Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Additional Time
2 hrs
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Total Time
2 hrs 35 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
525 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Description
Butter Chicken begins with a marinade of yogurt combined with almond flour, citrus, garlic, ginger, sugar, and an extensive blend of spices like chili powder, garam masala, cardamom, cinnamon, and optional Kashmiri chili powder. The chicken pieces, preferably browned meat, soak in this mixture for at least two hours, often overnight, allowing deep flavor penetration.
After marinating, the chicken can be grilled or broiled to develop a charred surface that adds smoky notes. Alternatively, it may be pan-fried or cooked directly in the sauce, though this yields less depth of flavor. The cooking process involves sautéing onions, garlic, and ginger in ghee, then adding tomato puree and reserved marinade to create a rich sauce that simmers with the chicken. Adding butter and heavy cream softens and enriches the sauce's texture.
The finished dish offers a balanced combination of savory spices, mild heat, and creamy texture. It's typically served garnished with chopped cilantro. The recipe benefits from resting overnight to meld flavors further and can be prepared in steps for convenience.
Ingredients
- For the Marinade:
- 1 1/2 cups yogurt plain full fat
- 1/4 cup almond flour , unblanched or blanched
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- garam masala STRONGLY recommended, homemade
- 3/4 teaspoon green cardamom ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/4 teaspoon bay leaves crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder optional, if you like it spicy (use more for more heat), or cayenne pepper
- FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 2 pounds chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (brown chicken meat produces the most flavor. You can also use bone-in chicken, boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoons ghee (can substitute oil or butter)
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped, large
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 14 ounce tomato puree can substitute passata or plain tomato sauce, canned
- 1 black cardamom if you can find it. It isn't necessary but it adds such a fabulous flavor, pod
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- cilantro fresh chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt with the almonds, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and spices and stir to combine. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.The marinated chicken can then be either: Laid on a lined baking sheet and placed under the broiler in the oven until nicely browned or grilled on the barbecue. We highly recommend one of these options (I broil it in the oven). Otherwise you can skip these steps you can pan-fry the marinated chicken in some oil until it's browned (shake off any excess marinade before frying) or you can skip all of these options and simply cook it along with the other ingredients in step 2 (though it will have less flavor). **Whichever route you go be sure to save the marinade because you'll still need it for the sauce.
- Heat the ghee in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion until soft and translucent and beginning to turn golden, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the chicken and all the marinade. (If you chose not to grill, roast or pan-fry the chicken, bring it to a simmer now and let it cook until it turns white.) Add the tomato puree and black cardamom pod. Return to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and cream and stir until dissolved. Add salt to taste. Remove the black cardamom pod.
- Serve with steamed jasmine or basmati rice and/or fresh naan bread. Garnish with some chopped fresh cilantro and swirl in a little extra cream.This sauce tastes even better the next day when the flavors have had more time to meld so we recommend waiting a day to eat it (let it cool completely, refrigerate, and reheat gently on the stovetop).
Notes
- Grilling or broiling the marinated chicken before simmering enhances flavor with smoky charred notes.
- Allow marinated chicken to rest overnight for deeper flavor development when possible.
- This dish improves in flavor after resting a day, making it suitable for advance preparation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 525 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 525kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 57g | 114% |
| Fat | 35g | 54% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Cholesterol | 214mg | 71% |
| Sodium | 921mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 944mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1034IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 163mg | 16% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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