Indian Butter Chicken is loaded with flavor! Tender chicken thighs are simmered in a rich buttery tomato sauce. Delicious over rice!

I was first introduced to butter chicken at my local Indian restaurant. To tell you the truth I wasn’t very keen on the idea of tomatoes and butter sauce, but one night I decided to give it a try. It was love at first bite. The sauce was spicy, the chicken was tender. From then on it was the dish I ordered whenever we visited the restaurant.

And now with this easy to follow recipe, we can all make Indian Butter Chicken right at home. And it is delicious enough to rival any restaurant.  

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make it: 

Indian Butter Chicken Ingredients: 

Indian Butter Chicken Ingredients overhead photo.
  • GARAM MASALA: Garam Masala is a blend of ground spices that is popular in Indian cuisine. It translates to “warm spice” and is a blend of black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. 
  • SALT
  • GINGER: Fresh ginger as more warm flavor to the dish. 
  • GARLIC
  • OLIVE OIL 
  • CHICKEN THIGHS: Boneless skinless chicken thighs work best in this dish. Chicken breasts can also be used but they won’t be as tender. 
  • BUTTER: Where the “butter” in Indian butter chicken comes from. It makes the dish creamy and decadent. 
  • ONION: Yellow onion works best. Sliced thin. 
  • TOMATO SAUCE: The base of the sauce. 
  • YOGURT: Greek yogurt adds creamy, tanginess to the sauce. 
  • CAYENNE PEPPER: To add a bit of heat but it is totally optional. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

Don’t let the longer list of ingredients intimidate you, Indian Butter Chicken is actually pretty easy to make. 

  • Butter Chicken Marinade ingredients.
    Whisk together ingredients for marinade.
  • Diced chicken thighs marinating in plastic dish.
    Toss chicken pieces in marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  • Brown chicken. Set aside.
  • Onions sautéing in butter.
    Melt butter. Cook onions and garlic until softened.
  • Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Step #1: Mix together the ingredients for the marinade. Whisk well.
  • Step #2: Place chicken in a bowl and pour marinade over the top. Toss to coat the chicken completely in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • Step #3: After the chicken has marinated, heat a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Place chicken on plate and set aside. 
  • Step #4: In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook just until softened. 
  • Step #5: Return the chicken to the pan and add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes until sauce reduces and thickens and chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice with naan bread. 

Storage and Leftovers: 

Indian Butter Chicken reheats beautifully! Simply warm through. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator. 

Looking for more Indian inspired dishes? Check these out! 

This Chicken Curry recipe has been a favorite in my family since I was a kid. And now my kiddos love it too!

Beef Samosas are a classic Indian appetizer and are great with curry and this butter chicken. 

Warm up with this Mulligatawny Soup! 

Note this recipe was originally published in 2010. It was updated with new photos, step by step photos and nutrition information in 2023.

Indian Butter Chicken
2h 5m
Prep
35m
Cook
2h 40m
Total

Servings

4

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients:
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pound chicken thighs (diced)
Sauce Ingredients
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne powder (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Pour over chicken. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until browned. Transfer to a plate.
  3. In the same pan you cooked the chicken in melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook just until softened, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to the pan and stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.

Notes

optional
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories
441
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 142mg 47%
Sodium 1513mg 66%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 27g
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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Deseree

Whether it is cooking it, eating it, shopping for it or watching TV about it, food is one of my favorite things.

17 Reviews

  1. Karen August 12, 2025

    I have been making this recipe since 2011 to use the garam masala someone gave me. Leftovers are even better.

  2. Naz May 17, 2023

    I can’t wait to try this out and eat it with naan!

  3. Vicknes May 17, 2023

    his would also go well with fresh-baked naan, and Basmati rice. I live near an Indian food store, and always can find whatever spices I need. Oh, and by the way, I buy my brown Basmati rice in 10-lb. bags. If you’ve never tried Basmati rice, you’re in for a real treat. Trust me on this!

  4. Deseree July 26, 2014

    I LOVE Basmati rice. I don’t buy it too often but I should :)

  5. Robyn Sheppard July 24, 2014

    This would also go well with fresh-baked naan, and Basmati rice. I live near an Indian food store, and always can find whatever spices I need. Oh, and by the way, I buy my brown Basmati rice in 10-lb. bags. If you’ve never tried Basmati rice, you’re in for a real treat. Trust me on this!

  6. Presents From the Kitchen | Natural Parents Network December 12, 2010

    […] Butter Chicken A good take on a classic Indian meal. […]

  7. Deseree October 2, 2010

    I love the addition of potatoes Melissa! I’ll have to try that next time.

  8. Melissa September 30, 2010

    Thanks for the recipe! I’ve never ordered Butter Chicken at a restaurant before, so I can’t really say how close it is. But I made this last night and it was very tasty! I added 3 more tablespoons of butter and another 1/4 cup plain yogurt to reduce the tanginess from the tomato sauce and I also added potatoes. Will definitely be making this again! The chicken and sauce is very flavorful!

  9. Deseree September 27, 2010

    Wow thank you everyone! Michelle- thanks for the tips on making homemade garam masala. I have always wondered if you could make that yourself. I’ll have to try it. Judy- its a total of 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Hope this helps!

  10. Judy September 27, 2010

    hey, it says garam masala in the recipe twice… once for 1/2 tsp and the other for 1 tbsp. is it a combination of both?

  11. Lisa September 24, 2010

    This looks amazingly good. I can’t wait to try it.

  12. Jenn's Food Journey September 23, 2010

    I can smell it now….mmmmmm! I have now seen 2 postings this week for butter chicken…maybe it’s a sign :)

  13. Michelle September 23, 2010

    Sounds amazing. Wish the aroma could waft right out of your photo.

    I think you can find a “homemade” recipe for garam masala online. I needed it at some point and didn’t want to buy a whole jar until I knew we liked the dish. Your chicken sounds so good that I think I need to just get some to keep in the pantry now!

  14. Soma September 22, 2010

    So utterly delicious!! i make it using light cream or even milk ( no yogurt).. basmati rice and some butter chicken = bliss.

  15. StephenC September 22, 2010

    We had Indian and Thai flavors last night in a curry. It reminded me of how much I like Eastern food. I’ll copy it into my “Recipes” document so I don’t lost track of it. Thanks.

  16. Roxan September 22, 2010

    PS I’m going to follow you on twitter, you’ll see me as ‘monstroxity’

  17. Roxan September 22, 2010

    Hi! First time commenting on your blog but i’ve been reading/subscribed for a while now. My friend showed me your blog and I’ve been hooked! Just wanted to say that i LOVE your recipes and your photography. great job.

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