This Butter Chicken Curry is everything it promises to be: rich, creamy, velvety, and aromatic. Prepared with boneless chicken gently coated in a mildly spiced, creamy tomato sauce, it's a perfect weeknight meal that pairs perfectly with Naan and Basmati Rice.
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Typically, Pakistani curries are spicier than Indian curries and seldom contain cream. Growing up, butter chicken was not a dish I was familiar with. However, in recent years, it has gained popularity in Pakistan and is a favorite with my family.
My kids want this so frequently that I created this simple, one-pot variation that is also a little lighter than the restaurant version. With no butter, sweetener, and only half the cream, this recipe still delivers a smooth, velvety texture that we associate with butter chicken.
If you're a fan of recipes like this, then you'll love my recipes for chicken tikka masala, Hyderabadi chicken curry, chicken korma, and plain and simple Pakistani chicken curry.
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Why you'll love this butter chicken curry recipe
- One-pot recipe - Traditional murgh makhani is made in two steps. This one-pot recipe cooks in less time and requires less cleanup!
- Easy-to-source ingredients - Everything you need for this recipe is available at the supermarket. There are no special ingredients to source!
- Healthy and light - With less butter and cream, this recipe is easier on the waistline and causes less indigestion, which means you can enjoy it more often.
- Not too spicy - This recipe is packed with flavor without being too spicy.
Butter chicken curry ingredients
- Chicken - I use chicken tenderloins, or chicken tenders, as some people like to call them. This is the meat from the innermost muscle located near the breastbone. Tender and lean, it results in super juicy meat.
- Tomato paste -For this recipe, Make sure to use tomato paste, not tomato puree. It adds a depth of flavor and brings the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness to the butter chicken curry.
- Cooking oil - Use an oil with a high smoke point like avocado, canola, or sunflower.
- Yogurt—Use plain, full-fat yogurt for a creamy texture and sweeter taste. I find Greek yogurt too dense and acidic for this recipe.
- Heavy whipping cream - Always use this as it is high in fat and essential to a velvety texture for the butter chicken curry.
- Spices - salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder are all you need in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Boneless thighs - While I love using chicken tenderloins, they can be expensive. Boneless thighs are cheaper, and since they have a little more fat than breast meat, they will deliver a juicy flavor.
- Add fenugreek - Also known as kasoori methi, traditional butter chicken recipes contain these. I've omitted them to keep this recipe simple but feel free to add them to your curry.
- Make it dairy-free - If you can't handle dairy, use cashew yogurt and cashew cream for best results.
- Use a pre-packaged tandoori spice blend - If you don't want to buy the individual spices, use a storebought spice blend. I recommend substituting the spices below with 3 tablespoons of store-bought tandoori powder. Use any leftovers to marinate and grill some chicken.
- Make it restaurant style - For a creamier, more authentic flavor, substitute butter for the oil and add an extra ¼ cup of cream to the butter chicken curry.
- Add some sweetener - To make the curry sweeter, Use a teaspoon of jaggery. If you can't source jaggery, use dark brown sugar.
- Use leftover chicken - If you have leftover chicken tikka boti or tandoori chicken, simply make the sauce separately and toss in the chicken. If you go this route, you will have to reduce the spices by half.
How to make butter chicken curry
- First step - Brown the onions and saute the garlic paste in them. I prep and freeze both these ingredients to save time on a daily basis.
- Second step - Cut your tenderloins or thighs into 1-inch pieces and add them to the above mixture. Saute until the chicken turns opaque and you can no longer see pink.
- Third step - Add in the ginger and spices and stir till everything is well mixed.
- Fourth step - Add the tomato paste and the water and stir until it's well combined.
- Fifth step - Cook till you have a cohesive mixture that's bubbling slightly.
- Sixth step - Add the yogurt, a few tablespoons at a time. Please don't add the yogurt all at once, or it will curdle due to temperature differences.
- Seventh step - Once the yogurt is mixed in, cook to thicken the curry.
- Eighth step - Add in the heavy whipping cream and serve.
Expert Tips
- Use the proper chicken—strictly use tenderloins or boneless thighs. Chicken breast is too dry for this recipe.
- Make sure all the ingredients are full-fat - Butter chicken is all about fat, and it's vital to use high-fat ingredients in this lighter version.
- Learn these kitchen hacks - If you haven't already seen my post kitchen hacks for cooking curries, check it out and cook a silky smooth and creamy butter chicken curry in half the time.
Recipe FAQS
While both these curries seem similar, butter chicken is lighter in color, creamier, milder, and slightly sweeter in flavor than chicken tikka masala.
If you want to thicken the sauce, add more onions, use butter or ghee instead of the oil, and add a little extra cream to the recipe.
Butter chicken freezes really well. Once cooked, the chicken can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen for up to six weeks. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight and microwave to enjoy.
Other chicken recipes you may like
For more recipes like this, check out 15+ chicken recipes from Pakistan. If you decide to try this recipe, please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Butter Chicken Curry
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Ingredients
- ½ cup oil or butter (see notes)
- 2 lbs boneless chicken
- 1 onion
- 2 teaspoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 cup yogurt (see notes)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (see notes)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into cubes, remove any excess fat and set aside.
- Heat Cooking Oil (see notes)
- Chop the onion and sauté well till it's a nice medium-dark brown.
- Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken, stir frying till it turns opaque.
- Add the tomato paste and ¼ cup of water so the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Saute till the mixture entirely coats the chicken .
- Add the salt and all the spices and saute for a few minutes.
- Add the yogurt ¼ cup at a time, stir fry till a thick paste forms and no liquid can be seen, and then add another ¼ cup and so forth till the entire cupful has been added. (see notes)
- Cover and simmer the gravy for about 15 minutes. This insures that the onions become very soft and melt with the other ingredients. This is important to achieve that velvety texture we talked about earlier.
- Uncover, turn flame on high and thicken the gravy if necessary (see notes)
- Stir in the cream and turn the stove off.
- Plate the curry and drizzle about 2 Tablespoons of cream and some cilantro as a garnish and serve.
Rebecca
Hello! What can I add to make it very spicy? Thank you!
Nosheen Babar
Hi Rebecca,
It is fairly spicy already so I would suggest tasting it as you’re making it and then adding more of the red chili powder per your own taste.
Unique places in the world
This Butter Chicken Curry sounds like a dream come true for comfort food lovers! The way you describe it—rich, creamy, velvety, and aromatic—makes it sound irresistible. The mildly spiced, creamy tomato sauce with boneless chicken seems perfect for a cozy weeknight meal, especially when paired with naan and basmati rice. I can’t wait to try this out and enjoy such a delicious and satisfying dish!
Sakina
Really easy to follow recipe and turned out very tasty abd delicious ?. My guests were very impressed. Thank you.
Nosheen Babar
Thank You Sakina! I'm so glad you liked the recipe and hope you'll try others from my blog.