Easy Butter Chicken
This Easy Butter Chicken recipe (murgh makhani) can be on your dinner table in just 30 minutes. The sauce is deliciously rich and creamy, just like butter chicken from your favorite Indian restaurant.
Butter chicken is best served with a side of steamed basmati rice (or cauliflower rice for a healthier version). If you love butter chicken, make sure to check out this chicken tikka masala recipe. You'll love it, too.
Hello, friends. I've made a big pot of easy butter chicken, and I'm here to share it with you. Food is always so much better when we share it with friends, isn't it?
This easy butter chicken recipe is one I've been making for YEARS. I feel like I owe you a big apology for holding out on you for so long. Do you know those recipes that you make without using a recipe? The kind that you don't think to share because it's just part of your repertoire that you've grown so accustomed to making? That's this recipe for me.
The sauce is thick and rich, creamy, and full of warm Indian spices. I like that it's not as sweet as butter chicken that you get at some westernized Indian restaurants; it tastes more like the real thing.
And since it's made in only 4 easy steps there's really no reason not to treat yourself to curry tonight!
And if you love using your slow cooker, make sure to check out our crockpot butter chicken!
How to make butter chicken an easy recipe?
We've been making versions of this recipe for many years so we have had plenty of opportunities to tweak the method. Our butter chicken recipe is very easy to make but still every bit as delicious as what you'll find at your favorite restaurant. We simplify the traditional recipe in 2 ways:
- Cook the chicken in the sauce. Rather than marinating the chicken (unnecessary with such a flavorful sauce) and cooking it separately, we cook it right in the sauce. This lets the chicken poach gently so that it stays very tender.
- Simmer the sauce. Since we cook the sauce and chicken together we get to skip the time most recipes take to simmer the sauce by itself. To birds, one stone, same result.
How to make butter chicken
Over the many years of making this recipe we've refined the method so that it is very simple to make. Here's what to do:
- Cook the onions, garlic, and ginger until deliciously caramelized.
- Add the spices and tomatoes then blend the sauce until smooth.
- Now cook the chicken in the sauce so that it's flavorful and tender.
That's it! You've just made your favorite Indian curry!
Full recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
Tips for making easy butter chicken
- Brown the onions well. They add the most amazing flavor and contribute to the sweetness of the curry.
- When the onions are browning, add all the spices to a small bowl. This will make it quick and easy for you to add the spices once the onions are brown.
- If you're serving this with rice, you can start the rice first. It will finish cooking before the butter chicken is ready, but you can remove it from the heat and set it aside until everything else is done.
Do I need to use all those spices?
Yes, and no. Each of the spices adds a layer of flavor and leaving one out will change the taste of this recipe. But sometimes we all run out of spices or don't want to buy one because we don't think we'll use it often. I get it! If you're craving butter chicken and don't have any cumin on hand, don't sweat it, the curry will still taste great.
Garam masala is the most important spice here. It is a mix of different spices and adds the most flavor to the recipe. You could substitute curry powder, but I like garam masala better.
Is butter chicken healthy?
It can be! Most restaurant butter chicken recipes use copious amounts of butter, cream, and sugar. We reduce the amount of butter, have options for the cream (whipped cream, yogurt, or coconut milk – your choice!), and use just enough sweetener.
Does this easy butter chicken recipe freeze well?
Yes! We often make a double batch and put leftovers in the freezer. It's better and easier than takeout. We love these big reusable Stasher Bags for freezing leftovers.
Easy Curry Recipes
- Chicken Tikka Masala in 4 easy steps
- Easy Mattar Paneer (restaurant-style!)
- Mango Chicken Curry
- Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry
- Indian Meatball Curry
Easy Butter Chicken
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
The Curry
- 2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil
- 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup whipping cream, plain yogurt, or coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar, can sub brown sugar
- Sea salt, to taste (I like about 2 teaspoons)
The Spices
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook for about 8 minutes, until well-browned, reducing the heat if necessary. While the onion cooks, place the spices in a small bowl.2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil, 2 yellow onions, 3 tablespoons chopped ginger, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
- Add the spices to the pan and cook for 1 minute to remove their raw flavor. Pour the can of tomatoes into the pan and scrape the bottom to remove any bits that are stuck to the pan. Transfer to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.28 ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- Add the chicken and water and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let the chicken cook through, about 10 minutes.1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, 1 cup water
- Stir in the cream, yogurt, or coconut milk, the almond butter, and the coconut sugar. Season to taste with sea salt.¼ cup whipping cream, plain yogurt, or coconut milk, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar, Sea salt
Notes
Pair with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice
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This is simple and the spices are complex and it is delicious!
I used 2lbs of meat and made 6 portions. I also added a can of tomato paste, and instead of almond butter i used powdered peanut butter. Overall i think it turned out pretty well! I was too lazy to blend it but i wish i would’ve
Also i would definitely say only half a cup of water was needed
Delicious recipe! I added 5 tbsp of coconut sugar to mine. It was a little watery for my liking so I’d probably do half a cup of water next time if I do it at all lol. Overall yummy.
Oh my goodness, this was so good. Made it because my son is allergic to milk, he loves it! Question for you….do you know if you can freeze it? I would like to make several batches for quick meals. Also, I like to provide freezer meals to those young moms who are moving, to busy to cook etc.
Thanks again for such an awesome recipe!
Yes, you can! It freezes excellently. I actually have some in my freezer right now. 🙂
Delicious. My husband liked so much he would eat over veggies, didn’t need chicken. Made ours with yogurt, almond butter and increased Garam Masala. Had leftovers for second night.
My blender had a problem so I couldn’t blend the sauce. But the taste was still delicious and not noticeably lumpy. I’d make this butter chicken again.
So so easy, tastes amazing
Perfect recipe.. Tasted exactly as an Indian restaurant
Good flavor – not overpowering spicy like some can be. I find most recipes, and this one included, grossly underestimate the time. Probably took me 30 minutes just to dice the vegetables and chicken. I think fresh ginger takes so long. I didn’t have almond butter on hand and didn’t want to try peanut butter – wanted to try the dish first to determine if wanted to add later or next time. I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs and simmered probably 30 minutes while I cleaned up and made side dishes of rice and roasted broccoli and carrots. Read comments afterwards that spoke of fenugreek but didn’t see it in recipe. Perhaps that was from a prior recipe version. But wish I had read since I do have fenugreek and didn’t even think about utilizing. Also didn’t have cardamom seeds on hand so just used cardamom powder. I really liked the recipe – and especially liked that there was lots of sauce for dipping. Just like the author said, I think I’d double next time so can freeze some for future meal since took so long to prepare – probably a total of 2 hours (granted we did have guests so there was some chatting involved but I’ve actually reduced the time by best guesstimate). Thanks for sharing!
If I don’t have a blender does that mess up a recipe If i don’t blend itt?
If you don’t have a blender, just make sure to mince the onion, garlic, and ginger as small as possible. 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m allergic to almonds. Is there something else I could substitute for the almond butter to help thicken it?
Can you have cashews? Cashew butter would also work. 🙂
I made a double batch of this last night and it was so good! Easy to make and was happily gobbled up by everyone, including my 11 year old (who also ate the leftovers for breakfast)!! I added a few kung pao peppers and some chilies because we all like things a bit extra hot. I will definitely be making this again.
Yay! So happy that you loved the recipe!!
Thanks for this tasty recipe
I’ve made this twice now and it’ll be in our regular line-up of meals. Delicious!! Both times I forgot the water, and my sauce was a little chunkier than yours, but the flavours are perfect. No more store bought sauce for me.
Thanks! I’m going to try the steak chili next.
Cheers
Michael
Very good! Even without any heavy/whipped cream. Will definitely try it again. Recieved compliments from my 9 year old who loves Indian food. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for such a delicious recipe. Appreciate the helpful tips also. I am fairly comfortable
in the Kitchen and have been cooking even more since the current world has shuttered many restaurants. I love Butter Chicken and even though I went on the healthy side using yogurt, this came out great with even brighter spice presence than restaurant version.
This is motivating me into doing more Indian recipes and maybe some Tikka Masalas. I liked this better than restaurant version the first time I made it.
You’re very welcome!
This was the best butter chicken recipe I have tried but it was still lacking from my favorite restaurant. To my families taste it was missing some spice and to much tomato. Next time I will ahead some more spice and more cream. Easy recipe to follow and will try again. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome!
Just made this curry and it tastes amazing!! Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
I’ve made this Butter Chicken recipe twice now. So delicious and easy to make. Thank you Endless Meal.
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for coming back to let us know!
so quick and easy and absolutely delish!!!
Thanks, Mary!
Wonderful recipe! My husband declared it to be his new favorite. Tastes just like restaurant quality, you won’t be disappointed.
That is so great to hear! Really happy that you and your husband loved the recipe!!
Hi,
Why is there almond butter in your butter chicken recipe? Is this for flavour or texture? I want to make this tonight but don’t have almond butter. I have another recipe for butter chicken (which I failed) but there was no nut of any kind in the recipe. Thanks, Terri
The almond butter helps to thicken the curry and make it extra creamy. If you need to omit it, only add the water if you think it needs it. 🙂
Easy to make and tasted good .. I made it a day ahead …
My only issue was mine was a bit runny. .. so I added a few potatoes and it thickened a bit more
Had over Basmati rice …
Thank you very much .. I really enjoy these recipes
You are very welcome!
Great recipe! As good as we get in Indian restaurants. Delicious!
Thank you so much!
I made this delicious butter chicken. I only had boneless chicken thighs on hand. It was delicious. Used the spices I had, added a bIt of curry powder and some mild Korma sauce. I have lots of sauce left over and will freeze it. All I have to do is add a couple of chicken breasts, cooked, and my next butter chicken meal is ready!
I love it when there is extra, too! Makes the next meal so easy!
hi, have made this a few times and it is the best buttered chicken and easy to follow recipe, but tonight i made it vegan and used seitan instead of chicken, still turned out great,thanks for sharing
I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe! I sometimes make it vegan too by adding soft tofu, which tastes quite a bit like paneer in this recipe. It’s great that way, too!
I had some cashew cream sitting in the fridge and was looking for ways to use it, this was fantastic! Will definitely make again.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!
I followed the recipe down to the exact grain of spice. My goodness, it was FANTASTIC. I used coconut milk (75%) instead of dairy and the almond butter was perfect in there!, It is so refreshing to see a butter chicken recipe not using 4 tables spoons of butter and allowing a substitution for dairy. My partner said it was better than the restaurant we go to for Indian!..
But we seriously, seriously LOVED IT.
Thank you so much for the great comment! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
The quantities in the recipe seem like there will be a lot of sauce in relation to the amount of chicken. I am short on some of the ingredients, could the quantity of sauce be reduced? Also I minced the ginger, would this affect the quantity? Can’t wait to make it. Thanks.
It’s meant to be saucy! You want lots to pour over rice or dip naan into. ANd minced ginger will work fine. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I love curry but never cook it at home. This was even better than ordering in. Next time I’ll double the recipe so there are more leftovers.
I’m happy to hear it was a hit!
This recipe was bland and very weak in taste. We threw it out and was a waste of money and time. I will not be taking any more recipe’s from this site because I cannot trust it to give 5 stars as a real actual outcome. This Butter chicken recipe was the worst recipe of Butter chicken I have ever eaten.
I’m really sorry to hear you didn’t like the recipe. Since you found the recipe bland even with all the spices I would really check your spices to see if they need to be replaced. Spices lose their flavor after a while and it sounds like maybe it’s time for some new ones. 🙂
I am going make this tonight for my family, I want to use yoghurt….do I have to worry about the yoghurt splitting with heat? Or does the blending take care of that? Anybody else use yogurt?
Hopefully I hear back before I make it!
As long as you add the yogurt at the end (like in the recipe) then it won’t split. If you leave it to cook for a while that is when you’ll run the risk of it splitting. 🙂
I make a really time consuming butter chicken that Involves many spices and caramelizing the tomatoes (I guess that’s why you add the sugar), it’s delicious but it takes me about 4-5 hrs to make, can’t wait to try this recipe, just one question the cardamom is it green or black?
Thank you and I’ll let you know when I make it
Green cardamom! I’d love to hear if you think this recipe is good enough for a time saving butter chicken!
I tried this recipe today and I am in love! I adore this dish and never thought I could replicate it at home! You have single-handedly boosted my confidence as a cook, added a delicious recipe to my life and now made me a subscriber to your site. I will have to check out what other treasures you have in your backlog <3
That makes me so happy to hear!! Hooray!!
What if I omit the almond butter? Will it make a big difference? Thank you! Looking forward to trying the recipe
The almond butter definitely makes it creamier and richer in flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can omit and it will still be tasty. I’ve even used peanut butter in a pinch. It changes the flavor a bit, but it’s really good too. 🙂
This is a really good recipe, easy to follow instructions and very good flavour. I did make a couple minor adjustments- I used bone-in skinless chicken thighs (that was what I had on hand) and served them whole simmered in the sauce, and I omitted the chili (because my young kids can’t handle the heat) and the fenugreek (I didn’t have any). Overall a super hit with the family, even my toddler liked the sauce mixed with rice! This recipe will definitely make it into our regular rotation, thanks so much!
So I totally forgot to rate your recipe in my original comment… 5 stars!
Awww thank you so much for coming back to rate the recipe!
This is one of my toddler’s fav recipes, too! Good call on the bone in thighs – they’re my fav!
This was excellent and easy to follow directions, this was my first time making it and I will be adding it to my meal schedule. I do have one question about the rice. Any rice I try just isn’t the same, when I order it the rice is long and fluffy and tasty all on its own . But what I end up with is short sticky broken rice. Can you tell me what type of rice is commonly used. I am new to BC and Vancouver Island and I am hoping that since you’re a bc’er to you may have some idea
Thanks
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! You’ll want to use white basmati rice. It also sounds like you might be using too much water. I always use a little less than what the package calls for. 1 cup of white rice to slightly less than 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring the water and rice to a boil then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Let it cook for about 15 mins then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit (covered) for about 10 mins. That should give you fluffy rice!
While I don’t use a rice cooker, many people swear by them for perfect rice. 🙂
Welcome to BC!!!
Absolutely loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing ? Will most definitely be making this again.
I’m so happy you liked it!!
Deviated slightly from the original recipe but it was amazing! Got some restaurant Naan to go with the dish and cooked some lentils for another side. GREAT recipe and if you like butter chicken a definite must try. So surprised the ginger didn’t overpower the dish since there was so much of it but I was pleasantly surprised! And very delighted that it doesn’t take a million years of reducing for it to taste this good. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
I made your recipe tonight and it is amazing! I like every butter chicken and I have tried many recipes and they have all been disappointing, not this one! I did substitute wowbutter for the almond butter and it was still yummy. I think I shall be an avid follower of your blog from now on – nice to see your a “local” as well – I’m from Kamloops!
That makes me so happy to hear! And nice to meet a fellow BCer!!
Hi Kristen!
I love you recipes. I recently made the Easy Butter Chicken and it was delicious. I am big fan of Indian food and my favorite dish is Palak Paneer. Do you know how to make it from scratch? So far, I ate it only in the restaurant, but I would love to try to make it at home.
Best regards,
Vlasta Lyles
I’m so happy you like the butter chicken recipe. It’s one of my favs! Funny you mention Palak Paneer, I was planning on sharing one this fall! I haven’t quite perfected the recipe, but as soon as I do you’ll see it on the blog. I’ll make it soon for you!
Hello Kristen.
By preparing Indian food I learned there are many (like thousands recipes) for Garam masala. What spices do you use in yours?
To be totally honest, I use store-bought garam masala. If you make yours, I’m sure it will be even more delicious no matter what spices you use in it.
Would I be able to use fennel seeds instead of fenugreek?
I haven’t tried replacing fenugreek with fennel seeds before so I can’t say for sure. It’s such a small amount so I have no doubt you could leave it out. Garam masala also has a little fenugreek in it (usually) so you’ll get a little of that flavor already. 🙂
Tried your recipe tonight, we loved it! I’m dairy free so I used coconut cream for the cream add in and it worked perfect and didn’t add a coconut flavor. Will be making it again real soon!
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Hi Kristen! I don’t have a blender at home -do you think a hand mixer would work as well? How important is it for the sauce to be really smooth?
Do you mean an immersion blender? That would definitely work. If you’re talking about handheld beaters (like you would use for mixing cake batter) that wouldn’t work. In that case, just mince the onions etc really fine. The texture will change, but it will still taste delicious!
Yum! This recipe looks very similar to my butter chicken recipe only I have never tried the almond butter in it. I usually blend up a bunch of cashews, but what a much easier idea to use the pre made almond butter. Good thing you’re smarter than me and figured it out 🙂 I’ll invite you when I make it. Im just a hop skip and a jump down the valley from you…
So nice to ‘meet’ a fellow BCer! (That looks really funny written, but I swear it doesn’t sound funny to me when I say it.) 🙂
Is there a difference between Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala? This looks delicious!
Thanks –
Lori
They’re similar but there is a difference. Exactly what that difference is seems to depend on who you ask. If you’ve had Chicken Tikka Masala before and liked it you will like Butter Chicken too!
I think I just had a ‘When Harry Met Sally Moment’. Yes, yes, yes! Before I even read the title, I saw the picture of the butter chicken and immediately swooned. Thanks so much for sharing! So what other amazing little gems to you have hiding in your repertoire? 😉
OMG I love it! That’s awesome!
I’ve been going through my old posts repertoire and have actually found some gems in there. Not photo-wise (some of the early ones are SO embarrassing!) but the recipes are solid. I’m going to start reposting them – with new pics! – to revive them 🙂
Ah, perfect! I’ve never had butter chicken, but being the spice connoisseur that I am and Indian being my favorite cuisine. this can totally happen 😉
Never had butter chicken? Girl, you need to change that asap!! 🙂
You’re absolutely right about sharing, Kristen! But I think it’s totally fine to share just with a very few friends. Thus, send me all this pot to me, ASAP! I may or may not share with someone else:) If seriously, good job! The chicken looks just fantastic!
Absolutely! I’m sending one giant pot of butter chicken your way. 🙂