Creamy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Name: Creamy Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 1 h 16 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces; ½ cup (120 g) full-fat plain yogurt, at room temperature; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic, finely grated; 2 tsp (6 g) Kashmiri chili powder; 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin; ½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric; 1½ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, plus a pinch for the onion and more to taste for the sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola); 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, divided: 2 tbsp for cooking, 2 tbsp cold and cut into pieces to finish; 1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves (13 g) garlic, finely grated; 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned crushed tomatoes (not purée), one 15-oz (425 g) can, with its juices; 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste; 2 tsp (4 g) garam masala, divided: 1½ tsp for the sauce, ½ tsp to finish; 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander; 1 cup (240 ml) water, plus extra as needed to adjust thickness; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar, plus a pinch more if needed; ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream; 1 tbsp (2 g) dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between your palms; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs are seared, then simmered in a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce scented with garam masala, fenugreek and ginger. Rich, gently spiced and perfect with naan or basmati rice.

Prep: 24 min
Cook: 52 min
Wait: 1 hr 5 min
Total: 2 hr 21 min
Makes: About 5 cups (4 generous servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken
2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
½ cup (120 g) full-fat plain yogurt, at room temperature
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 cloves (10 g) garlic, finely grated
2 tsp (6 g) Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric
1½ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, plus a pinch for the onion and more to taste for the sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
For the sauce
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, divided: 2 tbsp for cooking, 2 tbsp cold and cut into pieces to finish
1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves (13 g) garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 can (15 oz) (425 g) canned crushed tomatoes (not purée), one 15-oz (425 g) can, with its juices
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
2 tsp (4 g) garam masala, divided: 1½ tsp for the sauce, ½ tsp to finish
1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
1 cup (240 ml) water, plus extra as needed to adjust thickness
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar, plus a pinch more if needed
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
1 tbsp (2 g) dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed between your palms
To serve
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped

Equipment (6)

Large bowl for marinating
12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or wide Dutch oven with lid
Immersion blender or countertop blender
Instant-read thermometer
Microplane or fine grater
Plate for the seared chicken

Steps

Before you start

Marinate the chicken at least 1 hour (up to 12 hours in the fridge). Plan on about 2 hours 20 minutes total if marinating for 1 hour.
Use full-fat plain yogurt; low-fat yogurt can split and won't tenderize as well.
Measure all spices before you start cooking; the aromatics and spices cook quickly and burn easily.
Start basmati rice or warm the naan during the chicken simmer (step 7) so everything is ready together.

1
Marinate the chicken
- In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, 3 grated garlic cloves, Kashmiri chili powder, cumin, turmeric and 1½ tsp kosher salt.
- Add the chicken pieces and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
- While it marinates, grate the sauce garlic and ginger and chop the onion.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a thick, orange-red marinade
Tip: Don't marinate longer than 12 hours; the acid can make the chicken mushy.
2
Sear the chicken
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Lift the chicken from the bowl and scrape off most of the clinging marinade with your fingers back into the bowl; keep that leftover marinade.
- Add half the chicken in a single layer and sear, turning the pieces every 1–2 minutes so each side browns, about 5–6 minutes total per batch.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the second batch.
- The chicken will not be cooked through yet.
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Ready when: Chicken is browned in spots on several sides with some charred edges, but the marinade hasn't blackened
Tip: Crowding the pan steams the chicken, and too much marinade or heat scorches; if the pan darkens, lower the heat.
3
Soften the onion
- Keep the heat at medium.
- Add 2 tbsp of the butter to the same skillet, scraping up the browned bits.
- Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 7–8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent and just starting to turn golden
Tip: If the browned bits start to scorch, add a splash of water and scrape.
4
Bloom aromatics and spices
- Add the grated garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, 1½ tsp of the garam masala and the coriander and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Ready when: Mixture smells toasty and the paste darkens to brick red
Tip: Keep stirring; ground spices burn within seconds and turn bitter.
5
Simmer the tomatoes
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, 1 cup (240 ml) water and the sugar, and stir in the leftover marinade.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook for 15 minutes total, stirring occasionally.
- This long simmer also fully cooks the raw-chicken marinade.
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Ready when: Sauce has thickened slightly and oil begins to separate at the edges
6
Blend the sauce
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- (Or carefully blend in batches in a countertop blender, venting the lid, then return to the pan.)
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Ready when: Sauce is silky with no visible onion pieces
Tip: Hot liquid expands in a blender; fill no more than half full and hold the lid down with a towel.
7
Cook chicken in the sauce
- Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the seared chicken with any juices from the plate.
- Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If the sauce looks too thick to move easily, stir in water 2 tbsp at a time.
- Cut into the largest piece to check it is cooked through.
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Ready when: Largest chicken piece reads 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer and no pink remains
Tip: Thighs stay tender up to 175°F (80°C); 165°F (74°C) is the minimum safe temperature.
8
Finish with cream and butter
- Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the cream, the remaining 2 tbsp cold butter pieces, the remaining ½ tsp garam masala and the crushed fenugreek leaves.
- Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes without boiling hard.
- Taste and add salt, or another pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy, deep orange and the butter has fully melted in
Tip: A hard boil after adding cream can cause the sauce to split.
9
Rest and serve
- Let the curry rest off the heat for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.
- Scatter with chopped cilantro and serve hot with basmati rice or warm naan.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon
Tip: If the sauce is too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water.

Good to know

Tips

Don't skip the searing; the charred edges add a smoky, tandoor-like flavor. Wiping off excess marinade keeps it from scorching.
Blend the sauce fully for restaurant-style silkiness.
The sauce should coat a spoon but still flow; add water 2 tbsp at a time if it's too thick, or simmer uncovered a few minutes if too thin.
Balance is key: taste at the end and adjust salt and sugar until the tomato tang is mellow and rich.

Make ahead

Marinate the chicken up to 12 hours ahead. The finished curry tastes even better the next day; cool and refrigerate, then reheat gently with a splash of water.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (the cream may look slightly grainy; whisk while reheating). Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C).

Substitutions

heavy cream → full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream. Dairy-free option; the flavor will be slightly sweeter.
Kashmiri chili powder → 1 tsp sweet paprika plus ¼ tsp cayenne. Approximates the color and moderate heat.
dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) → 1 tsp maple syrup plus a pinch of ground fenugreek. Or omit; the dish will be less authentic but still good.
boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut into larger pieces and simmer only 6–8 minutes until 165°F (74°C) to avoid drying out.