Butter Chicken
Indian Butter Chicken – a super popular dish made with tender chicken thighs and a deliciously seasoned, creamy, buttery tomato based sauce. Serve it with freshly cooked basmati rice and homemade naan and the compliments will abound at the dinner table. Butter Chicken, also known as murg makhani, is an Indian curry dish made of chicken that’s coated in a well seasoned tomato gravy that includes butter and cream.
Chicken is marinated in yogurt, spices, garlic and ginger, then later cooked in a tandoor, but it can also be pan fried, grilled or oven roasted. After that it is tossed with the simmered, richly seasoned tomato sauce. This butter chicken recipe is easy and straightforward. It just involves a bit of extra time. It’s one of those hard to mess up dishes as long as you follow a few simple directions and tips. If you love Indian food this is a must try recipe, and if you’ve never had Indian food this is such a great place to start!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup whole plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp garam masala, recommend homemade blend HERE, divided
- 4 tsp fenugreek leaves, slightly crushed after measuring, divided (I buy HERE)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp smoked paprika, divided
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic, divided
- 2 Tbsp peeled and minced ginger, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, or a little more to thin if needed
- 3 Tbsp Cilantro (chopped or whole leaves)