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder.
  • 1 tsp garam masala.
  • 1–2 tsp sugar or honey (to balance acidity).
  • 3–4 tbsp butter.
  • ¼–½ cup cream.
  • 1–2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed.
  • 1–2 tbsp oil.
  • Salt to taste and hot water as needed to adjust consistency.

Optional extras: whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom for tempering at the start of the sauce.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Marinate the Chicken

  1. In a bowl, mix yogurt, ginger–garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric, oil, salt, and lemon juice.
  1. Add chicken pieces and coat well; cover and marinate at least 30 minutes (up to overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour).
  1. Bring marinated chicken back to room temperature before cooking.

Forum-style tip: A popular Reddit suggestion is to visualise the recipe steps and lay out everything before you start so you don’t forget spices or mix teaspoons and tablespoons.

2. Cook the Chicken

You can do this in a pan or in the oven.

  • Pan method: Heat a little oil in a pan, sear chicken on medium-high until lightly charred at edges and just cooked through.
  • Oven method: Toss chicken in oil, spread on a tray, and bake around 190°C until cooked and lightly browned.

Set cooked chicken aside (keep juices; they add flavour to the sauce).

3. Make the Tomato–Cashew Base

  1. In the same pan, add a bit of oil and a spoon of butter; sauté onions until soft.
  1. Add ginger–garlic paste, cook until fragrant but not burnt.
  1. Add chopped tomatoes and cashews, salt, sugar, chilli powder, and garam masala; cook until tomatoes break down and everything softens.
  1. Add a splash of water, simmer 10–20 minutes until the tomatoes are fully cooked and mixture thickens.
  1. Cool slightly, then blend to a smooth puree; strain back into the pan for a silky texture.

4. Turn It Into Butter Chicken

  1. Return the strained sauce to low–medium heat; add butter and a little water if too thick.
  1. Add the cooked chicken (with any juices) and simmer 5–10 minutes so the flavours meld and sauce reduces slightly.
  1. Stir in cream and crushed kasuri methi; simmer gently a couple of minutes, then switch off heat.
  1. Taste and adjust: salt, chilli, sugar, or extra butter as needed.

Garnish with a swirl of cream and a pinch of kasuri methi or chopped coriander.

Simple Serving Suggestions

  • Serve hot with basmati rice, jeera (cumin) rice, or naan/roti.
  • For a fuller plate, pair with cucumber raita and a simple salad.

Different Takes on “How to Make Butter Chicken”

Here’s a quick look at how various popular styles differ so you can pick what suits you.

[1][3] [1][3] [5][9] [5][9] [7] [7] [4] [4]
Style Key Idea What’s Special
Ultra easy skillet version One-pan, short ingredient list, quick weeknight cooking. Uses simple pantry spices and cream; ready in about 15–30 minutes.
Restaurant-style with cashews Marinated chicken plus tomato–cashew gravy, finished with cream and butter. Smoother, silkier sauce and more depth from cashews and kasuri methi.
Highly tested “best” recipe Careful marinating, controlled simmering until oil separates, then cream and butter. Tuned to mimic restaurant flavour, beginner-friendly but slightly more detailed.
Reddit “perfected” version Focus on workflow, prep, and timing as much as ingredients. Community tips: prep everything, re-read steps, avoid mis-measuring spices.

Little Story-Flavoured Note

Butter chicken was popularised in Delhi when leftover tandoori chicken was simmered in a rich tomato, butter, and cream sauce, turning dry pieces into something luxurious and comforting. Today you’ll see it everywhere from Indian restaurants to home kitchens and even pies in places like Australia and New Zealand.

SEO Snippet / Meta Description

A soft, ready-to-use line you can adapt:

Learn how to make butter chicken at home with a creamy tomato–cashew gravy, tender marinated chicken, and rich butter and cream, inspired by restaurant and forum-favourite recipes.

TL;DR: Marinate chicken with yogurt and spices, cook it until lightly charred, blend a tomato–cashew base into a smooth sauce, simmer the chicken in it, then finish with butter, cream, and kasuri methi.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.