Tandoor-roasted chicken in a velvety tomato, butter and cream sauce — the world's most ordered Indian dish.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) was invented at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s when chef Kundan Lal Gujral mixed leftover tandoori chicken into a rich tomato-butter-cream sauce. It became the gateway dish that introduced the world to Indian cuisine, and today it's the most ordered Indian restaurant dish globally.
Serves 4
Mix yoghurt, tandoori masala, 1 tsp cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic and ginger. Add chicken. Marinate minimum 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Grill or broil marinated chicken on highest heat until charred spots form — 8–10 minutes. This smokiness is essential and cannot be skipped.
Don't worry about cooking through — the chicken finishes in the sauce.
Melt butter in a wide pan. Add remaining garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garam masala and remaining spices. Simmer 20 minutes until oil separates and sauce deepens.
Use a stick blender or transfer to a blender and blitz until perfectly smooth. Return to pan, pass through a fine sieve for restaurant-quality smoothness.
Add cream, honey and charred chicken pieces. Simmer 15 minutes. Add crushed fenugreek leaves — this is the secret ingredient that gives murgh makhani its distinctive flavour.
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) is non-negotiable for authentic flavour. Find it in Indian grocery stores.
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Char marks on the chicken are not burning — they're essential for the smoky depth that defines this dish.
Kashmiri chilli gives the iconic deep red colour without excessive heat.
Crushed kasuri methi added at the very end is what makes butter chicken taste like a restaurant — don't skip it.
Paneer Makhani: replace chicken with paneer cubes for a vegetarian version.
Vegan: use coconut cream instead of dairy cream, and chickpeas or tofu.
Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Freezes beautifully for 3 months.
Butter chicken was created by accident at Moti Mahal in Delhi when Kundan Lal Gujral needed to use up leftover tandoori chicken. He simmered it in a tomato and butter sauce — and inadvertently created the world's most loved curry. The recipe was refined by chef Kundan Lal Jaggi.
Butter chicken (murgh makhani) has a sweeter, creamier, more buttery sauce. Tikka masala is spicier, more complex and less sweet. Butter chicken is Indian in origin; chicken tikka masala was likely developed in the UK.
Yes — sear the marinated chicken in a very hot pan until charred spots form, about 2–3 minutes per side. It won't have quite the same smokiness as a grill or tandoor, but it's close.
Reduce the cream and add a little extra yoghurt or stock to loosen the sauce. The dish will be lighter but still carry the tomato, butter and spice base that defines it.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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